Love Me Later by Libby Rice

Author:Libby Rice [Rice, Libby]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: romantic suspense, romance
Publisher: Gateway Publishing Ltd.
Published: 2014-10-14T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 16

Ethan accepted a tray from room service and turned to see Scarlet stir from her long, post-coital slumber. She perked up like an actress in a Folgers commercial at the scent of their fresh-brewed coffee.

Sex and sleep had worked wonders. Already she looked capable of kicking the shadows beneath those expressive eyes. More of the two S’s for her.

Setting the tray down, he took in her rumpled, sleepy perfection, thinking her attire should forever be limited to skin. And those flawless diamonds flashing from her ears. Maybe a pair of the strappy heels she owned in abundance. Thigh highs if he was feeling generous. He’d thought the same thing years ago. But their time had run out before his fantasy could become reality. He’d renewed it this week tenfold, but seeing her now trumped anything he could have imagined.

He wasn’t in a hurry to break-up their cozy morning of, but reality would intrude eventually. Contemplating how to best broach their issues, he pulled back the sheet and traced a hand over Scarlet’s rump, delivering a playful slap to spur her to flip over. When she complied on a high squeal, he held out a mug and let his gaze stray to the scars he’d discovered earlier. Two jagged marks texturized the creamy skin above her light, downy pubic hair. On first sight, he’d nearly come undone, but he’d sucked it up to keep Scarlet’s mind far away from that awful night during the first time they’d made love.

He sank to the bed and reached out, tracing the scars one by one. When he looked up, he saw his own sadness mirrored in Scarlet’s gaze, but not fear or anger. She stared at his hands, her expression initially grave, while he explored the most vulnerable part of her. Then her smile dawned in a slow reveal that brought a radiant happiness to her face. And he understood. She regretted their past, but she shared his immense relief that perhaps that past would no longer be a wall between them.

“Talk to me, sweetheart.” A tender invitation.

Scarlet froze, then turned her face toward the window. The steaming cup slipped from her fingers, whether by emotion or inattention, he couldn’t say. Not mentioning the spill, he made a grab for her mug before more of the hot liquid soaked into the bedding and dripped onto the floor.

“Will it help?” she asked, her voice choked, disbelieving. He knew she saw little point in rehashing the wounds that had caused such strife.

She didn’t have to explain her trepidation. Beginning with the day she’d offered that check in apology and ending with the night he’d nearly thrown her bodily from the room they now inhabited, he’d been an utter bastard. A bevy of arrogant assumptions had paved his road of sanctimonious coldness and mockery. He’d given her every right to be wary, even after the incredible night and morning they’d shared.

Setting his coffee aside, he used his free hand to cup her chin and slowly return her focus to his face.

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