by Todd, E. L.
“Well, I’m glad she came because I was able to call you. Can you text Penelope Ryan’s number so I can have it?”
“Yeah sure.” She said nothing for a long time. “So what are your odds?”
I sighed. “My lawyer doesn’t think they are great.”
She took a deep breath, trying to remain calm. “We’ll figure it out.”
“I know, babe.”
“No matter what happens, it’s still you and me.”
I smiled. “I know, babe. That would never change.”
“Ryan and I are almost to New York. We’ll find a hotel and just check in subtly.”
“No. Use my parents’ apartment on East. They aren’t using it. You won’t have to use a credit card so you can’t be traced. You remember where the spare key is, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Use it.”
“Okay.”
“Mam, I asked you three times to get off the phone. Now.”
I assumed that was the flight stewardess.
“Okay,” Scarlet snapped. “Shut up already.”
I couldn’t help it. I laughed. “Babe, I’ll talk to you soon. It’s going to be okay.”
“Okay. I love you.”
“I love you more than anything in the entire world.” My voice was full of emotion.
“I miss you.”
“Mam, if you don’t off the phone I have the right to confiscate it from you.”
“I miss you too. Bye.”
She was crying, unable to hold in her emotion any longer. “Bye.”
7
Scarlet
Now that I knew Scarlet was okay, I felt the tension leave my body. It was still there but now it wasn’t so heavy. Coming to New York was a good idea. If someone was trying to follow her they would have a harder time tracking her down in the city, staying at different places and remaining hidden. It was a good idea. I’m glad Scarlet came up with it.
Bill talked about our options and kept me in the loop as the prosecutor set up their case. Since Bill wasn’t entirely certain what they had, he couldn’t give me any reassurance. Instead, we prepared for the trail like it was going to happen. I admitted to Bill that I did come after Carl and I had no remorse about it, so he gave me some tips on how to lie better. I thought it was pretty ironic that a lawyer was teaching me how to be deceitful even though he knew I was in the wrong.
When I was in my cell I lay on my cot, staring at the ceiling. I was at the end of the hallway, facing an empty cell, so I had nothing to distract my mind or my thoughts. I thought about Scarlet most of the time, remembering the scent of her hair and the feel of her lips on my skin. Whenever me thoughts became sexual, my cock would harden instantly. I hadn’t had sex in a few days, so my sexual appetite was returning. I wished they had conjugal visits here.
Since I had nothing to do, I fell asleep. I was glad I did because Scarlet returned to me. For a moment in time, I wasn’t stressed about the situation I was in and I wasn’t worried about her safety. It was just the two us—against the world.
She was lying next to me in bed, the sheets tucked around her. She had just woken up because her face was free of makeup. The lines were absent from around her eyes and mouth because she was rested. Her face was pale and fresh, beautiful like a winter morning. Her eyes shined bright when she opened them, showing the entire world within her irises. She was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. I couldn’t believe I woke up to her face every morning.
She stretched slightly then moved closer to me, her shoulder poking out from under the sheet. I ran my hand along the curve, feeling her smooth skin. My hand trailed down her stomach and to her hips, feeling every steep and turn. Her body was perfect. She didn’t work out anymore buy she didn’t need to. She was naturally perfect.
She opened her eyes and looked at me, holding my gaze. When a slight smile formed on her lips, my heart melted. Just a simple movement could make my heart accelerate. She had total dominance over my heart. It was in her chest, right next to her own.
Scarlet moved closer to me then crawled on top of me, straddling my hips. Her hair fell down her chest, slightly wavy from the curls she wore the night before. When it touched my chest it made me tingle. It was always so soft. The smell always got me aroused.
She leaned down and kissed my neck, her body pressed close to mine. She felt warm and welcome. My hands guided across her body, feeling her slender back and petite waist. She was feather light. When I imagined her being pregnant with my child, I was excited to see the expansion of her hips and the formation of her belly. I knew she would look adorable.
“Last night was fun,” she said into my ear, nipping my earlobe slightly.
“Yeah.” I didn’t know what she was talking about.
She grabbed my left hand and kissed the knuckles, trailing to the ring around my finger—my wedding band. “Now you’re stuck with me,” she said as she continued to kiss me. Her hand was clasped around mine and she wore the engagement ring along with the wedding band.
“When I was little I always imagined what my wife would look like.”
“And?” she asked playfully.
“You are nothing like I pictured.”
Her lips froze for a moment, her teasing behavior gone.
“You are so much better.”
Her eyes softened and she kissed me again.
I sat up and pulled her face close to mine. My erection was pressed against her stomach, pulsing slightly. I saw her wedding dress on the floor, ripped from her body the night before. “Thank you for marrying me. You’re the love of my life, the happily ever after I never expected or deserved to have.”
“Sean,” she whispered to me, emotion in her eyes.
“Thanks for putting up with me for as long as you did.”
“The past is the past, Sean. Forget about it.”
“No.”
She rubbed her nose against mine. “I want to make love to you. Lean back.”
I felt my heart accelerate. She was the sexiest woman I had ever been with. She knew how to please me in the right way, elicit pleasure I never felt before. She was my greatest fantasy. When I was with Penelope I used to fantasize about other women once in a while, but I never did that with Scarlet. She was my best friend and the perfect woman. I could never get enough of her.
She pushed me back gently until I was lying down. Her lips moved to my chest, kissing me everywhere. I felt the distant sound of the shore outside the window. We were on our honeymoon but I didn’t know where. When she moved her lips lower, I stopped caring where the hell we were. She kissed my hips, moving her tongue across the skin, then moved further to my groin. She grabbed the base of my cock then licked the tip, making me gasp as I watched her. I started to leak fluid and she licked it away like she was parched, dying for water. Her mouth only stayed at my tip. I stared at her, loving the sight of her making out with my cock. When she pulled away she licked her lips, tasting me.
“Yum,” she whispered.
I grabbed her hips and pulled her over me, grabbing my cock and pressing it to her entrance. I wanted to be inside her now.
“No, I’m making love to you.” She pushed my hand away.
I placed my hands by my side and watched her sheath me, taking me all the way in with one quick motion. I suddenly felt her warmth and protection. I gasped loudly as she started to ride me. She leaned over me and she moved up and down, riding me from tip to base.
Her tits hung in my line of sight. They were big and perky, one of my favorite features. I sucked each nipple then pinched them gently. Her mouth opened in ecstacy as she made love to me. I grabbed her face and kissed her, moving my tongue around hers. Quiet moans escaped her mouth. My kisses were gentle and loving. I loved kissing her more than doing anything else. I felt connected to her in a powerful way. My hands moved into her hair while I rocked into her gently. My orgasm was already there. I was just waiting for her to go first.
I broke our kiss and looked into her eyes, seeing the same love and a
doration reflected back at me. I would die for her and she would die for me. She was everything I wanted in another person. What would I have done if she hadn’t forgiven me? I wouldn’t have known a joy this intense and powerful. I would have ended up with someone else that I loved so much less. Every day I would have wondered what Scarlet was doing. If she was married or had kids. But I know I never had to worry because she was mine and I was hers.
“Together?” she asked.
“Yeah.”
My orgasm shot through me, making me moan loudly. My breathing was heavy, the wind knocked out of me. When I opened my eyes I didn’t see Scarlet anymore. I was alone in my cot, wearing underwear that was soaked with come.
Even though I felt satisfied, I was depressed. I wanted my fiancé—my future wife. I hated sleeping without her, being apart from her. She was everything to me. Without her, I was just a lonely man in a cell, fantasizing about the real thing.
8
When the plane landed, we finally got out of our seats and left aisle. I hated the flight stewardess for cutting my conversation with Sean short. I gave her a frightening glare as I walked by her. She smiled at me, acting like nothing was amiss.
“Now that’s good customer service,” Ryan said sarcastically. “If it were me, I would have punched you for giving me that look.”
I held my bag close to me, ignoring him.
“At least you got to talk to him.”
“Yeah.”
“But with Penelope’s phone?” Janice asked. “Isn’t that weird?”
“I’m not worried about her,” I said quickly. “Sean loves me and only me.”
“I know,” she said. “But I still think it’s weird that she would go down and see him.”
“I’m sure his parents are just delighted by her visit,” I snapped.
Ryan rolled his eyes, knowing an argument wouldn’t help.
When we got off the plane, we walked to the luggage claim. Angry at everything in the world, I called Penelope’s phone.
“Hello?”
“Why the fuck are you visiting my fiancé?”
She was speechless for a moment.
“You had your chance and you blew it. He’s mine. Leave him alone.”
Ryan tried to grab the phone away from me but I evaded his reach. I suspected Ryan would try to stop me.
“I—I’m not. Bryan and I just wanted to be supportive.”
“Penelope, you aren’t pregnant anymore. I have absolutely no problem decking you in the stomach.”
“Scar, I’m—”
“Don’t call me that. We aren’t friends anymore.”
“I’m not trying to get with Sean. I’m married.”
“When has commitment ever meant anything to you?” Ryan tried to grab me again but I pushed him back.
“I have a baby and Bryan and I are trying to have another one. I regret everything I did to Sean and I just want to be there for him. I know he’s going through a hard time. And you have nothing to worry about. When I saw him, he wouldn’t let me hug him. He wouldn’t even look at me. He’s totally in love with you—more than he ever was with me.”
“I know he is.”
“I’m just trying to help, honestly.”
“I speak for both of us when I say get the fuck away from us.”
She was quiet for a long time. “Scarlet, I really want to be friends again.”
“I will never forgive you for everything you did to Sean. You cheated on him then lied to him, tricking him into being with you and raising a kid that wasn’t even his. Maybe Sean will forgive you one day, but I never will. Leave my fiancé alone, bitch. I mean it.” I hung up.
Ryan shook his head. “I thought you were better than that?”
“Well, obviously not,” I snapped.
“You are supposed to be classy.”
“Nope.”
Ryan rolled his eyes then walked back to the luggage claim to get our belongings.
Janice looked at me. “Personally, I think that was a long time coming.”
“So is the fist I’m about to throw at her face.”
“I’ll help you,” she said with a laugh. “But you really have nothing to worry about.”
“It’s not that.”
“Then what?”
“If Penelope is there, then she’ll see his family and they adore Penelope. It’ll be like I don’t even exist.”
Janice’s eyes softened. “That isn’t true, Scar.”
“Yes, it is. They love her way more than they’ll ever love me.”
“That doesn’t make sense. After what Penelope did to Sean, how could they stand her?”
“They don’t know.”
Janice gasped. “I can’t believe Sean didn’t say anything.”
“He doesn’t want the knowledge to ruin her life.”
“That’s very nice of him, but now it’s hurting your reputation. Sean should say something.”
Ryan came back to us. “Say what?”
“Sean should tell his parents the truth about Penelope.”
“I said that from the beginning,” he said. “It’s fine if the secret isn’t hurting anyone, but it’s clearly hurting Scarlet.”
“I’ll talk to him after we settle the issue we are stuck in now,” I said.
“Or you could just tell his mom yourself,” Janice said with a smile.
“No. I won’t do that to Sean. I’ll keep his secrets.”
Ryan carried all the luggage to the car and we piled it in. We only had three bags, one for each of us. We were all in a hurry so we didn’t pack everything.
“Where are we going?” Ryan asked.
“To Sean’s parents’ townhouse on East,” I answered.
“Sweet,” Ryan said as he rubbed his hands together. “It sounds nice.”
“It is. It has a view of the park.”
The cab stopped in front of the building then we walked inside. The doorman eyed us before he opened the front door. When we walked inside, I went to their mailbox and opened a small compartment that held an extra key. Then, we took the elevator upstairs.
Ryan whistled. “This elevator costs more than my whole apartment.”
Janice felt the smooth wood and the decorated walls. “I didn’t know Sean’s family was loaded.”
Ryan eyed her. “Don’t get any ideas, baby.”
“You don’t have to worry, Ryan. You are too good in bed.”
I sighed, uncomfortable with their affection. “Why is this elevator so slow?”
When they started kissing, I wanted to vomit. The doors finally opened and I practically ran outside. I walked down the hall until I found their room number. I inserted the key then opened the door.
I walked inside then placed my bag on the floor, too tired to carry it into a bedroom. The apartment was decorated with paintings and elegant furniture, looking like an ad from a magazine. Ryan and Janice came behind me a second later. Thankfully, they weren’t kissing anymore. I suspected I would hear some loud makeup sex afterward though.
When I walked further into the room, I froze.
“Scarlet?”
Janice and Ryan both stopped behind me.
“Uh, hi,” I said awkwardly.
“What are you doing here?” Sean’s mom, Diane, asked rudely. I guess she wasn’t being rude because I did just barge into their apartment with a key they didn’t know I had.
“Sean said we could stay here.”
“He did?” she asked, her eyebrows raised.
“Yeah.” Now I felt really uncomfortable. I knew his mom didn’t like me, but now I felt like she hated me. I didn’t feel welcome and I didn’t feel loved. Andrew left the kitchen and entered the room. When he saw me, his face lit up in a smile.
“Scarlet, it’s so great to see you.” He came to me then hugged me tightly, running his hand down my back. He kissed me on the forehead before he pulled away. “I’m so glad to see that you’re well. Sean’s been worried about you.”
“I’m okay. I’
ve just been really stressed out about everything.”
“Well you should,” Diane said. “My son could go to jail.”
I was getting really fed up with her attitude. I could only take so much more of this before I blew up and told her to go fuck herself. Since it was Sean’s mom, I wanted to be respectful even if she didn’t deserve it, but if push came to shove, I would tell her where to go. “I hope that doesn’t happen.”
“Neither do we,” she said. “Our company depends on it.”
I couldn’t believe how selfish his mom was. All she cared about was her and their stupid company. Sean was sleeping alone every night, stuck at a police station, but she just cared if they made less money. It was unbelievable. I tried to remind myself that she hadn’t always been so unpleasant. I used to love her like my own mom.
Andrew looked at Ryan. “You must be Scarlet’s brother.” He extended his hand and shook Ryan’s. “It’s so great to meet you.”
Ryan smiled back. “Likewise. And let me introduce my girlfriend, Janice.”
Andrew hugged her. “It’s nice to meet you.”
She smiled as she pulled away.
“You two must be hungry,” he said. “Diane and I will cook something then get you situated.”
“We can stay somewhere else,” I said quickly. “I apologize for barging in like that. I never would have done that if Sean hadn’t told me to.”
Andrew clapped me on the shoulder. “Don’t apologize. You’re family, Scarlet. You are always welcome.”
“Andrew!” Diane hissed.
He sighed before he looked at her. “Yes, dear?” he said in a forced voice.
“Don’t you think we should discuss this?” She walked into the kitchen and Andrew followed her.
“Damn, Sean’s mom is a bitch,” Janice said.
“Keep your voice down,” I whispered.
“I don’t care. No one talks to my friend like that.”
Ryan grabbed my shoulder. “I won’t say anything because I know they are going to be your in-laws, but I will definitely give Sean an earful of it.”
“That’s unnecessary,” I said. “Sean will hear it from me.”
“I’m still going to stay something anyway.”
“I’m sorry that my mom was so rude to you.”
