“You’ve what?”
She stepped towards him and Matt grabbed her by the hands. “I love you, Olivia. You may not love me, you may not…”
Just then, virtual Matt walked by and disappeared through a door behind the front desk.
Olivia met Matt’s eyes and shrugged. “Oops.”
“You? And him?”
“No. No, Matt, I couldn’t go through with it. I swear. That thing wasn’t you. It didn’t even talk.”
“But you just yelled at me for…”
“I know. It’s just too weird. Seeing the man I love standing in the lobby with a carbon copy of me was all too surreal.”
“I think we really need to talk.”
“So do I.”
“Wanna grab some dinner? We’re already dressed for it. How about you let me take you on a proper date?”
“I’d love that. But can we just skip the dinner and go right to the talking?”
“Really?”
“Yeah. I’ve heard there’s a river here that looks just like the Ohio. We’ve had some of our best conversations at the real version. Let’s go there.”
He held his arm out for her and she looped her arm through it. “This is perfect. You are perfect.”
Olivia kissed him on the cheek and they walked out of the River Jewel toward the shoreline.
“Okay, I need to take these off. They’re hot but they’re not as comfortable as I’d thought.”
“Hot is right. You look amazing tonight. You always look amazing, but…wow!”
“Really? You like?” She twirled in a slow circle, giving him a full view.
“Breathtaking.”
He saw her glance away. She’d always been shy about compliments from him and he loved that about her. Olivia was strong and independent, but she was still humble. Matt had never met anyone who turned out to be the whole package. Not until he’d met Olivia.
“Thank you. You look pretty awesome yourself.”
“So, you love me, huh?”
Olivia smiled “Of course I do. If we’re being honest, I’ve loved you since the moment you crashed through the books at the library.”
“Score one for the clumsy guy.” He laughed and wrapped his arms around her.
“What took you so long? Why didn’t you tell me how you felt?”
“I couldn’t. I guess I was afraid I’d lose you. Having you as a friend…”
“Was better than not having you at all.” She finished his sentence.
“Yeah. How could we both have been so dumb? We’re perfect for each other.”
“I don’t know. I can’t believe I wasted so much time on those other guys. None of them were you. They never made me feel safe and not one of them ever made me laugh. What was I thinking? I guess I was pretending to be some strong, independent woman and instead, I managed to lose the career I loved while my self-respect flew out the window. In the end, I didn’t get anything I wanted and I certainly created more problems than I needed.”
“And none of those women were you. The way your eyes dance when you’re happy, the way your lip quivers when you pretend you’re okay.” He skimmed the pad of his thumb across her bottom lip and Olivia flicked her tongue out, tasting the trail of heat he’d left on her mouth. “Little things like that are what I love about you. You’re the only woman who has ever gotten to me this badly.” He stared into her eyes and Olivia’s heart raced, tears threatened to escape as butterflies danced in her stomach.
Love, this was what she felt whenever she thought of him. She’d never had this feeling with Randy or anyone else she’d dated. This was how she, it, was supposed to feel. And now, she knew he felt the same. That old ache of loneliness and worthlessness she’d carried in her soul was gone.
“Not even virtual Olivia?” She teased.
“Not even her, funny girl. Nothing and no one will ever come close to being as wonderful as the real you. But, she was as close as I thought I’d ever get and I would’ve happily settled for that for the rest of my life if I couldn’t have you.”
“Really? Why? Could you have gone your entire life without telling me how you felt? I’ve been so close to telling you so many times and not telling you all of these years was killing me. I doubt that I could’ve kept my mouth shut much longer.”
“Really. Honestly? I may not have liked it, but I would’ve kept up this charade if it meant keeping you in my life. Even if we always remained friends instead of lovers. Thinking of a life without you in it makes me feel as though I’m suffocating. I am so in love with you, Olivia. All I’ve ever wanted to do was love you.”
* * * *
As they stood facing each other, the full moon cast a bright glow across the rippling water and Olivia decided she needed to do the one thing she’d been dreaming of for a decade. She leaned in and kissed him without stopping to think about it. Matt wrapped his arms tighter around her waist and deepened the kiss. The large barges loaded with coal made their way through the locks of the dam and on to their next stop, but no other souls were around. The only thing between them was moonlight and opportunity.
When their petting had reached an almost unstoppable crescendo, Matt whispered, “Come to my suite with me.”
Olivia took his hand and they entered the resort, hopped on the elevator with their fingers locked tightly together in anticipation of what they were both about to do. When the massive mirrored doors opened, Matt pulled her out of the elevator and down the hallway across the Persian carpet that led to his door. He fumbled with the key card and Olivia planted hot kisses on the back of his neck as she pressed herself against him.
“You’re killing me, woman.”
“You ain’t seen nothing yet, city boy.”
He groaned as the key card finally allowed them access into his room and Matt whisked her inside as the lights automatically came on, pushing her against the wall of his suite, holding her hands above her head as his body meshed with hers.
Releasing her hands, he slipped the thin, black straps of her dress over her shoulders and covered her neck in passionate kisses as he exposed her breasts. Olivia grabbed a handful of his hair, relishing the feel of the short, silken strands she’d earlier dreamed of messing up. His scent was intoxicating and mixed with hers as their desire spun out of control.
Olivia shoved him away, locking eyes with him as she backed him into the bedroom and pushed him onto the luxurious bed coverings and straddled his lap.
“God, you’re beautiful.”
“Ssh.” She covered his mouth with her own, placing her hands on either side of his head, tugging at his hair and pressing her breasts into his broad chest.
His erection throbbed against her pelvis as she ground her hips against him. She knew he was begging to be freed from his silk-clad prison, but she wanted him to want it more. Lifting up slightly on her elbows, she positioned her boobs above his mouth and dangled her voluptuous globes above his mouth, inviting him to taste and suck them. He greedily accepted the invitation and dove right in to devour her, alternating with pinching the other while he sucked.
Primal growls tore through her throat and she forced him to stop long enough to rip his dress shirt wide open. Pearl buttons flew, bouncing off the walls, and Olivia grinned with delight as she saw Matt’s eyes cloud with ecstasy.
“Is this what you’ve been dreaming about?”
“Baby, you have no idea.” Matt flipped her onto her back and wriggled out of his shirt, tossing it across the room.
Olivia fumbled a bit with the belt on his trousers and when it finally unbuckled, she practically ripped the buttons off of his pants. She needed to feel him, hold his shaft in her hands. There was too much fabric between them! “Off! Get them off, please!”
He obeyed as she wriggled out of her dress and shoved her panties down while still lying on the king-sized bed. Matt’s pants and briefs puddled at his feet and he grabbed the scrap of lace around her ankles, yanking them off with a flourish.
Olivia’s breath caught in
her throat at the sight of his engorged cock and for a moment, she panicked at the size of it. He was huge! She loved the way her belly flipped in a mix of apprehension and anticipation. No one had ever made her feel the things this man did.
“Whoa. I’m on the pill, but I’m hoping you have a condom. A girl can’t be too safe, ya’ know.”
He opened a drawer in the nightstand, fumbled around and held up a tiny foil package.
“You were expecting to get laid? Oh, wait. Never mind. I guess you were.”
Olivia sat up and snatched the condom out of his hand, ripping the package open with her teeth. Their eyes locked as she unrolled the lubricated sheath over his shaft, giving him a second skin and giving them both an extra layer of protection.
Amazingly, his cock slid into her slick core, causing only a small pinch of pain before her body relaxed and gratefully accepted all of him inside. Like an ocean tide, he moved in, out and over her, their tongues mingling, tasting as they both raced towards the brink of climax.
“Yes! God, yes!”
Matt spilled his seed inside the latex barrier as Olivia’s pussy throbbed, milking every last drop from him until he collapsed on top of her, catching his breath.
Olivia’s heart thundered in her chest and her ears were ringing. She’d never screamed during sex before.
“Well…”
“That was…”
“Incredible.” They both spoke in unison, erupting in a fit of laughter.
Matt eased himself off of her and rolled onto his side, facing Olivia.
An awkward silence filled the room as he stared at her. She didn’t really know what else to say.
“Are you all right?”
“Yeah, I’m wonderful.” She shrugged. “Just not sure what I’m supposed to do now. I’ve never been in this position before?”
“You’ve never lain on your back?”
Olivia opened her mouth to speak and saw Matt was toying with her again. She playfully swatted at him and shook her head. “You’re quite the comedian, ya know that?”
He gently grabbed her wrists, “And you, my friend, are amazing.” Placing his lips on her cheek, “Now, I’m gonna hop in the shower. Wanna join me?”
A kiss on the cheek? “Um, no.” She glanced at the clock on the bedside table and the realization of what they’d just done set in. “I really should be going.” Olivia hopped up and dressed quickly.
“Are you sure? You can always stay here. I’ve got the room for a while longer.”
“Um…”
“Olivia, stop. We can’t run from this anymore.”
“But…”
“But, nothing. I love you, Olivia. I’ve loved you for years and I know you feel the same. I saw the other, um, me, remember? We both came here to be with each other, albeit virtual versions of each other. We’re both here in the flesh now. You finally know why I’ve been coming here and I’m not ashamed of what we did. We owe it to ourselves to be happy with each other. I think this moment has been long overdue.”
He placed his hands on her shoulders, looking into her eyes “I love you. I’ll never cheat on you or leave you. I can’t promise that I’ll never hurt your feelings or space out when I’m writing a book, but I can promise I will always do my best to make you happy. I’ll move Heaven and Earth, if that’s what it takes. All I want in return is the chance to prove it to you.”
Olivia melted against him. She noted that his eyes were glassy from tears he was holding back, and she kissed him. “I’ve waited almost a decade to hear you say that. We have a lot of lost time to make up for. I love you, too and I never want to lose you. You understand how terrified I am, right?”
“Of course I do. But I will do everything in my power to make you forget the fears you have. I’ll make you so happy, I swear. Just knowing you’ll be with me is enough for me. We know everything about each other. I love your OCD tendencies, the way your eyes sparkle, how your lip quivers when you’re up to no good and you love my weird, guy stuff. We’re a perfect fit. After ten years of friendship, I’d say we’ll make it through anything. We already share our lives with each other. The only difference is, now we can share everything. No more secrets.”
He kissed her, slowly at first and deepening with every heartbeat until she pulled back slightly. “Did you really mean you’d move Heaven and Earth for me?”
“You know it.”
She stepped back and took his hand, leading him to the large bathroom where she found a Jacuzzi tub just like the one that had been in her own suite. “Then, how about you rock my world again before we go home?”
“Home? Together?”
“For as long as you’ll have me, Matt. Will that make you happy?” She purred.
“Consider yourself mine forever, Liv.” He took her hands in his. “It’s time for both of us to be happy. In fact, I’d be the happiest man in the world if you’ll have me as your husband. I know I don’t have a ring to give you yet, but…”
Tears welled up in Olivia’s eyes and spilled down her cheeks. She threw her arms around his neck, planting kisses all over his face, murmuring “Yes. Yes. Like you said, it’s been long overdue.”
THE END
CLAIMING SCARLET
RIVER JEWEL RESORT
BOOK 4
Copyright@2015 Madison Sevier
Dedication and Appreciation:
Claiming Scarlet is dedicated to everyone who has patiently awaited Scarlet’s story. I know it’s taken a long time, but I wanted to give you’ve everything you’ve all asked for. I sincerely hope you enjoy it.
Many thanks to my rockin’ Sevier Addicts and the best beta readers an author could ever hope for. Angela Dominique, Bri Clark, Kimberly Misevich and Pamela Reveal—you ladies ROCK my world! Thank you so much for spending your late nights with me. Helping me bring more smuttery and mayhem into the world has been much more enjoyable with all of you fabulous ladies. Love y’all! MWAH!
Tammy Smith, I’m afraid that the following words won’t do justice to the appreciation and love I have for you, but I’ll try. Your friendship, support, guidance and magic mean the world to me. Integrity and compassion are very hard to come by these days and I’ll always be thankful for the inspiration you’ve been to me. Each day, we are bombarded by the negative, the sneaky and the outrageous tactics of this business, but you manage to keep us both grounded and sane. Knowing you’re my Moon Sister is one of the greatest gifts I’ve ever been given. Honestly, without you, I’d have given up a long time ago. I know the world has amazingly wonderful things in store for you and you deserve the absolute best! K.I.B.J. (Always **wink, wink**) Thank you and I love you bunches!
If I were to individually thank all of the women who’ve been incredible inspirations for me, I’m afraid I’d miss someone and I’d hate for anyone to be upset. So, to ALL of you: Whether you’re a friend, reader, blogger, new author or veteran bestselling author who has taken the time to chat with me, spend time with me, buy and read my books, leave a review, “like” my posts, share my links or just generally acknowledge my existence in such a saturated and busy community…Thank you for being you. You ALL matter to me.
Lastly, stay positive, stay honest and hold onto to the good things. Life is too short. There’ll never be enough time. So, don’t spend the few years you have full of regrets or competing with someone else. There’s room for all of us. Reach out and help someone. Anyone. Karma works both ways. Make each moment count.
Love, coffee and cacti,
Madison
Claiming Scarlet
Chapter One
He eased between her creamy thighs, his arms bearing most of his weight to be sure he could be as gentle as possible with the blonde goddess lying beneath him in his bed. The way her ocean-blue eyes darkened with desire, turning a deep, rich sapphire and the breathless way she moaned as he entered her, set his soul on fire. He’d never felt as complete as he did in that moment. His body, though close to two-hundred pounds, felt weightless, hovering it seemed, abov
e hers as his heart pounded, full and heavy with love for this woman he’d happily spend the rest of eternity with.
They moved in synchronicity, like the pistons of a well-oiled engine, climbing the steep hill of ecstasy, speeding towards the top together. Her petal-soft hands clutched at his shoulders and she spread her legs wider, taking all of him deeper inside. This woman, delicate as the deep-red rose he’d given her, cried out as her slick core clenched and throbbed around his thick shaft, pumping him, bringing him with her over the edge. Arching his back, he pushed further into her, giving every ounce of himself to the woman he loved.
“It only turns one shade of green, Asshole!”
The blaring of horns and loud obscenities could be heard over the engine of his bike and Kevin Sunman shook off the twenty year old memory and shifted into first gear, pipes rattling as he eased through the intersection and down Main Street of the newest Podunk town he found himself in.
Not long ago, Kevin would’ve cussed out the offensive motorists, maybe he’d have punched one of the flippant dickheads in the face for something to do. At six-foot-three and two-hundred pounds of pure muscle and stealth, he could’ve annihilated them before they could even blink. But he no longer cared enough to get violently upset about smart-assed comments, dirty looks and people who judged him by his appearance. However, mentally flipping them off as he cruised through town wasn’t beneath him.
Thanks to every stoplight in town turning red as he approached them, Kevin was prohibited from going faster than seven miles per hour. His pipes thundered to a low rumble every time he downshifted. He was accustomed to people staring at his custom chopper and the people of his most recent location were no different.
He’d spent a pretty penny making her into everything he’d ever wanted. Sleek, fast when needed and complete with twisted spoke rims for his two-fifty back tire, custom-fit saddle seat, thirteen-forty S and S engine, chrome drag pipes and an immaculate candy apple red metallic and ghost flame paint job on his tank and fenders. His bike was made for him and riding her was akin to riding the perfect woman. Or as close as he’d ever get.
River Jewel Resort Box Set Books 1-4 BOOK BUNDLE Page 14
