Scarlett accepted a tight hug from her before she laughed and wiped away the tears under her eyes.
“It’s amazing, Esme. Now they can look forward to meeting their baby you’re growing in your belly,” Scarlett said softly as she gently patted Esmeralda’s slightly rounded belly.
Esme wrapped her arms around Prettyboy and waved her hand in the air.
“You think I can have a wedding like this someday?”
Prettyboy smiled lovingly at her before he pressed a kiss to her forehead.
“You can have whatever you want.”
Scarlett turned away to give them a little privacy and when she did, she noticed that the buffet was being arranged across the room. She thought Fury and Rayna did a marvelous job combining their reception with the ceremony itself- it made it easier for their guests, too. Scarlett couldn’t imagine them having a church ceremony anyways, and thought that the lavish venue fitted them much better.
As the other guests in the room became situated and Rayna and Fury began to make their rounds, Scarlett eased over to the open bar and ordered herself a stiff drink.
She didn’t make it more than two feet from her table before she was greeted by another friendly biker, this one almost as huge as Limit.
He had black hair and bright blue eyes, and if she didn’t know any better, Scarlett would presume he was an underwear model, he was so handsome.
He looked like he knew he was, too.
Scarlett could appreciate a handsome man, but arrogance was another thing entirely. And, the man staring down at her like she was on the menu was obviously too arrogant for his own good.
He smiled at her when she accepted her drink from the bartender.
“Hi. I’m Pierce. A little birdy told me you’re Ox’s daughter.”
He held out his hand to her, and she readily took it into hers.
“That’s correct. My name is Scarlett. Nice to meet you,” She said.
He wore the same colors as Rebel, so she knew exactly who the little birdy was.
She caught sight of Ox with a pretty blonde out of the corner of her eye and stepped around Pierce to get a better look. She was surprised when he gripped her forearm and stopped her from leaving.
“Wait a second, Scarlett. What’s got you runnin’ off in a hurry?”
He was smiling at her, but it only made her skin crawl for some reason.
She smiled as kindly as she could as she tried to remove herself from his tight grip.
“Excuse me, I would like to join my father.”
Pierce glanced at Ox and then back at her before he smiled again.
“You’ll see him later-”
As his arm was suddenly yanked backwards and she was freed, Scarlett stumbled right into Limit’s arms. His starched tux was firm against her cheek as she stared wide-eyed at Pierce.
“She said to let go, asshole. Do we need to have a talk just you and me?”
Pierce looked between the two of them, and when it didn’t seem like he was catching Limit’s hint, Limit wrapped his strong arm around her waist and yanked her into his side.
Pierce held his hands up, his upper lip lifting in a slight snarl.
“Message received, I won’t bother her again.”
Scarlett was gripping Limit’s shoulder now, her manicured fingers digging into the dark material of his jacket.
“You didn’t have to do that,” She murmured.
Limit stared down at her intensely.
“Do you have any idea what the men in this room want to do to you?,” He growled.
Scarlett had no idea what to say to him.
“They want to peel that sexy dress from your body, and place their mouths on your soft skin.”
He ran a knuckle gently over the curve of her cheek, his eyes pinned to hers.
“They want to bury themselves inside your tight little body, and consume you whole,” He said huskily as his steamy gaze raked over her form.
Scarlett’s eyes widened when one of his hands fell to the curve of her ass and yanked her body into his.
She wasn’t sure what was more shocking- the things that he was saying, or the fact that he was obviously staking some sort of claim in front of an entire room full of people, including her father.
“Limit-what-”
He interrupted her with a shake of his head.
“Do you truly believe I don’t know what I’m talkin’ about? Lust ain’t new to a man like me, so trust me when I tell you that every man in this room apart from your father wants to know what it feels like to be inside that sweet pussy of yours.”
“Okay, but Limit, I don’t know-”
“Don’t play coy, Scarlett. If it’s to be touched that ya want, I’ll touch you. If it’s to be consumed whole, then fuck, I’ll do that, too. I may be strong, but I’m not invincible. The idea of tasting every inch of your skin affects me more than you’ll ever know. The temptation is absolutely maddening. But, we’ve made no promises. I know that. I know that I should be able to offer you more. All I ask, is that you keep that information in the forefront of your mind before you let Pierce of all creatures taste you instead,” He said fiercely.
If anything could make Scarlett speechless, that was it.
Limit wasn’t the kind of man to make any declarations, but that sure as hell sounded like one to her. He hadn’t made any indication that being with her exclusively was what he truly wanted, but Scarlett was still unsure.
Limit didn’t wait for her to respond before he dipped his head and pressed his lips to hers. Scarlett was honestly helpless to turn him away.
Even the touch of his hand was enough to make the butterflies in her tummy flap their wings, but whenever he kissed her, she felt like every love-sick heroine in the romantic movies she loved so much. Whenever Limit even glared in her direction, Scarlett knew exactly what the definition of passion was. Limit didn’t have to fumble with her body, she didn’t have to show him what she liked.
He already knew.
He knew her body like the back of his hand, and Scarlett knew that wasn’t something she would find easily anywhere else.
“You two are stealin’ my thunder!,” Scarlett heard.
She pulled back to see Rayna standing beside them, smiling from ear to ear.
Scarlett released Limit and wrapped her arms around the bride, her eyes filling with happy tears again.
“You look so gorgeous! I’m so happy for you both!”
Rayna giggled like a happy schoolgirl as she gripped Scarlett’s shoulders.
“Thank you! I’m so happy you came…you aren’t upset I had Ox walk me down the aisle, are you?,” Rayna asked carefully.
Scarlett frowned and shook her head profusely.
“Of course not! No, Rayna absolutely not. I’m so happy that he was here for you on your special day,” Scarlett told her truthfully.
Rayna cupped her cheek and startled when Fury pressed a hand to the small of her back.
“It’s time for us to have our first dance, baby.”
Rayna smiled up at him and nodded.
“We’re going to find our seats, and I promise, we won’t steal your thunder anymore.”
Limit grunted under his breath, a sound that Scarlett assumed was his own version of agreement.
As Rayna and Fury headed for the dance floor, Limit took her hand into his and nodded towards her table.
“You’ll sit on my lap tonight,” He said.
At first, she wanted to argue. Scarlett had a spiteful retort burning the back of her tongue for only a moment before the submissive half of her brain cried out, why not?
In truth, being with Limit was an entirely new experience for her and she liked it when he was bossy with her. She liked when he slid into the role of dominant. Coming from a world where she had to be pushy all the time, it was nice to be able to sit back and let someone else drive for a while.
As they neared her table, she had to wonder if he was serious.
Yet, when Limit pulled out h
er chair and sat down first, she knew that he absolutely was.
Limit was a man that needed control to feel safe, and to Scarlett, knowing what she now knew about him, it only made her feel protected.
Cherished, even.
Limit battled with the demons in his head on a daily basis, and she knew that no matter how calm he seemed on the outside, his brain never stopped running.
He’d more than likely already counted every single exit, every vantage point, and taken note of every person with a weapon in the room. But, Scarlett liked that about him.
As she slowly lowered herself into his lap, his arms snapped around her waist like manacles.
For the first few seconds, all she could think about was what other people would think of her. Then, like magic, she relaxed into his arms and leaned into his chest.
“I have a question for you, Scarlett.”
She knew exactly what he was about to ask, but she wanted to hear the filthy words leave his mouth before she answered.
His lips caressed the shell of her ear, and she could already feel her pussy getting wet.
“Are you wearin’ any panties?”
Smirking at him in a way only a woman could, she looked at him over her shoulder and wiggled her hips the slightest bit.
“I guess you’ll have to wait and find out.”
Chapter 18
Scarlett had a lovely time at Rayna and Fury’s wedding. She danced her heart out, met many of the Lone Rangers- including Axel, who she absolutely adored- and as the evening wound down, she got to meet the woman Ox was obviously interested in as well.
Laura.
Scarlett and Laura had really hit it off. They were closer in age than her and her father were, but Laura was a really sweet woman who obviously had genuine intentions when it came to Ox. She hoped they’d grow closer the more time she spent in Bryson City.
Emily and Green ended up leaving around the same time Rayna and Fury called it a night, leaving many guests behind to still enjoy the drinks and food and music. The room was still packed by the time she’d decided to call it a night, too.
Even Limit, who’d been sweeter than she’d expected all evening, had enjoyed himself and she imagined it was hard for him to do so when he had so much weighing on his mind. He didn’t mention it to her, and he didn’t have to say much, but she knew that he was obviously still conflicted about something.
Which is why she’d opted for calling a cab to take her home instead of letting Limit take her back to the clubhouse. Even though they’d had an amazing evening and he’d held her tight enough to bruise (which she liked) Scarlett needed a little space to make heads or tails of her own wandering thoughts.
Her apartment complex was all but deserted as she climbed the stairs towards her and Emily’s apartment. She wasn’t quite drunk anymore, something that both irritated and pleased her. There was something less than enjoyable about falling asleep while the room was spinning, but being sober also meant that she had all the time in the world to ponder and worry about none other than Colton Graham.
Like, did he really like her?
He liked her enough to keep fucking her, but did that really form a strong enough connection?
She didn’t have much experience with sex to go on, but she was starting to think things shouldn’t be so damn complicated…
Should they?
Scarlett stumbled on her front step as she tumbled into the apartment, the door banging against the wall as she did so.
She thought about calling Ox to let him know she was home and safe, but her phone was buried in her purse somewhere and she didn’t want to waste time searching for it.
She swore under her breath as she yanked her keys none too gracefully from the keyhole and slowly closed the door behind her. As she searched against the wall for the light switch, she kicked off her heels and threw her purse onto the floor by the door, eager to get herself to bed.
Her feet were sore, her head was beginning to ache.
Maybe she’d even have a bite to eat-
As her fingers found the switch, she flicked it on, and blinked a few times to clear her vision.
That’s when she saw him.
“You look beautiful, Scarlett.”
Scott Worthington was sitting on her couch, a couch pillow in one hand and a shiny knife in the other.
Her entire body froze as her heart started to pound.
What…?
“Scott…what are you- why do you have a knife?,” She whispered fearfully.
Scott smiled sadistically before he shrugged and stood to his full height, the knife pointed in her direction.
“You know exactly what I’m doing here, Scarlett. I told you what I wanted in all those messages I left you.”
Scarlett had no idea what he was talking about, mostly because she’d never listened to the messages he’d left her. Why would she have? She didn’t think they had anything left to talk about, not after what he’d done.
“I didn’t get your messages, Scott. Why don’t you just put the knife down, and then you can tell me what you said in the messages?,” She asked softly.
Scarlett knew enough about Scott to know that she had to make him feel like he was in absolute control, or she’d never make it out of her living room alive.
His behavior was always unpredictable; anything could set off his legendary temper, but he’d never been physical with her before.
Scott hissed between his teeth as he lurched at her, causing her to slam backwards into the wall behind her. The window beside her rattled in its frame from the force of her body weight, but Scott didn’t seem to care.
His eyes were blazing with an anger she’d only seen from him a handful of times.
“You dirty little slut! You think I don’t know what you’ve been doing behind my back? Fucking around with that lowlife biker?!,” He screamed.
Scarlett clenched her eyes closed for a second when he waved the knife around wildly in the air.
“It’s complicated, Scott. We aren’t together! I can’t be fucking around on you if we aren’t a couple,” She argued.
Scott shook his head as he laughed, his eyes wide and unforgivable.
“Lies. Lies! I asked you to be my wife and you said yes! That makes you my property, Scarlett!”
His property?!
Her stomach roiled at his hateful words, but she knew now that she’d made the right decision to leave him.
“Scott, just put the knife down. We can talk about this civilly,” She murmured.
Scott stepped around the coffee table in the middle of her living room, and Scarlett didn’t think twice.
She ran.
Her bare feet hit the ground running as she ran towards the only room in the house she knew housed a weapon bigger than his, and that was her kitchen.
Limit had insisted on leaving a gun at her apartment no matter how hard she fought him on it, and now she couldn’t have been more grateful for that lowlife biker.
Just as she rounded the refrigerator, Scott caught her around the waist and brought her down to the ground with him.
He was a lot smaller than Limit, but still bigger than her, and his deadweight was all but immovable. She squirmed against him, fought against his tight hold until he slammed her wrists into the ground beside her head and screamed in her face. He was so close she could smell the vodka on his breath and practically feel the fine points of his canine teeth against her chin.
“You stupid, stupid, cunt. You think you can leave a man like me?”
Scarlett started to cry when she realized that there was no escape from him.
He had her right where he wanted her.
“You dumped me, remember? You cheated on me!,” She cried.
Scott shook his head angrily.
“You wouldn’t give it up to me, your future husband, but you’ll give it up to some leather wearing scum? Are you and your mother so much alike, then?,” Scott sneered.
Scarlett’s sobs tore through the kitchen whe
n she felt his dick grow hard against the inside of her thigh. Scott was a lot of things, but patient he was not. His hot breath fanned against her cheek as he ran his nose along the underside of her chin.
“You’re mine, Scarlett Hunter. And after tonight, you’re going to stay mine.”
“And if I say no?,” She asked shakily.
Scott only moved to lift the knife he’d been holding and press it against her neck.
“Then I’ll kill you right here. My father’s an amazing lawyer, and we both know it. He’ll walk me through cleaning up the crime scene.”
Scarlett felt the blood drain from her face when she realized that he was right.
Scott’s father was a spectacular defense lawyer, and she couldn’t count on her fingers and toes the amount of times he’d gotten someone guilty of their crimes set free.
“My father and his men will kill you. Emily will know it was you, and she’ll tell them-”
Scott started to laugh as he said, “Then I’ll kill her too, Scarlett. Is that what you want?”
Scarlett shook her head as her tears stained her face with inky black trails.
“You’re going to give me what I want, right now.”
At first, she didn’t know what he meant, and then he used the blade of his knife to slice right through her velvet dress.
“NO!,” She screamed as she fought against him.
Scott only laughed, a high-pitched squeal that made her blood run even colder.
Scott Worthington, the man she’d once fancied herself in love with, was going to rape her right there on her kitchen floor.
He was going to rape her, or kill her, and Scarlett had no idea which was worse.
Even though she knew that she couldn’t get to the gun on top of the refrigerator, she knew she had to fight him however she could.
Immediately she began to struggle against him, knife be damned. She didn’t care if he sank the blade bone deep in that moment, all she cared about was making sure he didn’t work his way inside of her.
“Stop fighting me!,” He yelled.
Never.
“Help! Someone, HELP!,” She cried.
Scarlett managed to land a solid jab to the underside of his square jaw, throwing him sideways.
Gluttony (Seven Deadlies MC Book 3) Page 12
