by Alison Ryan
Her stomach turned. She knew it was time to tell him everything but she wasn’t sure where to start. Or what to leave out.
“Okay,” she nodded. “On one condition.”
“What’s that?” he asked. He was sitting shirtless in just a pair of cotton pajama pants. She looked down at his crotch.
“That,” she said. “I want it again.”
He looked at her, “Jesus. Do you think that’s an actual ‘condition’?” Barrett swooped her up, making her laugh. She never felt safer than when he held her close to him.
“You can have that any time you want. Didn’t you already know?” He kissed her long and hard as she wrapped her arms around his neck.
“Take me to the shower,” she whispered.
“Didn’t you already have one?” he teased.
“Not the kind I wanted,” she murmured as he carried her back to the master bedroom, which was connected to a master bathroom with a shower large enough for ten people. And a bench long enough to do with Scarlet whatever he damn well pleased.
25
Five Years Ago
Barrett was nervous. It wasn’t every day you asked someone to marry you.
He’d told almost no one, only because he knew anyone he confessed to would tell him he was insane. They wouldn’t be wrong. He’d only been with Scarlet for two months. Asking her to marry him was insane. It was the complete opposite of what he normally did. Barrett was pragmatic to a fault. He thought things through and made the best decision for himself and his career. He knew his family depended on him for a lot and asking Scarlet Bloom to marry him was not something typical. It might be something his brother Durham would do, but not Barrett.
Which is why it excited him so much. He’d never felt so right about something, even as crazy as it might seem to an outsider. Barrett and Scarlet had spent every spare second of their lives together since their first lunch at the beginning of the summer. He’d taken her on some beautiful weekend getaways. They’d spent hours at night talking about their deepest desires and hopes for their futures. He knew every inch of her delicious body, from head to beautiful toes. Barrett could tell exactly when Scarlet was going to come; her chest would rise and fall and she would get an intense look on her face and then an immediate, sleepy, satisfied smile. It drove him wild. He knew what made her body respond and she knew exactly how to move him in a multitude of ways.
She was it. He knew it. And when Barrett figured something out, he didn’t waver from the answer. And Scarlet was the answer to everything.
So once he’d decided to marry her, he’d put a plan into action. He wanted it to be the engagement of a lifetime, something that no one could even think to write about because it was so original and romantic. As much as Barrett was a hard-ass in his work life, he was completely different as soon as he was near Scarlet.
“Nancy, you haven’t told anyone, right?” Barrett said over his cell, walking out towards the tarmac where the Gulfstream was waiting. He’d had to go to New York this week for a meeting with investors and he was chomping at the bit to get back to Atlanta, where Scarlet was waiting for him to pick her up for a surprise trip.
Nancy had recently been promoted to his assistant. It was a weird dynamic being that she’d been a maternal figure to him all these years. So despite her title, she was often the one in charge of his decisions. And he’d needed to tell her his plans so she could help set things up.
“Of course not,” she retorted. “They’d all shoot the messenger. Especially your mother.”
Barrett laughed, “She can deal. Shouldn’t most mothers be happy when their son meets the love of his life?”
Nancy sighed, “You really don’t know very much about women, do you?”
Scarlet had finally finished stuffing her suitcase when her cell phone started buzzing.
I love you. I’m on my way.
She smiled. Scarlet still pinched herself these days. It was hard to believe he’d chosen her- or really, that they’d chosen each other. Of course the tabloids made a big thing out of it. She was portrayed as the lucky “common” girl, the daughter of the help, hitting it big with the billionaire’s son. It had taken some getting used to, having such public interest in her private life. And it was amazing how wrong they were, most of the time.
Scarlet didn’t love Barrett because he was a billionaire. She would have loved him if he was like most guys her age, scraping by on Ramen and a prayer. And that was the truth. When she’d been a little girl she hadn’t even known how rich Barrett was. Honestly (and it had taken her a while to admit this to him) his wealth often made her feel uncomfortable. It was always with them and sometimes she found herself wondering what he was doing with just a “regular” girl like her.
“So money is the only thing that makes me special?” he’d said, plainly hurt by her revelation and fear. They were lying in bed at the cabin in Asheville.
“You misunderstand me,” she said, touching his cheek. “It’s the least special thing about you, to me. But to the world, it’s a big deal. And that lies heavy on me at times.”
“It shouldn’t,” he kissed her bare shoulder, giving her goosebumps. “I’m the lucky one, Scarlet.”
God, she loved him.
And now she was waiting for him to come to her again. He’d promised her a surprise trip to cap off the best summer of both their lives. Her internship was over and she’d be back at Emory for her senior year in a couple of weeks. So he’d convinced her to let him plan something big.
There were no hints. He’d told her to pack light clothing and little of it.
“I want you naked most of the week anyway,” he’d said. “So no need to bring much.”
Scarlet rolled her eyes but she’d felt her nipples harden under her camisole at the thought of being naked with him in some tropical, exotic land.
“A limousine is hardly necessary for a trip to the airport,” Scarlet teased as they drove to where Barrett’s first part of this surprise vacation awaited their arrival.
“A limousine might not be necessary but it sure beats a cab,” Barrett poured them both a glass of champagne in the crystal flutes that the driver had set up for them in the back of the stretch limo. “Let’s toast to a beautiful week.”
They clinked glasses and Scarlet took a long swig.
“Wow,” Scarlet said. “This might be the best champagne I’ve ever tasted.”
Barrett smiled, “I’m glad you like it. Even if you’re not technically legally supposed to be drinking it.”
Scarlet grinned, “You’ve corrupted me in many ways, Barrett Evers.”
The limousine pulled up to a small gate off the normal entrance to the Atlanta airport.
“Where are we?” Scarlet asked, confused. “This isn’t departures.”
“It’s not,” Barrett agreed. “Probably because we’re not flying commercial for this one.”
Her eyes widened, “What do you mean? We’re flying in a private jet?”
Barrett grinned, “Something like that.”
Scarlet shifted in her seat, excited. As much as she usually didn’t care for the high end things Barrett’s life afforded him, the thought of flying in a private plane was something she could definitely get used to. No long lines in security, no getting felt up by a doughy TSA agent, and no being crammed like sardines in an economy seat she’d bought on a cheap airfare website.
Scarlet took another long swig of champagne. This was going to be fun.
The limousine came to a stop and Barrett held out his hand for Scarlet to climb out. The champagne had made her a little light-headed. She leaned against Barrett for support.
“I think I drank too fast,” she giggled. She turned to look over at what she expected to be a small, but sleek, private jet with just enough room for them and the pilot.
What she saw in front of her was something altogether different.
“Holy. Shit.” Her jaw dropped and next to her Barrett had a grin like a kid on Christmas morning.
&n
bsp; The plane in front of them was a Boeing 787. It was the size of a commercial jet but instead of an airline’s logo on the side, it was emblazoned with EVERS HOLDINGS. The pilot and four flight attendants stood at attention next to the airstairs leading to the lit up interior of the plane.
“Barrett,” Scarlet said. “This is a jumbo jet. This looks like something the president would travel in. This is just for us?”
“Yep,” he said, taking her by the hand, guiding her toward the plane. “We’re going to be in the sky a long while so I wanted you to be comfortable. Dad just bought a new one that he’s christening with a trip to Australia. So he handed me the proverbial keys to this one for the week.”
He stopped to look at her. Scarlet’s eyes were lit up and he could tell she was excited. He leaned down and kissed her gently.
“This plane, this entire week, is all for you,” he whispered.
They walked together towards the smiling flight attendants.
“Good evening, Mr. Evers,” the pilot said, holding out his hand. “My co-pilot is inside the cockpit getting things ready. We are so excited to be taking this journey with you. None of us have taken this route before, so we’re very privileged to be embarking on this with you and Miss Bloom.”
Barrett nodded stoically and wrapped his arm around Scarlet’s shoulders, “Thank you. It should be a great trip.”
As they walked up the steps Scarlet looked back at Barrett, “Where are we going? To the ends of the earth? What have you gotten me into?”
Barrett stopped her before they entered the plane, “I wanted this to be something no one else in the world gets to experience. We are going to one of the most remote locations on the planet. And one of my favorite places in the world.”
Scarlet sighed, “You better tell me right now. I’m dying here!”
As they stepped into the lush lounge of Evers Holdings’ commercial jet, Barrett grinned.
“We’re going to Easter Island,” he said. “I’ve rented out my favorite resort so we’ll have it all to ourselves. No one to bother us or get in the way of everything we want to do.”
She stared at him, “Barrett, I don’t even know what to say. This isn’t real.” She threw her arms around his neck and they shared a deep kiss, full of yearning. His need for her was straining against his belt.
“It’s very real,” he said. “Now let’s go to the master suite and do our own christening of this plane.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
In the mansion by the ocean in San Diego, Scarlet was enjoying her second shower. Immensely.
Her body was slick and slippery under his touch. Barrett fucked her slowly from behind, her breasts pressed against the glass, the steam rising around them.
“God, I love you,” he said. It slipped out, without him even thinking about it. Everything stopped. His heart caught in his throat.
She turned her head, her eyes sad but longing.
“Barrett, I love you too,” she whispered, turning to him. “I always have.”
With that, there was no stopping him. He lifted her up onto him, kissing her more passionately than he ever had, his cock still buried inside of her as he pushed the shower door open. Her legs were wrapped around his naked waist, her arms around his neck. Their mouths couldn’t part but she said it again against his.
“I’ve never loved anyone else but you, Barrett. I don’t know if I ever can.”
He collapsed with her on the bed, fucking her harder now, her moans of pleasure spurring him on to continue. He wanted to show her how much he meant what he said, he’d fuck her in that bed for the rest of their lives if he had to, nothing seemed to be enough for him to truly express how deep his desire was for her.
“Please, more,” she begged, the sound of his thrusts turning them both on. She was so aroused by the words they’d shared, this entire weekend was like a drug they didn’t want to come down from.
“Scarlett, I plan on fucking you all night,” he growled as he flipped her over, wanting the view of that heart shaped ass. “I can’t get enough of you.”
She moaned again from the change in penetration, her toes curling from the sensation.
“I need you,” she panted. “No one else could ever do this to me. Only you.”
His pace quickened and he fucked her harder as she clutched the sheets around her, her knuckles white.
“My pussy,” she called out. “It hurts so fucking good, Barrett. Take it. You own it.”
It was the best and worst thing she could have said in that moment. He exploded inside of her, his release the most gratifying orgasm he’d ever experienced. It was long and drawn out and he didn’t want it to end. It was only one of many times he had come inside of her, but it was the mother of any orgasm he’d ever had. It would be what he measured all others against for the rest of his life. She whimpered underneath him as he finally and slowly stopped his thrusts, completely spent from the experience of their shared passion.
He immediately lay next to her, gathering her soft body into his arms, both of them catching their breath in silence. It was growing dark out and the shadows of early evening lit up her face and her body. She was glowing in every way possible. He longed to be hard again, just to relive it all. Over and over. Her nipples were still erect. He could see them, even through the thin sheet she’d pulled over herself.
“Barrett,” she said, breathless. “I’ve never…”
He kissed her tenderly, brushing his knuckles across her nipples.
“I know,” he said. “Me either.”
“What I said…” she started. “I meant it.”
“So did I,” he said, pulling the sheet down from her, exposing her. His mouth teased one nipple as his hand stroked her inner thigh.
“God,” she said. “Please don’t ever stop that.”
“As long as you never stop loving me,” he looked her in the eyes. “I will never stop showing you how much I want you.”
Tears filled her eyes.
“I’ve spent years,” she confessed, “trying not to love you anymore. It’s made me restless. I can’t commit to anything in my life because I can’t get over the huge mistake of not committing to you. It’s fucked me up so bad, Barrett.”
He stared at her for a moment. Even though she’d been physically naked before him numerous times, she’d never been more exposed than this. It was finally time.
“Tell me what happened,” he said. “Why did you leave me?”
The question hung heavy in the air around them. He could see her chest rising and falling quickly. Tears streamed down her cheeks and he brushed them away. He didn’t want to upset her but it was time to get the answer he’d been searching half a decade for.
“I thought it was best for you,” she said. “And for my family. But it’s taken me a long time to try to forget the fact that it wasn’t what was best for me. And sometimes I feel guilty knowing that if I could go back in time, I wouldn’t have left you. Even if it meant hurting my family and messing up your life.” She was crying harder now, and he pulled her to him, his arms wrapped around her small, quivering body.
“Scarlet, how could it be what was best for me?” he asked. He was trying not to raise his voice, he knew this was difficult for her to talk about. But the pain she’d caused him was raw. He’d been an open wound these last few years. Nothing he had done to try to escape had worked at healing him. And now she was laying here telling him she left for his own good?
“Because you have a destiny,” she said. “And I’m not the girl that could help it move forward.”
It sounded like something his mother would have said. It angered him because it was so ridiculous.
“And your family? Did they not like me?” he asked. “I mean, Nancy pretty much is my family but did your parents not approve of me?”
Scarlet shook her head, “No. It wasn’t like that. Barrett, I’m scared to tell you more.”
He couldn’t help it, now he really was upset. He stood up and walked to his bedroom
window that overlooked the coastline.
“Scarlet, just cut the shit,” he growled. He’d never spoken to her like this but he was past his limit. “There’s nothing to be scared of. Have I ever hurt you? I’ve only ever wanted to give you the fucking universe. I handed over my whole heart to you and you completely obliterated it.” He turned back to face her. “Who should be the scared one in this situation? Because I’m not the one who gave up. I kept my promises.”
She was bawling now and part of him regretted his tone. But the other half of him was still deeply hurt and frustrated at her unwillingness to tell him the entire story.
“You don’t understand,” she choked back a sob. “I was told these things. I was told if I didn’t leave you, my family would be destroyed. Lose their jobs. Be blacklisted from getting jobs elsewhere. And I was promised that you would lose everything. You’d be disinherited, disowned by your own family. There was too much on the line for you to marry…” she paused to take a breath, “Someone like me.”
The rage. His anger was no longer directed at Scarlet. There was only one person who would have convinced Scarlet of such lies.
“My mother,” he said. “She told you this?”
Scarlet nodded, still crying, “Yes. And she promised me if I told you anything she would stop at nothing to ruin all of our lives. Even yours. When I knew that she was willing to go that far, I was scared. She told me she was having me followed, that there was no escape. But that if I… If I left you, I would be safe and so would everyone else.”
“She threatened you? When did this happen?”
Scarlet shook her head, “Barrett, I’m about to have a nervous breakdown.”
He ran over to her, pulling her to his chest.
“I’m sorry,” he said, holding her head against his shoulder, her tears damp against his skin. “I had no idea.”
She nodded against him, “I wasn’t sure what to do. Your mother’s condition was that I cut it off, cold. No explanation. And I couldn’t contact you. Ever again.”
