Covet

by Alison Ryan

  He didn’t push her for more, not then. Her heartbeat was hurried against his chest and in her eyes he saw so much pain- and worse- he saw incredible fear. The thought of someone threatening her brought out a fury in the darkest depths within himself. The idea of anyone hurting Scarlet or putting her through so much pain the last five years almost undid him right there. But he had to be strong for her.

  He couldn’t help but feel he’d let her down somehow. It was now time to right the wrongs, and make some moves that would alter the course of both their lives.

  27

  Five Years Ago

  The master suite on the Evers’ jumbo jet was bigger than Scarlet could have imagined. There was a queen sized bed with plush bedding and, at the foot of it, a very large flat screen television.

  “Barrett, this plane has more square footage than my parents’ house,” Scarlet said.

  “Well, it’s a long flight,” he said, coming up behind her and wrapping his large arms around her shoulders. “Sixteen hours, approximately.”

  She turned around to face him, smiling, “Oh really? Whatever will we do for sixteen hours on a plane with a bed? Any ideas?”

  He kissed her mouth and then let his lips slide down her neck, tracing it with his tongue down to her collar bone.

  “I have some ideas,” he whispered and she shuddered beneath him. He slipped the thin strap of her dress off her shoulder. “They all involve you naked.”

  “Yes,” she whispered. “I can accommodate that.”

  He stepped back, “I want to watch you.”

  Her eyes widened, “You’re sure? I have one condition.”

  Barrett smiled. Scarlet always had her silly conditions.

  “And what would that be?” He started unbuttoning his shirt, his gaze still resting on her.

  “You only get to watch me,” she said. “You can’t touch me, no matter how much you want to. Not until I say you can.”

  His cock jerked underneath his tailored pants.

  “I like this condition,” he said. “Let’s see where it takes us.”

  He sat down on the upholstered seat that lined the wall across from the bed.

  Scarlet’s hands trembled at first but the intensity of his eyes spurred her on. She slowly pulled down the other strap of her dress. She intentionally slowly unzipped it from the back, the sound of it all that could be heard in the suite. Scarlet let it fall to the floor, revealing what was underneath. She wore a black, lacy, strapless bra and a thong to match.

  Barrett sucked in a breath at the sight of her, “I love you in black lace.”

  She nodded, “I know you do.”

  She turned around so her ass faced him. She hooked both her thumbs on the lacy strings on her hips and slowly pushed the thong down, bending over so there was no mystery to what it hid. Her thighs were already wet and Barrett groaned as she pulled the thong off. She was still bent over the bed, her ass in the air, toying with him.

  “Do you like this, Mr. Evers?” she asked innocently. “What do you want to do to me right now?”

  “Everything,” he said, standing up.

  Scarlet shook her head, “Not yet. Just watch.”

  Barrett sat back down, clearly frustrated, “Scarlet. I’m painfully hard right now.”

  “Good,” she smirked. “I promise, it’s worth it.”

  She was laying back on the bed now. She’d unsnapped her bra and was completely nude and sprawled out on the duvet. Scarlet spread herself open and he could see that she was glistening from her arousal.

  “Barret,” she called out to him. “You can get as close to me as you want but you absolutely can’t touch me. The second you do, I stop.”

  He nodded, “Fine. But I’m taking all of my clothes off too.”

  “I wouldn’t have it any other way. Now watch me make myself come.”

  He quickly stripped off his pants and Tom Ford shirt, until he was standing over her completely naked and, like he’d mentioned, painfully erect.

  Scarlet let her hands slowly glide down her taut stomach and below to her needy sex. She slowly started rubbing circles around her clit, making Barrett want to jump out of his skin.

  “Barrett,” she said, her breathing quickening at her excitement. “I want you to put your face inches from where I am touching myself. You’ll watch me come and you will not be able to do anything until I am finished.”

  He growled, “You’re killing me.” All he wanted to do was dive in, devour her slowly, and fuck her relentlessly all the way to South America.

  “You wanted to watch me,” she sighed. “God, it feels so good. Especially knowing your eyes are on me.”

  He was on his knees now, kneeling before her. His rugged face was inches from her and he could hear the wetness under her insistent fingers. She was moaning and so close to coming. He could smell it and he’d never wanted to fuck her as much as he did right then.

  “I can feel your breath,” she called out. “I’m going to come so hard, Barrett! Keep watching.”

  She bucked on the bed, writhing under an orgasm she’d produced without him. Her back arched, her nipples hard and dark. Barrett couldn’t take anymore.

  He was on top of her. His hands grabbing her knees, flinging her legs over his shoulders as he entered her, her yelp of surprise only making him want her more.

  “I didn’t say…” she started but she knew it wasn’t any use. She couldn’t pretend not to want him.

  “You’re so bad, Scarlet,” he gritted his teeth as he fucked her. “I didn’t know you had that side of you. And now you’ll be punished for torturing me.”

  His length and girth filled her instantly, making her wince for a moment at the force. Her arousal made it easy for him to glide in and out and they both called out to one another as he thrusted, the sounds of their heated flesh smacking together so loud that it was clear the entire plane could probably hear them.

  “Take me from behind,” she begged. “Like you own me.”

  “I do own you,” he said, flipping her over and then yanking her hips toward him. “I own this body, I own this pussy. You’re mine, Scarlet. Don’t you ever fucking forget it.”

  She clutched the sheets around her as he pounded, reaching depths of her that no one else could. Her climaxes came in waves, the kind she thought only existed in the hottest of erotica. But no, it was happening to her body, and he was the one making her feel this way. On top of her love for him, her craving for his body and this feeling was something that couldn’t be surpassed by any of her other wants or needs.

  He was unremitting, unable to stop or care how aggressive he was, although she was loving every moment of it.

  “Scarlet,” he warned. “I’m about to come.”

  “Look at me, Barrett,” she commanded. “Don’t come without looking right at me.”

  He thrusted hard and then released, the sound emitting from him piercing the air, and Scarlet came with him, both of them screaming the other’s name as the 787 sliced through the balmy air over the Gulf of Mexico.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Arista Holmes had been in a terrible mood all week. She’d spent maybe four days total in the same vicinity as Barrett before he’d left for some spontaneous trip to California. She’d tried eavesdropping on Michelle’s phone conversations to find out what was going on, but she couldn’t really figure out why he’d ignored his itinerary for the week. He’d cancelled meetings with the mayor of Las Vegas, a golf excursion with Steve Wynn, and even a conference with some Chinese captains of industry who were due in the day after he left. From what Arista knew of Barrett Evers, this wasn’t like him. He was all business, never cancelling anything. Arista had a feeling this was related to Michelle’s daughter, the one who had crashed into the office last week disrupting everything Arista had planned. Barrett hadn’t been the same since, clearly distracted. He hadn’t even glanced Arista’s way, even when she came into the office in a Givenchy romper that showed off her long, toned legs. (Michelle had reprimande
d her by saying it looked like lingerie, not understanding that was the whole point.)

  So now Arista was stuck in Las Vegas at a job that bored her to tears, waiting for him to come back so she could remind him what could be his. The Scarlet girl had been such a bore in a sweater and jeans. And sneakers! Arista doubted she even wore make up. She was one of those plain, boring girls that guys sometimes found attractive because they were so safe. She was surprised someone like Barrett would fall for that. He could have anyone. He’d had everyone, the man dated supermodels. Or at least, was rumored to. Arista found it hard to fathom what he would see in the lackluster Scarlet Bloom.

  On Tuesday morning there wasn’t much happening in the offices of Elixir. Jett Stanley was back and had been flirting heavily with her over the Keurig. But Arista didn’t have any desire to return the affection and had been mostly sitting behind her desk pretending to work on the computer while really perusing Perez Hilton and TMZ and using her phone to post her latest hot selfies to Instagram.

  At around ten she heard the elevator next to the lobby ding. It meant someone was ascending to the offices and Arista prayed it was Barrett come back to his senses and back to his life. And hers.

  She’d worn something a little less obvious today; instead of showing cleavage and leg, she was only showing cleavage. And her hair was on point in a perfectly coiffed chignon, with more natural looking makeup. If Barrett liked low maintenance than she would be whatever he wanted. Even boring.

  Arista watched as the elevator doors opened and the person walked out into the lobby of Elixir Enterprises.

  It wasn’t Barrett. It was an older woman with glossy raven hair, and a beautiful face. She was the Sophia Loren kind of gorgeous; clearly an older woman who had probably been a complete knock out when she was young. Her outfit was something out of Anna Wintour’s closet- all grays and neutrals and tailored to the perfection of her small figure. Arista could only hope to age so well. This woman looked like a big pile of money and as she strolled over to Arista’s desk, her pheromones smelled like it too.

  “Hello,” Arista said, “May I help you?”

  The woman’s expression was cold and she sized Arista up, looking at her from head to toe. Arista was uncomfortable under her judgmental scrutiny.

  “I’m Patricia Evers,” she said. “I need to know where my son is.”

  Arista’s heart thumped against the inside of her low cut YSL top. This was his mother. The most important woman in his life. And even she didn’t know where he was.

  “I’m sorry, Mrs. Evers,” Arista apologized. “Mr. Evers has gone to San Diego for the week. He didn’t say when he would be back.”

  Patricia rolled her eyes, “I know that much. I need to know specifically where he’s staying. Where is Michelle Bloom? I need to talk to someone who knows what the hell I’m talking about. Actually, even better- get Nancy Sanderson here. Unless she’s gone with him.”

  Arista nodded, “I’ll call Michelle right now.”

  Within minutes Michelle was in the lobby, trying her best to be kind to a woman she despised.

  Patricia Evers had never treated the Blooms very well. She constantly pretended to forget their names and she loved to act as if they worked for her directly, even though they technically didn’t. Michelle rarely had to see Patricia but when she did, it was complete hell.

  “I’m not sure where he is specifically, Mrs. Evers,” Michelle said calmly. “He just told Nancy that he’d be in San Diego for the week and that he’d try to be back next Monday. I’m sorry I don’t have more information. Is everything okay?”

  Patricia glared, “You can see it clearly now. Do you know where Scarlet is?”

  Michelle bit the inside of her cheeks. She really was struggling not to say something incredibly rude.

  “Scarlet texted me this morning. She’s also in… California.” Michelle was careful with her words, “But she’s not an employee here so I don’t think her whereabouts are pertinent to this conversation.”

  It was the closest Michele Bloom had ever gotten to telling Patricia Evers to fuck off.

  Patricia’s voice rose, “I decide what is pertinent to any conversation I’m involved in, especially with subordinates who work for my family. Get me Nancy. Now.”

  Michelle nodded, “I’ll call her. Would you like her to come to the office or would you rather speak to her on the phone?”

  “Get her here.” Patricia flounced over to the lavish couch against the wall near the windows that overlooked Las Vegas Boulevard. “It’s amazing you’ve lasted here this long, Michelle. I remain unimpressed.”

  Michelle said nothing, just walked back to her office. Sadly, Patricia had said worse things to her. But Arista stood there frozen.

  Patricia stared at her, “What’s your name?”

  “Arista,” she replied. “Arista Holmes.”

  “Well, Arista,” Patricia said. “I need a mineral water. Can you manage to get me one or do I have to call someone else for that, too?”

  Arista shook her head, “Of course. I’ll be right back.”

  As Arista hurried away to do Patricia Evers’ bidding, the thought couldn’t help but creep up in her mind that if this woman was going to be her future mother-in-law, she’d better have a house far away from her and Barrett. Arista knew she wasn’t a saint but Patricia Evers was someone unlike any woman she had ever dealt with. And Arista had been chased out of mansions by men’s wives. None of them scared the shit out of her like this woman.

  Patricia Evers was possibly the devil herself. And part of Arista felt bad for Scarlet Bloom. And another part of her thought Patricia might be just the salvation she needed.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Barrett and Scarlet walked on the beach that evening, hand in hand, like they had long ago on the shores of another coast in a whole other universe.

  “I think about Easter Island all the time,” she confessed. “It was the best week of my life. Every time I would miss you I would go back to that trip in my mind.”

  Barrett wrapped his arm around her, “I know. Except I haven’t thought of it in a long time. Too painful.” He kissed her head, “But I regret nothing. It lives in my memory with the rest of you.”

  She touched his face, “I wished everything was different. Every day.”

  “It can be,” he said. “We can be together again. I get it, my vampire of a mother scared the shit out of you. Because of that, I’ll never speak to her again, not that I spoke to her much anyway. You were young and vulnerable and you didn’t know what to do. But now we can make it all okay again.” He smiled, “I knew there was a reason you showed up in Las Vegas.”

  Scarlet said nothing, just looked out at the crashing waves of the Pacific.

  “I wish it was that easy,” she whispered. “There’s so much we still have to talk about.”

  Barrett shook his head, “And we will. But right now, I just want to catch up on everything I missed.” He pulled her close to him, “Namely your body. Your smile. I love you, Scarlet. I never came close to ever stopping.”

  She held onto him then, living in that moment with him. As much as she wanted to believe everything he said, she had the burden of knowledge he didn’t have. Knowledge she didn’t know if she could ever have the courage to share with him. It would all be so simple if this was just about a mother from hell. But like with all things, there was more under the surface.

  But for that moment by the ocean, Scarlet Bloom tried to forget the past and hold onto the present.

  30

  Five Years Ago

  They’d landed in the middle of the day at Mataveri International Airport on Rapa Nui, otherwise known as Easter Island. They’d slept for half the flight, tangled up in one another, and the flight attendant awkwardly had to knock on their door to let them know they were close to landing.

  “We’re finally here,” Barrett stretched his muscled arms. “Although I wouldn’t have minded more time in this bed with you. Best flight I’ve ever exper
ienced. Commercial just won’t ever be the same.”

  Scarlet rolled her eyes, “Since when have you ever flown commercial?”

  Barret laughed, “Okay. You got me. And now I never can. You’ve ruined me.”

  Scarlet held the cotton sheet to her chest and leaned over to kiss his shoulder, “I think I’m the one who’s ruined.”

  “Good,” he said. “Makes a man proud to hear a woman say that.”

  They slowly got dressed into more casual clothing and waited in the lounge as the plane descended, munching on fresh fruit that had been prepared for them.

  “I feel bad we never even took advantage of the chef I brought on board with us,” Barrett said. “Maybe on the way back.”

  Barrett had promised isolation and sure enough, he’d rented an entire five-star resort, the only one on the island. It faced the ocean and Scarlet stared out at the horizon, hardly believing this was her life.

  “Pretty view?” he asked from behind her, handing her a glass of champagne.

  “It’s beautiful,” she admitted. “You’ve really outdid yourself, Barrett Evers.”

  They shared a long, lingering kiss as a slight breeze hit them, blowing the long thin skirt Scarlet was wearing around her legs.

  “I want this to be something you remember forever,” he said. “Something you’ll tell your grandchildren about.”

  They held one another then as they looked out at the Pacific, both contemplating different things. Barrett still wasn’t sure when he would ask her the big question. For all his planning, he hadn’t thought on that moment enough. The ring sat in his luggage under a pair of Cole Haan shoes.

  Scarlet wondered what would happen next, after this trip. She was finishing her last year of school and she knew they would see one another less. Barrett would be taking his LSAT and applying to law schools, and she would be finishing up at Emory. After that, she didn’t know what the future held. But being with him in that moment made her excited for it to arrive.