Scarlet Fever - Hill Country 2 (17 page)

“How?”

“I’m going to marry her.”

“What?”

“I don’t know how I’m going to convince her or what I’m going to do.
 
She‘s not going to go along with it, she has this stupid idea that she would be a burden.
 
And she never wants to be a burden to anyone.”
 

Alex looked so sad, that Ethan racked his brain for an answer.
 
Suddenly, he had an idea.
 
A crazy idea.
 
“Alex, marry her at the wedding rehearsal.
 
You’ll be standing up for me and Scarlet will be standing up for Annalise.
 
You can get a special license, marry her, then, when you have her bound to you for life – you can convince her it’s a good idea.”

“What you said started out sounding like a good idea, but the longer you talked, the scarier it got.”
 
Alex was actually laughing.
 
Ethan had accomplished his goal.
 

“I’m really not kidding.”
 
Ethan was serious.
 

“I know,” Alex was deep in thought.
 
“And that’s why I’m going to do it.”
 
He put his arm around his brother.
 
“I need for you to pull in every favor that you can.
 
Here‘s what I’ve got to have . . . .”

************************

“Can you imagine how happy Annalise and Ethan are going to be?”
 
Scarlet held herself around the waist and twirled around.
 
“Just imagine.
 
Getting to marry the one you love.”
 
As she said the words, she realized what she was saying.
 
The one she loved was sitting on his bed watching her.
 

“I can imagine.”
 
Alex said quietly.
 
“Come here to me, Scarlet.”
 
He held out his hand.

Without a moment’s hesitation she went to him.
 
He began to slip her dress over her head.
 
She let him do what he wished with her.
 
When her arms were free, she unbuttoned his shirt, pushing it from his shoulders.
 
“Alex, will you teach me how to please you?”
 
She reached out and placed her hand over his already engorged cock.
 

He let out a half laugh, half gasp as the reality of what she was asking sank in.
 
“Baby, anything you do excites the hell out of me.”

“Show me how to touch you,” she insisted.
 
Unzipping his pants, she urged him to completely undress.
 
He sat on the edge of the bed and she settled herself between his legs.
 
Alex hesitated.
 
He wasn’t shy, but the mental image of Scarlet pleasuring him was paralyzing.
 
“Show, me Alex.
 
I want to know.”
 
She looked up at him with such sweet sincerity, that he could deny her nothing.
   

He stroked himself a few times, then stopped.
 
“Scarlet, it’s your touch that sends my blood pressure through the roof.”
 
She took him at his word, and replaced his hand with her own, moving it up and down his shaft, the way that he had done.
 
He leaned back, closing his eyes, enjoying her touch.
 
In a few moments, a new sensation was added, one that felt like the brush of an angel’s wing.
 
Unable to deny himself the sight, he watched as she swirled her soft pink tongue around the head of his penis.
 
Taking the initiative, her other hand cupped his balls, massaging and cupping, completely eradicating the air from his lungs.
 
 
“Is this good?”

“God, yes,” he groaned.
  

“How far should I take him in my mouth?”

“Only as far as comfortable for you,” he was struggling to talk.
 
“I have to lie down.”
 
Alex collapsed backwards, unable to think or breathe.
 

With finesse she shouldn’t have had, she brought him to a raging climax, loving him until he was completely drained, making his toes curl with the kind of satisfaction that he had rarely achieved in any sexual experience.
 
Except with Scarlet.

“Baby, I have to ask.
 
I know that up until a few days ago, you were an innocent.
 
How did you do that?
 
How did you know what to do?”
 
His voice and tone was one of awe and amazement.

She rose up, propped her chin on his middle and answered him primly.
 
“Alex.
 
Why are you surprised?
 
After all, I am a librarian.”

************************

“Tell me what you have against accepting a kidney from a living donor?”
 
He had covered her with a quilt, holding her close.
 
Just as soon as he regained his strength, he planned on loving her till she screamed, but right now he needed to understand.

“My friend Angie was sick and needed a kidney, her brother donated one of his, he died on the operating table, she lived, he didn’t; it haunts me still today.”
 
Turning to face him, she pressed her face to his chest, listening to his heart beat.
 
“I could never put anyone I loved into jeopardy like that.
 
Not for me.
 
I would rather die any day, rather than risking the life of someone I loved.
 
It’s just not worth it.”
 
She kissed him on his collar bone, loving the feel of his hard muscles against her cheek.
 

“You do realize how rare that is.
 
Ninety-nine point nine percent of the people who donate their kidneys make it through the operation just fine.
 
And they go on to live full and active lives.”
 
As he talked, he felt Scarlet draw back.
 
He pulled her up against him, even closer.
 
“Don’t you know how precious you are?”

“Alex, I told you that I don’t have anyone to ask.
 
Besides, do you know how much a kidney transplant would cost?”

“How much?”
 
He knew, but he wanted to see what she would say.

“Three hundred thousand dollars,”
 
she said flatly.
 
“It might as well be three hundred million dollars.
 
I don’t have any way of getting that kind of money.”

“Annalise is a writer, a successful author.
 
She has that kind of money.”
 
He had no intention of Annalise paying for Scarlet’s operation, but he was testing the waters.
 

“Alex.”
 
Scarlet propped herself up on him, completely oblivious to the way her plump little breasts looked pooled on his chest.
 
“When I was growing up, I had to accept help from people.
 
I was clumsy and awkward.
 
I couldn’t carry anything or open doors for myself.
 
For sixteen years, I was a burden to my family.”
 
He started to speak, but she put a hand over his mouth.
 
“I will never be a burden to anyone I love.
 
Ever again.
 
No.
 
I can’t ask Annalise for anything.
 
I don’t want her to even know that I have a problem.
 
I want this week to be perfect, it will probably be the last time that I see her.
 
Please.”

Alex’s heart felt as if it would break in two.
 
“You’re wrong, baby.
 
So wrong.”
 
He wanted to tell her that there was no way that he was going to let anything happen to her, but now was not the time.
 
She was in no mood to listen to reason.
 
So he comforted her in the only way that she would allow.
 
He made love to her.
 

Lord, in heaven.
 
She was like a fever in his blood; the taste of her kiss, the feel of her skin, the way that she whimpered so sweetly when he entered her body – all of this combined to bring him to the point of obsession.
 
“Turn over, precious.”
 
She was always ready for him; he didn’t even have to ask.
 
Eager to please him, she turned her bottom up and made him welcome.
 
He fitted himself to her, into her, pistoning home with each stroke of his body.
 
Leaning over, he clasped her sweet breasts, causing her to moan at the caress of his hands.
 
“You’re a fever in my blood, Scarlet.”
 
He kissed her in the small of her back.
 
“I have Scarlet Fever.”
 
His words seemed to set her on fire; she pushed back against him, wanting to feel every inch, every thrust.
 
“Come up here, love.”
 
He pulled her up and back against him, so that her back was against his front.
 

“Touch me here, please.”
 
She guided his hand to her mons, eager for him to stroke her hard pearl of passion.
 
He swirled and petted her clitoris, causing her to writhe in ecstasy.

He watched her come apart in his arms, her hand reaching behind his head to pull his lips down to hers.
 
Alex didn’t last but a stroke or two longer, the pleasure was just too intense.
 
He held on to her though, not letting her separate herself from him.

Scarlet wasn’t trying to get away.
 
She was doing her best to absorb every sensation, every touch, every kiss so she could replay it later like a precious recording of a blessed event.
 
Laying her head back against him, she spoke before she thought.
 
“I love you.”
 
The words had no more left her mouth, before she realized what she’d said.
 
What had she done?
 
Tearing herself from his embrace, she grabbed her robe.
 
“I didn’t mean to say it, Alex.
 
I’m sorry.”
 
He tried to grab her hand, to stop her.

“Scarlet, wait!”
 
Refusing to look at him, she fled the room.
 
It was late enough that everyone else was in their rooms, she wouldn’t have to explain.
 
Blindly seeking the door, she ran from the inn, seeking the cover of darkness.
 
Tears were streaming down her face, adding to her inability to see where she was going.
 
Dashing them away with her hand, she glanced back, hoping that Alex wouldn’t follow her.
 
What would she say?
 
They had no future; she had no right to say those words to this wonderful man.
 
Running to the back of the main house, she headed for the grove of trees that grew along the side of the rushing stream.
 
The sound of the water hid the approaching footsteps, and Scarlet did not know Alex had followed her until he swept her up in his arms.

“Don’t ever run away from me Scarlet.
 
Run to me.
 
Always.
 
Run to me.”
 
He cradled her against him, placing kisses all along her hairline and across her eyelids.
 
“I love you, baby.
 
I love you more than you could ever know.
 
We are going to work this out.
 
Trust me, Scarlet.
 
I will make all this OK for you.”

Holding on to him, she wanted to believe his words more than anything.
 
“I wish you could.
 
But you can’t.”
 
She put a small hand to his cheek.
 
“And it’s all right, Alex.
 
It’s all right.”

“I love you, Scarlet.”
 
He said it again, just in case she missed it the first time.

“And I love you Alex.”
 
He let her slide down his body, so that he could envelop her in his arms, kissing her passionately.
 

“You are mine.
 
You belong to me.
 
I will take care of you.”
 
Scarlet let his words nourish her soul.
 
He meant them.
 
He really meant them.
 
That it didn’t matter in the long run was of no consequence.
 
They might not have forever; but, they had the here and now.
 
And the here and now was the sweetest place that Scarlet had ever been.