Scarlet Fever - Hill Country 2 (19 page)

“Not so fast, Stewart.
 
I’m onto you.
 
I know your game.
 
You’re feeling guilty about the church mouse because you’re really in love with her sister.
 
You’re smitten by your own brother’s fiancé.
 
The Jezebel.
 
She writes that porn-shit.
 
I know all about it.
 
My brother is in jail because of her.
 
Now, you’ve fallen into her trap.
 
And you’re covering by paying attention to her homely, crippled sister.”
 
These words were said with such venom, that Alex was momentarily thrown off guard.
 

But not for long.
 
Alex clenched his fist, biting his jaw to keep from striking the putrid piece of refuse that stood in front of him.
 
“You think that I don’t love Scarlet.
 
You think that I don’t want to marry her.
 
You think that I’m in love with Annalise.
 
Well, I think you’re an asshole.
 
I love Scarlet more than I love life itself.
 
And you, you sniveling little bastard, are just a wart on the backside of humanity.”
 
With that, Alex grabbed Rick by the collar and shoved him through the door.
  

Alex sighed.
 
That had felt damn good.

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

Scarlet had coerced her sister and Ethan and Bobby and Cecile into going into Austin for dinner.
 
She wanted to be alone with Alex.
 
The cake was ready and the present was wrapped and she had cooked a huge pot of seafood gumbo.
 
She hoped he liked it.
 
The cake and the present were put up; she wanted it to be a complete surprise.
 

Annalise had let her borrow a dress that she swore that Alex had not seen.
 
It was cut so that the differences in their bust lines wouldn’t be a factor in how the dress hung.
 
It was a straight black backless sheathe that was shorter than anything that Scarlet had ever worn before.
 
The pumps were at least three inches and she wore a garter belt and black hose.
 
Her hair was caught up in one of the ornate clips that she had made.
 
She hoped it made her a little bit sexy, because Scarlet felt like a wanton.
 
She hoped that Alex liked the way she looked.

 
He did.
 
Alex had slipped in the back way, hoping to steal a kiss before he had to make nice in front of the rest of the family.
 
He stood in the kitchen door and felt his jaw drop.
 
There was no doubt in his mind that Scarlet was beautiful.
 
She had a rare elegance about her that made a man want to care for her and defend her against the world.
 
But tonight!
 
Tonight, she was a vixen, a temptation, a vision of lust and sinful sensuousness.
 
He stood, weak in the knees and swollen with need.

He didn’t have to move.
 
She saw him.
 
The look of utter joy on her face was breathtaking.
 
“Alex!”
 
She ran to him and he caught her.
 
Five more days.
 
What if he couldn’t convince her to stay?
 
Five more days.
 
How would he ever be able to go on without her?
 
“Happy Birthday Sweetheart!”
 

“Birthday?
 
Who’s having a birthday?”
 
For a moment, she looked taken aback and then she saw the glint of humor in his eyes.
 
“You.”
 
She kissed him soundly.
 
“I cooked you gumbo, I hope you like it.”

“Everything that you fix is out of this world.”
 
He sat down in a dining table chair and pulled her in his lap.
 
“You look gorgeous!
 
Sexy as hell, let’s skip dinner and go straight to the loving.”
 
He nipped at her neck and fondled her breast.
 
In just a moment, he had her panting.
 
She was always so in tune with his needs, Alex bowed his head against hers and cherished the moment.

“Let’s eat and then I have a surprise for you.”

“Is my surprise under this dress?”
 
He ran his hand under her skirt, but she stopped him.

“You’ll just have to wait and see.
 
Besides, I have to be careful.
 
Everything I have on is borrowed.”

“I adore your sister, but you are way sexier than she is.”
  
Scarlet laughed.
 
“You’re not supposed to think she’s sexy.
 
She’s almost your brother’s wife, but thank you for saying so.
 
No one else has ever thought that I was sexy.”

Alex thought of that ass LeBeau.
 
He wanted her to know that he had taken vengeance for her.
 
“I fired Rick LeBeau today,” Alex spoke slowly.
 
Scarlet glanced down, as if she were remembering the mean things that he had done to her.

“You did that for me, didn’t you?”
 
She didn’t have to look up to know that it was true.
  
“Thank you.
 
But, I would never want you to do anything that would hurt your company.
 
Not for me.’

“What better reason is there than you; I love you, Scarlet.’
 

The simple words were both pleasure and pain to her soul.
 
She answered in the only way that her heart would allow.
 
Reverently, she framed his face and kissed him tenderly.
 
“I love you, too.
 
More than you will ever know.”
 
Then, so they could get past the weight of the world that they carried on their shoulders, she jumped up and began setting out gumbo bowls and a bottle of wine.

She filled his bowl and his glass and joined him at the table.
 
“Tell me what you need to do to finish getting ready for the wedding.
 
I want to help.”
 

Alex covered her soft, little hand with his own.
 
“You have your hands full with the cakes.
 
I’ve visited with the caterers and everything has been straightened out.
 
The tents will be delivered and set up early on dress rehearsal morning.
 
The sound system and your piano will arrive at ten that day and the caterer will have all the food and the wet bar here by five for rehearsal and then by three on D day.”
 
He had to play it cool.
 
For him, the dress rehearsal was the most important day of the two.
 
After all, that would be their wedding day

And hopefully, it was all coming together.
  
He and Ethan had connections and they had pulled in favors for a special license and to get her included in Alex’s insurance program.
 
As soon as they were married, Scarlet would be completely covered for dialysis.
 
He was still working on the transplant angle.
 
But if there was a God in heaven, he would make that happen, too.

“The cakes aren’t going to be a problem.
 
You can put as much of this on me as you need to.
 
I want to help you.”
 
She was absolutely sincere and Alex loved her for it.
 

“We’ll work together.
 
Okay?”
 
He noticed that she wore no jewelry of any kind.
 
Picking up her left hand, he rubbed her ring finger, thinking of the three carat diamond that was being set just for her.
 
He couldn’t wait to give it to her.
    

“If you’re through with your gumbo.
 
I have another surprise.”
 
She stepped into the formal dining room and came back with a huge cake.
 

“German Chocolate,” he said with awe.
 
“My favorite.”
 
He let her cut him a huge piece.
 
She set it proudly before him and watched him as he enjoyed it.
 
Slipping off one more time, she returned with a huge box.
 
“For me?”

“Yes,” she said softly.
 
“I hope you like it.”

Knowing her financial situation, he started to protest.
 
But the look in her eye quelled anything negative that he was about to say.
 
With a lump in his throat as big as the state of Rhode Island, he unwrapped the package.
 
“What in the world?”
 
Pushing back the tissue paper he uncovered her offering.
 
“The sword!”
 
He didn’t know what to say.
 

“I wanted you to have it.
 
I knew that you would appreciate it and protect it.”
 
He pulled it out and ran his hand over the ornate hilt and carefully down the long blade.

“I will cherish it, sweetheart.’
 
He laid it down and pulled her close.
 
“But I will cherish you more.”
 
He knew exactly what she was doing.
 
She had bequeathed him the sword.
 
He would accept it, but he planned to simply take care of it for her.
 
The same way he planned on taking care of her.

♥ ~
Chapter V I
~ ♥

Cecile had never known that she was multi-orgasmic.
 
She never had been before.
 
But with this young stud, who plowed into her like he was breaking up a fertile field, she came over and over again.

“Do I satisfy you, my lady?”
 

Cecile panted, laughing with what little breath she had left.
  
“You know you do, Boy Wonder.”
 

“Hey, if you’re going to make superhero analogies, I would much rather be Superman or even the Caped Crusader.”
 
Bobby hooked a hand around her waist and pulled her close to him.
 

“Oh, Bobby,” she sighed leaning her head over on his shoulder, “you are all of the above plus Captain America and the Juggernaut all rolled into one.”
 

“All right!
 
The Juggernaut!
 
I love the Juggernaut!”
 
Despite his bravado, Bobby tenderly tilted her face up to his lips.
 
“You inspire me, woman.
 
I want to make love to you twenty four hours a day.”
 
The kiss that he placed on her lips was different from any that he had bestowed upon her before.
 
It was soft and gentle and so full of tenderness that it almost made her cry.

“Bobby, this has been wonderful.
 
It was so unexpected, such a sweet surprise.”
 
The more they were together; the more she realized how much they had in common.
 
They both liked jazz, hiking, reading murder mysteries, left wing politics and donating time to Habitat for Humanity.

“I don’t want it to be over, doll.
 
I’ll be moving to Dallas in a few months.
 
I want to continue seeing you.
 
Would you like to be my girl?”
 
His words made her shake.

“Bobby, you are so sweet.”
 
She wanted to say yes.
 
In fact, she wanted to scream yes.
 
But, she was seven years older than him.

He rolled her over, and lay on top of her, effectively trapping her beneath his large, hard body.
 
“Say yes.
 
You know you want to.”
 
He grinned; he wasn’t crushing her, he was very careful to bear most of his weight on his knees and his arms.
 
But he had her where he wanted her.
 
She couldn’t get away.