Chapter 10
After Ox said goodnight to Scarlett, she found herself venturing outside in an attempt to avoid whatever situation Limit and the redhead had found themselves in.
Limit.
Why on earth had she expected anything different?
The night air was cool against her skin as she rounded the wiry perimeter of the cage, her fingers clasping the cold metal.
As she shook it, she caught a whiff of some familiar cologne on the breeze, and turned to see Limit watching her.
He’s always watching me.
He had one foot pressed against the wall behind him and his other leg stretched out before him as he puffed on a cigarette that no doubt tasted just the same as the one they’d shared weeks ago.
She rolled her eyes at the sight of him; she was still pissed at him for letting that tramp sit on his lap while she resided right next to him.
As if he could sense her jealousy and her unhappiness, he smirked in the dark, a gesture she could only see because of the burning cherry at the end of his cigarette.
Scarlett wanted to feel disgusted at the idea of him touching her ever again, but she couldn’t.
Chemistry was something that either happened, or it didn’t, and for her and Limit it was downright combustible.
“You always this snippy when you’re mad?,” He asked.
“Do you always have a woman lying in wait while you fondle another?”
Limit sighed heavily before he dropped his cigarette to the ground and eased to her side of the cage.
From between the stretches of metal, she could see his calculating eyes studying her every move.
“I didn’t fondle Ruby.”
“No, you just let her fondle you.”
He gripped the cage much like she was gripping it.
“You’re jealous.”
“I’m a lady, and if you can’t tell the difference, maybe you’ve been fornicating with trash for too long.”
Limit immediately released his hold on the cage and stomped towards her, but she evaded him by rounding the other side.
“You’re awfully judgmental for someone who isn’t jealous.”
Scarlett shrugged.
“I’m sure if you hurry and go inside, you can catch her before one of your other friends takes her to bed. Or maybe you could join them. You seem like the type to enjoy that sort of thing,” She quipped.
Limit’s gaze narrowed in on her expertly.
“You’re purposely baiting me. Why?”
Scarlett shrugged.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I was just getting ready to leave,” She said.
Limit stopped moving altogether at her admission, his fingers still wrapped around the chain links of the cage.
“Scarlett, you were gonna up and leave me again?”
Anger welled up inside of her yet again.
“You looked a little busy,” She said seething.
Limit cleared his throat before that precise gaze of his landed on her, his expression all but explosive.
“You and I know damn well that you ain’t leavin’ because of Ruby. She’s nothing to me, always has been.”
“I was nothing to you, too. Remember? No strings.”
He choked out a laugh that washed over her like a warm wave of salt water that stung just the same.
“No strings, right! I know the old ladies in my club house are chatty. I know they told you I went back to the bar multiple times hopin’ to see you,” He argued.
“Limit, you told me no strings. I figured that meant that you’d never want to see me again!”
Limit threw his hands up into the air, his patience obviously waning.
“You know what I’ve been tryin’ to figure out? That fuckin’ bloody condom, Scarlett. I want an explanation,” He demanded roughly.
Her cheeks heated with embarrassment as her mouth fell open in surprise.
How the fuck do I explain that one?
The only thing that even makes sense is the truth …
“I don’t owe you anything!”
Limit rolled his eyes and tried to reach for her, but she stepped back.
“Tell me the truth, Scarlett. Did I hurt you that night?,” He asked darkly.
Oh.
He thinks he hurt me!
As the realization dawned in her mind and took root, all of her anger bubbled before it fizzled out.
“No, Limit. I-you didn’t hurt me. I loved the way you touched me,” She whispered.
He was close enough to touch her now, but he didn’t reach for her again.
“You’re sure? Because I don’t have a lot of regrets, but I would definitely regret hurting you like that.”
Scarlett practically melted at his words.
“I was a virgin,” She suddenly blurted.
Limit froze, his wide shoulders stiffening at her words.
That perfect mouth of his was downturned into a frown and she wanted nothing more than to tug his pouty bottom lip into her mouth and suck on it for a while, but he interrupted her thoughts when he asked, “You ain’t lyin’ to me, are you?”
Slowly, she shook her head.
“I told you the truth that night. I went to that bar with Emily looking to forget, looking for something…I just didn’t realize until I saw you, that it would be you.”
“That what would be me?”
Scarlett shrugged helplessly, but she figured she should tell him the truth. He deserved at least that much.
He looked ready to pounce on her at any moment.
“What I was looking for.”
Limit swore before he wrapped a strong arm around her waist and buried his fingers in her hair, tilting her head back as he crushed his mouth to hers.
The strangest feeling of coming home, of belonging settled against Scarlett’s flushed skin when his tongue touched hers.
Contentment, gooey and warm, took hold of her as she kissed Limit back with everything she had.
Through fluttering eyelashes, she saw a familiar purple spark light the night sky overhead and then the sky tore itself open as sheets of rain began to fall.
Limit glanced up at the sky himself through his wet eyelashes before he looked down into her eyes.
Thunder clapped around the both of them, but neither were in a hurry to move just yet.
Instead, Limit worked his mouth against hers again, this time slower than before. Like he was tasting her, savoring her, like he needed to reacquaint himself with every inch of her again.
Scarlett didn’t question his motives, because she imagined hers were similar.
His tanned skin looked so dark against her pale complexion, and the contrast was beautiful to her.
In fact, everything she’d discovered about him was a direct contradiction to the man currently holding her as if she were a priceless piece of china.
“You still wanna skip out?,” He grumbled against her lips.
Scarlett blinked away a few raindrops before she shook her head.
Limit dropped his thumbs to the tender skin just below her eyes, the rough pads wiping away smudges of black.
She cursed.
“I probably look like a drowned kitten,” She grumbled.
Limit shook his dark head.
“You look perfect.”
His words silenced her, and she watched, as he pushed her wet hair out of her face.
“Tell me you’ll stay with me tonight.”
Scarlett knew that if she agreed to step back into that clubhouse with him, she would no longer be Ox’s daughter. No, for the night, she would be Limit’s woman.
Do I want that?
Fuck, yes, she wanted that.
It was all she’d been thinking about, and obviously the universe wanted it too, because they’d been reunited.
“I’m a romantic, Limit. If I go with you, I’ll want some strings. I don’t expect much, but if you have any plans of meeting up with Ruby later, then I suggest you walk away now.”
Limit’s plush lips lifted into a ghost of a smile.
“I wouldn’t risk Ox’s wrath,” He joked.
She frowned, but Limit simply pressed his mouth against hers again, and suddenly all the fight she had left, escaped her.
Limit pulled away, his grey eyes as rough as the storm going on around them, before he took her hand into his and pulled her towards the clubhouse.
Suddenly, the strings Scarlett was so damn sure she wanted, felt like a noose around her neck.
She could survive a lot of things, but Limit?
Limit was a killer, and she knew that he could slay her too.
In fact, she almost welcomed it.