Scarlett

This was unusual for me. It had been a long time since I had felt in charge of anything. Sure, I owned my own business, but Henri had held my hand for so long that the company no longer represented what I wanted. After we broke up, I realized just how much he had eroded my self-confidence both in the bedroom and outside of it. For the past week, I had been slowly working to rebuild Splash of Scarlett into my dream company, not something Henri had envisioned. There was still a lot to do, but I was gaining more and more confidence every day. Outside of the bedroom, the old Scarlett was making a comeback.

Inside the bedroom was a different story, however. By comparing me to other women, Henri had caused me to become self-critical and sheepish. The bold, take-charge Scarlett who had first come to New York seemed to be nothing more than a distant memory. Sometimes I wondered if she was lost for good.

Then I saw Gabe on that computer screen, and everything changed. With him, I knew exactly what I wanted. I wasn’t afraid to take risks or push us both to the limits in the bedroom. I trusted Gabe and felt free enough to experiment a little. With him, I felt as if the old Scarlett had made an appearance. I didn’t realize how much I had missed her until just this moment.

Gabe’s response to my advances made me feel powerful and wanton. I loved the heated look in his eyes as I trailed my fingers over his skin. It made me want to put him completely under my spell and make him as helpless as he made me feel moments ago.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

“Impatient?” I hid my smile and slid my fingers down over his washboard abs, taking my time to examine every dip and crevice.

“Perhaps a little,” he admitted.

“Good.” I eased my hand down until it hovered inches above his thick cock, then turned my fingers and skimmed them over his thighs. I inched my hand up and down, lightly touching the side of his shaft every time I passed.

He took in a sharp intake of breath. “Tease.”

“Always.” I drew my hand up and brushed his nipples. He groaned and closed his eyes. Leaning forward, I slid my tongue over his sensitive skin, loving how his groans became louder.

“Scarlett.” He grabbed my hips and hauled me up on top of him. I straddled his torso, but kept my pussy far away from his shaft.

“I want to be inside of you.”

“Too bad.” I grabbed his wrists and pinned them to the bed. Smiling, I leaned forward and flicked my tongue over his nipple once more.

He could break my restraints whenever he wanted. He was certainly strong enough. He didn’t take charge, however. Instead, he let me tease and torture his body as I saw fit. It was just what I needed. I took my time as I ran my tongue over first one nipple, then the other.

“You’re killing me,” he whispered.

I twisted my lips into a half smile. “Sorry.”

“No, it’s good.” He let out a long breath as I moved away from his nipple and kissed a long, hot trail down the middle of his abs. “It’s the perfect way to die.”

I chuckled and eased down his body, taking my time to explore and taste. When I got down to his cock, I thought about taking him in my mouth and decided against it. Too many times a guy wanted me to suck him off and then was too tired to attend to my needs. I wasn’t ready to have Gabe finish before we barely got started.

I bypassed his erection, kissing close, but not touching. I had traveled so low that I had to let go of his hands. He threaded them through my hair, holding me close as I continued to give him my own special brand of torture.

Ignoring his cock, I tilted my head and slid my tongue over his balls. He gasped my name and arched his back as I slid over his sac, careful to stimulate his sensitive tissue.

“Oh God.”

I shifted to the other side, loving how much I was in control. He held his breath, waiting for me to move, then when I did, he gasped and sighed as if on command.

I continued exploring, noticing that my own desire was climbing right along with his. The air heated around us, and as I straightened above his length, he slid his fingers down until they covered my breasts.

“I want you,” I whispered as I grabbed the base of his shaft.

“Not as much as I want you.”

I raised my brows. “Is that a challenge?”

He groaned as I stroked him from root to tip. “Scarlett, please.”

The look on his face was pure torture, and it made me feel powerful and wanton. Here, I was in charge. Here, I was in complete control. Knowing that Gabe would do anything I asked gave me confidence I had never felt before.

My lower abdomen ached, and moisture pooled between my thighs. At that moment, I knew that I wanted nothing more than to have him inside of me. Positioning my hips, I impaled myself on his length, inching slowly down his shaft until my body pushed down onto his.

“Yes.” He planted his feet on the mattress and pushed up, thrusting a little bit deeper. He squeezed my breasts as I moved up and down his length. The sweet friction of our movements fueled the desire in my core.

“Yes.” I covered his hands with mine and moved faster, reaching for a release that seemed to hover just out of reach.

“Scarlett.” He thrust with me, and as our bodies crashed together, I knew that I wouldn’t hold on to my sanity much longer. I let go of his hands and braced my weight on his chest as the pressure in my core rose up and engulfed my body.

“I’m close,” he whispered.

“Let me come first.” I have no idea why I said that. Perhaps it was from too many nights of dissatisfaction. Perhaps it was from too many men who took what they wanted and walked away. I didn’t want Gabe to find his fulfillment and leave me like the rest. This was too important. I was too important.

“As you wish.” Shifting his hands, he slid away from my breasts and grabbed my hips. I gasped as he slammed up into my center, piercing my body with his length. I tilted my head back and let my hair fall down my spine as I rode him, letting myself get caught up in the moment, in him. He felt so good, and yet I wanted more, needed more.

He shifted his hands. Suddenly his thumb was there, on my clit, rubbing it back and forth as we came together. The added sensation shot up through my center like a lightning bolt, triggering my orgasm. I saw stars as joy burst through my system, blanketing me with light and warmth. I made a primal feminine noise, one of a warrior who had taken what she wanted without regret. And as ecstasy surrounded me, I heard Gabe groan with his own primal release.

We hung there, suspended in our cocoon of bliss for what seemed like hours, but then, as the euphoria started to fade, Gabe turned our bodies so we were lying side by side on the bed.

I immediately snuggled into his warmth, and he turned us so he could pull the bedspread up over our bodies.

I loved the feel of his skin against mine, and how well we seemed to fit together. Exhaustion overcame me, but I needed to let him know something before I drifted off to sleep.

“Gabe?” I asked after a few moments. “You awake?”

He tightened his grip around my waist. “Yeah?”

“Thank you.”

“For what?”

I leaned back and tilted up my head to meet his gaze. “For helping me find myself again.” He flashed me a look of confusion, so I buried my head in his chest. “For so long I had let other people tell me what to do, to control everything from what I ate, to what art to buy. It was . . . nice to be able to make my own decisions.”

“Hey.” He hooked his finger under my chin and tilted my head up until our gazes met. “You’re a smart woman, Scarlett. You should never let anyone tell you what you can and can’t do.”

I searched his face. He seemed sincere, which was a rarity in my world. As he brushed his lips against mine, I let myself feel the truth in his words. For the first time in a long time, I began to believe in myself.

As we settled back under the covers, Gabe’s even breathing washed over me, and fear rippled through my chest. I was falling for him, I realized. Despite our turbulent past, a past where he had broken up with me for no good reason, I was falling in love with him all over again.