SCARLET Here was am, alone again. Well, what was new?I was in the same position six years ago when I watched their wedding ceremony. I was sitting alone, not knowing anyone, because the guests were mostly acquainted with the Alejandros. Oh, right! Something had changed; I could drink now.This was my third glass of wine, and my throat still wanted more—perhaps a stronger drink. My roommate, Katherine, usually offered vodka during sleepless nights and discouraging times. If only my stepbrother wasn’t such an ass and treated me as a part of the family, I wouldn’t have been such a loner.Nonetheless, I didn’t think I wanted to mingle around him at his time. He’s been talking and dancing non-stop with a blonde Barbie doll in a body-hugging red dress. My eyes hurt just looking at them. He was holding her back. I’d always convinced myself that he was off-limits, yet I couldn’t help but wonder how it would feel to be held by him.I heaved a sigh. I was getting more and more hopeless as the
SCARLETLuke slid an arm around my waist and pulled me close to him as soon as his friend left. And unlike Aries, who gave me space, Luke sandwiched me between his arms, possessively pressing me against his rock-hard body. His overall physique dwarfed my small frame, making me feel vulnerable, and it was bad news. I hated this effect on me; he made me feel like squirming. I clung to his shoulders but kept my eyes away and tried not to drink him in. He smelled so divine.I could feel Luke’s gaze on me as he began swaying our hips. His long fingers at my back compelled me to move in accord with his body. His thumb pressed firmly on my palm. I tried to bear it, but I couldn’t. I couldn’t breathe. He was driving me crazy.“Wait,” I whispered.I stopped and pushed his chest with my free hand, but he didn’t let me escape. He brought me back into his arms with aggression. A quiet groan of frustration vibrated in his chest. What the heck was wrong with him?“Stop struggling,” he hissed harshl
SCARLETWhat was I doing? It’s not like I was a virgin.I waited for another hour before I went down for breakfast because I was too embarrassed to see Luke’s face. I’d heard he always left at eight and returned home at seven, so he was barely at home. I guess I wouldn’t have to worry when he came back.Mom and Thomas were on the porch having coffee when I came down. They were like newlyweds that couldn’t let go of each other. Thomas couldn’t stop nuzzling at her hair. I had to admit that Thomas was handsome, and he’d kept in shape despite his age. I didn’t want to interrupt them but I told them I was present anyway.“Morning, Mom. Morning, Thomas.” I kissed both their cheeks and settled on the empty seat across from them.“Oh, darling. Good morning!” Mom greeted me with the sweetest smile. “Did you sleep well?”“Barely.” I shrugged and chuckled. “But I probably still have jet lag,” I reasoned, which wasn’t the real case.“Have you had breakfast?” Thomas asked.“Um, no, not yet.”“The
LUKEIt was late when I returned home. I was exhausted, so I went straight to my bedroom and took a shower. I had set up a schedule at the ranch for a few rounds of horseback riding, but then I received a call from my lawyer that I needed to visit her office. I also returned to the hotel to pick up some legal files.After freshening up, I grabbed a can of beer from the fridge while holding a pile of folders I needed to work out with this evening. I then found Cely carrying a tray with empty plates and glasses from the bedroom floors. I’d known Cely almost my entire life. She had been my nanny, and the shades of her silver hair indicated that she had been with us forever.“Cely, are they home yet?” I was referring to Dad and Gene because they called me earlier, saying they went out together. They usually come back late when they have a date. I guessed they were just before.“Oh, good evening, but no, Luke. They’re not home yet,” the head housemaid answered.“Then whose plate is this?”
SCARLETShortly after, I came downstairs, straight to the dining room. I was a bit afraid to find Luke, but fortunately, he wasn’t there.“Good morning, Thomas.” I pulled out a chair and settled by his side. One of the housemaids instantly served me a plate and a glass of milk. I muttered thanks, but she didn’t seem to hear and left. I wasn’t used to having people serving me as if I were royalty.“Good morning, dear,” he greeted back. “I’m glad you decided to join us. Luke preferred eating alone, as usual.”“He probably just likes to eat with the outdoor view, honey,” Mom said. “He’s on the veranda,” she added with a wink, though I wasn’t asking.“That kid. No wonder he likes you more than me.” Thomas shook his head in disbelief. “Anyway, I’ll make sure your daughter will like me.”I grinned. “Oh, I like you, Thomas.” I leaned over and whispered, “Mom nags me all the time.”He let out a rich laugh. “Does she?”Mom glared at us. “I heard that you know?”I giggled. “Love you, mommy.”“S
SCARLETThis wasn’t a vacation. It was a week of torture. It had only been three freaking days, and I’d gone crazy.Just like yesterday, I didn’t do anything at all. I had no energy to go out. Mom and Thomas didn’t seem to care that I was in the room all day, and it was already afternoon! To entertain myself, I checked my inbox to see if there were any new messages, but Jax seemed busy. There were only three people in the world I could talk to, my roommate Katherine, her boyfriend Nate, and Jax. But they would be busy with their own lives.Jax would be having a meeting today, and I hadn’t heard his voice lately. Katherine had gone home with Nate, so they were surely busy.Almost after dinner, I found Mom and Thomas in the living room, watching some TV.“Hi. Can we talk?”“Darling, of course.” Thomas tensed up. He picked up the remote control and shut the TV off.I sat on the seat across from them. “First, I want to apologize for being rude yesterday.”“It’s okay, sweetheart. We unders
SCARLETI thought we would just have dessert, but it wasn’t the case. They had prepared a full meal course with different dishes that would feed at least ten people. The Barbie doll must be so important that Thomas made a feast.I quietly listened as they exchanged talk about matters I couldn’t understand. I remained looking at the food on my plate.I rolled my eyes and then blew out a deep, silent breath. Luke wasn’t talking as usual. Thomas discussed something and followed some legality, but it wasn’t about my transfer papers. I wasn’t naïve enough to not understand what was going on.Mom was exchanging ideas and suggestions, too, since she was a lawyer herself. I wished I could give my input, but I knew nothing about their topic. I only knew how to create a program—if they asked me about JavaScript or Python, I would be glad to answer them.I secretly watched Luke sitting in front of me, slicing his steak. He still hadn’t taken a bite. Luke lifted her plate while Miss Universe was
LUKE I received a message from Ericka saying she would meet with Nate. Nate? Who the fuck was Nate? I clearly told her not to meet with any man before we met. I wanted her to taste me without interruption. It would be too much of a chore to fuck a woman who was committed. Then she replied, telling me it was a friend who proposed to her roommate. Katherine was one of the only names she mentioned in three months of our charade. If only she had told me her full name, I could track this Katherine, then I would know which apartment in Cambridge she was living in. She was good at hiding her tracks. I couldn’t find any potential female I could fuck for the last three weeks because I was always fucking dealing with something. The first week, I found a potential date to fuck from another dating app, but she lied about her profile picture. It was her friend’s. It means she was another fucking liar. The second week was supposed to be last Saturday. A witch showed up, and she was supposed to