Scarlett
"Hello?" I asked softly as I stepped out of the bathroom half an hour later, "Are you awake?"
"Yeah," the man said from the bed. A second later, the bedside light came on, washing the room in a soft glow, "Apparently nothing can be done about the tiny bed tonight. I had had a feeling that that would be the case.
The man rolled over a little bit, offering me some space, "Go to sleep. It's just for a few hours."
Staring at the tiny space warily, I crossed over to the bed and joined him. One side of my body was completely pressed against his, and I could feel the warmth of his body seeping into me.
"You're freezing." He pointed out.
I let out a huff, "I wasted too much time trying to resurrect my broken phone and forgot that the shower was running. By the time I got in, the hot water had run out."
"Ouch." He winced.
"Yeah. Today sucks." I sighed, "no, in fact, this whole month has sucked so bad."
"Wanna tell me about it?" He asked softly.
When I turned my head to the side, I saw that he was already facing me. Our faces were barely an inch apart, and if i just moved a little, my mouth would be on his.
"I caught my fiance cheating," I said bitterly, "We'd been together over six years and I thought he was the one. We moved in together and we were going to get married. I got home from work earlier than usual and there was this red head in our bed. She had on leather and all, and it was_" I trailed off.
"I lost my fiance, lost my home, lost my confidence." I confessed, "He accused me of being frigid, said I only cared about my work and I was sexually boring and unadventurous."
"Your ex sounds like an ass wipe. No offence."
I chuckled, "My best friend called him an ass wipe too."
"You're not frigid, or any of those things he said," he said sternly, "He couldn't keep it in his pants, got caught and took the easy way out which is making it look like it's your fault. Fuck that loser."
I bit my lip in thought and the man's blue eyes dropped to my mouth, eyes darkening. Electricity arced between us, heat building at the base of my stomach, "maybe it's a little bit true though."
"It's not."
"Then how do you explain the fact that I've never cum in my life?"
His eyes widened in shock, "You've been having sex with selfish assholes. A real man would have stopped at nothing to give you an orgasm before getting his."
"Really?" Our mouths were so close now even though I didn't remember either of us moving closer.
"Yeah."
"O-okay," I breathed out nervously.
"Goodnight." He began to turn around, but I gripped his arm, stopping him.
"Show me."
"Show you what?"
I licked my lips, "Show me what I've been missing."
"With pleasure," he growled and pulled me into an earth shattering kiss.
***
I woke up snuggled against a man's large, muscular body. I couldn't remember the last time I'd been held in my sleep. Paul always complained of feeling too hot and didn't like to cuddle.
A smile curved my mouth and i allowed myself one more second to enjoy waking up in such a good mood.
Eventually, I knew i had to leave. Escaping from the room took all my skills. Luckily for me, the man appeared to be in a deep sleep. All that was left was to put on my clothes, grab my satchel and rush out.
The storm had cleared and I immediately jumped into the car, turned on my GPS and continued on my way to Jen's family house. The house was easy to locate and I found Jen and her mum at the garden in front.
After introducing me to her parents, she led me to the guest room.
"I was worried sick when you just hung up abruptly." She said.
"You won't believe that a damn hairless cat startled me so much that I ended up breaking my phone," I laughed.
"Forget the cat. Tell me something eventually happened between you and Mr. Hunky Hunk. Give me all the dirty deets." She said eagerly.
I rolled my eyes, "Nothing much happened. Just the best sex of my life and three consecutive orgasms."
She pretended to faint, "oh my goodness! You finally had an orgasm. See, I was right when I said it was all Paul's fault. That good for nothing cheat isn't even good for a single orgasm. What a waste." She rolled her blue eyes, face twisted in disgust.
Thinking about Paul used to make me unbearably sad before, but now, I didn't seem to care. My thoughts were occupied by the gorgeous one night stand I'd had. I wondered if fate would ever be so kind to make us run into each other again.
"Don't worry about it, you'll definitely see him again," Jen said, almost like she could read my mind, "By the way, my asshole brother is apparently on his way."
I'd seen pictures of her brother before. Jett was tall, and lanky and looked aloof as hell. Jen didn't mention him much, so I took her lead and didn't ask about him. He was probably the black sheep of the family or something.
"Jen! Someone's at the door!" Her mother called from downstair, "I'm in the kitchen and your father's in the garage. Can you go check it?"
Just then, Jen's phone started ringing.
"Hey, Scarlett," my bestfriend said, "why don't you check the door for me while I take this. I think it's work."
"Sure," I shrugged and hurried down the stairs.
I pulled the door open with a smile. A smile that immediately withered at the sight of the man at the door, "what the fuck are you doing here?" I snapped, "did you follow me here?"
The man from the motel stared at me in shock. Just as he opened his mouth to respond, my bestfriend's voice cut across the room.
"Jett! You came!"
A phenomenon was "The Morning Show's"afterglow. Their interview had been a masterwork of public relations, a masterful display of vulnerability and growing love. Once dubious, media outlets now praised them as a model of surprising contemporary romance. "JettandScarlettForever"went viral on Twitter, and fan art of their "meetcute"at the motel was all over the place. Scarlett's already successful firm received a tonne of calls, confirming her status as an industry expert and demonstrating that Paul's disparaging comments about her abilities were completely baseless. But in the silence, the distinctions became almost invisible. When no one was looking, the compelled camera touches turned into persistent caresses. Beyond the performance, there were shared looks that were infused with a sincere curiosity and a subtle, indisputable tenderness. Originally debriefings, dinners at Jett's large, minimalist apartment had become relaxed, friendly gatherings. They spoke for hours on end, shari
Scarlett felt the cold dread from Paul's email harden into a knot in her stomach. His threat was more than just an annoyance; it was a weapon that was precisely calibrated to explode their meticulously crafted reality. Every major media outlet had received the anonymous email, which was now verified to have come from a burner account linked to Paul's former assistant a desperate, irate person who had since vanished.By Monday morning, Scarlett's integrity and, consequently, Jett's judgement would be brutally dissected in the news cycle. Scarlett proclaimed, "This is an allout assault,"as she paced her office like a lioness in a cage.
In a flurry of exuberant shouts and blinding flashes, the world burst into chaos. Every logical idea and every painstakingly planned public relations campaign was destroyed by the flaming brand that was Jett's lips on hers. It was a defiant, possessive claim, not a professional gesture. The force of his presence, the firm pressure of his mouth, and the taste of him were all overwhelming. Unbidden, Scarlett's hands had reached up to seize his shoulders in an attempt to find a fulcrum in the dizzying whirlpool of sensation. Then it was over, just as suddenly as it had started. Jett withdrew, his chest heaving, his turbulent, dark eyes meeting hers. The cacophony of the crowd, the whirring of the cameras, and the irate retreat of Paul's figure all vanished into a distant hum in that split second. All that was present was the unadulterated electric current that throbbed between them, a silent, powerful recognition of a boundary that had been not only crossed but completely destroyed.
An incessant reminder of Scarlett's delicate equilibrium, the hum of the phone call coming from the hallway was a dull thrum against her tense nerves. Jett's closeness had been a seductive, perilous warmth that had suddenly vanished.She observed his broad back as he paced, his flirtatious energy giving way to a rigid tension, his voice a low, urgent murmur. The nearkiss still caused her own body to hum, a strong echo that added to the startling sense of the situation's cold reality. This was a high-stakes performance, not a game, and the curtain was about to rise on a much more difficult act. Jett usually exuded an easy charm, but when he finally returned, his face was grim. "That was my agent,"he declared, his voice lacking its characteristically light-hearted tone. "The 'complication' I mentioned."Scarlett felt her stomach tighten. "What is it?"she asked, not showing any signs of the anxiety wriggling inside of her. He gestured his frustration by running a hand through his dark,
In the abrupt emptiness he left behind, Jett's cologne's lingering aroma was an intangible presence, a phantom limb. With her lips burning and her fingers still tingling from the phantom brush of his skin, Scarlett stood rooted. The kiss. It was more than a simple "professional thank you"; it was a seismic tremor that broke down the well-built barriers surrounding her heart. What was that? A calculated action to see how strong she was? Or something much more perilous, something real concealed behind layers of calculating charm? She let out a tremulous breath and ran a hand through her hair. This complexity was unprecedented. Instead of melting into his arms, she was meant to control his image. She had vowed to be strictly professional. But her resolve was mocked by the memory of his dark, knowing eyes. She was deeply involved. deeper than a crisis in public relations. The days that followed were a flurry of activity, a tornado of favorable press coverage that validated her bold appr
A nervous hummingbird stuck in Scarlett's chest, her heart pounded against her ribs. Jett had said, "Okay." Not "Okay, this is crazy,"or "Okay, let's talk logistics." Just, all right. As though pretending to be in a relationship with an NFL star in order to save his career and her new public relations company was just another Tuesday.The ensuing quiet was long and dense with meaning that could not be expressed. Scarlett was left alone with the giant of a man who had just consented to the most bold plan of her life after Eve, bless her eager but frequently tactless soul, hurried off to cancel appointments. Jett's intense blue eyes were fixed on her as he pushed off the doorframe. The air felt heavy and charged as he entered the office slowly and deliberately, his presence filling the already small space.Scarlett could not help but notice how tall he was, how wide his shoulders were, and how his muscles were straining the material of his shirt. She had underestimated how difficult