to his porch.
I stopped dead in my tracks when I saw Beau, fresh out of the shower and wearing only a pair of low-hanging sweats on his hips.
His eyes locked with mine. “Scarlet?”
FOURTEEN
Beau
Scarlet stood on my porch, a pie held in both hands. I took the pie from her and set it on the table before pulling her into my arms, running my palms down the elegant slope of her back, resting my outstretched hands across her ass as my lips locked with hers in a fevered kiss.
“Thanks for the pie,” I murmured between kisses, kicking the door closed and pulling Scarlet into the kitchen with me, pressing her body against the counter and not giving her a single chance to interrupt me. I needed her. Whatever else she may say after this, I needed her fucking lips on mine.
“Beau.” She pulled away from me, heavy pants wracking her body.
“Love kissing the breath out of you.” I placed another soft kiss on the tip of her nose. “Couldn’t get you off my mind while I was gone. Missed the fuck out of you, petite rouge .”
My palms roamed her skin, lips covering her neck in decadent kisses. “Thank you for waiting for me.”
“Of course, I would. Why wouldn’t I?”
“I know it was hell… I had to leave. I broke our date.” I pressed my forehead against hers. “I had to go save my sister.”
“Your sister?” Her eyes widened before understanding settled in.
“She’s an addict.” I confessed. “She’s been on and off the wagon for a few years now. I’ve tried to help her however I can, but the last time I let her come to my house she stole some of my stuff to pawn.” I paused, feeling pain burn in my throat. “She overdosed Monday night. I got the call from a hospital in the town she was living in. She at least had me listed as her emergency contact on her phone. I’m the only person she’s got, can you imagine if they wouldn’t have been able to find me?”
“Beau...I’m so sorry. I had no idea.” She pressed her palms to my cheeks, her touch soothing my anxiety in small increments.
“It’s not something I talk about. After my mother died, it was harder and harder on her. It’s hard for a little girl to be motherless in the world. My father was starting to decay then. He was a shell of the man he once was. The man who played with us and laughed with such joy slipped away to a lonely man who only received comfort from alcohol. My sister wanted to belong, she longed to be loved. She fell in love with the wrong men and the life of oblivion and escape swallowed her up. Over the years I tried to get her help but one day I couldn’t find her anymore--she just disappeared from my life. So when I got the call I had to go. Please tell me you forgive me for running out. I tried to find you, but Gran said you’d gone for a walk. I was desperate to tell you I was leaving, and I’d be back as soon as I could manage it. But I couldn’t find you, and I had to get there as fast as I could. I drove ten hours straight to find she was on a heart monitor. Seeing my little sister in that bed,” I ran a hand through my hair. “Worst day of my life.”
“How is she now?”
“She’s in good hands. I brought her to rehab. When I got there, she had been committed to the hospital. I told her I’d pay for ninety days if she’d commit to all of it, they have a facility attached right to the hospital. It’s one of the best detox facilities in the country. She’s always bailed early. But hopefully, this time it takes.”
“Should you go back? Don’t stay here for me, Beau. I can wait longer.”
“If I go back now it’s only if you are with me. I need you, Petite Rouge . The only thing that kept me going was getting home to you. I’m no good to her there, sitting around nagging. Besides, she has to be isolated now. They said thirty days without any familial contact.” I trailed my palms down the curve of her spine. “I need you so much, Scarlet. I can’t breathe without you.” I
I stopped dead in my tracks when I saw Beau, fresh out of the shower and wearing only a pair of low-hanging sweats on his hips.
His eyes locked with mine. “Scarlet?”
FOURTEEN
Beau
Scarlet stood on my porch, a pie held in both hands. I took the pie from her and set it on the table before pulling her into my arms, running my palms down the elegant slope of her back, resting my outstretched hands across her ass as my lips locked with hers in a fevered kiss.
“Thanks for the pie,” I murmured between kisses, kicking the door closed and pulling Scarlet into the kitchen with me, pressing her body against the counter and not giving her a single chance to interrupt me. I needed her. Whatever else she may say after this, I needed her fucking lips on mine.
“Beau.” She pulled away from me, heavy pants wracking her body.
“Love kissing the breath out of you.” I placed another soft kiss on the tip of her nose. “Couldn’t get you off my mind while I was gone. Missed the fuck out of you, petite rouge .”
My palms roamed her skin, lips covering her neck in decadent kisses. “Thank you for waiting for me.”
“Of course, I would. Why wouldn’t I?”
“I know it was hell… I had to leave. I broke our date.” I pressed my forehead against hers. “I had to go save my sister.”
“Your sister?” Her eyes widened before understanding settled in.
“She’s an addict.” I confessed. “She’s been on and off the wagon for a few years now. I’ve tried to help her however I can, but the last time I let her come to my house she stole some of my stuff to pawn.” I paused, feeling pain burn in my throat. “She overdosed Monday night. I got the call from a hospital in the town she was living in. She at least had me listed as her emergency contact on her phone. I’m the only person she’s got, can you imagine if they wouldn’t have been able to find me?”
“Beau...I’m so sorry. I had no idea.” She pressed her palms to my cheeks, her touch soothing my anxiety in small increments.
“It’s not something I talk about. After my mother died, it was harder and harder on her. It’s hard for a little girl to be motherless in the world. My father was starting to decay then. He was a shell of the man he once was. The man who played with us and laughed with such joy slipped away to a lonely man who only received comfort from alcohol. My sister wanted to belong, she longed to be loved. She fell in love with the wrong men and the life of oblivion and escape swallowed her up. Over the years I tried to get her help but one day I couldn’t find her anymore--she just disappeared from my life. So when I got the call I had to go. Please tell me you forgive me for running out. I tried to find you, but Gran said you’d gone for a walk. I was desperate to tell you I was leaving, and I’d be back as soon as I could manage it. But I couldn’t find you, and I had to get there as fast as I could. I drove ten hours straight to find she was on a heart monitor. Seeing my little sister in that bed,” I ran a hand through my hair. “Worst day of my life.”
“How is she now?”
“She’s in good hands. I brought her to rehab. When I got there, she had been committed to the hospital. I told her I’d pay for ninety days if she’d commit to all of it, they have a facility attached right to the hospital. It’s one of the best detox facilities in the country. She’s always bailed early. But hopefully, this time it takes.”
“Should you go back? Don’t stay here for me, Beau. I can wait longer.”
“If I go back now it’s only if you are with me. I need you, Petite Rouge . The only thing that kept me going was getting home to you. I’m no good to her there, sitting around nagging. Besides, she has to be isolated now. They said thirty days without any familial contact.” I trailed my palms down the curve of her spine. “I need you so much, Scarlet. I can’t breathe without you.” I
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