Scarlett Limerence

by K. A Knight

  Working my way through them, pulling quotes for my essay, I lose myself in the reading until my phone vibrates in my pocket. Blinking stupidly, I yank it out and groan before I remember where I am. Peeking around, I realise no one is paying me any attention, so I flick open the text.

  Reggie: Are you on campus?

  I hold my thumb over the keyboard, debating what to reply.

  Me: Yes, but it’s over means it’s over. I press send and then instantly see the read symbol.

  Reggie: Aww, come on, babe, I made a mistake.

  I snort at that and another message pops up.

  Reggie: I miss you.

  Me: You didn’t miss me when you had your cock buried in that random girl. I angrily type out the message and hit send.

  I wait for him to reply, hovering over his name. Ugh, what was I thinking dating him? I knew he was an asshole, but he was flirty and nice and for once made me feel special. He didn’t care that I didn’t go to all the parties or have brand-new designer clothes. He didn’t even mind I worked at that club, he thought the uniform was hot. Shit, am I really that desperate to be loved?

  Nope. I called it off as soon as I found out. Fuck, I went to that party to surprise him, yet when I found him fucking some stranger in a random bedroom, I hightailed it out of there, only stopping long enough to break up with him. Asshole. If he was that unhappy or wanted to fuck other people that much, he should have just broken up with me. Why ruin someone that way? Like I don’t have enough trust issues as it is.

  Reggie: I said I was sorry, can’t we try again? I miss you, babe. I promise it won’t happen again.

  Ugh, throwing my phone in my bag, I get up and stretch, since that asshole ruined the flow I had going on. Grabbing my purse, I decide to treat myself to a warm drink. It might help me concentrate, even if I feel guilty about spending the change. I could save it, I know I need to with having to buy a new car now, but I need a pick me up.

  So I head downstairs, grab a cup of coffee, and make my way back to my desk, sipping it as I go. I wander through the shelves just stretching my legs for a moment before I sit at my desk and face the mess of books I have spread out.

  Glancing at the clock on the wall, I note I only have forty minutes left before Max turns up, so with that in mind I throw myself back into my work, hoping to get all the quotes I need before I have to leave.

  Putting my borrowed books back, I hurry to pack up as excitement courses through me at the idea of seeing Max again. Sad, but true. I pocket my phone and shove everything else into my bag before rushing to the lift and leaving the library. I’m just throwing my cold coffee into the rubbish when a voice catches my attention.

  “Yo, beautiful.” I blink, looking around to see Randy and his buddies sitting on the steps outside the library.

  Groaning, I turn away, ducking my head to avoid them.

  “Hey! Scarlett, wait up!” he shouts louder, and I wince and stop, knowing he won’t give up.

  I turn around, pasting a fake smile on my face as he jogs over. His buddies look me up and down, nudging each other. My gaze moves to him as he grins at me, pushing his hand through his perfectly styled, cropped blond hair. He’s clean-shaven, with bright blue eyes, and overall he’s attractive enough. The whole outfit he’s wearing, though meant to look rough and ragged, is probably worth more than my entire house. He is trying way too hard, especially when compared with Max who looks rough and dangerous in just a t-shirt.

  “Hi,” I offer, gripping my bag tighter against me.

  He grins and steps closer, ducking his head to my level. He’s got a swimmer’s body and I see his muscles moving. He really is good-looking, shame he’s such an arrogant, rich arsehole. He’s had his sights set on me for a while and doesn’t seem to be giving up, he’s even in one of my lectures and makes it a point to sit behind me every time, passing me messages like we’re kids. “Shame class was cancelled, I was hoping to see you.”

  I say nothing and he steps closer, flashing pearly whites at me as he lowers his voice. “Have you heard Social is having a Halloween party? I thought we could go together.”

  “Sorry, I’m working,” I reply and turn around.

  His hand latches on to my arm as he spins me to face him again, his smile more tense. “Drop the shift, really, the night will be worth it.” He winks then and I crinkle my nose in disgust. Just what a girl wants, a man who has no concept of what money means. It only reinforces how very different we are.

  “Sorry, maybe next time,” I tell him and hurry away. I can feel his eyes on me the entire time, and when I reach the bridge, I look back to see him and his friends slowly strolling this way. I keep my head down and carry on walking, each step putting a bit of distance between us.

  Just as I’m heading over the bridge, Nadia falls in step next to me. “Hey, Scar! Sorry, didn’t mean to make you jump, I saw you coming over the bridge!” She laughs and I smile at her. We talk as we walk, but with each step I find my spirits lifting and feel anticipation racing through me.

  I want to see him again.

  Hurrying along, I stop at the edge of the path and look up, meeting Max’s dark gaze. He is leaning against the Jeep, his thick arms crossed over his chest, his feet kicked out. He looks like heaven and hell in a dangerous package and I can’t help but lick my lower lip.

  “Who is that?” Nadia asks, her eyebrow arched as she runs her eyes down his body.

  Jealousy surges through me, but I laugh it off. “Just my next door neighbour.”

  “Damn, if someone lived next door to me who looked like that?” She shakes her head, propping her hand on her hip. “I would be doing something about it.”

  “Text me later!” I call and start walking backwards.

  She grins knowingly and cups her mouth. “Sure thing, hot stuff!”

  Shaking my head with a laugh, I turn around and face Max. He hasn’t moved, but when I reach the car, he silently opens the door for me. I slip inside and he closes the gently door before moving around the front and climbing behind the wheel.

  “I didn’t know what you liked, so I got you a tea and a coffee.” He nods at the takeout cups waiting in the cup holder. I blink owlishly before grinning.

  “I like coffee in a morning to wake me up, then tea in an afternoon. Thank you,” I reply softly, taking the tea and sipping at the lukewarm, earthy flavour. He nods and grabs the coffee, taking a sip before sliding it back into the holder.

  “Did you have a good day?” he asks, still turned to look at me.

  I shrug, staring out the window. My eyes catch on Randy who is watching me from the pavement. “It was okay.” I can feel his gaze following mine, so I turn in my seat and flash a bright smile at him. “What about you?”

  He arches his eyebrow and starts the car. “It was busy,” is all he offers, and I deflate a bit.

  “Sorry, did I drag you away from something?” I inquire.

  He looks at me before staring back at the road. “Nothing important. Oh, I had a friend pick up your car. He’s going to have a look at it, free of charge.”

  I blink at him over the rim of my tea. “Oh, Max, you didn’t have to.”

  He shrugs then, turning into traffic. “It was no problem.”

  “Thank you so much. Will you let me know how much he says it’ll be to fix it?” I sigh.

  “Sure, I’ll give you a lift for the rest of the week.” He flicks the radio on and settles it on the rock station from earlier without asking, and I hide my grin behind my cup. Then I remember I’m working tonight and I’ll have to catch the bus, which wouldn’t be a problem, but it’s not exactly a safe neighbourhood.

  He glances at me and frowns. “What’s wrong?”

  “Huh? Oh, nothing,” I answer lamely, and focus on the front window.

  “Scarlett,” he snaps, his voice dangerous and holding a warning. My eyes are forced to his dark ones. “Tell me.”

  “I was just thinking I’ll have to take the bus to work tonight is all,” I explain, unable
to lie to him.

  He looks away, back at the road, and I suck in a breath and slump in my seat. There’s something so magnetic, dark, and powerful about Max, with an edge of danger. It’s addictive and oh so scary. Hell, maybe he is a spy.

  “I’ll drive you,” he offers so flatly that I find myself unable to deny him.

  “That would be great, but you really don’t have to, and I can get the bus back.”

  “You are not getting a bus back, I’ll wait,” he states it like it’s so logical.

  “Erm, my shift is eight hours,” I point out.

  “So?” He turns those dark eyes on me again.

  “W-Well—” I stumble over my words. “Won’t you be bored?”

  His lips tip up in a grin then. “No, I’m sure I’ll find some way to keep myself entertained.” He runs his eyes down me before turning away, and my own widen. Did he mean…me?

  I find myself out of arguments, so I let us lapse into silence.

  “Who was he?”

  “Huh?” I ask, confused at the topic shift.

  “The guy watching you outside campus.”

  “Oh, he’s in one of my lectures, doesn’t like to take no for an answer,” I grumble.

  “He hurt you?” he questions, his voice low and deadly, and I see his hands twisting the wheel harshly.

  “Erm, no, just keeps asking me out. It’s nothing I can’t handle.” I gulp.

  “Let me know if you need me to deal with him. You shouldn’t underestimate people. Especially a man when he knows what he wants.”

  Why do I feel like there is more to the statement than meets the eye? “Nor should you underestimate a girl when she knows her own mind,” I quip back, and I see his lips turn up again.

  Why does that excite me so much?

  Chapter Seven

  Maximus

  She’s lost in her own little world, playing with the takeaway cup in her hands and staring out of the window. I glance at her as often as I can, tracing her face with my eyes while she isn’t looking. It was brilliant for me to offer to drive her to work. Now, I can watch her all night without being a pervert. Satisfaction roars through me and I have to stop myself from grinning like a crazy person.

  I remain quiet, the silence between us comfortable while the music drifts through the Jeep as I turn onto our road. I park in her driveway and pull on the handbrake before looking at her. She smiles at me, her cheeks slightly pink. “Thank you again for the ride, you’re my hero.”

  If only she knew. I’m not her hero, I’m her villain.

  “You’re welcome,” I reply. “What time do you leave for work?” I know already, of course, but she doesn’t know that.

  “Nine, shift starts at nine thirty,” she answers, before reaching for the handle on the door then hesitating. “You didn’t have to do this, Max. Thank you.” Gratitude fills her voice and eyes, and before I know it, she’s leaning across the console and pressing a gentle, featherlight, chaste kiss on my scruffy cheek.

  I freeze in my seat, my eyes locked on her as she smiles at me again and slips from the car. Fuck. My hand drifts up and holds the spot where she kissed me, keeping the warmth there. The move was so innocent, friendly even, yet she might as well have hit me in the head with a hammer. I follow her with my eyes as she walks up the path to her front door, she looks back then with a smile on her face before she goes inside.

  The air is sucked from the car and the day seems to darken now that she isn’t here. I can still smell her, the sweet, fruity fragrance of her perfume driving me crazy. Sucking in a deep breath, I back out of her driveway and park in mine. I head into the house and Milo goes crazy, wagging his tail and jumping on me until I pat him.

  “Hey, buddy,” I coo, crouching down and scratching his head. He sniffs at me and his tongue lolls out before he hops back up onto the sofa and goes to sleep. “Yeah, missed you too,” I scoff.

  Knowing I won’t be sleeping tonight, I crash on the sofa for a while, my eyes half closed and focused on the clock so I don’t miss picking her up. I doze for a while before deciding to get up and feed Milo and myself. Even then, it’s only 6:00pm. Groaning, I get changed and head to the basement. Milo stays at the top of the stairs, waiting for me.

  The stairs open up into a gym with a treadmill, weights, mats, and other equipment. To the right is my security room, which is in a secret location. It’s a safe room hidden behind a rock door that blends in with the rest of the wall, filled with computers, cameras, and everything a safety nut could want. No one comes down here, ever. This is my safe space. I head down here when my demons get to be too much, and I beat them out until I can barely walk.

  In just my shorts, I throw my towel to the side. “Music,” I call.

  It starts up instantly. “Rock,” I order, and it changes from the heavy bass of clubbing music to the smooth drums and thrum of a guitar.

  I warm up and then jump on the treadmill, sprinting for thirty before doing sets. I do it again and again, straining my muscles, pushing myself. Sweat drips from me as I force my body to the limit. I know I’m fit, I had to be for my job and when I left ops, I just carried it on. My body is a weapon, a finely honed one, and I continued training even when it didn’t need to be. I love the power that comes with it, love the burn, the bite of pain when you think you can’t keep going. Yelling, I lift the weight again and again, my muscles shaking, burning, and screaming at me to stop.

  Dropping the weights, I pant and bend over to catch my breath before gulping some water and glancing at the clock on the wall. It’s 8:00pm. I grab the towel and dry my neck and face, sweat covering every inch of my skin. I stomp up the stairs, patting Milo as I go, and head straight towards the shower. I wash quickly, way too excited about the fact that I get to watch her all night. With her fucking permission.

  Leaning against the wall, I scrunch my eyes shut. Fuck, I’m so messed up. I turn off the water and step out, towelling off before heading to my wardrobe. I grab some black jeans and socks and slip into them, going commando before searching for a shirt. She seemed to like the white one I wore today, but maybe I could change it up? Fuck it, since when do I care what I wear? It’s all about function.

  Grabbing a black t-shirt, I pull it on and grasp my leather jacket before heading downstairs. I fill Milo’s bowl and water dish, and give him some scratches before looking at my watch. 8:45pm. Fuck it, I’m done waiting. I need to see her again. I don’t want to look eager, but I can’t help it. I lock up and climb into the Jeep, her scent still lingering but older now.

  Hitting the garage door button, I pull out before engaging the safety, and my phone vibrates in my pocket, letting me know it’s fully locked up. I’ll get a notification if anything is disturbed and I have cameras on my phone as well.

  I pull into her drive, my lights hitting the front of her house, and wait patiently. My eyes flicker from window to window watching for any hint of her. I see her mother’s new boyfriend look out of the window and a scowl curls my lips. I don’t like him, he’s sketchy, and when I checked him out, I saw he’s been in and out of prison since he was a teenager. Her mother isn’t much better, but she knows that.

  The door opens and Scarlett rushes down the steps, her face red, and she looks mad. I tense instantly, gearing to get out, but she jumps in and slams the door. That, more than anything, lets me know something is wrong.

  “Go,” she yells.

  I angle to face her, but she turns pleading eyes on me. “Please, Max.”

  “No.” I turn off the ignition. “What happened?”

  Her eyes dart to the door where I spot the man from before and she sinks farther into her seat. My eyes narrow on her before I calmly spin and open my door, ready to kill this motherfucker. A soft hand on my arms stills me, and I turn my head to see her. Her eyes are big and bright in the light of the car.

  “Please, Max. He’s not worth it, can we just go?” she begs.

  I hesitate, but when her eyes fill with tears, I shut the door and she sighs, slumpi
ng back in the seat. Her hand moves from my arm, leaving heat lingering where she touched. “Thank you.”

  Grinding my teeth, I pull from the driveway and head down the dark street. I glance over at her, having forgotten about that fucking uniform she has to wear because of her anger. I have to bite my lip to hold in a groan and I nearly swerve from all the exposed skin.

  I’m going to kill someone tonight, that’s for sure.

  Her long, tanned legs are on display, her shapely thighs killing me. Tiny black shorts cover her bottom half, and a skin-tight white shirt with the bar’s logo cups her upper half. She looks like sex on legs in a bloody t-shirt and shorts. Jesus Christ. Focusing on the road, I swallow hard, shifting in my seat to try and relieve the ache of my hard cock. I don’t know how she does this, I can’t even remember being this horny when I was a teenager. Then again, there was never anyone who looked like her when I was a teenager. In the dark cab of the Jeep, her scent wraps around me, sinking into my skin, and every time she shifts in her seat, the creak of leather draws my eyes to her long legs.

  Gripping the wheel tight, I focus on not wrecking as images of those legs wrapped around my head flash in my mind, and the way she would moan and scream for me…I wonder what she would taste like. Fuck.

  “What?” she asks, and my eyes fly wide as I look over at her. Did I say that out loud?

  “Nothing,” I mutter, yanking at my beard. Shit, shit, keep it together.

  I have to take shallow breaths, her scent is that strong, and by the time I park at the multistorey opposite the bar she works at, I practically jump from the car to escape it…the tension…her body…my thoughts. All of it clouds my brain as I yank open her door and force myself to step back…but I don’t. Instead, I watch as she turns in her seat, and I grab her hips and pull her down from the Jeep, pretending to help her as I steady her on her feet. My hands linger longer than needed, and I crinkle her shirt in my hard grip before I force myself to let go and step back rapidly, almost breathing heavily.