Scorch (Virtues & Lies 2)

I feel her apprehension pull me backwards, tempting me to sack all this off and torture her some more.

She lives for it. Her need is palpable beneath my fingertips. It coats every fibre of her being…and the harder I push, the higher it sings. Pulsing between us a staccato crescendo that will culminate in an explosion of wills and sex and power and love.

So much fucking love. More than an eternal lifetime’s worth. More love than an endless sky and bottomless ocean.

Inhaling as I run my finger along the seam of my lips, my mouth waters at her sweet scent. My dick threatens to full mast, and as much as I want to fuck Arabella, I want to undo her more. Because if she isn’t strong enough to show me her scars, then she isn’t strong enough to pursue our vendetta.

If she can’t face the demons between us, then she can’t fight the ones around us.

“Why are you here?”

Freddie looks at Casper with a wave of his hand. “It was your idea, I’ll let you explain it.”

Standing with a roll of his eyes, Casper moves closer, perching himself on the arm of one of the sofas. Freddie’s already made himself right at home.

“Well?” I press. “I’m not interested in late-night tea.”

“What?” Freddie purposefully takes a sip from his teacup. “You were taking your time, so I thought I might as well fill my reserves. Want some?” He nods to the cake slice on the coffee table. “Besides, we had to shut her up somehow…apparently cake is all you need.”

“You’re some kind of imbecile, you know that? Who would’ve thought you’d go from crybaby to fucktard?”

I don’t bother looking into the dining room where Georgina’s voice grates from. Instead I direct my question at Casper, knowing he’ll go straight to the point rather than play stupid games. “What’s she doing here?”

“Yes, what is she doing here?” Freddie swipes his finger through the cream on the cake and licks it off.

Tonight’s not the night for his theatrics. My patience is already worn thin.

“We need decoys, otherwise we’re asking for another…” Pausing, his eyes flick to the dining room. “For another accident. Especially after what happened at the dinner.”

“Ryan has it handled.”

“Ryan? You’re on first-name terms now?” Freddie stands with a grimace twisting his face. It’s like I’ve betrayed him in some way.

“You need to learn to let shit go. You’re not a dog and he’s not a bone, so fucking drop it already!”

“I have no idea what the hell is going on, but the housewife bickering is giving me a headache.” All three of us turn to Georgina, trudging towards us. “Why am I here?”

Looking at Casper for an answer, I let her stand beside me for now. She’s taller than Arabella, skinny and fair…but like her older sister, she has presence. And I’m all too aware of the look Freddie’s giving her.

The notion that she’s managed to hit a nerve with him makes me laugh. At the same time, it worries me, because he looks ready to either fuck her or kill her.

He might actually want to fuck her to death. Seems like a Freddie thing to want.

Fuck, it’s what I want. I want to fuck Arabella till the day I die. I want to fuck her so hard that both our bodies might disintegrate.

My dick agrees with a jerk I can barely hide, my need barrelling out of control like a wildfire. Fisting my hands into my pockets, I adjust my stance. The closed door of the bedroom taunts my peripheral vision.

All I can think about, as I hardly make out what Casper’s saying, is how she must be ready to surrender to me in there. I can imagine her squirming. I can hear her fast, uncontrolled breaths as if I’m standing in the room with her.

“Are you listening?” Casper snaps at me.

“Yes.”

“Lies!” Freddie laughs. If he’s not careful, his head will be going through the fucking window.

“I’m trying to fucking help. What the fuck is wrong with you? Huh?” Casper spits at me with impatience. And every single one of my frustrations blows.

“Don’t push me,” I warn him. “It’s been a long day. You’re lucky you still have a living father…so spare me your cunting attitude and get on with whatever it is you’re here for.”