I licked the soft spot behind her earlobe and she sighed deeply. She fitted perfectly in my arms, her soft body resting against mine, making me feel some long-forgotten emotions.

What she said earlier made me ponder over my behaviour. Would Eliza want me to forget everyone else around me? Would she want me to make an innocent girl cry? Would she want me to hurt a girl over an over again? Would she want me to be irresponsible towards Cara? No, absolutely not.

In her love, I forgot about every other responsibility I had towards my family. Eliza didn't fell in love with a brooding, rude and gloomy person; she fell in love with the old me. The part of me which was happy, optimistic and joyful.

"You make me feel things, Scarlet," I said and gently nibbled on her earlobe. Her breaths turned ragged at this and she shivered in my hold. "You make me want to try to be a better man for you." I said.

"And you... you make me want to punch you in your handsome face." she responded. I chuckled and made a path with my lips back to her shoulder. "You are an insufferable human being. And I hate when you... Ah." She stopped when I bit her soft skin of neck slightly. A small moan left her lips and she leaned further into me.

"So what were you saying?" I asked mischievously and turned her around with her waist to see her face. Her face was flushed and her eyes were hooded with desire.

"I said I hate you," she said angrily.

"Do you?" I asked, snaking my arm around her waist and pulling her towards me.

She gulped nervously as her eyes switched between my eyes and my lips. "Ye... Yes." she stuttered.

A corner of my mouth lifted up while I tucked her loose hair behind her ears. Leaning forwards, I kissed her adorable dimple and her soft skin inviting me to continue kissing.

"Tell me Scarlet, do you really hate me?" I said and placed another kiss on her rosy cheeks.

"Y... Y... Yeah," she whispered with closed eyes.

"So would you hate if I steal a kiss right now?" I asked, enjoying the way her face paled and her closed eyes became wide opened.

Her gaze lowered to my lips and she gulped nervously. She licked her lips to wet them and her harmless action caused all the blood of my body rush south.

I wanted to taste her lips and I couldn't stop now, at any cost. And the absence of reluctance on her face didn't help either. So I closed my eyes and finally did what I had been dying to do for weeks now.

I kissed her, on her lips. She stilled in my arms and her breath hitched. Our mouths moved again each other in a torturing slow speed at first. Her lips felt heavenly against mine, causing my heart to skip a beat. The speed then became fast as I traced my tongue all over her plump lips. Taking her lower lip in between my teeth, I sucked harder to elicit a reaction out of her.

Her hands went to my hair and she gripped the locks in her fist, urging me to keep going. My tongue traced the entrance of her lips, dying to get her permission to devour her mouth. When she finally opened her mouth, my tongue entered inside and tasted each and every nook of her delicious mouth.

Without breaking the kiss, I picked her up and took her to the bed, hovering over her. Our small moans mixed with each other, until we both were a breathing mess. My hands ran all over her body while her hands kept glued to my hair. When I finally parted my mouth, she was lying beneath me, all breathless. The dark didn't allow me to see her reaction but I knew she was feeling just as much as me.

"I am sorry for being an ass," I said and rested my hand on her cheeks.

"I am sorry for calling you an ass," she replied, her voice thick and hoarse.

I chuckled and placed a kiss on her forehead. Lying on my back, I pulled her closer to me and then tightened my hold around her. She in return rested her head on my chest and wrapped her arm around my torso.

...........

For the second time in a row, I woke up with Scarlet in my arms. She was still in her fancy gown which must have been really uncomfortable for her to sleep in. The vanilla scent of her silky hair was filling my nostrils, urging me to inhale.

I rolled her around to lay her straight on the bed. Propping my head up with my elbow, I assessed her face. She was different than all the girls I have been with. She was kind but she knew when to stand up for people she loves. She was innocent but not stupidly naive. She was beautiful but not too obsessed with her looks. She was smart but not foxy clever. She was everything a man would want in her girlfriend or wife.

If I had met her before Eliza, I might have fallen in love with her first. She was the kind of girl you see in high-school when nobody is watching. The kind of girl whose silly expressions made you smile like a crazy person from a distance. She was that girl who makes you want to go to her and tell her that she is too special to hide in the library.

Maybe, some day, I would fall for her. Maybe, some day, she would teach me how to be in love again. Till then, I can at least be nice to her instead of being a plain jerk.

I was lost in these thoughts when I felt a touch on my cheeks. Opening my eyes, I found her looking at me with her big, brown eyes. She had caught me staring at her like a creepy stalker.

"Good morning," I said to her.

"Good morning." she replied with a warm smile.

"How was your sleep?" I asked softly.

"Great." she said. "How was yours?" she asked awkwardly.

"Great," I replied.

"Great." she repeated. Her voice was so sweet, so melodious that one could get lost in it. "I should... Um... Go change then." she said and rose to sitting position.

I observed her with amusement as she nervously tugged her neckline upwards to hide her cleavage. Her hair was a mess right now, a wild, sexy mess. Different thoughts ran through my mind; thoughts that involved pulling her on top of me and freeing her of this tight, suffocating dress.

"Scarlet," I called her name when she reached the bathroom door.

"Yes," she whispered meekly.

"Wear something nice. We are going to eat out for breakfast." I said to her. A smile appeared on her lips which she tried to hide but failed miserably.

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