For the Love of the Billionaire: The Complete Story of Barrett and Scarlet (7 page)

The rest of that week Barrett was barely able to concentrate on anything. All he wanted to do was somehow speed up the clocks so Thursday night could come that much sooner.

Nancy had told him of her dinner with Scarlet and had also confirmed that he could pick her up from her parents’ house on Thursday at six o’clock.

“So it’s actually going to happen,” he said into the phone. Nancy sighed on the other end.

“Seems like it.”

********

Scarlet, for her part, was trying not to think about it at all. She’d spent time watching television with her dad, working on puzzles at night with her mom, and reading books from the to-be-read list on her Kindle. On Wednesday afternoon she had begrudgingly gone to the mall to find something to wear. If she was going to see Barrett for the last time, she was at least going to look good.

After a couple hours of searching, she’d finally found it. On clearance, of all things. It was a form fitting sheath that hugged her in all the right places and was a bold cobalt color which went very well with her honey colored hair. It was classy but sexy. She’d wear it with some strappy heels and call it a day.

Part of her was sad thinking about how much she used to love dressing up for him. Any time she’d known she would see him she’d make sure to smell like grapefruit (he’d mentioned how much he liked that scent on her). He wasn’t into a ton of makeup and he loved when her hair was half up.

“I can see your face that way,” he’d say. “And I can kiss you here.” She’d sigh as he touched her collar bone, her favorite spot…

She shook herself out of the memory.
No.
Scarlet couldn’t let herself think like that. This dinner was only to appease him and Nancy.

Right?

********

Barrett’s Maybach glided into the Blooms’ driveway at 5:55 pm on Thursday evening. He’d expected to get out and knock on the Blooms’ door, to be greeted by Michelle or possibly Larry. But before he could get out, Scarlet was already standing next to the car, waving away the driver to prevent him from opening the door for her.

“It’s okay, I can manage it,” she said. She slid into the back passenger seat next to Barrett. “You’re early.”

He tried not to react to how fucking sexy she looked in the tight blue dress that showed every single delicious curve of Scarlet’s body. How was it possible she looked even better than she did five years ago?

Instead he said, “Barely early. You didn’t want me to say hello to your parents?”

“You see my mom every day,” Scarlet said. She crossed her legs as the Maybach backed out of her driveway and onto the residential street.

“True, it just seems rude not to say hello. Never mind,” Barrett sighed. “It’s good to see you. I was afraid you’d back out.”

“So was I,” she said, partially under her breath. “Where are we eating?”

Barrett smirked, “That’s a surprise.”

Scarlet rolled her eyes, “Of course it is.”

They sat in silence as they drove down the 215. When the driver turned off several exits before I-15, which would have led them down to Las Vegas Boulevard, where all the best restaurants were, Scarlet glanced over at him.

“We’re not going to the strip?” she asked.

“Nope,” Barrett replied, offering no other explanation.

Scarlet sat back, completely confused. What was she in for tonight?

Henderson Executive Airport was about ten miles south and east of the Las Vegas Strip. Barrett and his family had been flying in and out of there for years. McCarran could get pretty packed, especially if there was a major event in town, which there almost always was. So to avoid the crowds, Barrett had always chosen the small, private, Henderson airport for his Gulfstream travels.

As they pulled in, Scarlet suddenly started to realize what was happening.

“We’re flying somewhere?” she asked, panicked. “There weren’t any good enough places to eat in the city?”

Barrett shook his head, “I wanted something different.”

Scarlet sighed, “I really don’t want to be out too late, Barrett.”

“You won’t be,” he said as the Maybach stopped at the gate before the tarmac. “We have 8 o’clock dinner reservations. With the flight there and back, I should have you home by eleven. If you still even want to go home by then.”

Scarlet gave him a cool stare, “I assure you- I will
definitely
want to be home tonight.”

He laughed, “I’m just kidding. Don’t worry, Scarlet. Just relax and enjoy yourself. For once.”

She was completely frustrated. As usual, Barrett was taking control of things, something he was inclined to do and something that she used to love about him. But in this situation, it was a problem. She’d hoped for a short dinner where she could be cold, with clipped, and unremarkable conversation. She’d make him wonder what he ever saw in someone like her. They’d part ways and he could move on with his life, knowing her leaving him five years ago wasn’t a mistake after all.

The car slowly rolled onto the tarmac where a sleek plane was waiting for them, red carpet and all. As she got out of the car she couldn’t help but be impressed at Barrett’s preferred mode of travel. He looked back at her as he started walking toward the steps leading up to the plane.

“You first, Scarlet,” he said, holding out his arm. Without even thinking, she took it, a natural habit from their old days. His arms were still solid and strong under his blazer. She felt a literal spark between them and he caught her eyes for a moment and she almost let it all out right then, everything she was holding back. She’d forgotten how intense his gaze could be, how much it heated her thighs up to have him looking at her. And now they would be alone on a plane together for who knows how long.

“Where are we going anyway?” she was finally able to ask.

“San Diego,” he said as they were greeted by the pilot and one very attractive flight attendant. “I like to eat my dinner by the water.”

********

Scarlet, inexplicably, found herself laughing thirty minutes later as they glided through the cloudless sky above Nevada and then California.

“I can’t believe you remember that!” she said. “I was ten years old. It was the worst moment of my life.”

Barrett laughed as he sipped his whiskey and water, “Of course I remember. I felt terrible about it for years. Your sweet little face looked so upset. As soon as I saw your reaction I instantly regretted doing that to you.”

Barrett was recounting the tale of the broken arm. He and Ben had pretended to fall out of the Blooms’ treehouse and had faked a severe compound fracture by using movie make up and props to have it look like Ben’s bone had burst out from his arm. Lots of fake blood and gore. Little Scarlet had taken one look at her brother, screamed, and immediately fainted. What was supposed to be a prank suddenly became Ben and Barrett getting into major trouble with the Blooms and Nancy. Time made it funnier though, and Barrett couldn’t help but love hearing Scarlet laugh. It had been so long.

Scarlet had to admit, it was easy to be around Barrett, too easy really. He was still charming, even more handsome, and his body was still as in shape, maybe even more so, as when they were young. She was sipping a generous glass of chardonnay and feeling calmer than she’d been on the drive to the airport.

But she still had to watch herself. She couldn’t let him too close again.

Although, would it be so bad to have just one more night with him? With the clear condition that it would only be one night and they would never see each other again. The wine and his disarming smile made her think about the prospect longer than she should have.

Scarlet hadn’t been with anyone since Barrett. Not even close. However, she assumed he must have been with plenty of other women since they’d broken up. She read
US Weekly
. He seemed to be in it at least once a month, linked to the newest starlet or supermodel. Seeing Barrett on the glossy pages of magazines made her heart ache, wishing it all could have been different somehow.

But now here he was. Somehow he’d made it back to her again.

“How much longer ‘til we’re there?” she asked, taking a long sip of her wine. “I’m going to need food to soak up all this alcohol.”

“We should be landing in the next ten minutes,” he replied, gazing at her from his plush seat. “Speaking of alcohol, blame it for me saying this: you look absolutely stunning tonight.”

She blushed, “Thanks, Barrett.”

“I don’t know how it’s possible, but you’re more gorgeous than you were the last time I saw you,” he said, leaning towards her. “How did that happen?”

She looked away from him and out the window, “I don’t know.”

He sat back again, not wanting to push her too far. He wanted to save that for later tonight.

In typical Barrett fashion, they landed and a large, luxury SUV waited for them. It whisked them off to Addison, one of the finest restaurants in San Diego. Not that Scarlet knew that. She’d Google it on her phone while in the bathroom later, freshening up.

They’d had the tasting menu as their dinner, which consisted of about a dozen courses of one delicious plate after another. Scarlet’s nerves were getting the best of her, but she managed to eat a little as Barrett tried his best to have a conversation that didn’t include too much from their past. An almost impossible thing to do.

Barrett hoped that after dinner they could talk about something more. Either way, he refused to allow the night to end until he had something from Scarlet, some reason why she’d chosen to go back on the promise of not breaking his heart so long ago.

After dessert was finished and it looked like they were finally on their way back to Las Vegas where he knew the date would be quickly over and thus out of his control, he made a decision.

“Do you mind if we stop by my house?” he asked. “I want to check on something. I haven’t been to it in a few months.”

Scarlet rolled her eyes, “I’m not stupid. Don’t expect me to fall for that, Barrett.”

“What?” he asked innocently. “I just figured while I’m here, I might as well stop by.”

“Okay,” she suddenly said, to his surprise. “Take me there.”

The SUV couldn’t have gotten there fast enough for Barrett’s liking. He didn’t want her to change her mind. Because of course he had ulterior motives. There was no way he was letting Scarlet off this easy.

As they drove towards Rancho Santa Fe, Scarlet thought that maybe she should say something. Bring up her idea of just having one night with him. Before she could say it, Barrett spoke.

“This might be out of line, but I don’t care,” he said, moving over closer to her. Her long legs were crossed but they were facing him, a good sign.

“Okay,” she said, looking at him.

“We don’t have to talk about the past,” he said. “But what if for tonight we pretended we were back there. That nothing had ended. That you still felt for me how you did then.”

Barrett I never stopped
she thought, wishing she had the guts to say it.

“What do you mean?” she said in a low voice, looking up at him with those damn chartreuse eyes.

“You know what I mean,” he replied and suddenly he couldn’t help it. He grabbed her, kissing her passionately on her mouth that was still open in surprise.

To his complete relief, she kissed him back. She tasted just as she had and all at once, everything started happening.

********

They’d practically tumbled out of the car when they finally reached Barrett’s sprawling estate in Rancho Santa Fe. The driver had walked in front of them to unlock the door.

As soon as they were in the house Barrett ambled over to his office. It was the first room to the right of the front entrance. Freshly renovated, it was all mahogany wood and maroon curtains and valances. A large desk was in the center of everything.

Scarlet followed, suddenly not caring about anything but being near him.
Just for tonight
she said to herself.

“How badly do you want me?” Scarlett asked.

She was on his desk now, her legs open. She could feel her arousal soaking the papers she was sitting on; she hoped they weren’t important.

“Desperately,” he whispered, walking towards her. She could see it was true, the large bulge in his tailored pants told her as much.

“Fuck me, then,” she said. It wasn’t begging as much as it was a challenge- a dare. Underneath her dress, nothing separated him from being inside her.

“Don’t tease me,” he growled, now on top of her, his hands riding up her inner thighs to her dripping sex. “You
will
get fucked. It won’t be sweet. It won’t be love. It will be what you need more than what you want.”

His mouth smashed against hers, a groan escaping her lips as he beared down on her. She reached for the bulge, desperate to have it, needing it as much as she needed the air she was gasping for as he pushed up her dress and then unzipped the back, pulling it off her in one swoop. She hadn’t bothered to wear panties but the bra she had on was black, sheer, and inconvenient. He tore it off, making her yelp.

“Yes,” she threw her head back as his mouth met one of her turgid nipples. They were hard and darkened, just as he wanted. Amid the heat between her legs and the hardness of her nipples, there was no hiding the fact she desired him.

He sucked one as he pinched the other, her yelps only spurring him on.

“Barrett,” she was begging now, “Please. I need you. Fuck me however you want. I’ll do anything.”

He stopped his molesting of her for a moment, staring deep into her eyes. The fucking chartreuse eyes, wide set on her perfect face. He’d admired them for so long but having them on him now, in this moment, with such pleading in them, made him harder than he’d ever been in his life. The pain from his erection was almost unbearable.

He immediately unzipped his pants. The heat and girth and feel of him in her slender hands made them both moan audibly. She spread her legs wider, eager for him to enter her. As much as he wanted to tease her, he couldn’t wait even another second to be inside her.

His size stretched her to her limits and she cried out in temporary pain from it. He paused for just a moment to make sure she could recover, though he wasn’t sure how he would be able to stop fucking her, even if she’d asked. But of course, she didn’t ask him to stop. She pulled him closer and said, in a lusty voice, many octaves lower than her normal one: “Deeper. Give me every single hard inch. As hard as you can.”

He had his large hands around her curvy hips now, making it easier for the plowing and pounding he was now punishing her pussy with. Nothing had ever felt so good in his life, no sex equaled what he was experiencing in that moment. Her pussy squeezed around him, pulling him closer to her core, trying so hard to coax his orgasm from him, but he would resist. He wasn’t even close to having as much of her as he wanted. It took all of his strength not to erupt inside of her. She was sexual heroin. Nothing felt better.

“Barrett!” she called out to him. Her ass was in his hands now, he was using it as leverage to fuck her as hard as he could.

He didn’t respond, just kept up his pace, a sheen of sweat across his brow. Her moans became louder and he knew she was close. He could feel her pulsing under him, something that almost turned him inside out with pleasure.

“Barrett, my body. You’re making me feel so fucking good,” she said breathlessly in his ear, “I’m going to come so hard for you, baby. So hard. Please don’t stop fucking me. Ever.”

They looked at one another, their eyes filled with such yearning, and as much as he hated to admit it, his old feelings from the past couldn’t be denied. He still felt so many things, things that were hard to articulate when he was balls deep inside of her.

They’d done this before, so long ago, and it felt like they were back in that space, though so much had changed. Looking into her eyes again made it all come flooding back. As much as he wanted this to just be a fuck, it was hard to push the past away.

“Look at me when you come,” he said to her, surprise marking her face. “And tell me exactly how good it feels.”

They kissed tenderly as he slowed his pace a bit. She arched her back and he took her nipples in his mouth again as he continued the slow fucking of her body.

“God,” she said. “My God. I’m coming, baby. Barrett. You’re making me come-“

She yelled out with pleasure and he couldn’t take it, he came too, flooding her with his seed and all of his anguish and desire that he had held back for so long because it had always been her. It would always
be
her.