Beauty--Remastered Ch. 04

Donovan felt her discomfort, and he puzzled over the cause. "Is this where we'll be sleeping now?"

Scarlet bristled. "*I'll* be sleeping here. *You* may return to your own room."

He walked to the bed. This room was mostly bare also—most of the rooms were. He didn't feel the need for fancy decorations when he couldn't see them, and when nobody else would. He did allow mirrors in various rooms for when people did visit, but those visits were few. Donovan turned to Scarlet. "I will sleep with you."

Scarlet turned scarlet. "No, you won't." She hurried toward the door, hoping to escape to another room. But he was on her almost instantly.

His warm, half-naked body was crushed against hers and she remembered with horror exactly how undressed she was. He was only against her for mere seconds, but she still felt him -- all of him - before he jerked away. Scarlet stared up at him and was extremely surprised to see his face was almost as red as hers. His head was turned away, as if to save her modesty.

"Get dressed," he ordered quietly.

Normally, Scarlet would've ignored or argued a command; but in this situation, she just couldn't. She picked up the fallen gown and tugged it over her head as fast as she possibly could. He was his usual calm self when she was done. "Now, come lay down."

"I'd rather not."

"Please."

"No."

Donovan sighed and sat on the edge of the bed. He lifted his face in her direction. "I told you, I will not touch you. Unless you want me to."

"I'll never want you to touch me." She couldn't stop the hateful words from escaping her mouth.

But she meant them...sort of.

Donovan didn't say anything for a few moments; but when he finally did, he nodded and lay back on the pillows. "Agreed. Now, come lie down. You must be tired."

She was, but she was also scared of being so close to him, what with the reactions she' been having in his presence. She sat gingerly on the edge farthest away from him. He reached out and took her hand. Scarlet tried to pull away. "I thought you said you wouldn't touch me."

"I will not touch you the way a husband would." He tugged her closer and settled her beside him, not touching, but close enough to feel each others' heat. "We will not make love until you ask."

She blushed at the thought of asking. "That—"

"I know. It will never happen." There was a smile behind his voice as he closed his eyes. Scarlet stared. He looked so...beautiful when he was relaxed like this. His dark hair flopped over his eyes and she barely resisted the urge to brush it away. The corners of his lips suddenly quirked up and she got the paralyzing feeling that he knew what she was thinking. "Good night, wife."

"My *name* is *Scarle*t." Forgetting herself, she basically gave him permission to call her by her nickname.

She rolled onto her side away from him, missing his heat instantly in the cold room. He didn't reply and when she looked over her shoulder, he was breathing deeply. He was asleep. Scarlet groaned and flopped onto her back. She wasn't comfortable, and then she was. Lying next to her 'husband' was the most comfortable thing she'd ever done—she had always been more content beside someone else. But her mind was reeling. She listened to his breath and closed her eyes to match her breaths to his.

***

"Scarlet!" Someone called her and she fought the voice out of her head. "God! Yes, Scarlet!"

She opened her eyes and sat up quickly as she realized where she was. With Donovan, in his house. She feared that Donovan was in trouble, that he had maybe fallen and needed help. She was half out of bed, and had already turned on the bedside lamp when she noticed Donovan was writhing on the bed next to her. She worried he was having a bad dream. Scarlet reached out to wake him when he moved again and called out her name. His hips started pumping gently up and down, and it took her several moments to realize what was happening.

His moaning and movements made her cheeks burn. She knew next to nothing about lovemaking, but she knew what this was. He was having a dream...an *erotic* dream...about *her*. Her nickname escaped his lips again and again, in time to the thrusts of his hips, and she pulled further away, sat with her knees drawn up to her chest and watched him with embarrassed fascination.

She shifted and felt a warm wetness between her legs. Heat mushroomed in her stomach. It thrilled and excited her that he obviously found her so...arousing. She wondered what was happening behind his closed lids.

"Oh, fuck!" Donovan's deep voice rumbled. His chest was heaving, and his breathing reminded her of her horse after a long gallop. He called her name one more time while his hips thrust up as high as they could, his virile body all but leaving the bed altogether. A darker wet spot spread across his pants and he groaned, sounding almost pained. "Ah, Scarlet!"

As his hips returned to the bed, Scarlet realized with intense shock that her breaths were almost as hard as his, though quieter. Her nipples tightened under her gown and she couldn't stop the moan of arousal as she shifted, making the cotton nightgown slide across them.

Donovan sat up suddenly. Scarlet held her breath. He stared sightlessly out into the room and breathed hard. Scarlet didn't know what to do. Should she pretend to be asleep? No—he'd feel her lie down. She could wait until he went back to sleep. When she couldn't hold her breath anymore, she released it as quietly as she could, but he still froze when she did it.

"S-Scarlet?" He turned to her and stretched out his arm. His fingers touched her arm and slid up to her face. "Wh—"

She hesitated. But she knew he knew she was up. "Who else would it be? Do you often have women in your bed?"

"No..." For a second, she thought he might smile, but then he paled and then blushed. "How long..."

"A...a while."

"You saw me...that?"

She nodded but remembered that he couldn't see her do it. "Y-yes."

"Oh, shit!" he buried his head in his hands. "I'm sorry.

Before she could say anything, he was out of bed and halfway across the room. Scarlet found herself scooting after him, her heart pounding, hoping he wouldn't really go. "Wh—wait. Where are you going?"

"Goodnight, Annabelle." The heavy door closed behind him with a decisive thud.

***

*What was I thinking—sleeping with her?* Donovan paced in his study. He was too wound up to go back to bed, even in his own room, though he had stopped there to change his soiled pants. He was also incredibly aroused. Despite his cataclysmic release in his sleep, he was still hard as a rock. For some reason, having her watching him while he was dreaming of taking her was the single most erotic thing he'd ever thought of. He remembered the dream: her riding him, hard and fast, making passionate love to his cock while her lips made love to his. He pulsed and throbbed. Donovan groaned and slumped into a chair.

He had promised he wouldn't touch her until she was ready. In fact, he'd promised it several times. It would be torture sharing a home with her, let alone a room. But what could he do? He wouldn't go back to the room, and he would avoid her at all costs.

It took him two hours to calm down enough to go to bed. He didn't mean to go to the room she was in, but somehow he ended up at the side of her bed, gazing sightlessly down at her sleeping form. He wished he could see her, see if the cute little girl had grown up into the gorgeous woman he imagined she was. He knew from the feel of her body that she'd developed curves, and he wondered if she lost that scared, baby-faced look. With her perfect hourglass figure, a too youthful face would seem a mistake. Maybe her freckles, only just barely noticed when he passed close by her all those years ago, had faded, leaving her creamy skin unblemished. He actually liked her freckles, though. They kept her from being ordinarily model-beautiful.

Against his wishes, he sat down beside her warm body. His hands ghosted over her body, which was covered with the heavy blanket. He couldn't feel much through it, so he moved up to her face. Her skin was cool. As his fingertips caressed her lips, her mouth opened, wafting hot air over his hand. She sighed and licked her lips, the tip of her tongue flickering over his fingers. Donovan bit back a moan.

Scarlet inched closer to his warmth unconsciously. He was frozen as she curled against him, wrapping her arms around his torso and tugging so he toppled over her. He caught himself, just short of crushing her. She wouldn't release him, only squeezed tighter when he tried to escape her arms, so he wiggled down to a more comfortable hold, where he could pull her into his arms. She fit perfectly, with her head tucked comfortably beneath his chin, and her warm breaths across his bare skin igniting a trail of goosebumps.

Donovan was in hell. Her warm skin seemed to burn him through her nightgown, while her spiced scent embraced him as tightly as her arms did. She moaned softly in her sleep and snuggled closer; the quiet sleeping noises she made were adorably sensual. She shifted in her sleep and her little hand feathered over his hip and groin while her leg slid between his. Her fingers flexed, gripping his solid shaft briefly. He cursed quietly and forced himself to not thrust into her hand. She wasn't even awake and she was about to kill him in the most pleasurable of ways.

He tried rolling her off of him, but it was hard to do with one arm, and she kept wriggling back to her first position. Finally, he gave up and settled beside her again. Scarlet slid higher up, unconsciously relaxing into his hold and cooing quietly in contentment. He smiled when she wrapped her arms around his neck. His smiled died when she spoke, her voice sweet and sleepy.

"Love you, Joey."