“This ridiculous juice cleanse you have me on is hard on my body,” I bit back. “And if you’re worried about school, then I certainly don’t have time for the Junior Debutante League.”
Mama’s mouth opened and closed, like she was debating on what to say. She knew I was right. “Why are you so against it, Mama? You know I love it, and Coach Michaels says I could really go far. I could go to the Olympics!” I couldn’t hold back the excitement in my tone even if I’d tried. I wanted this so badly. Everything else in my life felt so out of control, but this was something I knew I had a handle on. I wanted to go back to the mat, even if I never performed again. It was killing me not to be pushing body to its limits—to actually be coached again, rather than stealing a few minutes at the gym alone.
“I just… I don’t want to see you get hurt, Scarlett. You get all these grand ideas in your head.”
I let out a shaky breath, knowing that my words would hurt her. “Look, just because the only thing you amounted to was being Carlisle Livingston’s wife, doesn’t mean that I have the same aspirations. Even if I don’t make it, I want to do it because I enjoy it, Mama.”
Her quick intake of breath let me know that I’d hit a sore spot, but the doorbell rang just then, so I hopped off my stool to go answer it, effectively avoiding her trembling lip and frustrated scowl. I cracked the door and pursed my lips when I saw Rogue on the other side. Black tattoo creeping over the collar of his school uniform, white pressed shirt that was partly untucked. He looked effortlessly casual and sexy—minus the bags under his eyes. He obviously got as much sleep as I did.
“What are you doing here?” I asked as he placed a hand on the door and pushed his way inside. As soon as he was in my foyer, he was pushing up against me, wrapping me into a hug. I was so startled by the move that I froze in his arms, and all I could do was breathe in the scent of his cologne. Intense sex was one thing, but a hug? I didn’t expect it. After going months with them despising me, my body just automatically locked up.
He felt me stiffen, but instead of pulling away, he held me tighter. He shifted his hand up the back of my shirt, splaying his fingers across my skin and pressing me tightly to his rock hard body until I melted against him.
“My mama’s in the other room,” I breathed.
“Guess you better keep quiet then,” he whispered. I groaned a bit as he scraped his teeth along my ear. “You smell so fucking good. I just want to eat you up.”
“Rogue Kelly, is that you?” Mama’s voice called from down the hall. I immediately jumped back from him, just in time to look over at my nosy mother as she strode forward with a smile. “It’s been ages since you stopped by. Want me to put on a pot of coffee for you?” she offered while adjusting her robe.
“That won’t be necessary, ma’am. I’m sorry to bother, but I was wondering if I could drive Scarlett to school today?”
Mama beamed. She stared at me with calculating understanding in her eyes. “That’s fine. You’ll need to leave early, though. She needs to stop at Coach Michael’s office before class.”
My mouth dropped open in surprise. Was she being serious? “Really? I can do gymnastics again?” I asked with a squeal. When she nodded, I launched myself around her, hugging her tightly. Mama and I didn’t do physical affection very often, but I couldn’t help myself. I wrapped my arms around her frail body, shaking her a bit to get out some of my excitement.
“But your grades have to stay up, no fighting, and you have to stay in the Junior Debutante League. In fact, you have your first cotillion class tonight,” she said as I pulled away. She pinched a strand of my hair between her fingers, and her eyes took on a faraway look. I wasn’t sure where she went, but I wasn’t about to ruin things.
“Thank you, Mama.”
Behind us, Rogue coughed, and I turned my attention back to him. “You ready?” he asked.
I went back to the kitchen, downed the last of my gross drink, and grabbed my backpack. My mama waved us off, and when Rogue opened the car door for me to get in, I nearly had a heart attack. When he saw the bewildered look on my face, he frowned. “What?”
I shook my head and got inside, sitting on the seat. “Nothing.”
He braced his muscled forearms on the door frame and leaned in until we were face-to-face. “Tell me.”
Our faces were close enough to kiss. Luckily, my mama had already gone back inside, so she wasn’t there for the show. I let out a shaky breath. “I’m gonna have to get used to this again, Rogue.”
“Get used to what?”
“To you treating me like a friend again.”
Rogue chuckled darkly and grabbed my chin with his thumb and finger. “I’m not your friend, Scarlett.”
My stomach dropped straight to my toes, and I blinked at him. “But—but I thought...You guys told me everything. You’d been protecting me. Making it look like you didn’t care about me so that the Macon Mob wouldn’t hurt me. I thought we could be friends again? At least in secret.” I hated how much my voice shook. I couldn’t survive it if they rejected me again. I just couldn’t.
I tried to look away, but Rogue kept a firm grip on my chin and forced me to keep my eyes on him. “You misunderstand me, Scar. I’m not just gonna be your friend. You’re fucking mine now.”
With that, he dropped his hold and shut the car door, walking around the front to get in on the other side. I still hadn’t breathed by the time he pulled out of my driveway. When he leaned over and held my arm that rested on the center console, the shaken exhale finally escaped me. My skin felt hot at our connection, like I could be consumed with his fire just from that innocent touch.
“You mean it?” I asked him, watching him from the corner of my eye as he drove us to school.
“Yep,” he said simply.
“But what about Johnny Jack’s men?”
He shrugged. “They already know about you. The jig is up. I’m done acting.”
I swallowed hard. I couldn’t even fathom that this was happening. I’d had a crush on Rogue for years, but he’d never seen me like that, so I’d just settled for being his friend. And then everything had happened with our fall-out, then the angry, intense sex… and now this. I didn’t know how to settle it all in my mind.
“Stop thinking so hard, Scar.”
He even knew what I was saying when I was silent.
I cleared my throat and looked over at him. “Rogue?”
He looked over at me. “Yeah?”
“Don’t hurt me again.”
His intense eyes didn’t falter. “I won’t.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
“A gentleman doesn’t sit first, order first, or eat first, Mr. Hammond!” Mrs. Brodie, Bonham’s socialite mother, said while slapping Clay’s hand as he reached for another chocolate cookie near him.
I wondered how many of these so-called dinner table rules we’d be forced to swallow in our one hour table manners session. Mrs. Brodie’s button-up pastel dress was as rigid as her views on femininity, and if it were possible to have literal eyes in the back of one’s head, she’d have them.