Off-Limits Desire

Chapter Five

Scarlett’s POV

I spent the rest of the day with Roman, but we did not go back to his apartment. Instead, after breakfast, we go to the movies to see a new DC production, then circle back to another restaurant for lunch, and then a little karaoke.

Settled in a park and watching nature all around us as the sun set, I turned to face him.

“Paws Real Estate is good for you,” I murmur, trying to be diplomatic about it. “But they are also rivals of the Hawthorne Group.”

“Hawthorn….your brother’s company?” He raised his eyes in genuine surprise.

Didn't I mention it before? The CEO of Paws has been doing all he can to bring my brother down. He has been intercepting his deals, ruining mergers for him, and even going as far as spreading rumors. If Spencer hears ….”

“I can search for another placement,” Roman says at once, shaking his head. “If I had any clue about this, I wouldn’t have even applied." I feel so terrible right now.”

“No, Roman,” I chuckled. “You don’t have to feel some way about it." I understand that you had no idea, so you can stay back there. At the end of the day, it is what you gain that matters. But if you had told me you wanted to intern back in New York, I would have spoken to my brother to get you in.

“I… I didn’t make this plan until recently,” he sighs. “I thought I was going to stay back in Chicago." What can we do about this?”

“Nothing,” I answered, shrugging. “I’ll just not tell Spencer you work at Paws, because then, he will only try to stop me from being friends with you." He has a very big heart, but he worries about his rivals using those around him to get through to him.”

“f**k!” he mutters. “I am so sorry, Scar.”

"Stop apologizing," I murmur, nudging his shoulders playfully. Good luck with your internship, and you have to share with me everything that you learn. I might not be a fan of real estate, but I want to know how it works, away from what my brother tells me.

"Of course," Roman nods, his mood back in place. He pulls me into his arms and keeps me there, patting my back slowly. It feels good to be with a familiar person, but there are no tingles in my skin, no electricity zapping in the air.

Unlike with Ares.

Catching my thoughts, I shake my head at once. I shouldn’t be thinking about him.

"What is it?" Roman questions without pulling away.

“Nothing,” I say, nestled in the crook of his neck. “I am just happy you are here.”

“Tell me when you’re done with your little PDA so I can take you back home.”

I jump away from Roman at once, whipping my head around so fast that I hear a faint c***k. Ares is standing before us, his eyes dark and pissed, and his hands curled into fists by his side.

“Ares, how did you…”

"Spencer sent me your location," he murmurs, then throws a flimsy glance at Roman before looking back at me. "I wonder what he would have said if he were the one who came to get you."

“I wasn’t doing anything wrong!” I got on my feet at the same time as Roman. He is my best friend from college who had just arrived in New York. We were just talking.

I probably sound desperate now, because I have no idea why I am explaining myself to a man in a really serious relationship, apparently heading for marriage.

“Hi,” Roman says, stretching his hand out for a shake.

Ares ignores him totally, grabbing my hand and pulling me along with him.

“Ares, stop,” I yell, struggling with his tight grip. “I have to say goodbye to Roman first." And why are you even rude to him when he has done nothing wrong?”

"Fine!" He lets me go so fast that I almost fall to the ground. "Go say goodbye to your little boyfriend."

He leaves me standing there, striding to his car and disappearing behind the wheel. Sighing, I turned around to talk to Roman. But he isn’t there anymore. How could he have disappeared so fast?

Sighing, I join Ares in the car. He doesn't say a word as he pulls out into the road, heading towards our house. The silence gets too loud, but neither of us makes any move to diffuse it.

I see his knuckles whiten from how hard he is gripping the steering. And his eyes have such laser focus that I am scared the wheel screen is going to shatter from its intensity.

When he pulls up inside our estate, he doesn’t get out of the car.

“Ares, why are you angry?”

“I am not angry.”

"You are! You've been frowning since we left the park, and you refused to talk to me.

“There was nothing to say to you,” he spits back, thrumming his fingers against the wheel. “Get inside, kiddo." It’s late.”

“Stop calling me that!” I snap, my hair bobbing all around me.

“Why? Does it get you pissed?”

“Ares!”

“You have to be at the office before 8 am tomorrow. Go inside and get some rest.

“Fine!”

I pulled the door open with so much force, stepping out under the evening skies and slamming it in his face. My feet hit the ground so hard as I headed towards the entrance, fuming so badly.

I didn’t hear the car door open a second time.

“Scarlett.”

I turn around. “What?”

Two long strides plant him directly in front of me. His breath comes out in hard pants as one hand cups the back of my neck, pulling me closer to him.

“You don’t get it, Scarlett,” he whispers, his hand itching upwards until I feel it buried in my hair. It feels good.

Maybe too good.

“Then make me.”

“I can’t,” he sighs, shaking his head. “I don’t belong to you." I shouldn’t want you.”

“But you do.”

He inches closer, his lips hovering dangerously above mine.

Just then, I hear tires crunching on the gravel as my brother’s car pulls into the estate.