Page 90 of Fighting for Scarlett

“He did, and it did drive us all crazy,” Rocco said from somewhere behind her.

“It made me sick to think it, but I was prepared to lose you if you hated me and couldn’t forgive me, doing whatever it took to make sure you were alive was more important,” Tate told her as he leaned down to touch a kiss to her forehead. “The world has to have you in it. My world has to have you in it.”

More confused than ever, Scarlett didn't have the energy to try to process everything. “How many minutes left?”

“Six,” Bubba replied.

Because she was looking at him, she caught the disapproving frown Tate tossed Bubba’s way before he urged her to lie against him again. “I want you to close your eyes and try to rest,” Tate told her like she wasn’t suffering from the mother of all arousals.

The fingers of the hand on her hip were so close to the part of her body that was weeping for touch, and with her tucked against his chest again, nobody could see the soft sweeps of his fingers against her center that at least held off the worst of the gnawing need.

For what felt like hours they sat like that. “How many minutes?”

“Two,” Bubba replied.

“You have to go now, Tate, please.”

“Not leaving you alone, sweetheart.”

Lifting her head, she looked at Rocco. “You have to make him leave, please.”

“I got this,” Bubba insisted.

Tears began to tumble down her cheeks. Why wouldn’t they leave her? Everyone in her life left. Her parents, her grandparents, her foster parents, her brother, only Tate and these guys were staying now even though they were risking their lives in the process.

“Why?” she whispered, looking at Tate as she sought the answer she so desperately needed to hear.

“Because you're amazing, Scarlett, and so very worthy of love and devotion,” Tate said as his lips whispered against hers.

Bubba suddenly squeezed her shoulder again. “All done,” he announced.

“Huh? You did it?” Scarlett asked, hardly daring to believe it.

“Told you I got this,” he told her.

There was no time to be relieved that she wasn’t going to get blown up because another wave of arousal flooded her system. Her entire body clenched as it tried to find some sort of relief, leaving her seconds away from stripping her clothes off and forcing Tate to have sex with her before she became the first person ever to die from lack of orgasm.

January 19th

4:12 P.M.

Relief that the bomb was disarmed was short-lived because the look on Scarlett’s face said she had reached her limit.

Actually, Tate was surprised she’d been able to hold off for so long given the look of raw desperation on her face when he’d first walked into the room. Probably, the shock of the bomb, and her surprise at seeing him there had helped to distract her enough from the drug coursing through her system.

Now that it was gone, she looked like she could no longer control herself.

“Sedate her,” he ordered Phantom who had set up the IV. Fluids would help to flush the drug out of Scarlett’s system, but they weren't going to work fast enough.

“No!” Panic laced the word and there was pure fear in Scarlett’s wide brown eyes as she looked up at him.

“It’s okay, sweetheart, you're safe now. Let us sedate you, then when you wake up at the hospital, the drug will be gone, and you’ll be okay.”

“No, don’t, Tate. I don’t want to be drugged,” she pleaded, the hands that had already been twisted in his clothes somehow seemed to tighten their grip.

It wasn’t that he didn't get her fear, the last two times she’d been drugged against her will, it was as she was being kidnapped, and she’d had to wake up and face torture and unimaginable terror. But this time was different, this time she’d wake up safe and free from the arousal currently tormenting her.

“Please, don’t. You said you thought I was worthy, please, just help me.”

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