Page 46 of Mr. Red

“Call them now so I can finalize my plans.”

“What plans do you have? And you never answered my question about where?”

“Scarlett.” He’s looking at me with a bored, irritated face. Good. I’m not so happy about this situation either.

“I’m going to finish my breakfast first and then I’ll talk with them, Mr. Bossy.” I take a bite of my breakfast.

“I’ve never had to argue with someone to come on a paid trip before,” he says to his potatoes and eggs.

My head snaps over to look at him. “So, you do this often? Have girls come with you?”

“Do you really want to know the answer to that?” He squints his eyes at me.

“Yeah. You take them somewhere and then drop them once you get back?”

I doubt I’m going to like the answer he gives me, but I can’t help myself. I’ve never done the casual dating thing and this is why. I’m acting like the jealous girlfriend right now when I’m not a girlfriend.

“Nothing has ever lasted long, Scarlett.” He turns on his barstool, legs spread open and takes my waist in his hands. “I don’t plan on dropping you once we get back. If it helps, I’ve never taken anyone where I plan to take you, besides my family and close friends.”

“How many people have you slept with, per say?” Itwiddle my fingers.

“I get tested frequently. I haven’t been with anyone, since I met you. You’re hard to forget.”

“There was no answer there, Matt.”

“You want my body count?” His eyebrows raise, crinkling his forehead.

“Yes.”

“I’ve slept with quite a few women, forty-three.” He strokes my back with his fingers. “I’m not really a relationship kind of guy. It’s just easier to pick up someone and not have any strings. I’m having a hard time leaving you alone, though.” He kisses my forehead. “I promise I’ve always used protection. I can show you a recent STD check if you want. Have you been tested?”

“Yes. I got on birth control and got tested at the same time a few months ago. I haven’t had sex with anyone since then. You make me get so lost in the moment.” I smirk.

He nods. “How many people have you slept with?”

“Four.”

He smiles.

I lean back and look at him, still in his arms. “Why does that make you happy?”

“They all sucked, right?”

“Considering one of them was a high school boyfriend where we didn’t know what we were doing, yeah, it wasn’t the greatest.”

“Glad I could help.”

I smack him on the arm with a giggle. “Shut up! I’m changing your name to Mr. Conceited.”

He pulls me to him and kisses my neck. “You feel better?”

A smile creeps up. “Yes. I’ll talk to my partners today.”

He’s taking me somewhere different than other girlshe’s dated. He’s made an effort to date me in the first place. I can continue dating him, see where it goes.

I go to the sink to start washing dishes. I’m not sure continuing to date Matt is good for my heart, but I can’t listen to my head and the warnings it’s predicting. I’m jumping in heart-first, because losing Matt doesn’t seem to be what my heart wants either. I busy myself with cleaning, focusing on the dishes, then the counters, then the laundry, then vacuuming.

Matt works on his phone answering e-mails and taking some calls. After a couple hours of cleaning, he approaches me like I’m a wild animal who’s going to bolt. His hands grab my hips and he turns me so I’m facing him.

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