Page 16 of The Aries Alliance
“Come closer. I need to see you better.”
She sucked her teeth then smiled, scooting closer.
“Maybe you need to put on your glasses.” She smirked.
“I only wear those at work. They’re not prescription, by the way.”
Her eyes widened before her face returned to a neutral expression.
“You’re odd,” she said.
“And you’re beautiful.”
“You said that already.”
“And I’ll keep saying it until you believe me.”
Scarlett scooted her body closer, forcing me to inhale the intensity of her fresh scent.
“Is this better, Big Bad Wolf?” She raked her tongue over her teeth.
I opened my mouth before leaning in so closely to her neck that I almost kissed it.
“Much better, Little Red,” I whispered.
As her chest heaved beneath my gaze, I scanned her body and firmly rested my hand on her exposed thigh.
“You okay?”
“Yes,” she answered in a breathy whisper that pleased me.
I moved my arm behind her waist and squeezed, feeling rigidity that wasn’t skin. I jerked my head back, confused.
“Why is your body so hard? What are all those ridges?” I raked my fingers up and down her back with what felt like countless wired tracks.
Scarlett squinted and frowned, cocking her head like I offended her with my questions.
“You’re not supposed to ask a woman what she’s wearing underneath her clothes.”
I lifted my hands in surrender.
“My bad. Does it really take all that to look good?”
“Yes. It’s shapewear that keeps everything sucked and tucked as it should be.” She stretched her arms out and created a semicircle in front of her body to illustrate her point.
I ran my hand down her back again, realizing whatever she had on extended from her neck to below her waist.
“It feels like a robotic skeleton. Women sure go through a lot to look sexy.” I pressed my hands to my temples. “Don’t buy into the patriarchy’s definition of beauty. A woman’s body is meant to be admired in its natural state. At least, my woman’s is.”
Scarlett stared at me hard.
“I didn’t peg you for a feminist. But since I’m not your woman, I’ll have the final say about what I wear.”
I removed my hands and grinned, not surprised that Scarlett argued with me, even when I complimented her. Was that a manifestation of her trauma, or was it just her personality?
I picked up my water glass and took a sip before setting it down.
“Yet.”
