Gluttony (Seven Deadlies MC Book 3) Read online

  “Limit, baby, I heard you’ve been lonely,” She cooed as she slipped onto his lap.

  Scarlett practically fell out of her chair, she pulled away from him so quickly.

  He glanced at her over his shoulder like she was crazy.

  Scarlett was glaring at the both of them, her eyes narrowed in utter distaste as Limit tipped his head back and looked at the redhead in his lap.

  “Not so lonely, Ruby. I’m a little busy.”

  She pouted her crimson lips in his direction and ran a palm along his angled cheek.

  “Maybe you’ll pay me a visit,” She pleaded.

  Scarlett scoffed, her chest filled with something that could only be named jealousy. Green, and red hot, it struck her like a bolt of lighting before she shot out of her chair and ambled towards the bar. Emily was nowhere to be seen, which meant she was virtually alone to deal with her admittedly heightening anger. Torch, the prospect (whatever that meant) was busy manning the bar when she slapped her palms down against the wood.

  He turned towards her, his gaze straying towards something over her shoulder- something she couldn’t even stomach peeking at herself.

  “Trouble in paradise, princess?”

  Scarlett tossed her hair over her shoulder and gestured towards the bottle of whiskey in his hand.

  “Make me a double, and don’t call me princess. You don’t know the first thing about me,” She snapped.

  Torch only smiled, an annoying half-smile that was definitely mocking her.

  As he poured her the whiskey, she felt a presence behind her.

  “You okay?,” Ox asked.

  As she sipped, she tried not to think about the fact that she really had no right to be jealous.

  Limit wasn’t hers, and he probably never would be.

  She knew he was a no strings kind of guy, he’d said so their first night together.

  Yet, the sight of the redhead on his lap had her stomach rolling.

  “I’m okay.”

  She tried to smile but Ox saw right through it before he held an arm out for her.

  “Follow me, I have something I want to show you,” He said.

  She took his arm gratefully, fully aware of the fact that half of the room was busy looking back and forth between her and Limit.

  As Ox opened his office and gestured towards the chairs in front of his desk, she followed.

  “I know your mom didn’t prepare you for literally anything you stumbled upon today, and for that I’m sorry.”

  She waited for him to round his desk before she looked up at him. Ox perched himself right on the edge and crossed his arms across his chest.

  “The girls are afraid you’ll run. Truth be told, I’m a little scared of that myself. Nobody here would blame you if you did, either.”

  Scarlett looked down at the whiskey in her glass and took a long sip.

  “It’s tempting.”

  Ox only nodded at her admittance.

  “I bet it is. This life is…hard. Unrelenting. But, a lot of these men here were looking for a kind of brotherhood that most people only dream of. I know you can’t appreciate that now, but I hope that one day you will.”

  Scarlett nodded.

  “Today was hard for both of us. I don’t know what your mom told you, but I loved her. I thought her and I would…I don’t know. At least last a little longer than we did, but I knew she wasn’t happy living this life. That’s why I don’t want you to feel pressured to love it here,” He told her.

  Scarlett reached for his hand and felt the hard pads of his fingers with her soft digits.

  “I don’t know what it’s like to lose a love like that. I was engaged before I came here to a man just as materialistic as the life I’ve apparently led up until now. Coming here today showed me quite a few things, and not all of them were good. Not all of them revolved around your club either,” Scarlett admitted with a small shrug.

  “Mom and I haven’t ever been very close. Looking back now, I wonder if it’s because I remind her of you. I love her, don’t get me wrong. But, she’s never been as accepting as you are right now. I needed that, and I didn’t even know it until right this second,” She said as her tears finally fell.

  Not for the first time, Scarlett wished she could be a little bit more like her mother. Maddie was like a brick wall; she never showed any emotion, and when she did, it was brief and shallow.

  Scarlett felt Ox’s grip on her hand tighten.

  “Don’t cry, Scarlett. Everything happens for a reason, right? I’m glad it was only twenty-two years I missed out on. Around here, people don’t tend to live long.”

  His words made her wince.

  “I don’t know what I’m doing here.”

  Her own words shocked her.

  Scarlett Hunter didn’t ever not know what she was doing.

  She always had her whole life figured out.

  She always knew precisely what was coming her way.

  Not anymore.

  Not now.

  Ox gripped her shoulders in his capable hands and smiled.

  “None of us do, sweetheart. None of us do.”

  Chapter 10

  After Ox said goodnight to Scarlett, she found herself venturing outside in an attempt to avoid whatever situation Limit and the redhead had found themselves in.

  Limit.

  Why on earth had she expected anything different?

  The night air was cool against her skin as she rounded the wiry perimeter of the cage, her fingers clasping the cold metal.

  As she shook it, she caught a whiff of some familiar cologne on the breeze, and turned to see Limit watching her.

  He’s always watching me.

  He had one foot pressed against the wall behind him and his other leg stretched out before him as he puffed on a cigarette that no doubt tasted just the same as the one they’d shared weeks ago.

  She rolled her eyes at the sight of him; she was still pissed at him for letting that tramp sit on his lap while she resided right next to him.

  As if he could sense her jealousy and her unhappiness, he smirked in the dark, a gesture she could only see because of the burning cherry at the end of his cigarette.

  Scarlett wanted to feel disgusted at the idea of him touching her ever again, but she couldn’t.

  Chemistry was something that either happened, or it didn’t, and for her and Limit it was downright combustible.

  “You always this snippy when you’re mad?,” He asked.

  “Do you always have a woman lying in wait while you fondle another?”

  Limit sighed heavily before he dropped his cigarette to the ground and eased to her side of the cage.

  From between the stretches of metal, she could see his calculating eyes studying her every move.

  “I didn’t fondle Ruby.”

  “No, you just let her fondle you.”

  He gripped the cage much like she was gripping it.

  “You’re jealous.”

  “I’m a lady, and if you can’t tell the difference, maybe you’ve been fornicating with trash for too long.”

  Limit immediately released his hold on the cage and stomped towards her, but she evaded him by rounding the other side.

  “You’re awfully judgmental for someone who isn’t jealous.”

  Scarlett shrugged.

  “I’m sure if you hurry and go inside, you can catch her before one of your other friends takes her to bed. Or maybe you could join them. You seem like the type to enjoy that sort of thing,” She quipped.

  Limit’s gaze narrowed in on her expertly.

  “You’re purposely baiting me. Why?”

  Scarlett shrugged.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I was just getting ready to leave,” She said.

  Limit stopped moving altogether at her admission, his fingers still wrapped around the chain links of the cage.

  “Scarlett, you were gonna up and leave me again?”

  Anger welled up inside of her yet again.


  “You looked a little busy,” She said seething.

  Limit cleared his throat before that precise gaze of his landed on her, his expression all but explosive.

  “You and I know damn well that you ain’t leavin’ because of Ruby. She’s nothing to me, always has been.”

  “I was nothing to you, too. Remember? No strings.”

  He choked out a laugh that washed over her like a warm wave of salt water that stung just the same.

  “No strings, right! I know the old ladies in my club house are chatty. I know they told you I went back to the bar multiple times hopin’ to see you,” He argued.

  “Limit, you told me no strings. I figured that meant that you’d never want to see me again!”

  Limit threw his hands up into the air, his patience obviously waning.

  “You know what I’ve been tryin’ to figure out? That fuckin’ bloody condom, Scarlett. I want an explanation,” He demanded roughly.

  Her cheeks heated with embarrassment as her mouth fell open in surprise.

  How the fuck do I explain that one?

  The only thing that even makes sense is the truth …

  “I don’t owe you anything!”

  Limit rolled his eyes and tried to reach for her, but she stepped back.

  “Tell me the truth, Scarlett. Did I hurt you that night?,” He asked darkly.

  Oh.

  He thinks he hurt me!

  As the realization dawned in her mind and took root, all of her anger bubbled before it fizzled out.

  “No, Limit. I-you didn’t hurt me. I loved the way you touched me,” She whispered.

  He was close enough to touch her now, but he didn’t reach for her again.

  “You’re sure? Because I don’t have a lot of regrets, but I would definitely regret hurting you like that.”

  Scarlett practically melted at his words.

  “I was a virgin,” She suddenly blurted.

  Limit froze, his wide shoulders stiffening at her words.

  That perfect mouth of his was downturned into a frown and she wanted nothing more than to tug his pouty bottom lip into her mouth and suck on it for a while, but he interrupted her thoughts when he asked, “You ain’t lyin’ to me, are you?”

  Slowly, she shook her head.

  “I told you the truth that night. I went to that bar with Emily looking to forget, looking for something…I just didn’t realize until I saw you, that it would be you.”

  “That what would be me?”

  Scarlett shrugged helplessly, but she figured she should tell him the truth. He deserved at least that much.

  He looked ready to pounce on her at any moment.

  “What I was looking for.”

  Limit swore before he wrapped a strong arm around her waist and buried his fingers in her hair, tilting her head back as he crushed his mouth to hers.

  The strangest feeling of coming home, of belonging settled against Scarlett’s flushed skin when his tongue touched hers.

  Contentment, gooey and warm, took hold of her as she kissed Limit back with everything she had.

  Through fluttering eyelashes, she saw a familiar purple spark light the night sky overhead and then the sky tore itself open as sheets of rain began to fall.

  Limit glanced up at the sky himself through his wet eyelashes before he looked down into her eyes.

  Thunder clapped around the both of them, but neither were in a hurry to move just yet.

  Instead, Limit worked his mouth against hers again, this time slower than before. Like he was tasting her, savoring her, like he needed to reacquaint himself with every inch of her again.

  Scarlett didn’t question his motives, because she imagined hers were similar.

  His tanned skin looked so dark against her pale complexion, and the contrast was beautiful to her.

  In fact, everything she’d discovered about him was a direct contradiction to the man currently holding her as if she were a priceless piece of china.

  “You still wanna skip out?,” He grumbled against her lips.

  Scarlett blinked away a few raindrops before she shook her head.

  Limit dropped his thumbs to the tender skin just below her eyes, the rough pads wiping away smudges of black.

  She cursed.

  “I probably look like a drowned kitten,” She grumbled.

  Limit shook his dark head.

  “You look perfect.”

  His words silenced her, and she watched, as he pushed her wet hair out of her face.

  “Tell me you’ll stay with me tonight.”

  Scarlett knew that if she agreed to step back into that clubhouse with him, she would no longer be Ox’s daughter. No, for the night, she would be Limit’s woman.

  Do I want that?

  Fuck, yes, she wanted that.

  It was all she’d been thinking about, and obviously the universe wanted it too, because they’d been reunited.

  “I’m a romantic, Limit. If I go with you, I’ll want some strings. I don’t expect much, but if you have any plans of meeting up with Ruby later, then I suggest you walk away now.”

  Limit’s plush lips lifted into a ghost of a smile.

  “I wouldn’t risk Ox’s wrath,” He joked.

  She frowned, but Limit simply pressed his mouth against hers again, and suddenly all the fight she had left, escaped her.

  Limit pulled away, his grey eyes as rough as the storm going on around them, before he took her hand into his and pulled her towards the clubhouse.

  Suddenly, the strings Scarlett was so damn sure she wanted, felt like a noose around her neck.

  She could survive a lot of things, but Limit?

  Limit was a killer, and she knew that he could slay her too.

  In fact, she almost welcomed it.

  Chapter 11

  Limit knew that taking her hand was a step he wasn’t entirely prepared to take.

  In fact, he almost turned around and told her never mind- once she knew the truth- she would hate him.

  Sure, Rayna spilling the beans about his job was bad.

  Really bad.

  He couldn’t even believe that Scarlett had kissed him back, but he hadn’t been able to stop himself.

  Seeing her so bent out of shape over Ruby of all people got his blood boiling, and in a very good way. Every time he touched her she went all pliant and soft in his arms, and Limit wasn’t used to soft.

  He was almost certain he didn’t want babies or marriage or a white picket fence, but he couldn’t deny himself the pleasure of tasting her sweet, supple skin one more time…

  Could he?

  I’m a selfish bastard if I say yes, aren’t I?

  Scarlett was following along behind him as if she trusted him to lead her.

  That’s what Limit did best: lead.

  He’d led his unit into war and now he led his brothers into battle whenever duty called.

  Leading Scarlett into his bedroom under the assumption that there would be strings attached?

  That was an entirely different battle field, and one he hadn’t conquered in over ten years.

  “Limit?”

  He stopped moving when he heard her voice behind him.

  Suddenly, he didn’t know if he could do it.

  Would it be leading her on?

  Besides the fact that Ox would literally cut his tongue out if he hurt her, he knew what it was like to have his heart broken.

  It was a feeling he wouldn’t wish on his worst enemy.

  He certainly didn’t wish it on Scarlett Hunter.

  They weren’t alone in the clubhouse; just at the other end of the hall, he could hear everyone still laughing and having a good time.

  “What is it?”

  Scarlett tightened her hold on his hand before she whispered, “Make me feel alive again.”

  ✽✽✽

  Scarlett could almost taste the hesitance coming from Limit. During their first encounter, she’d been the nervous one. When it came to pleasing her bod
y, she had no doubt that Limit was a master.

  But, when it came to satiating her mind?

  Well, that was another story entirely.

  Scarlett hadn’t lied when she told him she was a romantic. She hadn’t married Scott because she didn’t want to settle, and she already knew that she could never have half of a man like him. Limit had already gotten inside of her head and if she let him inside of her panties again, she’d be ruined for any other man.

  “Do you want me?,” She asked softly.

  The hallway seemed to make her words echo around them, and even she could hear the vulnerability in her own voice.

  But, she couldn’t walk into his bedroom blind.

  Not when she had so much going on in her own life.

  “You know that I do,” He said as he looked at her over his shoulder.

  Scarlett knew she wouldn’t get any promises out of Limit, not yet at least- so she made a small request instead.

  “Hold me for a while afterwards, okay?,” She whispered.

  Limit cast a small smile her way and his grip on her hand tightened considerably.

  “I would have held you before, Scarlett.”

  Before being their one night stand.

  That’s all I needed to hear.

  True to his word, Limit led her to his room without stopping.

  He didn’t make eye contact with anyone in the great room, and neither did she. It seemed to her as if he had his eye on the prize, and the prize was her.

  Scarlett liked the idea of being a prize to him, to someone, but especially to Limit.

  Apparently, she wasn’t meant for one night stands, because as he opened the door to his room, her entire body came to life beneath her silk blouse and designer jeans.

  Limit didn’t bother turning the light on, no, he simply locked his door and buried a hand in her hair as he dragged her body to his.

  She could feel every inch of hard muscle beneath his shirt as she wrapped it around her fists. His tongue was relentless as it fought hers for dominance, but hell, she never wanted to lose a fight more than she did then. His hands slid lower until he gripped her hips, his nails biting through the fabric to bruise her sensitive skin.