After My Death, My Husband Who Threw Me Into the Hunting Grounds Went Insane novel Chapter 21

SCARLET

His finger brushed my skin as he draped the robe over my shoulders. I stared up at him and met his mysterious gray eyes. His face came close, so slow as if the world had stopped spinning. I wanted him, and only him. His lips were so close. Kissing him wouldn't be too much of a pressure. I tangled my fingers in his hair.

"Scarlet," he called me by my name.

"Yes, yes… Call my name… Luke."

Knock. Knock.

"Scarlet, darling? Are you in there?"

Oh, God!

I opened my eyes emphatically, and the view of Luke's face faded as my ceiling appeared in my sight. Swiftly, I jerked up in shock. This wasn't the only time I'd dreamed about Luke. I'd been in an unhealthy obsessive relationship, and I'd avoided getting too attached, but having wet dreams about my stepbrother was even worse.

This had to stop.

"Breakfast is ready, darling," Mom called again, followed by another thud on my door.

"Yes, Mom. I'm coming!" I slapped my forehead in irritation. I swung my legs out of the bed and opened the door.

"Good morning, darling." She kissed my cheek.

"Morning."

"It's always good to have breakfast when every family member is present," she said. "Luke's still home, surprisingly. I'm surprised he stayed in the house for three days straight."

I pressed a hard line on my lip. "Yes. So unusual. I'll come down in a moment."

"Breakfast starts in five minutes."

"Sure."

Mom brushed my cheek with her thumb and mumbled, "Love you, honey. I'm glad you're here."

"I love you too." She smiled sweetly and marched away.

I shut the door and blew out a frustrated breath. Breakfast with the family was torture if Luke was there—not to mention after what happened at the pool last night. If I couldn't like him, it was easier for me to just hate him. Avoiding him would be too much of a chore since this was his home.

I went straight to the bathroom and washed my face; I still looked like shit. I had dark lines under my eyes due to the past restless nights. I grimaced at my reflection.

Shortly after, I came downstairs, straight to the dining room. I was a bit afraid to find Luke, but fortunately, he wasn't there.

"Good morning, Thomas." I pulled out a chair and settled by his side. One of the housemaids instantly served me a plate and a glass of milk. I muttered thanks, but she didn't seem to hear and left. I wasn't used to having people serving me as if I were royalty.

"Good morning, dear," he greeted back. "I'm glad you decided to join us. Luke preferred eating alone, as usual."

"He probably just like to eat with the outdoor view, honey," Mom said. "He's on the veranda," she added with a wink, though I wasn't asking.

"That kid. No wonder he likes you more than me." Thomas shook his head in disbelief. "Anyway, I'll make sure your daughter will like me."

I grinned. "Oh, I like you, Thomas." I leaned over and whispered, "Mom nags me all the time."

He let out a rich laugh. "Does she?"

Mom glared at us. "I heard that you know?"

I giggled. "Love you, mommy."

"So, how's your second night here, Scarlet?" he asked again and grinned sweetly after taking a sip of his coffee.

"You have a beautiful home, and I love the swimming pool. Though, I'm not a good—" I paused, remembering what happened last night, "… swimmer."

"Oh, you tried the pool? Beautiful view, isn't it?" Mom said cheerfully. "Luke can give you a few swimming lessons. He's a good swimmer."

I almost choked. If only they knew what Luke did last night. Letting him close to me again wouldn't be such a good idea. I was salivating over my stepbrother, and I was beginning to hate myself for it.

"Would you like some of these, honey?" Mom offered me the hash browns.

"Yes, thanks."

She put some on my plate, and I began digging out my bacon.

"How are you and Luke getting along, Scarlet? Is he being good to you?" Thomas abruptly asked, which caught me off guard.

"Is that why you fucking hate me?" I raged as I approached him. "Did you hate me because of it?"

His expression suddenly softened. "What's going on?"

"I know that you already think I'm a gold-digger, but I'm not, okay?" I yelled. "If you'd hate me because of that, you should have told me. I didn't ask for any of it."

He frowned. "Whoa! Calm down. What are you talking about?" He put his cup and iPad down.

"If you have a problem with me, just say so."

He briefly shut his eyes and finally stood; he made me feel so small. "Will you fucking calm down?"

"You could have told me the truth, that it was the reason why we couldn't get along—"

A playful smile curled across his lips. "You wanted us to get along?"

I rolled my eyes. "For everything I said, that's the only thing you remember?"

"And we could not get along because? What is it that you're trying to say here?" He crossed his arms.

"Just take your property back! I don't need any of it!"

"Is that why you're harassing me?"

I exhaled sharply. "Yes. I think that's it."

His mouth curved a sneer. "Let me tell this to you, witch…"

"I have a name, Luke," I snapped. "It's Scarlet."

He pressed the points on his temples with his finger. "The transfers I did are mandatory. I'll send you the copies, and before you fucking complain with your smart-ass mouth, make sure you know what you are talking about. It's not the properties why we would never get along. It's because of you."

Because of me? What the hell was that supposed to mean? As far as I remember, I didn't do anything wrong. It was him who was being a pain in the ass.

"Oh, I hate you," I murmured.

"The feeling is mutual," he said. "I'll show you the papers, and you can sign them like a good girl." He picked up his iPad and walked past me, leaving me open-mouthed.