Page 12 of SnowFyer (Roosters #8)

“Oh!” she said, her eyes slightly wide with shock. “You’re still here.” She picked up the brush she’d thrown at him earlier and ran it through her long, wet, red hair. She said nothing, looking serenely into the mirror while she continued to brush out the damp strands.

“So… what now?” Seth said. He pulled on his underwear and moved to her, trying to take the brush from her to work through the silky strands himself.

He’d been wanting to let those beautiful curls tangle around his fingers for a long time and intended to make it happen.

Unfortunately, she shrugged him off, her expression never changing.

“Now, you get out of my cabin and leave me alone.” She smiled as if to take the sting out of her words. “See you tomorrow, Seth.”

Just that easily, Scarlett dismissed him? Really?

Fine. If that was the way she wanted to play this, it was fine by him. With deliberate movements, Seth dressed, slinging on his jeans and pulling his T-shirt over his head. Not once did Scarlett glance at him, even through the mirror. She just sat there with that serene, satisfied look on her face.

“Looking pretty happy with yourself there, princess,” Seth commented, trying to sound like his usual, cocky self. He was very much afraid he sounded as bitter, angry, and confused as he felt.

“Why wouldn’t I be? I finally landed the great Seth Snow. Now I know what all the fuss is about.”

“Enjoyed yourself, did you?” That was more like it. There was his cocky. He even found the sexy smirk that drove women wild.

She shrugged. “It was… nice.”

Wait. What? “ Nice ? What the hell does that mean? Seemed to me like you came your brains out.”

“Same as you.” She returned to brushing her hair. “I guess we both enjoyed ourselves.”

Seth wanted to grab her and shake her. The little witch was playing with him!

“I guess we did,” he bit out. “Well, congratulations on your conquest. Which one of them is next?” He jerked a thumb over his shoulder to indicate the other band members sitting in the other part of the plane. “I’ll be sure to send one of them in.”

The second he’d said it, Seth wished he hadn’t.

At first, Scarlett looked as if she thought she’d heard him wrong, followed immediately by a look of hurt so intense tears actually glistened in her eyes.

That would have been more than enough to punish him for his thoughtless, angry words.

More than enough because he felt like he’d just gutted himself.

Sure, she’d summed up their lovemaking as a notch in her bedpost, but he knew she hadn’t meant it.

Not really. She was young and had been around him a long time.

She knew he’d had more than his share of women on the road and was probably just trying to protect herself.

She stood, as graceful as the princess he’d named her, towel clutched tightly around her in one tiny fist. In one smooth motion, Scarlett hurled her brush at him, end over end like a dagger.

If he hadn’t ducked and sidestepped, she’d have hit him in the face.

As it was, it hit the door to the cabin with a hard bang .

“You bastard!” she screamed. One tear streaked down her face, an accusation. “Get the fuck out of my cabin!” She threw something else at him -- he had no idea what -- and, again, it barely missed his head.

“Scarlett, calm down,” he tried to soothe. “That was uncalled for, and I’m sorry.”

“I just bet you’re sorry! Get the fuck out!”

There was a heavy knock at the door. Seth winced. That would be Titan. Coming to beat the shit out of him.

“Scarlett?” Yep. Titan.

Scarlett marched to the door and flung it open. Sure enough, the massive drummer stood in the doorway. His gaze jumped from Scarlett’s furious face, tears glistening in her eyes… to Seth.

Seth winced, shaking his head before he could stop himself. Yeah, he was scared of the bigger man. He wasn’t too proud to admit it, either.

“Come on, Seth,” Titan said gravely. “I think it’s time you join the rest of us up front.”

That didn’t bode well.

What was the use in try to explain? He wasn’t even ready to admit it to himself, let alone to the other members of the band, so what could he say?

He couldn’t bring himself to admit there might be more than sexual attraction involved with his need of Scarlett, so how could he could he explain it to Titan, Arsen, or even Scarlett?

He glanced at Scarlett. She looked angry, but he could see the forlorn, lost girl underneath. He’d truly broken her heart with his careless words. He could see it clearly now. So why had she acted so flippant about what they’d shared when she clearly felt more for him?

Finally, he walked out of her cabin without a word. She slammed the door behind him, and he was left to deal with Titan. The others were making their way to them, some of them looking curious, Arsen looking as angry as Titan.

“You know we’ve got to beat the shit out of you. Right?” Titan addressed him. Immediately, understanding passed between the other members of the band. The guys, to a man, looked murderous.

“This is going to hurt,” he muttered.