“Do you like it?” she asks in a shy voice.
My eyes shoot to hers as she completes the spin. “Do Ilikeit? Baby, I don’t think I’m worthy of even walking behind you, let alone next to you.”
I’m not kidding, either. How a woman like Scarlett ever gave me a chance is, at this moment, completely beyond me.
Smiling, she steps closer to adjust my tie and smooth down my suit. “Funny. That’s exactly what I was thinking about you when I saw you in this suit.” I only get to feel a brief moment of pride before she’s stepping closer and pressing her lips to my ear. “I also kept thinking about all the things I want to do with this tie later.”
My face drops to her neck with a groan, my hands going immediately to the soft silk of her waist. “Are you going to torture me all night? Because I do technically have some work to do.”
I smile at the sound of her giggle. “I’ll be good, I promise. I just wanted to get that one out.”
Pressing a kiss to her shoulder before I pull back, I tell her, “We won’t stay long. I just have a few people I need to talk to. And then you have the whole weekend to torture me as much as you’d like.”
I love the way her eyes light up at that.
“Okay,” she says with a soft smile. “Let’s go, then.”
I whisk her up the stairs, keeping my arm around her waist as the cameras flash and the occasional question is called out. I’m not a big enough athlete to warrant serious attention, but these reporters are always looking for the next juicy story. And Scarlett has captured their attention.
“Come on, they’re not allowed inside,” I murmur in her ear.
I feel the way she breathes a sigh of relief once we’re inside the ballroom. I quickly grab two flutes of champagne off a nearby waiter’s tray for us.
“So, what’s the plan for this thing?” she asks after taking a small sip. “I know how they usually go, but I wasn’t sure if there’s something different you need to do.”
I down half the glass in one swallow, needing the hydration after seeing Scarlett. “This one should be pretty easy. We’ll people watch for a little bit, maybe mingle with a few sponsors Lucas told me to charm, and then it’s time for speeches and dinner. Not that we need to be here for that. I’m only here for the networking.”
When she looks around, I notice some tension in her shoulders.Is she…nervous?
“Everything okay?” I ask with a small squeeze of her hand.
Her eyes dart back to mine, a smile appearing on her lips. “Yeah. Just…taking it all in.” After a beat of hesitation, she asks, “Is Lucas here?”
“He said he was going to try to make it. He’s working on some acquisition that’s been eating up his time lately, so I wouldn’t be surprised if I got a text at 2 a.m., saying he lost track of the time.”
Some of the tension goes out of her shoulders when she smiles. “And Alexander? Does he have any ties to your career?”
I snort. “Not unless you count using me as a punching bag when we were kids.” Downing the rest of my glass, I add, “He would never come to a place like this. Too fake, too loud, too overwhelming.” I only hesitate for a moment before giving Scarlett another piece of me. “He has a hard time with crowds,” I admit quietly. “Ever since he came back from his last deployment, he tries to stay away from loud, large groups of people. He can do restaurants in small doses, but he has to be familiar with the place.” I clear my throat around the squeeze of my chest, the ache I feel because I can’t take my brother’s pain away. “He’s doing better, but…”
I feel Scarlett’s touch on my arm and turn toward her, grateful for the comfort.
“He’s lucky to have a family that cares enough to know him that well,” she says. “Others may have left him to flounder.”
I show off a half-grin, trying to break the seriousness of the moment. “Nah. Lucas is too annoying to let him drown like that.”
She must sense my need for distraction because she slides her arm fully through mine and squeezes me close.
“So, about that people watching… Do you have any crazy stories about anyone in here?"
An hour later, I’m tipsy on the whiskey I’ve switched to.
And on Scarlett’s laughter. The woman hasn’t stopped laughing since I started talking.
I don’t think she’s even buzzed because she’s still nursing her first glass of champagne. I tried to get her something else, but she declined so quickly that it made me wonder if she’s using it as an accessory more than anything.
So if it’s not the alcohol making her laugh, I have to think she’s enjoying herself.
I can’t stop staring at her. She’s radianttonight. She lookshappy.
