His Revenge

Chapter 27 - Scarlett

Scarlett P.O.V

Ebony smiles appreciatively at the bartender as he sets her water and my glass of white wine in front of us before heading off to tend to another guest. Roughly twenty minutes had passed since the wedding ended, and despite its shaky beginning, everything else went off without a hitch.

Even Maddox had managed to arrive just before the couple exchanged heartfelt vows that left not a single dry eye in the room. And once everything was all said and done, everyone stuck around to celebrate the beautiful occasion.

"Scarlett," Ebony calls, breaking my train of thought. "I'm about to head on up to the room."

"What? Why? The celebration isn't even over yet."

"I know." A smile slowly makes its way across her face as she slips off the stool. "That's why I have planned for Chance and I to have our own private celebration up in that expensive ass suite."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, you know Chance has been a little... A lot stressed because of the case he's working on, so I thought this might help him relax and take his mind off things." She pauses and grins. "At least for a while."

I laugh, lightly shaking my head.

"But..." She continues. "I still need to set things up a few things before he arrives."

"Okay, well, don't let me stand in y'all way then. Have a good night."

"Oh, we will!" She giggles as she hurries to the exit.

Once she disappears through the doorway, I gather my purse and drink to head off to a table when Maddox appears by my side.

"I hear you saved the day," He says, leaning against the bar with one hand resting on the small of my back and a smile toying on his lips.

I scoff, trying to ignore the heat radiating from his palm. "Hardly. I'm just a last-minute fill-in."

"That's not the way Sherri sees it. She's been singing your praises to anyone and everyone that'll listen."

"Oh, no." I softly groan, covering half my face with my hand. "Please tell me you stopped her."

"Jon beat me to it." He gestures with his chin out to the newlyweds on the dance floor. Their arms locked around each other as they gently swayed to the slow, soulful melody playing throughout the room while gazing lovingly up into each other's eyes.

"Really?"

He nods.

"Oh, you see. I always said that Jon would be a wonderful addition to the family. He's perfect for your sister. Just perfect."

"I've never heard you say that."

"That's because you weren't around when I said it."

"Ah, okay." He chuckles.

I sip some of my wine, letting my eyes drift around the room, only for them to return to Sherri and Jon, the love the pair emitted too powerful to ignore. I watch them. For how long, I'm not sure. I am just content being a third-party observer to their happiness.

"Want to dance?" Maddox's voice breaks through the spell; they seem to have a hold on me.

I blink up at him. "Huh?"

"Dance?"

I finish off the rest of my drink and set the empty glass down. "Alright."

Maddox takes my hand and leads me out onto the dance floor. But the moment his warm front presses against mine, I rethink my decision to accept this dance. I'm completely surrounded by him. There may be a whole roomful of people present and watching our every move, but he's all I can focus on. His strong arms wrapped around me, the hard ridge of his abs, and that sinful musk wafting from his skin are all doing my head in. Oh, goodness me.

I take a much-needed step back and remind myself that this is just a simple dance between friends. That's it. Nothing more. Before I completely lose it.

"A-any uh...news on the case?" I ask, trying to distract myself from...well, him.

He shakes his head. "No, at least none that I'm aware of. Chance was still working on it when I left."

"As much as I want him to find something, he better not stand Ebony up."

"Why? What do they have planned?"

"They're two married adults. What do you think?"

"Ah." He spins me away from him and then back into his body. "Forget, I asked."

Once again, the pair just over Maddox's shoulder drew my gaze. I lean close to his ear and whisper. "You know if your mom has her way, that will be you soon."

He hums and slowly nods. "I wouldn't mind as long as I'm marrying the right woman."

"Oh, I thought the idea of a relationship that committed would scare you off, or at least that's what I surmised from the talk in the car."

He goes silent for the longest time, and I wonder if he's even going to respond. And just when I'm about to change the topic and let him off, he finally says, "Scarlett, about that talk we had in the car, I uh..."

"What?"

"I wasn't being entirely truthful."

I pull back slightly to look at his face and wait for him to continue.

"I meant I don't want a relationship with her-"

"Then?"

"But with you."

Slowly, he lowers his head to mine, and only now do I realize we've stopped dancing and are just standing still. This is the long-awaited confession I'd wanted to hear, only now I don't know how to react. Kiss him back or push him away. Fuck me, I can't decide. My body, on the other hand, takes over, and I find myself further closing the distance between us. And just when our lips are about to touch for that first electric taste-and there isn't a doubt in my mind it'd be anything shy of electric- an icy bucket is thrown over the pair of us.

Not literally but figuratively as Francesca appears at his side.