Page 13 of Coming Home

"Hello, sugar," she says, her voice sounding like scraping fingers on a chalkboard. I cringe but don't want to be a total bastard.

"Natalie, what are you doing here?" I ask as I grab her hand and try to pull it away, secretly hoping she is here with someone else.

"Oh, you know, I love a party, Shaun, and this one is the biggest in Boston. I wouldn't miss it." Her hand lands back onto my leg and she moves it closer to my cock. I go to stand up to create some distance, but she forces me back down. What the fuck is happening, doesn’t she get the hint?

I start to lay down the law, “Look, Natalie…”, but as my gaze rises to meet hers, I see movement at the corner of my eye and turn. Scarlett is standing there. She came back to me, to talk with me, and she is looking straight at Natalie's hand on my thigh. Fuck, this is not happening.

"Scarlett," I say, looking at her. I start to walk toward her and reach to grab her hand, to feel her again, but she quickly holds her hands together in front of her. Her large blue eyes look up to me then she looks at Natalie.

"I don’t want to intrude; I just came to say goodnight. Please stay a little longer and enjoy the evening. I know Uncle Ray is glad to have so many guests in our home."

She won’t meet my gaze, and without a further look in my direction, she turns and walks away, a security guy following her, the same one from the Business Summit. I look at Natalie, she has a smirk on her face, clearly happy with the turn of events.

“Fuck!” I curse under my breath. I grab my whiskey from the bar and scull it down in one go. It burns all the way down before settling low in my stomach. I look at Natalie and my face must portray my real feelings toward her as she takes a slight step back. “Stay away from me, Natalie, I am not interested in you or anything you have to offer.”

I walk off quickly in the other direction, where I promptly bump into Ray, with a smug look on his face. “Natalie, darling, so nice of you to come tonight,” Ray says, taking his eyes off me and looking Natalie up and down like she is a piece of meat that he wants to devour. “Run along darling, the men have business to discuss. I will see you later.”

His innuendo disgusts me. Natalie walks off, swinging her hips as she passes him, and I watch him slip his hand down to cup her ass on the way past. He has the perfect family but is clearly still having fun with young women on the side. This interaction gives me more proof that women like Natalie only want a man for his money and nothing more. Ray is a slimy, fat, old bastard, who at the moment has sweat dripping from his hairline. His bowtie is so tight, he looks like he is about to choke if the redness in his face is any indication. The whole scene makes my stomach churn. The man has no class; no wonder my father hated him.

“Good party tonight, Ray,” I say, trying to get the conversation started so it can be over with quickly.

“Yes, well, I would ask what you are doing here, but I am sure I have Stephen to blame for adding you to the guest list. That boy clearly doesn’t follow any rules I place on him, and therefore isn’t in any state to take over my company anytime soon,” Ray gruffs, like the grumpy piece of shit he is, and he brushes past me to grab a drink at the bar.

“Well, we both know Stephen is twice the man you are, and as much as I like to see you, Ray, let’s cut to the case, old man. You obviously came over here to say something, so I suggest you just say it.” Ray looks at me like his blood is boiling. I am reasonably confident that no one speaks to him in the way I just did, and I can see him trying hard to contain his anger in front of the dwindling crowd.

“Scarlett is off limits. You are not to talk with her, see her, touch her, sniff her, or go anywhere near her. Do you understand, boy?” I’m not sure I have actually ever seen Ray so angry. I have never heard him so menacing, and to be honest, I am a bit surprised, but I don’t want him to think he has the upper hand.

“Well, thanks for the speech, Ray, but you see, I have already talked to her, seen her, touched her, and as you so eloquently put it, sniffed her. I will give you a small amount of respect because you are her Uncle and not tell you what else I plan to do with her.” I smirk at Ray and know I am skating on thin ice, but before he can say anything, else I turn and leave. I am not welcome in his house, and now that Scarlett has left the party, there is no reason for me to stick around. I walk swiftly outside and find my car; I am more than ready to get the hell out of here.

My driver greets me and opens the back door. As I climb in, my thoughts go back to my blonde beauty. I remember when Scarlett was saying goodbye, she said, "our home".

At least now I know where she lives.

17

Scarlett

It is close to midnight, and it has been a long night. I am exhausted. No expense was spared with caterers, event stylists, and musicians all hired for the amazing evening. No doubt Uncle Ray and Stephen are still mingling with the last of the remaining guests—mostly men—over a glass of whiskey.

As I lay my head on the pillow, my mind is racing, thinking about the night and all the people I met. Although I was nervous at first, it felt good to be back in the public eye, to be meeting and seeing people again. I felt alive for the first time in a long time, like I didn’t have to hide any more. My thoughts drift to the mesmerizing green-eyed man who has captured my thoughts for the past few weeks. I wasn’t surprised to see Shaun with the mystery woman at the end, given his playboy nature. But I was disappointed to see him with her since I felt that we had a connection on the dance floor, and we certainly didn’t get stuck for things to talk about at the dinner table. It appears we have a lot in common.

I thought for sure he felt the same way about me, but I have been away from the dating game for so long, so clearly my instincts are wrong. The woman was beautiful. I don’t know who she is, but she could certainly be a model. Of course someone like Shaun would be interested in someone like her; I am lackluster in comparison with my messy hair, big frog eyes, and small breasts.

When I wasn’t with Shaun, I couldn’t help stealing glimpses of him all evening, and whenever I saw him, he was mostly talking with other men. I felt embarrassed when I interrupted them at the end. How could I be so foolish to think that I could just waltz up to him and have him to myself? A good-looking Boston businessman is never short of a beautiful woman; I know this from Stephen’s charades. I feel a pang of jealousy, and my heart feels heavy.

There is something about Shaun that I just can’t get out of my mind. He makes my heart race, my palms sweat, and my body ache. I feel a buzz every time we touch, and I can see it in his eyes. The atmosphere when we are near each other is undeniably electric. Maybe it is my heightened senses from being out and about with people again. I really want him, though. I really want to feel his hands on me. All over me. Stephen certainly vouches for him, but Uncle Ray despises him. I was hoping to get to know him better myself so I could come to my own conclusion. With Shaun on my mind and tucked into my soft sheets, I drift off peacefully to sleep.

* * *

I wake up close to lunch time on Saturday, clearly needing the 12 hours’ sleep after the gala. I make my way downstairs and find Stephen in the kitchen preparing some food while still in his robe. “Good morning, sleepy head, nice to see I am not the only one to sleep in this morning.” He laughs at me, giving me a big bear hug. “I’m making pancakes with chocolate chips. Do you want some?”

“Sounds delicious,” I say as I yawn and grab a coffee from the machine in the kitchen, needing a caffeine hit before I start the day. The kitchen is huge, with top-of-the-line appliances and marble benchtops. There is a butler's pantry that would rival a small shop. I never see Aunt Emily cooking, that task is usually left to the chef they have on the payroll. I grab my coffee and move toward the stool to sit down.

“So, you and Shaun Marshall, aye?” he asks with a sly grin on his face. My chest immediately flushes, and my cheeks go red. “What do you mean?” I feign disinterest as I sit up on a kitchen stool at the breakfast bar and watch him pour the batter in the pan.

He chuckles. “Look, Shaun is a really great guy. I know that dad doesn’t like him, but that is because Shaun and his father before him are shrewd businessmen, and we have always clashed in the past, but I am trying to change that. I feel that we can work together and collaborate, making us both more successful in the long run. Just be careful with him, all right? I am protective of you, I know, but Shaun, while he is a nice guy, is also a playboy, and I don’t want you getting hurt.”

“It makes sense to investigate what those business opportunities are,” I say in reply, trying to steer the conversation away from me as the heat in my cheeks intensifies.

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