Coming Home (10 page)

“A pleasure,” she said slowly then turned to Lucian. “Dinner is about to be served, darling. We should go inside.”

Darling?
Scout was going to be sick.

“I’ll be in in a minute.”

The woman’s delicate smile twitched as though she didn’t want to leave them alone out there, but she retreated anyway. Once she was gone, Lucian turned on her. “Stop drinking. You’ve had enough.”

“You’re not my father.”

His jaw ticked. “No, I certainly am not. Come, I’ll walk you inside.”

Was that it then? Was he really okay with her presence? He took her arm, this time without the force he’d used to get her out there. Her world was spinning and she was again thirsty.

The volume of the room was stifling. Her steps slowed as her pace was unsteady. Lucian turned and frowned at her. “Are you all right? Do you need to sit down?”

She tugged her arm out of his grip. “I’m fine.” She was on the verge of tears. Why had she come here?

He glowered. “I’m calling Dugan to take you home.”

“Lucian!” she snapped. “I am not a child. I have as much right to be here as anyone.”

Easing close he hissed, “You’re drunk and your body’s about to fall out of that scrap you’re passing off as a dress. I’ll be damned if you take another sip of alcohol and have that boy putting his paws all over you as he helps you out the door. Who the hell is he anyway?”

“It’s none of your business. You have your own date to worry about.”

His onyx eyes turned challenging. “What’s the matter, Evelyn? Having second thoughts?”

Her palm twitched and she had the urge to slap him. “Not at all,
darling.
I’m just here to enjoy myself. What you do is your business. Now, if you’ll excuse me. I must get back to
my
date.”

She turned to walk away as his punishing grip closed on her arm again, cutting off her fast escape. He growled in her ear, his warm breath a hot caress over her neck. “Don’t fucking play games with me, Evelyn. You won’t like the result.”

She laughed derisively to cover her discomfort. “Oh, you don’t need to worry about me playing games, Lucian. That’s your style, not mine.”

He released her arm. “We’ll see.”

She took her escape the moment it was available. When she returned to their table, adrenaline was coursing through her veins so quickly her limbs were shaking.

“You okay?” Nick asked.

“Fine.” She turned. “Where’s the waitress?”

“Why?”

“I’m out of champagne,” she grumbled, very much wanting another drink.

He gave her a measuring look and she tried for a reassuring smile, but failed. “I’ll go get you one.”

Nick stood and went to the bar. Scout’s gaze traveled to Lucian’s table and saw him making apologies as he took his seat next to the trollop in the red gown. A waiter passed and Scout managed to snag a glass of champagne and drink it down before Nick returned.

Lucian’s gaze landed on her, heavy with warning. She lifted her glass and saluted him from afar. His eyes narrowed.

Nick returned and she looked away. She smiled as he placed a fresh glass in front of her. Servers brought out the first course, a light salad with mandarin oranges and some sort of raspberry dressing. Scout didn’t have much of an appetite, but it was in her best interest to eat.

The first course was cleared away and replaced with a lovely pasta dish. Delicate little pillows of pressed pasta were stuffed with a salmon mousse and drizzled in a vodka sauce.

As her stomach adjusted, her equilibrium seemed to right itself enough for her to have another drink. The people at their table were nice. They breezed over casual topics and by the third course, Scout somehow managed to forget Lucian’s presence, and by forget, she meant force herself to look in his direction only once a minute rather than steadily scrutinizing his every move.

After dinner her stomach was happy and her body felt light. Music changed to a more upbeat selection, and couples slowly made their way to the dance floor. Scout turned and realized there was a band as well as a prerecorded selection of music.

Her gaze returned to Lucian and found him watching her. Nottingham chatted with the woman to her right. Her mind went back to the first affair he’d ever taken her to. Scout recalled her fear of dancing that evening. She didn’t fear such things now. They’d taken many private dance lessons, something she now realized she missed.

Her lips curled in a soft grin and she made a barely perceptible nod, calling a momentary truce. His eyes softened and she wondered if he was recalling the same memories.

Their connection was severed as Nicole stood. Scout’s stomach knotted as she leaned down and whispered in Lucian’s ear, her dainty hand brushing lightly over his shoulder. Nottingham left, and when Lucian looked back to Scout she lowered her gaze, no longer wanting to play at this game.

“Want to dance?” Nick asked.

She swallowed. “Sure.” She’d dragged him here and he’d been a great sport so far. The least she could do was dance if that was what he wanted to do.

The music was an older song with a Motown swing to the beat. They slowly trotted around each other, and she forced a smile on her face. The alcohol in her system helped her to not overthink the fact that Lucian was watching them. When the song ended, she grinned at her date and caught her breath.

“May I cut in?”

Her steps faltered as she pivoted and found Lucian at her back. She glanced nervously at Nick, who swept his arm out invitingly and stepped aside. The song was not anything like the one that was just playing. A slow climb started on the piano as only one man sang slowly into the microphone.

Lucian stepped in front of her and took her hand. Her fingers curled over his and her palm settled on his shoulders, his scent a sweet form of torture to her senses. Peace swept over Scout as he pulled her close. He led them slowly in circles and his presence enveloped her. She closed her eyes and breathed in the welcoming, familiar scent of him.

“You look beautiful tonight.”

His voice climbed into hidden places of her soul that shook with a longing almost impossible to contain. She was tired of fighting. “Thank you.”

“I asked them to play this song for us.”

Her lashes fluttered open. She glanced at him then to the band. Violins played softly from the shadows of the stage as the pianist sang. She focused on the words as Lucian glided with her.

“I’ve never heard it before,” she said.

“It’s by One Republic. It reminds me of you.”

“Oh, Lucian . . .” She couldn’t do this.

“Shhh, just let me have this moment of holding you without arguing about the past. I miss you, Evelyn.”

She smiled sadly and blinked back tears. Her cheek rested over his strong chest, the beat of his heart echoing beneath the beautiful, lyrical vocals.

“Maybe I’m just dreaming out loud, but until then . . . Come home. Come home.”

Her eyes closed as the words washed over her. Her heart wanted to simply wish away the past month and start back where they’d been before he broke her. As the song concluded and their steps slowed, she considered saying fuck it all and telling him just that. But as they stepped apart, her eyes caught on the stunning beauty in the red dress observing them.

Scout’s peace faltered as she drew in a deep breath and stepped away. “Thank you.”

“Evelyn . . .”

She shook her head. “You’re here with her, Lucian. Go be with her.”

He blinked. His eyes creased and she thought perhaps he might deny that they were together, but he simply nodded and stepped back. Scout watched him turn away first and then retreated to the ladies’ room, fighting back the emotions threatening to break the fragile façade she held by a string.

Locking herself in a stall, she pressed her cheek to the wall and held her stomach as she cried silently and without tears. Would she ever stop loving him? Even after everything he’d done, she couldn’t deny that she loved him more than anyone in this world and she’d never overlook the fact that he gave her away.

Once Scout had her emotions under control, she brushed her hands down her dress and tried for good posture. With trembling fingers, she unlatched the stall door and came to an abrupt stop.

“Enjoying yourself?”

Scout’s lips parted as she eyed the beautiful Nicole Nottingham in her glamorous gown and long blond hair. She was even more stunning up close, intimidatingly so.

Scout was too taken off guard to answer. Nicole took in her appearance, an assessing expression in her calculating eyes that told Scout she wasn’t impressed with what she saw. It took everything she possessed not to cover herself. Instead, she stood straight and met the blond bombshell’s challenging glare.

“I must say, I thought you’d make an appearance before now. When you didn’t show up over the past few weeks, I assumed you might not. Your presence this evening took me by surprise. Lucian also seemed a bit put out by your attendance.”

Scout narrowed her eyes. “I don’t usually clear my schedule with him.”

Nicole’s painted red lips quirked. “Of course not. I’ve looked into you, Ms. Keats. Interesting that before you dated Lucian, you didn’t exist. However did you two meet?”

She’d “
looked into”
her? What the hell did that mean? Scout didn’t need some rich heiress traipsing around in her past. If her background was exposed it would embarrass Lucian, something he claimed not to care about, but Scout had worried over frequently.

Scout refused to show any sign of insecurity. “Kind of you to care so much. If you have questions, I suggest you ask Lucian. Or isn’t he open with you?”

Her manicured eyebrow arched slowly. “You’re a feisty little thing. I just want to make sure that we’re perfectly clear. Lucian’s here with me and he’s leaving with me. I’d like to leave the baggage at the door if you know what I mean.”

Scout jerked back. “Did you just call me baggage?”

“It was the kindest word I could think of,” Nottingham said haughtily.

Scout’s mouth gaped and she snorted. Wasn’t this little viper interesting? “Really?” She tilted her head and smiled, amused. The champagne had apparently given her a solid pair, and Scout was grateful for the false courage.

“Well, let me enlighten your stunted vocabulary, Ms. Nottingham. The only baggage here is under your eyes. And as far as where I came from, or what I am to Lucian, it’s none of your damn business. You can try to intimidate me all you want, but your first mistake was following me in here at all. It reeks of insecurity. You’re nothing but a high-class act on the hunt for a better name, when I know the man behind the name.

“If you think coming in here and cornering me will impress him or intimidate me, you’re wrong. I thank you for the display. It’s enlightened me as to how hollow this charade the two of you are putting on actually is. You don’t know him. And while you may have his company, I have his heart. So, if you’ll excuse me,
darling,
I must be getting back.”

Scout swept past the willowy creature and came up short when she called her name. “Scout.”

She involuntarily turned and Nicole smiled wickedly. “Like I said, before Lucian, you didn’t exist, but I did find some curious information on who you were,
Evelyn
. For instance, you also go by Scout and your mother’s a junkie.” She made a patronizing pout with her lips that smacked of pity, and Scout’s stomach dropped. “I’d hate for that sort of personal information to fall into the wrong hands. Patras is a name that can afford some bad press, but wouldn’t tolerate being sullied with the sort of filth that shows up at a sophisticated affair dressed as a hooker.”

It was Scout’s turn to gape. How had she found out about Pearl? She stepped into the woman’s personal space and the she-bitch had the good sense to ease back. “I think you’ve made a mistake, Ms. Nottingham. You see, there’s only one whore here, and she’s wearing red. Come near me again and I’ll show you exactly how low-class I can be.”

Scout turned and marched out of the room. Her legs carried her right to the bar. “May I please have a shot of tequila?”

The bartender raised a brow and poured the crystal liquid from a stout bottle into a tiny glass. He placed a slender green lime on a napkin and slid it across the bar. With trembling hands, she tipped the shot back and savored the burn as it made its way down to her shaking insides.

“Hey, are you okay?”

She turned and found Nick. “Can we get out of here?”

He frowned and eyed her suspiciously. He jerked around and glared at Lucian. Scout followed his gaze. Nottingham was whispering to Lucian, who was scowling. He stood and turned away from his date, and scanned the room.

When his gaze fell on her, she narrowed her eyes. Lucian’s brow lowered. He glanced back at Nottingham briefly, seeming to blow her off.

“Can I get you anything else, Miss?” the bartender asked.

“Do you want me to get the truck?” Nick asked.

She turned to the bartender. “I’ll have a tequila sunrise.” He nodded and went about concocting the drink. She turned to Nick. “Did you ever just want to say fuck it and do something crazy?”

“Sure.”

She couldn’t keep up with her emotions. Jealousy teetered between shame and indignation. It was all a mess.
She
was a mess. “Do you want to stay or go?” she asked, letting him make the decision.

He turned back and gave Lucian an assessing glance. “Did he say something that upset you?”

“No, but the slut he’s here with basically called me white trash in the bathroom.”

His nostrils flared and he mumbled something that sounded like, “Fucking rich people.” Sighing, he held out his arm. “Well, lovey, shall we show them how trashy people dance?”

She smiled and took a hefty sip of her cocktail, the sweet cherry a perfect compliment to the tangy tequila. “I’d love to.”

With the dinner hour over, the band kicked it up a notch. Scout didn’t know music and she wasn’t a great fast dancer, but she knew how to fuck and she decided dancing was like fucking, but with clothes on. Turned out, Nick was a great dance partner.

His large hands held her hips as she ground her behind into him. Her arms dangled high above her head as she let the rhythm seep into her limbs. A light dew of sweat coated her skin and by the third song, the liquor permeated her brain and she let go.