Here is one of the one-shots that I was talking about in my profile. It actually has turned into a two-shot and it's more like a short story than anything. I am also counting this as my preview for my reviewers over at MBFW! Thanks for those of you who have stuck with me through the vignettes. The next one will be coming out soon.
This is Modern (not related to MBFW) and I got this idea because I really wanted to explore the whole "soul-mate" aspect of Rhett and Scarlett's relationship. I will be posting the next chapter soon, after the next MBFW vignette.
Only edited by me...be forewarned :)
I also want to shamelessly promote my new tumblr for GWTW fanfic recommendations and reviews. I will be posting a recommendation for a different fic every week, along with a review of the story. If you have suggestions for recommendations or you want to write a review for a story to post on the blog, please PM me! I would love the suggestions! And if you have a tumblr, come follow me!
Enjoy and please let me know what you think!
Scarlett glanced at the twinkling, stringed lights that were hung from one end of the large backyard to the other, and took another sip of cheap beer. There was cheesy country music playing in the background and some people had started line dancing on a make-shift dance floor. Not her thing. She could except it though. This was all serving as a great distraction to all of the other things going on in her mind.
Cathleen had known that she needed a fun night out. As they sat together in the Starbucks across from the retail store that they worked at, Cathleen said, "I have a friend who is having a party tonight! Come on! It will be fun! And there is going to be an insane amount of hot guys there." She had paused when Scarlett didn't answer. "Plus, I really need a date!"
Scarlett laughed. "Alright fine!" It had been too long since she had been "available" and able to go to a party where she could flirt and have fun.
"Yes!" Cathleen had shouted, "See? We all win from this! I get in good with my boss and get a friend to go with me to the party. You get to go have fun and forget about...you-know-who." Cathleen winked.
Yeah, you-know-who cheated on me? His name is Ashley Wilkes. Wow, was she ever glad that she had seen through that good boy act sooner rather than later. Scarlett barked a laugh. "You know as well as I do that you can't "get in good" with me. Either way, I will go."
Ashley Wilkes. This break up had hurt a hell of a lot more than any before it. The truth was...she had really liked him. She had even thought that she may be in love with him. They had dated for about five months, one of the longest relationships she had ever had. As far as she was concerned, they had gotten along pretty well. They had a really great sexual relationship. That's not to say that the sex was perfect...just that they did it. A lot. In fact, it had taken this time away from him to help her realize that was pretty much all they had done. Superficial.
Not that this was new. Her relationships tended to go that way.
A few days ago he had called her up and told her he felt like they were "just too different" and that she needed to find someone who was her "equal". Whatever that meant. She had been pretty upset. It was only made worse when a co-worker had told her they had seen him with Melanie Hamilton. She was one of those mousy, intelligent types that they had went to high school with. She was an elementary school teacher now, from what Scarlett had heard. A sweet, little elementary school teacher.
They deserved each other.
Now here she was, three days later, at a party that was not exactly what she had been expecting. Despite living in the South, she had never been a fan of pop country, though she did find that old-time and classic country called to something deep in her that she could only attribute to her heritage. She had never been interested in line dancing or flat footing, and yet here she was doing it and having fun.
She had easily wrapped several men around her finger when she had first arrived. She had taken two out on the dance floor and they had taught her one of the line dances everyone was doing. But after an hour or so of that, she found she was getting bored. All any man she had talked to that night wanted to talk about was hunting, fishing, trucks; much like the corny-as-hell music playing loudly over the speakers. So she had crept over in the corner and drank several cups of beer.
She had started to feel pretty damn tipsy when she noticed him.
Again.
It was hard not to notice someone who had been staring at her the entire night...
He stood out because he was not dressed at all like the other charming fools there. They were all decked out in their camo and cowboy boots. Some had donned cowboy hats. Others a ball-cap. Neither of which was necessary, seeing as it was nighttime. This man was dressed in a fitted, solid, button up shirt over dark-wash jeans that hugged everything-everything-well. His hair was stylishly messy but barbered. He had several days of black stumble on his swarthy face. He looked to be much older than the young demographic surrounding them. He appeared over thirty, though he wasn't ancient, by any means. His teeth were white between his lips and he was leering at her, even as his eyes seemed to flicker with recognition.
She gave him a flirtatious smile. She wasn't the kind of girl to go over to a man herself, unless they were acquainted. So when he began to approach her, her smiled grew wider and she felt as if she had won a prize.
And what a prize.
He didn't walk so much as prowl towards her. He looked dangerously powerful. And her alcohol hazed mind immediately wondered if he was just as dangerous in bed.
After all, that was why she had come. To have some fun.
"Ms. O'Hara, if I'm not mistaken?" His voice was pleasantly deep.
Scarlett looked at him with confusion. "Do I know you?" Please don't be a creeper. You are way too hot to be a creeper. It's really not fair...
"I had hardly hoped that you would remember me. It's been a long time since we were...introduced. At you father's office, I believe." And then he smiled again and it came back to her...
Ohhhhhhhh...she inwardly groaned.
He had witnessed her lose her temper at her father's place of business, years ago. Honestly, she couldn't even remember what the tantrum was related to now. Maybe a party she wasn't allowed to go to? A boy she wasn't allowed to date? Who knows. She would be the first to say that she was a spoiled brat and up until she moved out of her father's home, she had not been above a tantrum if it meant getting her way.
Though she couldn't remember why she had shown out so badly, she did vividly remember what had happened as a result. After her father had thoroughly pissed her off, she had rushed into what she had assumed to be her father's empty office. She had hit the wall with her fist before taking a tiny decorative statue into her small hand and chucking it behind her into the far wall, just above the chair that this same man before her had been sitting in. As she gasped, noticing his presence just as the trinket left her hand, his face had momentarily registered shock before he had burst into rounds of laughter.
"Has a war started?"
Needless to say, she had been absolutely mortified. Several years later, she could almost laugh at it. She had only been sixteen, after all. So, in an effort to hopefully persuade him away from that topic, she sulked. "Oh yes, I remember you now. You witnessed my childish tantrum a few years ago." She looked at him through her prickly lashes. "As you can see, I have grown up since then. Significantly."
The man reared his head back and laughed loudly. Scarlett stared at him, not at all expecting that reaction. What a peculiar man. "You have definitely grown up, Ms. O'Hara. Though I suspect, judging from your flirtatious antics this night, that you are still capable of such-er-eruptions." One corner of his mouth went down in a malicious grin and Scarlett, taken back again, wasn't sure if he was complimenting her or not.
Before she could stop herself she replied, "I suppose you would know best, considering that you have been standing in that corner all night staring at me." Ha! There.
"And what a display to behold." His eyes went over her in a way that gave her goosebumps and made her feel completely undressed. She knew what that look meant. Now, they were on common ground again.
"Do you have friends here, Mister...?"
"Rhett. Rhett Butler. As a matter of fact, while we are on the subject of names, I have just realized I don't know your first name..."
She answered. "Scarlett."
Rhett smirked, "Scarlett...it suits you." He continued, answering her earlier question. "I have an acquaintance here. I was invited out of obligation, I am afraid."
"Who is your acquaintance?" Please don't be a woman...
"I believe I saw you talking with him earlier. Frank Kennedy?"
"Oh, whisker-faced Kennedy?" Scarlett immediate slapped a hand over her mouth.
Rhett laughed loudly. "Oh Scarlett, I already knew that you were a woman not easily forgotten. It's nice of you to reaffirm that belief. I hope that you will allow me to get to know you better. Can I get you a drink?" He gestured towards the drinks. Scarlett noticed that he was almost...formal. Well-mannered, but in an impertinent way. A paradox. She nodded.
What a strange guy... But already, her brain was in tangles over him. He seemed to be something different than what he appeared. A two-edged sword. And yes, he was damn attractive. But something about the way he talked to her and seemed to see through her, was disconcerting and exciting at the same time. Scarlett watched him as he walked away. He was just as attractive from the back...
Her heart fell a bit, as she continued to focus on his physique. This was how it always started. She noticed a guy. She'd be attracted to him. He would be attracted to her. And there would be a few months of that and then...nothing. It was always a huge disappointment. She didn't think that she was one of those girls who had to date someone at all times or die. It was just that there was something missing from her life. Scarlett instinctively sought whatever it was in a romantic partner. Something that she was looking for that she couldn't seem to find or even name. Whatever it was, that missing link made her feel distant from every guy she had ever dated, even in their most intimate moments.
She was...lonely.
She never really connected with people, in general. She wasn't one to dwell on the things in life she wanted but went after what she could get. But how do you go after something that you can't name and, as a result, don't know how to possess? She was in college, working on her masters degree in business. She was the general manager of a large retail store and made a good living for herself, considering that she was only twenty-three years old. And yet, she had few friends, and of those friends, even fewer friends that really knew her at all. And to be honest, she didn't know them either.
Again, she rarely thought of it. She was busy with other things. In moments like this, however, it was impossible for her mind not to drift there. Because she was starting the cycle again. All of this "come-hither" from Rhett Butler was going to end the same as the rest: a lot of what she would assume to be ah-mazing sex before they realized that they had nothing else to offer each other. It would ultimately go nowhere. This hollowness would settle in her chest all the more.
No, she wouldn't let that happen. She would have fun with this guy tonight. Even have sex with him at the end of the night (mostly because she really wanted to) but that was it. She wasn't going to endure another lifeless relationship that was based on little more than natural instinct. She was a woman, with natural impulses, and this man would be a fun, one-night stand. No matter what...she was not going to get involved with him beyond that.
As he approached her, holding a drink in each hand, she smiled coquettishly at him. "That's my favorite." She noted he had grabbed her favorite beer.
"It seemed like something you would like." She noticed that he stated this as if he knew her, before passing over the comment. Scarlett was sitting on a hay-bale and she moved over a bit to give him a place to sit as well.
"So, how do you know Frank Kennedy?" She decided it was better to get the pleasantries out of the way.
"He works for me." He leaned forward, his forearms resting on his knees.
"Oh really? What do you do?"
"I own a fleet of ships. We do chartering. Shipping. Delivery."
"Wow...that sounds like an interesting job." Showing her dimples, she continued. "I hope you don't take this the wrong way, but I wasn't expecting that."
Rhett laughed. "I don't take that the wrong way at all. It's not something you hear of this far inland very often. I'm only here on business." He glanced at her, a small grin on his face. "I would like to ask, for pure curiosity's sake, what did you assume I do for a living?"
Scarlett grimaced, a little worried that she had offended him. "You just don't look like a ship captain. You are really well dressed and-"
"And everyone knows that a ship's captain either wears Hawaiian-patterned shirts or carries a cutless between his teeth." Rhett grinned widely as he gestured carelessly. "No matter. I reserve both for when I am actually at sea."
Scarlett smiled at him uncertainly, not sure if he was making a joke or mocking her observation. "So Frank works for you. Like, on a ship or something?" She remembered now, after being reminded, that Frank had mentioned something about ships.
"Actually he is one of my shipbrokers. He assists in finding freight, booking deliveries, things like that."
"Oh." She paused. "So you said you are here on business. Where are you from?" Here on business was good. It made keeping this acquaintance short and sweet much easier...
"Charleston. Though I have to tell you...I am enjoying Atlanta immensely." He was looking at her as he had from across the yard earlier that night. She felt undressed, and it caused her stomach to somersault. Scarlett smiled almost shyly as Rhett continued. "So, since you are all grown up, I am assuming that you have a job of your own?"
Scarlett nodded, taking a sip of her drink. "Yes, I am the general manager of a retail store. But I am also in school getting my master's degree."
"In what?"
"Business."
"That is quite the taking on. You are very young to have gained so much responsibility. You can't be more than twenty-two? Twenty-three?"
"Twenty-three."
Rhett gripped his chest in a theatrical way. "When you reveal that to a man of the ripe old age of thirty-three, it makes him feel ancient."
Scarlett glanced at him and spoke suggestively. "You are far from ancient."
Rhett must have noticed her attempt at seduction. He leered at her. "Yes, you are correct. Experienced is probably a better description." Scarlett's breath caught. His eyes, she noticed, were the darkest black as he spoke. But just as quickly as his demeanor had turned tempting, he continued. "You have accomplished a lot for a young woman. It's very admirable."
Scarlett smiled at the compliment. "Well, thank you. But that is a bit redundant coming from a man, equally young, who owns ships. As in, plural."
Rhett placed a hand on his chest and mockingly replied. "'I dare do all that may become a man; Who dares do more is none'." Smiling broadly, he continued. "I suppose we are both cut from the same cloth."
"Right." Scarlett replied, a grin still playing on her face. "So you said you are enjoying Atlanta. What is your favorite part so far?"
Rhett turned his hot gaze on her again. "The sights."
Scarlett looked at him through her lashes, excitement causing her to feel a bit giddy. "Not the parties?" She gestured towards their surroundings, sarcasm lacing her words.
Rhett gave the impression of being pensive before replying, "The sights at the parties."
Scarlett laughed, loving the thrill of their exchange. "Well, it sounds like there is a lot you haven't done in Atlanta. There are a lot more things to do in this city than this."
Rhett leaned in closer, "I suppose a native, such as yourself, would know best about that, Ms. O'Hara."
God, why did that sound so much sexier than if he had just called her "Scarlett"? Even a woman as practiced as she was with this "game" that they were playing was shaken by him. His charm was liquid. She was already smoldering under his salacious gaze and that familiar ache was settling between her hips. The way that he gazed at her, as if he could see in her and through her, was distracting. She felt a connection to him that she kept attributing to the alcohol in her system. It was almost debasing that she had only been talking to him for ten minutes and she wanted him this badly. She continued, hoping that he couldn't see how very much he was affecting her.
"You want a tour guide?" She smiled saucily at him.
He returned her smile, and Scarlett had to restrain herself. "Indeed."
Impulsively, she stood up. "Ok. Let's go." She was glad for the excuse. She wanted to be alone with him.
In the back of her mind, she realized that her ultimate intent was to get this man back to her apartment-or his hotel...she wasn't picky-and she barely knew him. Should she really be going anywhere alone with a man that she had just met? But she comforted herself with the fact that: a) he knew her father and had done some kind of business with him in the past and b) Frank Kennedy was a close friend to her family (he and her sister had been engaged at one point in time). The thought leveled any inhibitions she had left.
She informed Cathleen that she was leaving. Cathleen seemed skeptical at first until she saw who Scarlett was leaving with. Her eyes lit up. "Oh my god, Scarlett...that is Rhett Butler!"
Scarlett's interest was peaked. "You know him?"
Cathleen shrugged as she stared at him, her obvious attraction to him causing her eyes to snap as they went over him from where he was standing across the yard, waiting. "Not personally. But some of my family in Charleston know his family. He has the worst reputation...in the best possible way." Cathleen winked at her before wishing her luck. Though, I think you have been pretty lucky already tonight. See? Aren't you glad that you came?
Yes, she was. She pondered this as she walked with him to his car. "Nice car," she stated, climbing into the passenger seat as they headed back towards the city.
"So where exactly are we going?" Rhett asked. The smirk on his face indicated that he already knew the answer.
"Where do you want to go?" Scarlett asked innocently.
"You are the tour guide, my dear. Have you ever heard of the tourist telling the tour guide were to go?"
"Well," she began, "at this time of night, most of the cultural attractions are closed. Museums and such. I'm so sorry if that disappoints you." She gave him a look of pseudo-contrition.
"I am not disappointed in the least. Museums don't interest me."
"Perhaps if you were to elaborate on your interests I could better cater to you needs." Her voice was practically a purr. She noticed him shift slightly in his seat.
"From the moment I first saw you, I have never doubted your ability to meet any need that may arise, Ms. O'Hara." His grin was wide as he watched the road. "Nevertheless, I would be happy to tell you that I am very keenly interested in cultural observation." His eyes snapped with humor and she caught on to what he was insinuating.
Scarlett laughed lightly. "So you might be interested in observing a native in their natural surroundings?"
"That sounds captivating."
"Then I know just the place to take you."
"I am waiting breathlessly."
Scarlett laughed, enjoying the way that the conversation seemed to flow so freely and easily between them. She was about to give him directions to her apartment, but stopped short, deciding to play a little more with his head. Instead, she guided him to a local coffee shop. The alcohol was still messing with her head and she hoped that some caffeine might ease it's effects.
As they exited the car, she looked at him innocently. "Notice: a native's natural habitat. Would you like to interact with the natives in their natural surroundings? It's a thrilling experience."
Rhett laughed as they entered the coffee shop. They both got a coffee and found a table in the far corner of the busy but relaxed room. They continued to exchange easy conversation, much of which was laced with suggestion. Eventually, they came back around to their first meeting.
"So you did business with my father before? Did you charter for him or something?" It made sense now. Her father worked in textiles so of course he would need someone to deliver his product.
Rhett chuckled as he answered, "Yes, I met your father in an effort to form a business relationship. However, my efforts were pointless. He went with someone else. A decision I am sure that he has regretted as much as I have."
"I am sure he was unaware of how charming you could be." She stated generally, taking a sip of her coffee.
Rhett laughed loudly. So loudly that some of the others in the shop looked at them. Again, she was baffled by his reaction. Just when she thought that they were on the same page, he would say something or do something, forcing her curiosity. Who was this man? "This is too much. You know, I find you to be a riveting creature. It amazes me how different you are from what you look."
Scarlett was taken back, again wondering whether he was complimenting her or not. "I'm sorry?"
"You look to be a very wispy, carefree coquette. Many men are wrapped around those delicate fingers and you undoubtedly charm them to distraction to get them so wrapped." He leaned on the table, closing some of the distance between them. "But I can see that somewhere beneath that soft, pliant exterior is a woman that even an army of the strongest men couldn't dominate."
Scarlett started. "I am not sure if that is a compliment or not."
"It's not. Did you expect one?" His grin was malicious as he continued. "A woman as strong and independent as you shouldn't hide behind the pretense of fragile femininity. Why not, rather than stroking my vanity as you did just now, do you not simply tell me what your practically-inclined mind was really thinking."
Scarlett was starting to feel insulted and carefully shot back, "Excuse me, but are you insinuating that I don't speak my mind? That I am afraid to tell you or anyone else what I really think?"
"No, you misunderstand me." Scarlett sighed with some relief. "I am saying very plainly that you do not speak your mind, not because you are afraid (you are anything but a coward) but rather you don't speak your mind because what you really think is different from what you wish others to imagine you to be."
Scarlett gaped. "So, you are saying I'm fake?"
Rhett leaned back in his chair, a half-grin gracing his handsome face. "Precisely."
Scarlett immediately straightened up. "How dare you!" He didn't even know her and he dared to say she was fake?
Rhett laughed and all of the sexual tension she felt converged into blinding rage. "Don't get your feather's all ruffled. Actually, no. Please do. I am enjoying seeing that same fire in you as that day in your father's office. I had no doubt that you were still capable of that kind of passion." Scarlett gaped, completely surprised that this man, with whom she had enjoyed talking to so much, could turn out to be such an ass. She was speechless as he continued. "Come, Scarlett, don't try to fool me. You don't tell people what is really on your mind therefore you are fake. Admit it. I am only saying so because I want you to know that you don't have to be that way with me." His smile was mocking as he continued. "For instance, I have baffled you all night because I am immune to your charms. And, despite all of your flirtatious comments, suggestive hints, and bringing me here to a coffee shop, you only want one thing from me tonight and you have yet to speak aloud what that is." He leaned forward again, his eyes dancing but somewhere underneath the amusement was a glimmer of something darker. "If you want me, all you have to do is ask."
With that, Scarlett stood from the table, the chair squeaking in protest, before grabbing her purse and heading for the door. She knew people were staring but she didn't care. He was...infuriating! It was like he wanted her to get mad at him! She heard him following her but she continued on and upon reaching his car she turned on him and demanded, "Take me home."
He bowed mockingly, his eyes twinkling merrily, as if he delighted in her outburst. "With pleasure." They both climbed into the car.
How disappointing! She had been so ready for an enjoyable night. And what an idiot he was! She would have totally had sex with him and he had ruined it for himself. Stupid, stupid man... This made her feel a little better, and she felt a tiny grin playing on her lips. Rhett noticed too.
"You are a pretty person, Scarlett O'Hara. Never more than now, when you are imagining devilment. I suppose you are considering how disappointed I will be at the end of the night. That I have ruined my chances to be invited into your bed. And while I am inclined to agree with you, I must tell you that nothing could be further from the truth. While I find you to be enticing, as any man under ninety would, I didn't approach you tonight with only one goal in mind. I meant it when I said that I wished to get to know you better. I am glad I approached you. You have entertained me considerably tonight and if it were to end chastely at the door of your home, I would be satisfied. Not that I wouldn't be just as satisfied with more but nevertheless."
She turned towards him, ignoring the sweet, unnamed emotion that swelled in her chest at his admission. "You are a very arrogant man, aren't you? It's a shame because if you were even the least bit polite you could be so attractive."
He laughed loudly. "I have to disagree with you. I believe that you like me for my-er-lack of manners. It's refreshing to know exactly what is on someone's mind and being saved from the process of guessing games. It's why I noticed you tonight. While you weren't forthcoming with your conversation, your face is an open-book. It's why I couldn't keep my eyes off of you."
Scarlett snorted, even as her anger slowly began fading with his honesty. "So, I suppose that's all you wanted tonight? To hear my thoughts? Peel back my layers?"
"On the contrary, I wanted to hear your thoughts because, for me, your layers are already peeled back." She recalled how she had thought that he was looked into her instead of just at her as he continued. "Because I can so easily see you for what you are, I am fascinated by you."
Scarlett huffed. "And I suppose, other than my open-book face, nothing else interested you."
"It seems that I have insulted your vanity, my dear. Something that doesn't happen often, I would presume. Don't argue, I did. Just to ease your mind and reassure you that you haven't lost any of your fleshly appeal, I will tell you that I am very captivated by the way you sway your hips when you walk, those green eyes, which make a man wonder just what you would do if he took you in his arms, and those lips which-well, I think you understand my meaning." He looked over at her, grinning tantalizingly, and she couldn't stifle her own grin.
"You are conceited."
"Oh, if you only knew how true that was. I am conceited enough to think that I, and I alone, could mend what ailed you earlier in the night. It seems that I was right." His eyes danced as he tempted her further.
"What ailed me? Are we in the 19th century? It amazes me that you have known me for, like, an hour and you act like you know me so well."
"I would dare say that I know you better than anyone you are acquainted with."
Scarlett shifted in her seat, remembering her thoughts from earlier that night. It was disconcerting that he should somehow know what she had been thinking and feeling. "Your arrogance is unbelievable."
"It's not arrogance, Scarlett. It's just truth. And it's not my skills of perception that permits me to read you so well. It is the fact that we are so much alike."
She squinted her eyes at him. "Are we?"
His mouth went up in one corner. "Yes, very much I would say."
"Would you care to elaborate?"
"Well, I see in you a strong, stubborn mind, not unlike my own. An almost cruel practicality and an ability to be unwaveringly honest, to the point of bluntness. All of these things I see in you, knowing that I possess these same traits."
"So you think you can read my mind, or whatever, because we are so alike and because I have an open face."
"A face like an open-book. Not an open face."
Scarlett threw up her hands."Whatever, what is the difference?"
"I just want to be sure that you understand me. Open face implies an honest face. And while you can't seem to hide what you are, from me anyway, you do your very best to hide your true feelings. Very unsuccessfully, as we have discussed."
"You are a strange man." She crossed her arms, wishing that she could gain some control of this conversation again, but seeing no hope in that. He deftly averted any comment with a more witty, commanding one. She was beginning to think that he really did know her much too well.
They were both silent for a while, Scarlett only breaking the silence when giving him directions.
She continued to glanced at him clandestinely, noticing that he didn't seem bothered at all. She expected some kind of apology, but he seemed as close to an apology as she was to winning the lottery. If anything, he seemed completely amused by it all.
They were close to her apartment complex when he began to speak again. "Seeing as we are close to your abode and our time together will come to a close, I would ask you one more question. Just what was on your mind tonight?"
Scarlett blinked before saucily answering, "I thought you could read my mind."
"I am sad to say it is only your beautiful face that I can read so accurately. But to be given such a gift makes the idea of seeing into your delightfully resilient mind all the more desirable." He was mocking her and again her nerves were grated on. "But if you aren't feeling very generous tonight, perhaps I can guess. And I could only assume that it is a man that has you so out of sorts."
Of course he would guess that. She was a woman after all. "Wow, your powers of deduction are impressive, even if your ability to read my mind isn't. Of course you would say that..."
"Ah, but I am right. Let me see. It is a man...a man who didn't see you for the diamond among stones that you are because he couldn't understand you." When she didn't answer, he continued. "I can't say I am surprised. I imagine you get that a lot. Men undoubtedly admire you for your—er—most obvious charms but when they fail to break through to that unyielding mind, they are intimidated, as they should be, and they flee."
Scarlett blushed, attempting to keep her face turned towards the window. "So they should be intimidated, hmmm?"
"Yes. They aren't worthy of you."
Scarlett snorted, but couldn't help but feel complimented. "What a line, Rhett Butler."
"Not a line, my dear. I merely speak the truth. And seeing as I am one of the few people who can see it so simply, I would love for you to divulged the depths of her heart on the matter, should you choose to entrust me with such knowledge."
She turned towards him. He sounded sincere, if not entertained. And for some reason, she felt that he was someone that she could trust with this. "Alright. Fine. Yes, I was feeling a little blue because of a man. I dated this guy for a few months. I liked him a lot. And..." She trailed off, not wanting to admit that he had broken up with her, "...we broke up a few days ago."
"Oh, so you broke up mutually." He stated, as if he knew she was deflecting from the truth.
"Yes."
"Why?"
Scarlett remembered what Ashley had said and repeated it with little emotion. "We are too different and we need to find someone who can be our equal."
"How mature of you both." His voice was smooth with sarcasm. His next words were more gentle. "Why should that make you feel depressed? You should be glad for the chance to go out and find someone who can appreciate you."
"I'm not depressed! I'm just-" She couldn't think of how to describe how she felt. She had never been good at reasoning through her feelings, let alone giving them names. However, Rhett seemed to do this for her just fine. He answered for her and as she listened to him speak, she marveled that he could put her thoughts into words when she couldn't.
"You are disappointed. Because you wish to find someone who can understand you. Even if they aren't your lover. But you can't seem to find anyone who does."
Scarlett stared at him. "I-I-" she stuttered before continuing. Her voice was quiet and hesitant as she spoke. "I suppose that is true. But it's more than that." At this point, they were pulling up to her building. Rhett pulled into a parking spot before killing the engine.
They were both silent as Scarlett turned towards him. He was looking at her expectantly, none of the amusement of before on his face. "How is it more than that?" He asked, quietly.
She considered simply brushing it all off, wishing him a good night, and heading up to her apartment alone. But the look in his eyes was rekindling the earlier tension that she had felt, reigniting the fire in her belly. More than that, the connection she felt with him in that moment was so intense. She wanted him in her bed, that was true. But she also wanted to talk to him. Because he wanted to talk to her.
"Would you like to come up?" she asked before she could second guess herself.
Without a word, he began to exit the car and they walked towards her apartment in a heavy silence. As they walked up the steps to her front door, their hands inadvertently touched on the rail and electricity leaped from him to her. As she unlocked the door, she could feel his breath on her shoulder.
As soon as the door was closed and locked, she turned towards him and looked at him for just a moment before wrapping her arms around his neck and giving in to what she had wanted most of the night. His lips were soft and the taste of him was just as intoxicating as the alcohol she had consumed earlier in the night. She molded her lips to his and smoothly glided her tongue between his lips, moaning into the warmth of his mouth. Just as quickly as it began, it ended as Rhett pulled away.
It was silent in the apartment as he looked at her. His eyes exposing his desire for her. He wanted her. But rather than taking her lips with his own again, he repeated his question from earlier: "How is it more than that?"
She wanted to tell him, to tell anyone, but how could she explain something that she couldn't even name herself. A minute had gone by when Scarlett finally whispered, "I don't know..."
Rhett nodded, his eyes still boring into hers. "I do."
"What?" she whispered, casting her gaze back and forth in an effort to avoid his.
"I know." Scarlett's eyes shot to his and his face, this face that she barely knew, was full of understanding without judgment.
"How could you possible know when I don't even know?" She asked, exasperated. It was frustrating for a man she barely knew to claim to know everything about her.
"I know you." Somehow, she believed him...
And then his mouth was on hers again, insistent, demanding. His tongue was lazy yet forceful as it slipped between her lips. When she slid her own tongue against his, his teeth gently teasing it, he subtly sucked it into his mouth. God, he was making her lose her mind. She gripped his shoulders and gave into the current as his hands began to wonder down her body. Upon reaching her waist, he glided his hand under her shirt, slowly raising it up, up-skimming her hips then her back, before coming back around to her stomach then her ribs and then back to her back and shoulder blades. Rhett lifted the shirt over her head as she helped him as much as she could. As soon as she was free of the garment, she reached behind herself and unfastened her bra, wanting desperately to feel his skin on her skin.
Scarlett arched against his hands, begging him without words for his hands where she wanted them. He didn't disappoint, teasing her by skimming his hands up her waist and over the sides of her breasts, before gripping her face again and deepening their kiss once more. Without thinking, she wrapped her arms more tightly around his neck as he lifted her off the floor, gripping her bottom firmly as she wrapped her legs around his torso. Without a second thought and with obvious intent, he carried her over to the couch.
TBC