Absently running her thumb over the face of her cell phone, Scarlett stared out the window of the cab as the driver pulled out onto the street and away from the boutique.
This doesn't have to be hard, she told herself. This could be like any other time that she and Rhett had partnered up to do something at the newspaper. Even though this was so obviously different. She would have never even considered getting him to do something like this at any other time in her life. But desperate times called for desperate measures. As if she hadn't had enough on her plate…crashing a wedding, winning the heart of the man she loved. She bit her lip. If only she had left that God-awful ring alone. Well, there was little to be done about it now…all she could do was try her best to fix it and it seemed that roleplaying was—
Oh my God, he is going to have a field day with that one, if he gets his hands on it… She made a mental note: Do NOT call what they were about to do role-playing!
She rolled her eyes and glanced down at her phone, thinking about the words they had exchanged while she had still been at the boutique, and gave up the hope that he wouldn't tease her. Yeah…right. He had already started…
Her stomach rolled in the way it often did when she felt that things weren't going to go her way. There was no way that Rhett wouldn't tease the socks off of her once he knew what she wanted him to do. And she had little choice in asking him now…there was no one else. And she had already told everyone about…
Oh God, he was going to give her hell for this…
She crossed her arms in frustration. She should have thought of anyone else… Really! Anyone!
Out of everyone in the world, why did she choose him in that moment? Why couldn't she have chosen some nice man? Or, hell! Why couldn't she have just chosen someone who wouldn't throw it in her face every five seconds for the next year? Ashley had just talked about the Tarleton boys, Raif…she could have lied to the girls just as easily about them. And with a quick phone call, she could have had them telling everyone in Atlanta anything. That she was the sweetest fiancée in the world. That they had been reintroduced through the Queen of England…that she was the Queen of England! They would have taken whatever bullshit she fed them and they would have run with it…
…and they would have worshipped her for it, too.
But that was just it, wasn't it. That lie wouldn't have been believable, and her subconscious self had to have known that. Everyone that counted knew that Brent and Stuart Tarleton couldn't keep their mouths shut to save their lives…and a piece of juicy news, like being engaged to Scarlett O'Hara, wouldn't have stayed within the clandestine clusters of intimate friends for long…
They would have been screaming from the rooftops.
And anyway, she couldn't very well marry both of them, now could she? And she didn't want to think about what it would mean if they had to decide who was going to be the lucky man. Even if they weren't really going to get "lucky"…
And Raif, well…Raif was really no better, now was he? And anyway, his very own sister was right there in the room. There is no way that Cathleen would have believed that her brother was engaged to Scarlett, one of her good friends in high school, and that she hadn't known about it.
She supposed there were others she could have named out of the blue as well, but it didn't really matter, did it? Either way, she had referred to Rhett Butler in the heat of the moment and it was done. No going back…
…God help her…
She started at that thought. God help her? Really? Not that she didn't believe in God. She was born a Catholic, raised a Catholic, and was a…kind-of, sort-of, on a need-to-know basis practicing Catholic. It wasn't her religion she was questioning, but herself. She didn't need to bother God for this one, thank you. It was simple. She wasn't going to go into that hotel asking Rhett for help, like she was some charity case. She was going to go in there as a queen…
She would casually bring it up, but in such a way that it would seem that he was the one who needed her. She smirked at the thought, and for the first time was feeling much more comfortable with the whole idea. She knew he had a…thing for her. Albeit, a perverse, twisted, sexual thing…but a thing nonetheless. She could work that to her advantage.
She sighed in contentment and leaned back in the seat, a satisfied grin on her face. Suddenly, all of this didn't sound so bad. And, after all, there were some major pros in this; some that she had already covertly thought about. Because, let's face it, it was all a little extreme to have Rhett pretending to be her fiancé simply to hide the fact that she got Melanie's engagement ring on her finger. The thing was, she couldn't believe that she hadn't thought of this before…
Ashley would see.
Here she had been, wondering over things to do: showing him who Melanie and her family really were, getting him to see who he really needed. And she had forgotten that the easiest way to get a man's attention was to make him jealous. Give him competition. She realized that in seeing Ashley with someone else, she had realized the full capacity of her love for him. If he saw her with someone else, no doubt jealousy would rage and he would see that he must have her all for himself and ditch that ninny before it was too late.
And it just so happened that Rhett was the perfect kind of man to get jealous over…as good looking as he was….
And of course, there were the more philosophical pros, as well…
One: no one knew Rhett, so no one could even begin to guess that he wasn't really her fiancé. Two: he was a good liar. A damn good one. She needed a good head like his for a story that was going to have to be so intricately crafted. Three: Who else would be willing to tell such a lie? Rhett was about as moral as a prostitute with a penchant for theft and idolatry. And thank God for that at a time like this… Simple fact was, he was a good choice when there had been no other choice. Anyway, aside from everything else, what had her other options been? Tell the truth?
Yeah…Right…so not in her character.
She smiled lightly, her mood significantly brighter. Yes, she had made a good choice. If she kept him in check, this could work out very fine. And, like she had acknowledged before, who else would she have asked? Her smile faded at the instantaneous, inner response…
She would have never called anyone else, asked anyone else. There was only…him.
The car jerked suddenly as they pulled into the drive of her hotel. As she glanced up to the windows at the very top of the building and thought of the suite beyond them—and the man beyond that—she thought, resolutely, that she had never had a more absurd thought in her life…
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::
After Scarlett's "big announcement", Melanie had come up to her and congratulated her. When Scarlett had seen her coming towards her, she had hoped that Melanie would reach her sporting a look in her eyes that would surely have been in any other bride-to-be's eyes when someone else announces their engagement at their bridal fitting.
A girl can get pissed because of that shit…no woman wants the attention diverted from her when it's supposed to be her big day.
Scarlett's heart soared at the thought and in that split second before Melanie reached her, she imagined how she would tell Ashley about Melanie's coldness. Thought of how she would toss around the fact that she had tried to be a good friend to Melanie, just to remind him of his words from earlier that morning at the restaurant. He would remember all the nice things she had tried to do for Melanie and he would gather her in his arms…because she would be crying, of course. And he would tell her that it had all been a mistake and that he couldn't believe that he had almost married such an unfeeling creature when he had Scarlett. And then…
All her dreams were dashed…
As Melanie approached her, Scarlett saw that her eyes shined with true affection and she had a rather large, but genuine smile on her face as she gently grasped Scarlett's arms before pulling her into an equally gentle embrace. "Oh Scarlett, that's such wonderful news. I'm so glad…" She pulled back and Scarlett thought that she saw tears in her eyes.
Really?
Scarlett's brain filter took a momentary holiday and she blurted out her unaltered thoughts. "Are you really crying? I mean, you don't even know me…" Even as the words were leaving her mouth, Scarlett knew she was going to have to do damage control because the tone she used was rather sassy and already Melanie was pulling back slightly. A deep crimson blush was already settling on Melanie's small cheeks and Scarlett noticed that the blush travelled down to her slim neck. "I mean, it's…sweet." She had to force the "s" word out of her mouth.
Heh…she wished it was that "s" word…
Melanie recovered slightly, but there was no taking back the first words. And though Scarlett knew she should be sorry, for being rude and for almost letting Melanie know how much she hated her before she broke up her wedding to Ashley, she couldn't find it in herself to be. It had felt too damn good to snap at the girl, and witness how her words had affected her.
But still, she wasn't stupid… "You know, that you care about what happens to me…" Scarlett attempted to summon a slight look of affection into her face and it must have worked because Melanie's features immediately transformed, the blush no longer from embarrassment but joy.
"I know I haven't known you for very long, but Ashley talks about you all the time, like I said. I suppose it means a lot to me because it will mean a lot to him. Though, I suppose, he might already know. You two are very close." Melanie was babbling again, and Scarlett was pretty sure she knew it too because she shook her head slightly, though her smile never left her mild face. "I know it's still a little strange…"
"It's not…strange." Like hell it's not…it's downright creepy. "And actually, Ashley doesn't know yet. You guys are the first to find out." Even my "fiancé" didn't know before you guys…go figure.
Melanie patted her arm again before pulling away. "I know he will be so happy for you."
"When do we get to meet Mr. Right?" Carreen walked up from behind Scarlett and slid an arm around her waist. She looked at Scarlett expectantly before wiggling her eyebrows. The other women in the room erupted, demanding an answer.
Scarlett smiled stiffly. When hell freezes over. "Soon," she stated simply, hoping no one would demand a specific date. But of course, they did…
"This week?" It was India. The nasty, filthy hateful b—
"Yes." Scarlett answered quickly, turning towards her and smiling. "In fact, I am sure that Pa will be having some kind of get-together while my brothers and I are home. I am sure you will see him there." Once again, everyone screeched. Scarlett was pretty sure that the strange girl who had wanted her measurements downright screamed.
"Scarlett! You are going to ruin Pa's fun. You had to have known that he wanted to surprise you and the boys." Her sister smiled at her. "We'll ask him to do it tomorrow, though. You'll act surprised, won't you? I don't think anyone wants to wait any longer to meet him. I am sure that you are anxious for everyone to meet him." Carreen squeezed her sister's waist. All the women voiced their agreement.
One of Scarlett's old schoolmates, Cathleen Calvert, spoke up next. Scarlett was fond of her back then. She had been likable and had liked Scarlett as well, unlike most of the other girls in school. She was chubbier than she had been when they were in high school, probably because, as Scarlett knew, she had married and had some kids. But her face was still young and pretty, her hair still a golden silk. "Can't you show us a picture or something? Tide us all over? Surely you have one on your cell…" She giggled and some of the other women giggled too.
Scarlett froze. It would be natural for a woman to have a picture of her fiancé with her, especially on her phone. Except…Scarlett didn't have any pictures of Rhett on her. At all. "Umm…"
The chick who liked her measurements and liked to scream spoke up. "Uh-oh, ladies. I think I know what the problem is." Everyone, including Scarlett looked at her with confusion. "She has pictures all right…but they are only dirty pictures." Everyone started "oh"ing and "aw"ing at the suggestion. The girl grinned.
Scarlett wanted to slap her.
"It's okay, you won't offend us one bit if you show us something a little…raunchy." They all nodded and spoke their agreement. Scarlett wanted to roll her eyes. At this point the group of women should be referred to collectively, so in sync were their responses. Even Melanie was agreeing, though with a blush and a grin that gave way to her teasing.
"It's not that," Scarlett answered slowly. "It's just that this phone. It's brand new, you see? And, I don't have any pictures of him on it yet."
India snorted. "What a shame…I was hoping to see for myself how old he was."
Scarlett glared at her. "However, I think I might be able to text him and get him to send me a picture." Everyone showed her their approval with a short applause. She thought that they might disperse after being assured that she would get the picture. And then she could say that she had texted him but she hadn't been able to get in touch with him. New phones are tricky after all.
But hell…had anything gone the way she had wished it would today?
Melanie went off to finish her fitting and several of the others went their way also, including measure-me-like-Scarlett and my-vocal-chords-were-made-for-the-lead-in-a-screamo-rock-band. India and Carreen and, the one who had nothing to say, Suellen stuck around. Suellen's attitude didn't surprise Scarlett in the slightest. She was probably iffy about the fact that Scarlett was engaged but wasn't going to be pissed until she saw what the man looked like. If he was hot, she was going to be good and ticked. But if he was ugly, she would smile and encourage the match…
…and try to find someone hotter than him for herself…
But her sisters weren't the problem. It was that pale-face bitch across from her that made her skin crawl. Oh, she would get a picture of Rhett, all right. And he better damn well send her the hottest picture of himself that he could conjure up.
She turned away from the group and bent over her phone. After finding Rhett's contact, she pushed it and selected the "Send Message" option. The message box popped up and she paused. What the heck was she supposed to say? Hey Rhett, so I need a steaming hot picture of you to show the girls at this boutique because I told them that we were engaged because I got Melanie's engagement ring stuck on my finger and so I had to come up with something and, well, I guess that was the first that came to mind. So, hot picture? Come on, I know you have it in you…how about doing that leopard print thing you mentioned. That would be a good one…
Oh my Gosh…this was going to be harder than she thought.
She took a deep breath and decided to start with something noncommittal. She started typing and when she was done she looked at what she had typed…
Wats up?
Wow…okay. But what else did she have? She took a deep breath before pressing the send button.
She turned towards her sisters and India and smiled. "He'll text me back in a few." She hoped that the comment would prompt the women to do something else. And for once in her god-forsaken life, something happened the way she wanted it to. Carreen rushed off to get measured and fitted and Suellen followed. India gave Scarlett a final glare before leaving as well.
Scarlett took a deep breath before rushing off in the opposite direction, towards the little sign that said "Restrooms". She burst through the door, but saw that there were several women from another bridal party already congregating. She didn't want an audience for the rest of this text conversation. She exited and spotted a door a few feet away from the bathrooms. She quickly walked up, grabbed the handle and twisted and, to her honest surprise, it came open.
It was a tiny closet with what looked like extra fabric and supplies in it. She entered quickly before shutting the door. There was just enough space in the small compartment for her to stand. The closet was lined with shelves, and wasn't intended to be a walk-in. Anyone bigger than Scarlett would have never been able to fit in the small space. It was a really good thing that she didn't get claustrophobic.
She glanced at some of the fabrics on the shelves, immediately noting a row of animal print cloth on one of the shelves. She was going to have to look for the dresses that matched those materials when she got—
. .
The face of her phone lit up. 1 new message. She quickly opened up the message, only to roll her eyes at his reply.
Must you ask?
For a moment, she was confused until…She sighed. He was such a pervert. A very elegant pervert. It always pissed her off when she texted him because he always used perfect grammar when he texted, unlike the rest of the world. It made her feel ignorant seeing her text language next to his novel-worthy word art.
Haha vry funny I need u to do smthing 4 me and don't ask ?s
She sat back and waited, preparing herself for what his reply might be. She imagined she would get a smart-ass comment back with some sexual innuendo. Her phone beeped and she opened up the message.
Okay, what?
Well, wasn't today the day of surprises. But she eased slightly at his tone. Perhaps it was going to be one of those few times that he wasn't a jack-ass about stuff. Sometimes he was like that. When he knew it was important…like life-and-death important. And after all, wasn't this?
I need u to snd me a pic of u & plz take a good 1…
She waited for his reply again, hoping that he was going to continue to be nice. Her phone beeped. She opened the message.
Clothes on or off?
This took her back…was he being serious? She couldn't tell when he was joking while they were texting because everything he said was always said as if it were the God-honest truth. The give away was his face. That smirk, the hooked eyebrow, the gleaming eyes…
Wat do u think!
She sent the text and he almost immediately replied.
You want one of both to see which one will suit your purposes best?
She scrunched her face and punched her reply into the phone viciously.
No! I jst ned a pic of u a good 1
She wasn't surprised when his reply was:
So you want me to send you a hot picture of me?
She decided that it couldn't hurt, just this once to stroke his ego. Especially considering what she was going to ask of him later when she had to explain this whole catastrophe to him.
Yes
His reply was instantaneous and equally conceited.
Easy…
She rolled her eyes but smiled slightly. At least the worst part was over…for now.
Her phone buzzed and she opened up the message. He replied:
Does this work?
Scarlett rolled her eyes but couldn't keep from letting out a quiet laugh at what he had sent her. It was a picture of him outside and he was waving some kind of fan at himself. Real…funny… She replied:
Um no
When he texted back, he replied:
Is this more of what you are looking for?
Scarlett opened the picture, expecting to get another rip-off pic, but her breath caught at what she saw. He had put on a pair of sunglasses and was standing outside against a cream-colored wall and the sun was shining on him. The other picture had obviously been taken by him, but this one looked like someone else had taken it. He had what he had probably presumed to be a comical look on his face, but it was…sexy. Like, really… She replied:
Better but I ned smthing more dignified
It took a little longer for him to send the next picture but when it finally came through and she caught sight of it, she was sure that if he had been standing in front of her she would have kissed him. Square on the mouth, even. It was perfect…
The picture was of him and the same two little girls that were in the picture with him wrestling in his office back in the city. His nieces, Abby and…something. She couldn't remember the other little girl's name. But rather than wrestling, they both had taken hold of his neck. The littlest one, the one that was around two years old, was kissing his right cheek and the four year old had her face pressed up against his left cheek, grinning widely. Rhett was smiling too but in a way that she rarely saw him smile. It still amazed her that he loved children and as she stared at the picture, an unconscious smile on her lips, she realized with sudden and unprecedented clarity that he looked so happy because he was where he wanted to be. He loved children because he wanted them. Probably a wife too. Her smile widened.
This is perfect…One glance at this picture (and maybe a quick glance at the other) and all the women in that room were going to be smitten with him. And, therefore, jealous of her. Especially India. Because frankly, her husband wasn't much to look at…and she never did like it when Scarlett got something bigger or better than her.
And she was sure that Rhett was bigger and better than India's husband…
She stifled a giggle. She was almost beginning to think that getting that ring stuck on her finger was worth it.
Scarlett felt giddy as she opened the closet door. The women who had been in the bathroom just minutes ago were now standing outside of the door and they all turned towards her as she exited. Scarlett didn't even care that she might look psychotic by simply strolling out of a closet. She waltzed back over to her sisters and India and showed them the pictures.
Pretty soon, The Women joined in.
Then the employees.
Then the other bridal party.
She had been right. Everyone fell head over heels, and Scarlett reveled in it. Especially when she saw how much it bothered India. It was also an added slice of pie to the desert tray to see Suellen get ticked because of Scarlett's hot man-toy.
Well…no one knew that they weren't really toying at all. Can't really call a toy a toy when you don't, you know, play with it…
Things continued to go smoothly as the morning went on. Even the dress that Melanie had picked for her had been very beautiful. It was dark blue with a satin texture to the fabric and there were different variations of the dress so all the brides maids got to choose the style they wanted. She chose a long, straight gown that came off the shoulders and dipped down to about mid-back. It was going to be an awesome dress…that she wasn't going to have to use. But still…a dress that made her look that good was something to cheer about.
Things were looking up…
::::::::::::::::::
She handed over the cash to the driver and hopped out of the car and walked briskly towards the entrance.
Rule #1 when dealing with anyone that you need to manipulate: Learn their weaknesses. Luckily for her, Rhett's great weakness, especially when it came to her, was very obvious. He was attracted to her…and he did little to hide it.
So, first thing she was going to do was go and change into something more…adult. Maybe he would be too distracted to even think about what she was doing. Walking through the lobby and towards the elevators, she was stopped short by a pair of dark, arresting eyes.
He was leaning against the wall just next to the elevators, a drink in his hand. He was dressed in a stark white button down-sleeves rolled to his elbows-with a pair of light grey slacks, a darker grey vest and a black tie. Good God…but the man could dress. And he just didn't know what all that grey did for him. Or for her…
Good thing she was about to go change…she needed an excuse to get rid of a few layers. Or just eliminate all layers. First the shirt…and the pants…vest…shoes…
I'm supposed to charm the socks off of him! Not the other way around. Even though, well…I guess getting him out of those clothes would equate to "charming his socks off" right? That could be a part of it…
Except, she would never do that…ever. Because Rhett was…repulsive…sometimes…
Oh dear God, was she that desperate? Sure, she was missing Ashley and was…deprived. But it wasn't like Rhett was the only man in the world who could wear a shirt like that…or stand like that…or look at her like that…
Yeah…keep telling yourself that…
She wasn't ready to talk to him. Looking at him now, looking so…Rhett-ish, she needed a moment. But it was too late. He was watching her walk towards him, that look on his face.
She dimpled.
"Rhett! What are you doing here? Have you had a good morning?" She subtly tossed her head, making her large curls bounce around her face.
"Yes," he said. "But not nearly as good as you did, apparently." His smirk was less than friendly but not edgy enough to be considered malicious. She noticed, too, that he was registering that something was up. She was being too nice…not normal for her. She needed to lead her way into this nice thing gently. Still be slightly cutting, but appear that she is being won over somehow. Just…whatever she did, she need to be…nice. Sharp but…nice.
"You're aglow with the after-effects of seeing a god. Tell me, did he let you let you kiss the soles of his feet too?" She felt her cheeks color and she clinched her fists in an effort to control her temper.
"No," she ground out, knowing that that god-forsaken smile was going to be—yep, that it was.
"I didn't think so. He is one of those moral types. He wouldn't cheat on his betrothed on pain of death and to allow a woman like you to touch his feet would be too close to third base for him…" He glanced at her and she almost decided to screw the whole thing with the niceness, but she noticed that he no longer seemed suspicious. He was just his normal, mocking, bastard self. He began again when she said nothing. "How about the fitting? Please tell me that you didn't talk her into dead animal skins...I'm sure people are expecting to come to a wedding, not a funeral."
Dear God, he made it so impossible to be nice to him! "You are the most horrible person I have ever met! I come in here, trying to be nice and get along and you ruin it all by being an ass!" She knew that she was blowing up, and that was not what she was supposed to be going for, but he was just so…!
"And why are you attempting to be nice, if I may inquire?" He asked.
She spoke, trying to placate herself and manipulate her outburst to her advantage. "Well…" she started, "I've just realized that…you've helped me so much this last week. Trying to help me save a friend and all and…I really appreciate it, Rhett. I mean, I don't know anyone else who would come all the way to Atlanta for me. It's…sweet of you. Really…I—"
She had given him her very best undertheeyelash look, but stopped short at the nasty look on his face. Amusement played over his features and when she had stopped talking, he glanced at her before laughing out loud.
"Well, that's really great, Rhett. I'm trying to be nice and tell you thank you in my own way, which is not easy to do and you still— "
He interrupted. "What do you want?" His smile was still in place, though the laughter had died down.
"I don't know what you are talking about…." She should have been less obvious. She just didn't do subtle well…at all.
"You do. I know you. And you know it. The idea that you thought you could fool me is almost as preposterous as the way you went about doing it…now, what do you want? I imagine this has something to do with the fact that you asked me to send you a 'dignified' picture of myself. Judging by that ring on your finger, I can only guess that you came up with some loose idea to pretend to be married or engaged in order to make the all-righteous Ashley Wilkes jealous…" He paused and took in her shocked expression, which was quickly transforming into a look of horror. He reached for her hand. "Though, I have to say. I thought you might at least attempt to make it seem as if I had better taste than this…"
Scarlett was stunned into silence, unable to take in this sudden turn of events. She was surprised, but a part of her wondered why she was. When had she ever been able to fool Rhett? It frustrated her that, even in times when she thought that she might have gained the upper hand, he found a way to switch it around on her. She couldn't think of a single time that he hadn't figured out what she was really about, and there had been occasions when he had less to go on than he did now. She had been wearing rose-colored glasses in the back of that taxi…and it pissed her off…
She snatched her hand away, and did the smart thing…continued to pretend she didn't know what he was talking about. "As if I would ever—"
"You would. You would do anything to get what you want…you know why I know that?" He leaned in, so close she could feel the heat of his skin. "Because we are just alike. When we want something, we do anything in our power to get it. Take every opportunity…" He grinned. "Which is why I'm going to help you…"
She stared at him for a moment, trying to understand what he was saying. As usual, it eluded her understanding. And she would sooner die than take his help now, so it mattered little… "I don't need your help." She pivoted around and smashed the up button to the wall.
She felt him behind her before his arm came up above her shoulder. "But you do…you need me. Whatever it is you are doing, you've already done it. You don't have a choice anymore...and you know that. Or you wouldn't have come to me. You would have come to anyone but me. Because you could manipulate any other man. But Scarlett, you will never trick me. I know you too well…all of you."
She turned towards him. "Not all…" She growled, letting him know right away that was never going to change.
He leaned into her, his nose nearly touching hers and whispered, "Not yet…" With a ding, the doors behind her opened but she ignored them.
"You are awfully full of yourself…especially when you know that I love another man." There…she had said it. And she felt a sharp, brief triumph at the dark look that invaded his eyes. But it was quickly replaced by a sardonic smile.
"Who said anything about love? We both know that I don't do…that…" he waved his hand slightly in dismissal. "I'm talking about good, old-fashioned…fucking." He was close again, and the way he said that last word—so low she could feel it in her stomach—she was suddenly holding her breath. "The kind where I leave you begging, Miss O'Hara…And when I finally give in to your begging, it's still not enough. I'm talking about leaving you breathless, aching, full but…still empty. The kind where your knees buckle at the memory even decades after…" Rhett's stance was suddenly very predatory, and the animalistic way he was looking at her, facing her, stood in deep contrast with their domestic surrounds. Such attitudes belonged amongst the most deadly of animals.
"You are vile…" But even she noticed that all strength had left her body, and her reply, one meant to be demeaning, was breathless and almost a whisper…
"So I've been told…" He leaned back and grinned like a cat, the implication to his comment very clear.
The doors suddenly started to close behind her and she quickly turned, whipping into the tiny compartment. Rhett followed her, pressing the button for his floor. She glared at him as she reached around and pressed the button for hers as well. He grabbed her swollen left hand as she moved back, and she jerked from him unsuccessfully. It thoroughly annoyed her that her automatic reaction was for her heart to skip a beat.
"You got the wrong size. This ring is cutting off your circulation."
"You think I don't know that? I've been trying to get the damn thing off for the past two hours…" She jerked from him again and looked at her finger, seeing that it was much redder than it had been. The elevator stopped at her floor and she went to get off, but Rhett's arm shot out and stopped her as he pressed the door-close button. "Just what do you think that you are doing?"
"We are going to go up to my room to get off…" He smirked and she looked at him with barely disguised disgust. "The ring, that is…."
"I've tried everything. I don't know what makes you think that you would know something that I don't."
"I've lots of secrets you don't know about." The doors opened and they exited towards his suite before entering it.
Rhett walked immediately towards the dining table where his Macbook was sitting and he opened it and started typing.
"So much for getting the ring off my finger, Rhett…"
Rhett didn't look at her as he went to work. "Ever heard of Google, my pet?"
She rolled her eyes and went to the couch in the center of the room and pounced on it, glancing at her finger again. It was beginning to hurt and the throbbing had only gotten worse since it had first started. She was tempted to start pulling at it again, but knew it would do little good and would only hurt like hell.
"Hmm…" She heard Rhett hum behind her.
"What?" Scarlett turned around to face him, as he hung up.
"I found a site that says spraying Windex on your finger will get it off. But I think I have a better idea…"
She refused to answer him because…she kind of hated him, a lot. I mean, did he think that she couldn't have looked up a way to get the thing off? She had planned on doing just that…eventually. She heard him shuffling around behind her before he was suddenly in front of her, grasping her hand and pulling her into the kitchen…which was just as elaborate and beautiful as everything else in the suite. He had found some lotion and what looked like the hotel's conditioner. He brought her hand up and started to unscrew the bottle…
"I can do it myself, thank you." She said, taking the bottle from his hands.
"Indeed…" He replied, and he folded his arms over his chest and leaned back slightly as if he were settling in for a show.
She rubbed the lotion around her finger, especially around the ring and began to pull…or rather, yank viciously.
After a moment, she decided to try the conditioner to see if it would work any better.
It didn't…
Her finger was swelling up again and as she reached for the lotion for the second time, Rhett's hand shot out and he said, "Perhaps it's best if I try now, lest you rip off your finger and use all of my complimentary lotion and conditioner."
She scoffed. "Like you use lavender scented lotion and conditioner…"
He looked down at her hand as she flung it towards his open palms. "Someone might…"
His insinuation was not lost on her and she merely gave a 'humph', in spite of the searing jealousy she suddenly felt. Especially at the memory of what he had said in the lobby…she couldn't explain what she felt at the thought of Rhett doing those things to someone else…
Things which were degrading and disgusting and…tempting…
He started massaging her finger, needing the lotion and conditioner that were left on her finger into her skin. "You were going about this all wrong, my dear. The key isn't to get it all slick then take off…" He looked up and grinned. "You need to lubricate it…slowly…" His eyes sparkled mischievously as he made long, deliberate strokes up and down her finger. She could already feel the blood wasn't pumping and throbbing through the appendage as it had been moments before…
…might have been because it was all rushing somewhere else…
"Then…" he continued. "When it's nice and relaxed—" She was completely absorbed in his every move as he lifted her hand towards his mouth and taking her ring finger between his lips, he slid it into his mouth all the way to the bone. She felt his teeth latch onto her finger, just below the ring before leisurely sliding his teeth and the ring up and over both knuckles. Her breath caught audibly at the feeling of the metal and his teeth on her swollen, sensitive skin and she swallowed deeply as his gaze drew from her hand to her eyes. He knew that she was affected, and it bothered her. A lot. There was no talking her way out of this one. Because there was no way that it wasn't as obvious to him as it was to her that her gasp hadn't been a "get-your-hands-off-me-you-fiend" kind of gasp…
He dropped the ring from his lips into his hand before extending it towards her.
"It's been in your mouth…" Okay…she had meant for that to sound more disgusted and less breathless. He reached over her, squirted some soap into his hands and washed the ring off before extending it to her again.
"So, how exactly did you get this thing stuck on your finger?"
"It's Melanie's. I wanted to try it on…" It was out of her mouth before she even realized it. Damn him, with his entrancing lips and teeth and complimentary lotions!
As she expected, he did laugh. But it wasn't in his usual way. It was soft and he slowly shook his head as if to say: "That is so like you…" For some odd reason, it made her want to smile too.
"I see…so now you want me to pretend to be, what exactly? Your fiancé? I'm not a marrying man, as you know…" His eyes sparkled down at her.
"I don't need your help…" Her response was weaker now than before, but her pride still wouldn't let her say that she did, in fact, need him…want him…
She looked down at her bare ring finger and didn't even attempt to fight the idea anymore, that she might be beginning to want him in more ways than one…