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Chapter 23

"How come you don't own a restaurant, Ms. Rayer?" Esme asked as she inhaled the delicious aroma of the roasted chicken that Scarlett had just pulled out from the oven.

Once they'd returned home, Dean and her had avoided all talks with Dean opting to jump back in the pool and Vitani standing by as his moral support. Scarlett had picked a lounge chair near the pool and had lost herself in the world of organized crime that her book described. Esme, as promised, had brought along an entire chicken and that was when Scarlett abandoned her reading to head into the kitchen.

"I own a B&B. I don't have the funds for a restaurant," she replied as she pulled out a serving plate and piled on the potatoes she'd prepared with fresh herbs. She gently placed the whole chicken on the bed of potatoes and handed it to Esme, who took it to the table.

"You definitely have the skills and passion, Ma'am," Esme said. The girl had warmed up to Scarlett considerably and Scarlett was happy with the amount of help she could be. Although she was never used to having someone else in the kitchen while she worked, Esme's presence was a welcome change.

"Something smells good," Dean said strolling in to the kitchen. He stopped when his eyes landed on the plate of chicken sitting on the table. Scarlett let out a laugh when she heard his stomach grumble and he grinned cheekily.

"Dinner's almost ready. Let me just get the broccoli sautéed," she said as she poured the broccoli into a pan with olive oil and minced garlic.

"Esme, get the wine would you?" Dean asked as he moved closer to Scarlett, peering over her shoulder into the wok. She tossed and mixed the broccoli with ease and Dean felt his mouth watering as he inhaled the smell. Not thinking about his actions much, his arms wrapped around her waist and he leaned to rest his chin down on her shoulder.

"Dean?" Scarlett asked in surprise at the sudden physical display. He hadn't said much to her since their return and Scarlett had thought he was angry with her.

"Your drink, Mr. Am-Oh!"

Scarlett glanced at Esme from the corner of her eye and she felt her face heat up as Esme got a little flustered at walking in on what she assumed was a special moment between the two.

"Dean, let me go," Scarlett said as she wiggled out of his grasp and poured the broccoli out into a serving bowl. She picked it up and carried it to the table, placing it next to the chicken as Dean sighed and took his seat; staring at the food hungrily.

"Dig in," she said wiping her hands on a towel paper. The words hadn't even left her mouth and he'd picked up the big knife and was slicing away into the chicken, carving out a big piece and a smaller piece. Scarlett watched him in confusion and felt her heart give a flutter when he placed the smaller piece of chicken on a smaller plate and bent down to place it on the floor.

"Enjoy your Mistress' fine cooking," he said to Vitani; smiling as Vitani began to tuck in to her meal. Scarlett took her own seat and watched as he carved out another piece.

"Esme, you should try this too. She's one hell of a cook," Dean said.

"I am aware, Mr. Ambrose," Esme said as she wrapped up the piece Dean had carved out for her in aluminum foil.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Ms. Rayer. Good night," Esme said before she smiled politely at them and took her leave.

Dean placed some chicken and potatoes on her plate before putting the knife down and opening up the bottle of wine. He poured some out in two glasses, handing one to her after he set the bottle down. Dean began to dig in to his food, but his hand froze halfway up to his mouth when Scarlett reached for her food.

"Ahem."

Scarlett looked up at him to find him looking at her pointedly. She didn't need to be a genius to know what he was expecting and she sighed before she lifted her hand and pulled off her scarf; hanging it on the back of her chair. Satisfied, he returned his attention back to his food. She was about to eat her first bite when Dean's content groan distracted her entirely.

Looking at him, she found his eyes closed and his mouth chewing slowly. The sound he made sent her thoughts into a frenzy and she berated herself furiously. Conspicuously, she cleared her throat and took a bite of her food; watching him from under her lashes.

"You…you're an angel," Dean said opening his sapphire eyes and staring right at her. Knowing that her scarf wouldn't hide her blush, Scarlett tried to keep calm but to no avail. Her cheeks tinted a light pink and she looked down at her plate.

"You've already said that," she muttered.

"Have I? I should say it more often. You're an angel," he told her once more before resuming eating. He stopped to look at his plate then up at her, before looking down at his plate.

"You're cooking is going to make it very difficult for me to let you go back to your B&B," he said seriously. Scarlett laughed nervously and quickly ate her food, trying not to think about the thought of returning back home.

Once they'd wined and dined, Dean helped her clear the table and load up the dishwasher. Scarlett headed to the refrigerator and pulled out the dessert she'd made and carried it over to the table.

"You made chocolate trifle?!" Dean exclaimed staring at the sweet dessert in both awe and surprise.

"No meal's over without dessert," she said nervously. Scarlett had a sweet tooth and she always made desserts with her meals. But the only thing that worried her was that maybe Dean wouldn't be one for desserts.

"How in the world did you manage to do all this so quickly?" He asked as he scooped some trifle into a bowl. Vitani was seated in his lap and was licking her paw, her tail flicking his stomach ever so often.

"Aren't you going to eat?" He asked in between mouthfuls. She stood up to get another bowl for herself but his fingers curling around her wrist stopped her in her tracks.

"Come here," he said. The shift in the atmosphere was unquestionable and Scarlett stared at him without moving from her spot. He was watching her with an unreadable expression; half the trifle in his bowl already gone.

"Dean," she whispered unsurely. He tugged her towards himself and she reached for her chair.

"Leave it," he said sharply; her hand automatically releasing the wooden furniture. He nudged Vitani off his lap, who slinked out of the kitchen, and pulled her down to him.

"Dean, I don't think…" she trailed off as her arm looped around his neck to keep her balance when she found herself seated in his lap.

"Relax," he told her gently, one of his arms wrapping securely around her waist and the other reaching for the trifle. He lifted a spoonful of the chocolate dessert and guided it to her mouth.

"This isn't…" her mind couldn't form the words as her body had awoken from its sleep and was more than aware of the hard muscles of his pectorals that her arm had brushed against. Or the firm hold he kept on her waist, his fingers just digging into the flesh ever so slightly. She swallowed tightly; trying very hard not to let her eyes wander from her own hand up his chest. Or up his jawline where the five o'clock shadow begged her to come closer, stopping momentarily on his lips, then continuing up past his nose and cheekbones before finally stopping at his hypnotizing sapphire eyes.

Dean had intended it to be very casual but he'd known the moment he'd pulled her close that it would be anything but. Every time he touched her bare skin, the inner beast would purr and want her closer to him. He could see her fight not to look at him, could see the pink hue on her cheeks as her eyes rested on his. Why couldn't he let her go?

He placed the spoon with its uneaten contents back into his bowl and lifted his now free hand to her face. Her eyes were shining brightly and Dean couldn't find a trace of any emotion that told him not to touch her. His fingers gently cradled her neck and pulled her closer, their foreheads resting against each other's. He could feel her chest rising and falling rapidly as her breathing picked up. His eyes had shifted from hers to those lips that had been dipping in and out of his thoughts since the previous night.

A noise tore into the air around them, one so shrill that it cut through the haze that had occupied their senses. Scarlett and Dean pulled away from each other looking around for the source of the disruption. Dean's phone was buzzing on the table and they looked at the caller ID. Never had Dean felt a stronger urge to hit Seth than he did in that moment when he saw his name flashing on his screen.

Scarlett's mind kicked into action when she saw Seth's name; she immediately removed herself from Dean's grasp. She brushed herself off and took several deep breaths to calm her racing heart as Dean answered the call.

"Hey," he said casually. Scarlett turned around and took a seat in her chair, keeping in mind not to look at him. He was unusually calm and Scarlett wondered if that moment had actually happened or if she'd imagined it all. Was he not affected at all? If his tone was anything to go by, he wasn't.

"Yeah, we were just finishing up with dinner," he said, his blue eyes focusing on her. Scarlett busied herself with playing with her hands because she wasn't sure what to do with herself.

"You still haven't taken her number?" Dean asked frowning before he sighed and put the phone on speaker.

"H-hey," Scarlett stammered.

"Wow, what did Dean do to you?" Seth's voice asked. She could feel Dean's gaze on her but she refused to meet it.

"Nothing, why would you think that?" Scarlett asked, breathlessly. Get a grip on yourself Scarlett!

"You sound like you've run a marathon. Anyway, what all did you do today?" Seth asked.

"If you're that interested in what we do why didn't you come with us?" Dean asked in irritation.

"Aw Deano, I miss you too," Seth cooed in a sickly sweet voice. Scarlett couldn't help the laugh, some of the tension rolling off of her, and Dean scoffed as he rolled his eyes.

"I'm just inquiring whether you're keeping our darling Scarlett happy," Seth said back to his normal tone.

"We went to the Mob Museum today, Seth," Scarlett said cutting across Dean before he snapped back at Seth. There was a silence on the other end and Scarlett wondered whether the call had been disconnected.

"You two are the most boring people I've ever met," Seth said sounding as if he was in pain.

"A museum? Deano, you're losing your touch! Who the hell takes a girl to a museum?" Seth asked incredulously.

"I like museums though. I had fun," Scarlett said defensively.

"Scarlett, baby, you're obviously going to say that because he's around."

"Not true! I even picked up a couple of books from there!" Scarlett exclaimed, shaking her head. She heard Seth groan and looked up at Dean, who was watching her with amusement flickering in his eyes.

"Take her to a casino or a nightclub man. Get the groove on and just let loose. Museums and stargazing are very…" Seth trailed off as he searched for the word.

"Crowded places aren't my thing, you know that," she told Seth.

"But Vegas is Sin City. You have to do something sinful and come on, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. Let loose," Seth almost whined at her.

"Dean's right. You should've just come with us," she said chuckling softly as she listened to him.

"Too late now. Hey, AJ wanted to talk to you. I'll put her on the phone," Seth said. There was some shuffling on the other side before AJ's voice came down the line.

"Hi you two!" AJ said brightly. Even through the phone she sounded extremely energetic, once again leaving Scarlett to wonder where on earth she got so much energy from.

"Hi, how's everything going?" Scarlett asked.

"Same old, same old. I locked myself out of my room last night so I stayed in Randy's," she said. Dean jerked and he glared at the phone in her hand, causing her to raise her eyebrow.

"Didn't know you two were close," Scarlett said, her eyes narrowing as she saw the sudden anger filling Dean's eyes.

"Oh yeah. He's always…can Dean hear me?" AJ asked abruptly.

"Yeah, you're on speaker," Dean responded, his voice sounding angry.

"I figured. Turn it off, I want to speak to Scarlett alone," AJ shot back at him. Scarlett switched off the speaker and held the phone to her ear as she swiftly stood up and made her way out into the backyard.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

"Oh nothing. I just didn't want to talk to you about Randy with Dean in hearing range," AJ told her.

"AJ, is there something going on between you and Randy?" Scarlett asked. She was both surprised and filled with wonder because Scarlett was well aware of AJ being married.

"No."

"AJ," Scarlett's tone was sharp and she knew the way AJ had suddenly gone silent something clearly was going on.

"Nothing happened, jeez. But just tell Dean to lay off Randy, okay? The guy has had enough problems and Dean doesn't need to be another one of them," AJ told her.

"What makes you think he'll listen to me?" Scarlett asked rolling her eyes.

"Oh please. That boy will bring you the moon if you ask him to," AJ said casually. Out of all the things she'd expected to hear from AJ, that certainly wasn't one of them. Scarlett shook her head and focused on what AJ was telling her.

~oOo~

Scarlett wandered back into the house half an hour later and found Dean seated in the TV room watching a football match. She placed his phone on the table next to the couch before heading to the kitchen and cleaning it up. As she cleaned, Scarlett pondered over her conversation with AJ.

AJ had told her about all that was happening in the company as well as her marriage. Nattie had said a quick hello as did Paige before they went off and AJ and her had continued their conversation. Although Scarlett hadn't told AJ about the kiss or the way things were between Dean and her, she was feeling much more relaxed.

"Scar?"

She finished up her cleaning and headed to the TV room to find him waiting for her; the television turned off. She frowned as she approached him and took a seat on the single couch; not trusting her body enough to take a seat next to him. Vitani, who had been sitting next to Dean, made her way over to Scarlett and leapt onto her lap.

"What did AJ tell you about Randy?" Dean asked. Scarlett ignored the urge to chuckle and scratched Vitani behind the ears.

"What is your problem with Randy?" Scarlett asked, looking down at Vitani.

"Nothing," he answered, a tad too quickly. She turned her gaze towards him, watching him silently.

"Dean. You're worried he's going to ruin your best friend's marriage. Someone who you adore as a sister," Scarlett informed him. She could see the frustration and anger beginning to cloud his eyes and Scarlett took a deep breath.

"Roman told me about what Randy felt, feels, for AJ and I personally think that he's done what very few people have the courage to do," Scarlett said softly. Dean looked at her sharply and Scarlett nodded. It had been a quick conversation that she'd had with Roman about Randy that had led her to discover the man's ultimate sacrifice.

"She's married and happy, Scar. How am I supposed to just sit there and watch the fucker lust after her?" Dean asked standing up and running his hand through his hair in frustration.

"He doesn't lust after her, Dean. Randy loves her. All he wants is her happiness and believe me when I say that that man will go great lengths for it. Even if that means being the best man at her wedding," Scarlett said. Dean began to pace back in forth in front of the TV and Scarlett sighed, trying to think of a different approach to get him to understand her point.

"Dean, when you love someone…when you truly love someone with everything you have in you, all you want is for them to be happy, even if that means letting them go," she continued.

"That's not an excuse," Dean growled.

"If you fell in love with a girl who was getting married to Seth or Roman, would you be able to be the best man at their wedding? Would you watch her walk down the aisle knowing that it wasn't you who she would be exchanging her vows with?" Scarlett asked, standing up and standing in front of him; forcing him to stop pacing. Something flickered in his eyes and a dark look came over him as he studied her.

"Would you be able to torture yourself in silence as she spent her life with her husband? Watch her as she stepped into the world of motherhood with a child who wasn't yours?" She asked softly. He looked conflicted, that much was obvious. Scarlett reached up and cupped his face, forcing him to look into her eyes.

"Dean, he let her go and everyday he spends watching her because that's all he can do. He can only be there as a friend for her and nothing more. There is no lust…only love," she said to him.

AJ hadn't told her everything that had happened but if there was one thing that Scarlett was sure of was that AJ wasn't as happy in her marriage as everyone thought she was. No woman ignored conversations about her husband or his calls, specially a husband that was out recovering from an injury. Scarlett knew how protective Dean was of AJ, she'd seen the almost sibling like bond between the two, but she'd also seen Dean's anger and his rashness when it came to things like this.

"What do you want me to do?" He asked solemnly. Scarlett smiled lightly at him.

"I want you to stop snapping at Randy every chance you get so that you can actually use the veteran advice he gives you. He's not that bad of a guy," Scarlett said shrugging, allowing her arms to loop around his neck as his went about her waist. He cocked his head to the side to look at her.

"You're a fan of his," he noted.

"Hard not to be when he's really a treat to watch in the ring," she said, sighing.

"Hmm," was the only response she got. Scarlett focused her attention back on him and felt her breath catch in her throat when she saw his gaze focused on her. She swallowed tightly and let go of him. But his grip on her waist just tightened.

"Dean, no," Scarlett said. How do we always end up in a situation like this?

The more she protested the more his grip tightened and soon she found herself flush against his chest, his clear blue eyes were watching her intently.

"Dean?" She didn't know if it was the wine she'd ingested but there was something that kept a part of her mind sane and boosted her confidence forward.

"What?" He asked.

"Is this the part where you kiss me again and we never talk about it afterwards?"

As always, let me know your thoughts on this chapter! Currently in the midst of writing the next chapter so here's a little sneak peek for what's to come next time in Inferno!

Pushing the door open, Dean walked into the room and walked towards her. As he got closer, he saw her body curled into a ball with her arms wrapped around a pillow. He gently sat down next to her, ignoring the wet patch on the pillow her arms were wrapped around and the wet tracks on her face that made his heart twist painfully.

"Are you okay?" He asked, his voice sounded like a strange mix between a whisper and a growl. She responded by curling further into herself and pulling the pillow closer to her.

Guest Review(s) Reply:

To Marina: Progress takes time with these two I've noticed. I just can't rush them. I've tried to and it just derails the entire story, haha. Oh don't worry, the conversation is long overdue and it will happen eventually. Hope you enjoyed this chapter and can't wait to hear your thoughts on all this. Take care and lots of love! xo