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Chapter 40

The morning sun hit her bright in the face and Scarlett groaned before rolling over and stuffing her face into the pillow. Her stomach growling angrily forced her to sit up and run a hand through her hair. Standing up, she made her way to the bathroom to get ready for the day.

Half an hour later found Scarlett waiting in the kitchen for Seth and Roman to appear with breakfast set on the island. She was idly sipping on her coffee when the duo walked in. Seth looking excited while Roman remained as calm and collected as ever. Seth kissed the top of her head as he went past her and Roman gave her a reassuring squeeze.

"Okay, so Ms. Richardson will be here with the buyers at 12:30. Will you and Roman head out again?" Seth asked.

"I have to pick up a few things before I take my final leave from here," Scarlett responded nodding.

"If all goes as planned, we should be able to leave at around 2:00 if everything's packed and ready to go," Seth said glancing at the clock on the wall. "Meaning we should have you with Dean in St. Louis by 7:00."

"I can't wait," she said softly. They had no idea.

~oOo~

"Would you stop checking your phone every two minutes?" AJ asked, a hint of frustration in her voice. Dean looked at her then raised an eyebrow.

"I'm not checking it every two minutes," he responded, shaking his head.

"My mistake. Would you stop checking your phone every minute?" She asked. She'd pulled him to the café to keep him busy until Roman, Seth, and Scarlett arrived. Randy was sitting on the opposite side of her while Punk was nowhere in sight. Normally, Randy's presence bothered the daylight's out of Dean, but right now his thoughts were elsewhere. He'd gotten a call from Scarlett three hours ago telling him that they'd left and were on their way and since then, Dean had been on edge.

"Have a drink, calm yourself," Randy said beckoning over a waitress towards them.

"Don't want anything," Dean grunted; his eyes darting towards the door.

"An iced tea," Randy ordered then sent the waitress off as Dean squirmed restlessly in his seat. He unlocked his phone and pulled open the call log, without further ado, he tapped on Seth's number and held the phone to his ear as AJ threw her hands in the air while Randy chuckled.

"Jesus Christ, man. We're pulling into the parking, ju-."

Dean immediately ended the call and dashed out towards the parking, knocking Summer out of the way and ignoring Renee's calls. An odd excitement was bubbling within him and Dean could feel the energy flowing through him. He was acting like a kid being told that Christmas had come early but Dean could care less. Scarlett would be back with him and that was all that mattered.

Dean came to a staggering halt once her entered the parking lot and looked around. He spotted Seth's two toned hair near the silver SUV and stuffed his hands in his pockets before swaggering off to meet them. Roman was the first to notice him approaching and he waved at him.

"Were you waiting for us out here, Deano?" Roman asked when he got closer. Dean ignored him; his eyes focused on the girl that had just stepped out of the SUV, a white lace scarf tied around her face. She looked around and her gaze connected with his causing him to quicken his pace when he saw the relief and sparkle that lit her eyes. It took him only a few strides and he was standing in front of her, his eyes boring into hers while his two best friends pulled out their luggage.

"Walk with me upstairs?" He asked calmly. He saw the confusion in her eyes but she nodded and turned back to Roman and Seth.

"Go on, Seth and I are going to hit the bar once we've put our stuff in our rooms," Roman responded holding his hand out towards Dean. Dean handed him the two room keys he had before his hand snaked its way to Scarlett's. He noticed her jerk slightly but she twined her fingers with his as he led her through the hotel and towards the elevator.

"Dea-."

"Shh," he silenced her when she made a move to talk to him once they were alone in the elevator. He tugged her along with him to his room and once he opened it, they were greeted with the excited meows of Vitani as she quickly padded towards Scarlett. Scarlett gasped and bent down, hugging the feline close to her chest as she stood up.

"I missed you so damn much," Scarlett whispered to the cat as she kissed Vitani's head multiple times. Vitani looked just as happy to be back in the arms of her mistress and rolled around in her arms before Scarlett put her down.

"I can't thank yo-Dean!" Scarlett yelped in surprise when his hand shot out and quickly tugged the scarf off of her. Her protest died on her lips when he pressed his lips against hers in a bruising kiss.

"Fuck." Kiss. "I've." Kiss. "Been wanting." Kiss. "To do that." Kiss. "Since." Kiss. "You left." He told her between kisses. His hands cupped her face delicately and her hands found their way to his chest, fisting the material of his shirt as she gave in to his passionate assault. She could feel the heat radiating off of his body as he held her against him, causing goosebumps to erupt on her skin. His fingers were warm and gentle on her face, using just enough pressure to make sure she remained in place.

His hands slowly trailed down to her neck and down her shoulders; a shiver ran up her spine as she felt his touch through the fabric of her shirt. They came at a rest on her waist and with a gentle tug, he pulled her body closer to his. A muffled gasp escaped her but Dean was relentless. Scarlett tilted her head just a little to allow him easier access and that was all it took for him to snap. His arm wound around her waist and he turned them around, pushing her back against the wall; his kiss becoming rougher. She gripped onto his upper arms, her nails digging into the flesh.

Scarlett's body buzzed with energy as a sweet tingle spread across her skin. This was a feeling she'd never felt before. Her body felt his touch. He was the only man whose touch she was feeling on her skin in five years. The intimate touch, it awakened her. To feel another's touch on her body ever again wasn't something she ever expected since the fire, but here Dean was; touching and feeling.

Just as she could feel his touch, Scarlett took the opportunity to let her hands roam too. Having spent so much of her time wearing gloves and only letting her fingers feel the fabric of her gloves, feeling his hot skin underneath her fingertips was enticing. Her hands slid to his chest, the irregular beat of his heart strummed beneath her fingers and Scarlett flattened her back against the wall when Dean pushed further against her so his chest pressed against hers.

Their lips parted and Scarlett heaved a breath of air while Dean trailed his lips against her jaw; a small nip drawing out a shaky breath from her. His warm lips came to a rest at her neck and one again she felt the sharp nip of his teeth against her pulse. A moan tore through the air as his lips enclosed over the skin on her neck and he tugged it between his teeth. It took her a moment to realize that the sound had come from her and Scarlett tilted her head back as Dean nipped and kissed her neck.

His fingers gripped her thighs and he pulled her leg around his waist, settling himself between her legs. Scarlett let out a gasp when he nipped at her collar bone and felt his hardened length press against her core through her jeans. It had been too long since she'd had been this intimate with a man and Scarlett hadn't realized how much she was missing it. She could feel him through her jeans; her core pulsed for him, a distant ache forming within her.

"Dean," she gasped out. "I want…"

"What? What do you want?" He asked her. Even his voice had dropped several octaves and was a husky growl that sent a wave of delicious shivers up her spine.

"I want…" A groan tore through her lips when he ground his hips against hers. There was a loud curse and the next moment he pulled away from her roughly; her hands clutched thin air as she leaned against the wall for support. Scarlett lifted her gaze to look at him and saw the battle raging on his face as he fought to control himself.

"I…I got carried away. Fuck!" Dean swore again and turned his back to her, running a hand through his hair as he began to pace. The reality of what had just occurred dawned on her and Scarlett bit her lip. She'd lost control of herself in the moment. Had they gotten further, Scarlett knew she would've been in for a rude awakening. Only her doctor and the nurse had seen her without any clothes on and Scarlett remembered the disturbed expression on the nurse's face as she helped Scarlett dress every day at the hospital. If Dean saw her…Scarlett shook herself out of it quickly.

"I should've stopped you," she said. He glared at her over his shoulder a chill rushed through her.

"Don't you dare think this was your fault, Scar. Goddamn it, I have better control than this," Dean ground out. Biting her lip, Scarlett stepped forward towards him. The need to touch him slowly rising within her once more.

"Scar, as much as it kills me to say this, please don't touch me right now," he hissed out. Ignoring the pang of uneasiness, she took a few steps back. It took him a few minutes to gather himself and once he did, he turned to her and gave her an apologetic look.

"I'm not that rough when it comes to women," he said, a half-hearted grin appearing on his lips. She shook her head and gave him a small smile.

"I haven't felt the touch of a man so intimately in five years," she said quietly. His shoulders tensed for a moment before he looked at her.

"Never thought it would ever happen, what with this deformat-."

Her explanation was silenced with him clapping a hand over her mouth and glaring at her. Scarlett gently took a hold of his wrist and pulled his hand away from her mouth.

"Don't use those words for yourself in front of me ever again," he warned her. She stared at him in wonder before the corners of her lips quirked up in a smile.

"You know what this means though, don't you?" He asked her after a moment.

"What?" The confusion was barely kept from her voice.

"It means that no man can and will touch you," he replied. There was an animalistic look in his eyes that sent a chill through her yet at the same time her heart gave a dangerous squeeze. The way he was looking at her, it was as if he was staking his claim on her and Scarlett couldn't do anything other than gape at him.

"Dean," she whispered softly. His oceanic eyes shifted to her lips and she saw a fire blaze within them once more before he turned away from her.

"I'm going to go find the other two, come find me when you can," she told him. Scarlett hesitated, a part of her wanting to reach out and touch him once more while another part of her told her to turn and leave.

"Don't hesitate. My body is at your disposal," Dean ground out; he'd picked up on her hesitation and knowing where it was coming from, it was impossible for him to stay silent. There were barriers that needed to be broken between them and it would only be possible if she felt as comfortable with him as he did with her.

Not waiting for further interference from her brain, Scarlett twined her hand with his and gave it a small squeeze. She wrapped her scarf around her face once more and departed the room to head down to reception where she'd last seen her two companions.

A shriek escaped her lips before it was quickly muffled by a hand as her body was tugged through a door and pushed against the wall. She met the cold hard gaze of Phil as he sported a snarl on his lips. Her eyes widened with surprise and fear as she found herself trapped between him and the solid wall behind her.

"You have some nerve letting him drag you up to his room," he growled out. Scarlett struggled to free herself from his grasp but Phil's grip was too strong for her. The more she struggled, the tighter he held her.

"I know, Scarlett! I know! I can smell him on you. The shine in your eyes, the skip in your step, it's all a pretty good indication of what went down in that room," Phil continued. Her hand slipped through his grasp but he gripped her wrist and pinned it against the wall. The sleeve of her shirt was pushed to the side and she felt the callused hands take hold of her.

"I am sick of being the one ignored. I should've been the first one you came to when you returned, but you went with him?" He growled. His other hand reached up for her scarf and Scarlett only had a moment to let out a silent scream that got caught at the back of her throat when he pulled the scarf off of her. Scarlett remained frozen as he laid his eyes upon her for the first time. She saw the momentary surprise on his face before anger clouded his gaze once more.

"So, he thinks only he doesn't care about your deformities?" Phil asked. Scarlett flinched at the word slightly and struggled to free herself once more. Her heart was beating at a hundred miles an hour and she prayed that somebody pushed open the door to the stairs to find her and save her from the monster that held her captive. Scarlett groaned and moaned in protest but he silenced her by wrapping a hand around her throat and pressing down against her wind pipe.

"No! Don't. I'm sick and tired of him being all over you. He has no right over you, you hear me? No right!" Phil hissed out at her. She pleaded through her eyes to him to release her but he was adamant on ignoring her.

"I have done everything for you then why? Why does he get to reap the rewards?" He asked her. Scarlett choked and struggled to get the air through her lungs but with the pressure he applied to her windpipe, she was having trouble keeping up. He continued to say something but Scarlett felt the lack of oxygen slowly taking its toll on her brain as the darkness began to edge in. Soon enough, the world turned dark around her as the darkness enveloped her in its arms.

~oOo~

Dripping water.

No.

It was a flapping of wings.

No.

Voices. Murmurs of sounds.

Her eyes slowly blinked open and the cream ceiling came into view. Hushed voices were conversing around her and she tried to lift her hand but only succeeded in twitching horribly.

"Scar!"

There it was. The voice that had her blood rushing through her and her ears perked up immediately as her gaze sought the source. Dean appeared in her line of vision when she looked to her left. His azure gaze was filled with concern and his face showed no signs of anger.

"Thank God you're awake!" He breathed before he leaned forward and pressed a chaste kiss to her forehead. Scarlett opened her mouth to speak and felt her throat tighten, resulting in her coughing a couple of times.

"Wa…er…," she croaked out. Dean seemed to understand her for a couple of seconds later he tucked his arm under her head and lifted it up as he held a glass of water to her lips. She drained the glass, welcoming the instantaneous relief as the cool liquid glided down her throat, soothing it as it went down. With the glass emptied, Dean let go of her head and allowed her to rest her head back on the pillow.

"What happened?" She asked.

"You slipped on the wet floor. If Punk hadn't been there, you could've been seriously injured," Dean informed her. Scarlett's gaze snapped to him when he mentioned Punk and she gave him a confused look.

"He was coming up the stairs as you were going down and saw you slip. He carried you to my room and we called our Doctor to make sure you don't have any serious damage, which you don't," Dean explained. Slipped? Water? Wet stairs? Scarlett opened her mouth to say something but something shifted behind Dean and as she looked past Dean's head, she was met with the dark eyes of CM Punk.

We're talking a six year friendship over a two day relationship. I know enough to get Dean exactly where I want him. The question is, do you know enough about me to prove yourself right?

Phil's words rang through her head and Scarlett stifled the urge to tell Dean everything as Phil's gaze hardened and a smirk quirked on his lips.

"I owe you, man," Dean said to Phil over his shoulder. Scarlett shivered and Dean reached forward to tuck the blankets around her properly. She took this moment to reach forward and wrap her arms around Dean's neck, pulling him close to herself. The warmth his body exuded wrapped around her and she felt her heartbeat return to a peaceful rhythm. Her strength increased gently and she dared a glance at Phil from under her lashes and promptly shut her eyes tightly when she saw the coldness that was filled in Phil's eyes.

"Rest. I'll go grab some dinner for us," Dean told her, stroking her hair. She let go of him and he stole a quick kiss from her lips before stood back to his full height.

"You should get back to AJ too," Dean said. If Dean caught the flash of anger in Phil's eyes at the mention of AJ's name, then he did a good job of hiding it. But Scarlett knew it was foolish to think so because ten seconds later, both men had bid adieu to her (one more sinister than the other) and departed as they chatted amicably.

Vitani jumped onto the bed and curled on the pillow next to Scarlett, causing her to look at her and pet her gently before sitting up to lean against the headboard.

"I don't know if I have the strength to fight him, Vitani. I don't know if I can," Scarlett said softly as she stared at the door where the man who had slowly begun to make his home in her heart and the man who had vowed to make her his by hook or crook had departed from.

Merry Christmas everyone!

I was supposed to put this up earlier in the week but with my birthday and then Christmas preparations, my hands were full. But here is Chapter 40. Hope you all enjoy it and do leave me some Reviews and comments on what is going on in your head after reading this. What exactly is Punk planning? Who is Isabelle? And why oh why does Randy have this crazy love for Iced Tea? ;)

Merry Christmas once again!

- K.