Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and the plot are the property of the author. The author is In no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Chapter 8

It was dark by the time they reached Dean's home in Las Vegas, Nevada and there was a chill in the evening breeze. Tugging her hoodie tighter around herself, Scarlett huddled closer to Dean as they headed towards the door. Fishing out a key from his pocket, Dean unlocked the door and the two made their way inside, Don bringing in her luggage since Dean wouldn't let her do it.

"Home sweet home," Dean said, a grin on his face as he looked around. Smiling, he turned to her and Scarlett let out a yelp of surprise as he scooped her off her feet. Her arms locked around his neck and she gave him a questioning look.

"Guestroom's to your left, Don," he said to Don, who had ventured towards the alarm system and was surveying it.

"Thank you, sir," he responded and Dean carried her upstairs to her room as she protested with several cries of "Put me down!" and "I can still walk". He relented by gently setting her down on her bed and pecking her lips.

"I won't see you for three weeks after I leave tomorrow morning. I think I deserve to be greedy," he said to her, eyes twinkling with mischief. Scarlett's eyes narrowed and she tapped her nose in admonishment.

"Behave yourself," she said, then laughed when he swooped forward and kissed her cheek. Her heart skipped a few beats at his words and Scarlett felt a hint of worry, wondering if tonight he expected something from her. She knew she wanted him but there was still something holding her back and that…made her nervous.

Dean pressed several gentle kisses to her cheeks and her lips as he lowered both of them flat on the bed. His larger body covered hers while one hand slid down her arm to twine with hers. Their lips fused together once more and Scarlett felt the blast of hunger and longing hit her in strong waves.

~oOo~

"We have arrived safely," Don reported to him as they conversed over a videocall. Roman thanked him, knowing that it was the most he could get from Don what with Seth sitting right next to him. Seth hadn't left the room, which was strange considering he was anything but a homebody. He then inquired about Scarlett's whereabouts, since it was common knowledge that Don was there to 'help' Scarlett should she need it in Dean's absence.

"Mr. Ambrose carried them off to their room," Don replied. Seth stiffened beside him and Roman threw him a questioning gaze. The former only ran a hand through his hair and gave him a thumbs up before returning to staring at the TV screen.

"Hey Don, head on up and let me talk to Scarlett, would you?" Seth asked. A perplexed look came over the young bodyguards face and they saw the slight pinkness appear on Don's face.

"Uh, Sir, I don't thi-."

"Exactly. Don't think, just do!" Seth said, a wide grin on his face. Roman frowned as he looked at Seth, who rolled his eyes.

"Oh please. Don't tell me you actually think Dean's going to sleep with Scarlett like this. Knowing how whipped the guy is, I expect candles and lots of roses," Seth said before he burst into chuckles. There was some truth to Seth's words and Roman had to agree with him, so he turned to Don and gave him a curt nod.

"Go on. You'll be fine," he urged. They waited as they saw Don make his way to the closed door of a room. He knocked on the door and there was a groan of annoyance before the door flew open to reveal an annoyed Dean. He was still fully clothed and Seth gave Roman an "I told you" look that he acknowledged with a grin. Roman could've sworn he saw something akin to relief flash through Seth's eyes but he dismissed it when Seth only waved into the camera.

"Hey Deano!" He exclaimed.

"What the…what do you guys want?" Dean asked, a confused expression marring his face. Scarlett appeared next to him and she waved happily at them.

"Hey you two!" She said.

"Hey babygirl," Roman responded while Seth only waved back at her.

"Don't get too excited Deano, you're due back tomorrow morning and with the grueling schedule we have before we leave for our tour on Friday, you'll need your rest," Seth added, laughing at the anger slowly clouding Dean's face. They saw Scarlett laugh as she twined their hands together and looked at them.

"Don't worry about him. I'll make sure he gets enough sleep before sending him back to you two tomorrow," she laughed.

"Scar!"

"What? I need to sleep on my bed once in a while too, you know," she said to him. Roman and Seth sniggered at the way Dean's face turned sour and he turned away from them muttering something under his breath darkly.

"He'll be fine. So what made you guys ask Don to come rushing over here?" Scarlett asked as Don helped her to her own room while Dean headed to get changed into something more relaxed.

"Don's there for your safety. If anything happens, you call for him first and he'll get in touch with one of us," Roman told her, all amusement flushing away from his tone as he spoke to her.

"I feel like you sent Don here to be my personal bodyguard rather than to help me around while you three are busy," she said to him as she laughed. Inwardly, Roman couldn't help but think how right she was. Don was Hunter and his man through and through. It was why he was still around while so many others had come and gone. Don was Hunter's most trusted and had slowly become Roman's most trusted too, which was why he was giving him Scarlett's responsibility.

While Scarlett and he talked for a while, there were two things that kept bothering Roman. One was that Seth was eerily quiet, choosing only to watch Scarlett as she spoke; and two, the fact Seth didn't seem ready to leave. Number two was something he'd have to deal with immediately because he needed to talk to Don alone. Once he bid his goodbyes to Scarlett with several promises of calling her while they were in Europe, he turned to Seth.

"Could you get me a coffee? I feel a headache coming," he said. Seth looked at him and looked ready to protest but once Scarlett disappeared into her room and Don returned to his own room, Seth stood up and gave him a nod.

"I'll be back soon," he said to Roman before leaving the room once he'd grabbed his wallet off the table.

"Talk to me, Don."

"The car's been here since we reached," Don responded to him.

"The number plate?"

"Like you've been informed, she isn't running any numbers," he said and Roman noticed he had glanced outside the window.

"Brand?"

"It's an Audi A4. Black. It's been murdered entirely so I can't get anything from it," Don continued. Roman pinched the bridge of his nose as Don described the car for him. There were several people who could've owned that car and Roman could find a reason for each of them being there.

"Make sure Dean and Scarlett don't notice it. Specially Dean. He won't leave if he realizes Scarlett's in harm's way," he said to Don. There was another reason why he'd sent Don with Scarlett and Roman was hoping with every finger crossed that his plan would succeed.

"You're out of your mind, but it's the only option we have right now," Hunter said to him once Roman finished explaining his plan. The COO looked both worried and impressed with him and in normal circumstances, Roman would've soaked it up with a grin as his ego was stroked. Today was an exception.

"Don will stay with her while we're in Europe and I expect him to protect her," he said looking up at Don as he stood a few feet away. Don bowed his head in agreement.

"I intend to protect her with my life, Sir," he responded.

The three men were huddled in Hunter's office with strict instructions to the rest of the staff to not interrupt. People assumed it was to discuss Roman's future story lines but they couldn't have been more wrong.

"What if Dean notices?" Hunter asked.

"Don."

"I'll make sure Mr. Ambrose doesn't notice anything out of the ordinary," Don spoke up immediately.

"You better. Dean's a loose canon when it comes to her and I don't want him doing anything rash," Roman said.

"You're the one to talk," Hunter fired back at him.

"I have to do it, Hunter. There's no other way. We have to get Scarlett back to Vegas so whoever is after her can come forth," Roman snapped as he straightened in his seat. His anger pulsed but he reined it in, not wanting to lash out unnecessarily. It was a messy situation that they were in but they needed to know who was after Scarlett.

"So you send her back as bait?"

"Do you have a better idea? So far we only know that there are people that come to that house and it's been a month already with no other information. Boss is getting impatient and I'm at my wit's end because I can't be the one protecting the one girl I was tasked to protect all those years ago," his voice increased with every word he spoke and he felt Don grab his shoulder to calm him down. Roman was positively seething.

"I'm sending her as bait to draw the bastards that want her out," he said in a clipped tone.

Roman clutched his phone tighter before he ran a hand through his hair and heaved a sigh. If anything happened to Scarlett, Dean would never forgive him. Hell, he wouldn't forgive himself if something happened to Scarlett. This was the only way he could bring the perpetrators to light.

~oOo~

She felt the bed dip beside her and Scarlett rolled over, smiling as she was enveloped in strong arms as the familiar scent of leather enveloped her. She'd been lying to herself that she would be able to get through the night without him by her side. It seemed Dean had the same idea for he'd snuck into her room and into her bed, thus here she lay, curled in his arms.

"My gut is telling me not to leave you here alone," he muttered into her hair. She pressed her lips to his pectoral and then looked up at him to see the ocean blue eyes glinting in the light streaming into her room from outside. The room bathed in the white glow of the moon instead of pitch black.

"Dean, I'll be fine. I have Don here with me, Esme will be here, and so will Vitani," she said. Her familiar still had her claws and was fiercely protective of her mistress, unless if Dean, Roman, and Seth were around. The cat was also a traitor with those three in the same room as her. Nevertheless, she knew she had more than enough people looking out for her. What could possibly go wrong?

Her train of thought was interrupted when warm lips settled over hers. It took her a moment to gather herself but by the time she did, he'd carefully maneuvered her onto her back as he hovered over her. She felt the familiar spark of desire in her abdomen as his muscled body pressed against her softer one. Whether it was the fact she wouldn't see him for the next three weeks or if it had just been too long since they'd had been home but Scarlett couldn't find it in her heart to stop him. Even though her ribs were beginning to protest, she didn't want him to stop.

His warm tongue swiped against her lower lip and she parted her lips to allow him to slip his tongue into the warm cavern of her mouth where it tangled gently with hers. Scarlett's hands slipped to the hem of his shirt and she pulled it up, their kiss momentarily pausing as he leaned away to shed his shirt. No sooner had the shirt slipped off his torso were their lips fused together while her hands roamed the expanse of his chest.

Scarlett bit back a surprised gasp when he trailed his lips down to her jaw and his teeth nipped sharply before continuing their journey towards her neck. He expertly found the spot that had her digging her nails into his chest, eliciting a low guttural growl from him. She felt his teeth and his lips against her collar bone before he pulled at the collar of her shirt. The sound of ripping material filled her ears and she opened her mouth to lament her shirt but he gave her no time as he pulled the collar lower. She felt the cool air of the room nudge against the exposed skin and Scarlett bit her lip in anticipation.

Another growl escaped him and she squeaked in surprise when she felt him give one tug on her shirt. A loud ripping noise rung across the room and she felt the material give way as he tore her shirt in half down the front. The scraps lay limp against her body as he turned his assault to the freshly exposed skin of her shoulders.

"Dean!" His name was a strangled cry as she felt his lips press against her clavicle. The feeling of his lips disappeared as he reached for her right shoulder and Scarlett winced. Her right shoulder…the nerve damage…she couldn't feel his lips and once more, the memories swam before her eyes. She was reminded of the countless times she'd stood in the little mirror of her bathroom in her B&B and looking at her scarred body. Her hands flattened against his chest as her heart twisted painfully.

"I…stop," she said, surprising herself with how her voice seemed to be strong. He retracted immediately and Scarlett pull the material of her shirt to cover herself up as he reached over to turn on the light.

"Don't!" She said to him, grabbing his wrist.

~oOo~

Dean knew.

He knew the moment he'd touched her right shoulder that something had gone wrong. She'd tensed under him and moment later she'd told him to stop. There was a dull ache in his chest and he wanted to grab her and shake her to tell her that he saw nothing wrong with her. He held back and instead chose to pull her into his arms.

"When will you start seeing yourself through my eyes?" He asked her.

"Dean, I can't…feel," she said, struggling to get the word 'feel' past her lips.

"Feel me."

He took a hold of her wrists and placed both her hands on his chest, right over his heart before leaning down to take her lips.

"Feel how my heart races every time I kiss you," he whispered against her lips before he tugged her hands lower to his abdomen where the muscles flexed underneath her fingertips.

"Feel how my body reacts to everything you do to me whenever I feel your touch," he said, a gentle nip on her bottom lip had her parting her lips for him only to have him draw away from her. He gently nudged her legs apart as he settled himself between them. Her eyes widened as she felt him through the thin material of her pajamas. The hard bulge nudging against her center as he steadied himself on his hands.

"Feel what I feel and know that you're the woman that makes my blood run south," Dean growled as he shifted against her, pressing himself further to her clothed center. She arched her back as her hands gripped his biceps. He touched her cheek and pressed a kiss to her forehead before his hand slid down to push the scraps of material away from her torso, revealing her bared breasts to his gaze.

He couldn't help himself.

"Dean?" Her voice was hoarse as he said his name moments before he ducked his head and his lips enclosed over her right nipple. She mewled as he suckled, drawing the bud to a hard peak, the other hand gliding up her side to tweak the other one. She was exquisite and Dean didn't know how he would be able to restrain himself from taking her right then and there. He released her nipple to fondle her breasts in both hands, taking time to get to know the way they felt. A quick glance told him she was lost to the feeling of his hands on her, her eyes closed and lips parted as short puffs of breath escaped her.

Dean saw the scars that crisscrossed her torso and once more he found himself more intrigued by them. They decorated her body like beautiful tattoos that begged him to trace them with his eyes, his lips, his tongue. So he did.

His lips trailed between the valley of her breasts, following the long jagged line as it twisted around the underside of her right breast and twirled up to her nipple. A nip to her dusky nipple had her jerking underneath him, pressing her body further against him. His tongue continued its journey down south, dipping into her navel, before he followed another scar that led him to her waist.

Her lack of sleep was definitely taking a toll on her body and he made a mental note to tell Don to monitor what she ate in her absence. His thoughts were interrupted when her fingers slid into his hair, curling into the strands. She was beautifully responsive and it only made him ache even more.

His eyes caught the faint bruises on her side and the lust filled haze was broken. He tore himself away from her body, rolling off of her as his body protested angrily. This was the second time he was close to losing control with her. Grabbing the covers, he pulled them up to cover her bared chest before he sat up.

"Wha…?" Her eyes were clouded with lust and confusion, making him want to double back on his decision to stop. Hell he had to stop. With the way he was, he knew he'd only hurt her.

"I can't hurt you, Scar," he said, touching her cheek gently. Her brows furrowed before she pulled herself up into a sitting position. The covers fell and Dean glanced down, letting out a strangled growl as he pushed the covers up to her neck once more.

"I'm fine…I'm more than ready," she said to him.

Fuck. I have to get out of here.

"When I get back, you'll be mine," I promise. The last part was a vow to himself and he knew he'd have some serious blue balls while on this damn tour.

"But…"

~oOo~

He couldn't be doing this to her. Not right now. Not after he'd made her understand the way he saw her. She'd done as he'd asked and felt only him and she'd lost herself to his expert lips and tongue. Her body was on fire and she could feel her core throbbing with need. Her nipples were sensitive and the brush of the covers did nothing to ease her.

Then why couldn't they continue?

The fact she was still slightly, slightly, bruised was just an excuse. It had to be because she saw the desire shining in his eyes as clear as day.

"But nothing. Do you think I'll be able to leave tomorrow if I don't stop now?" He asked her, his voice deeper than normal. That phrase stumped her and Scarlett took a moment to gather rationality. He was right. If they did continue then not even she would have the strength to send him away in the morning.

"But…what about you?" She asked him after a few moments of silence. When he gave her an inquisitive look, she clarified herself by dropping her gaze to the noticeable bulge in his sweatpants.

"That is for me to worry about. Get some sleep," he said to her, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

"Dean, wait!" She said grabbing his wrist to prevent him from leaving. Confusion flittered across his face as he looked down at her and Scarlett felt her confidence escaping her at the speed of light.

"Let me…help you with that," she offered, her face heating up considerably. There was a sound akin to a stifled groan before he ripped his hand free.

"Sleep," was all he said before he fled from her room.

I'm evil. Honestly though, would anyone have been able to survive three weeks of these two being away from each other after finally sleeping together? We'll soon have Scarlett all by her onesie and some revelations will be made. Currently in the process of working on the next chapter! Yuss!

Please also take note of the username change from TheShieldsMistress to LucifersSin. The change was done to keep all my works under one username since this gets posted concurrently on AO3 too.

Reviews and thoughts always appreciated!

- K.