36. Scarlett
Chapter 36
Scarlett
O h my God, I made it in time.
Cian didn’t marry Astrid. I finally told him I love him. We can be together.
Okay, I didn’t actually break up his wedding at the last second, so my podcast episode won’t be as dramatic as it could have been, but this is still really great.
Cian cups my face with both hands, his smile and his eyes full of love and wonder.
"What are you thinking?" I ask.
"You chased me down this time."
My heart melts a little at that. "It was my turn."
His smile grows. "I fucking like that."
I grasp his wrists. "I love you," I tell him, needing to say it again. "I’ve known it for a while but I was afraid to say it. But, Cian, it’s the thing that’s made me braver than I’ve ever been. I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you before you left."
His eyes darken. "I love you so damned much." He takes a deep breath. "But this could possibly be one of the worst times to tell me that you love me too."
"What? Why?"
"Because we are surrounded by some of the most dramatic people you’re ever going to meet. And they’re all going to want to meet and talk to you. Which means I’m not going to get you alone for hours." He leans closer. "And I want to hear you screaming I love you."
How can he do that? Say just a few words and make heat wash through me like I just took a shot of whiskey? When I’m standing in the middle of a room full of people?
I cast a glance around. His whole family is here—even his brother Declan who never comes home to Cara according to everything I’ve read—and everyone is talking, but I can see them all glancing in our direction. "Surely they would let me go change clothes and freshen up before I meet everyone for the first time?"
"You’re a genius." He kisses me quickly, then takes my hand and starts up the aisle toward Mariah.
It’s also toward the door and his grandmother seems to notice. She raises her voice. "Brunch will be starting in ten minutes."
"We’ll be back. The girls need a few minutes. It’s been a long trip."
I look over at his grandmother as Cian stops in front of my daughter.
The queen looks annoyed but resigned. This maybe isn’t the best first impression to make on the royal family but I’m serious about changing clothes and at least brushing my hair. And I need a minute to breathe after charging in here to break up a wedding. That was a true test for my new hey world look at me! attitude. Now I really would like even five minutes alone with my prince.
"Hey," Cian says to Mariah.
"Hey." My daughter is clearly overwhelmed by everything.
He reads her easily. "You’ll get used to it." Just that simple phrase, insinuating that there’s a future here finally makes her smile.
Then he reaches out and tugs her into a hug. She hugs him back and my throat tightens and my eyes well with tears.
"I’m going to have Saoirse show you around. I think you should share a room," Cian says.
Mariah pulls back. "Really? That would be nice."
She knows Saoirse from texting and obviously his niece knows all the ropes around here.
Cian nods. "Saoirse," he calls.
His niece comes running over as if she was just waiting for the invitation. "Hi, Mariah," she greets enthusiastically. "I’m so excited you’re here. Finally, someone my age to hang out with!"
"Hey," Cian protests. "I’m basically your age. Mentally anyway."
"I think you’re actually younger than me mentally," Saoirse tells him, nudging him with a grin. "But Mariah really is my age. Roughly. Plus she’s a girl."
"That’s sexist," Cian tells her.
"Maybe a little," she agrees. "I shouldn’t assume your terrible taste in books and you not loving Benedict Bridgerton enough is because you’re a guy. Henry is awesome to talk books with and Jonah agrees that Benedict is the best Bridgerton."
"Now that’s just hurtful," Cian says, putting a hand over his heart.
Mariah gives Cian a funny look.
He leans in. "Benedict for you too?"
" Obviously ," Mariah tells him.
He sighs. "How am I wrong to think Eloise is the best Bridgerton?”
Mariah and Saoirse share a look and an eye roll.
He looks at me for help. I shrug. “I like Michael Stirling best.”
“He’s not a Bridgerton,” they all say together.
I laugh. “Okay, then Anthony.”
They sigh and Cian asks Saoirse, “Will you show Mariah around? Get her settled in your room? Introduce her to everyone?"
She has already taken Mariah’s hand and started for the door. "I’ll take her upstairs now and she can unpack."
Cian watches them go with a look of such pride and affection I feel my ovaries tingle. Ladies, you need to settle down .
He looks down at me and for a second I wonder if I said that out loud.
"We can take Ruby up with us,” he tells me. “There’s a room a couple of doors down from mine."
I look over to where my sister is standing a few feet away.
"I’ve got her," Henry says, moving in close, obviously never too far away.
Ruby’s gaze snaps up to his. "Absolutely not."
"I can show you to a fucking room," Henry says, his voice low and tense.
Ruby shakes her head. "No."
"I’ll show you," Linnea says smoothly, coming to stand with us. "Hi, Ruby, I’m Linnea."
Ruby’s eyes get a little rounder. "I know."
"It’s very nice to meet you." Linnea gives Henry a look. "We’ll take care of Ruby and Mariah." She looks at Cian. "You make sure Scarlett gets settled." She lowers her voice. "I would suggest you be back down within an hour, or your grandmother may come looking for you. Or your big brother."
"I will not come looking."
I look up to see that Torin O’Grady and Abigail— Prince Torin and Princess Abigail—have joined us.
"I meant Declan," Linnea says. "The sooner all of this is over, the sooner he’ll be able to head back to Portland." Her voice gets a little softer. “With my sister.” She shakes her head as if she can’t believe that.
"He needs to stay until Grandfather is stable," Torin says. "I’ll speak to him." Then Torin smiles at me. "It’s nice to meet you, Scarlett."
I swallow. "Hi, Your Majesty. Your Highness?" I have no idea if I’m supposed to bow or curtsy or…
Torin chuckles. "Just Torin." He extends a hand. "Especially for family."
Now I’m starting to feel a little dizzy. I take his hand and absorb his warm smile. Cian’s hand on my waist gives me a squeeze of encouragement.
"It’s very nice to meet you," I tell Torin.
"Oh, believe me, the pleasure’s mine. For the longest time we thought Cian was making you up."
I look up at Cian. "No. I am very real."
The look in Cian’s eyes is very hot. And very full of love.
"Hi, I’m Abigail. But you can call me Abi," the princess extends her hand as well.
"I know who you are too," I say, taking her hand. "I follow the podcast.”
Abigail laughs lightly and her cheeks turn pink. "Oh. Well, they do get most of it right."
More people start moving in our direction and Cian clears his throat. "We’re going to head upstairs for a little bit." He nudges me toward the door. "See you later," he says to the group at large.
He takes me down a few long hallways, decorated with amazing art pieces, huge portraits of people I assume are his ancestors and family members, and up three enormous cream-colored marble staircases.
"I am definitely going to get lost here."
He shakes his head. "Impossible. I’m not letting you out of my sight."
I grin. The stress and anxiety of getting here on time are finally fading. The overwhelm from everything that was happening in the room when I rushed in is starting to be replaced by the realization that everything is fine.
Better than fine.
In the place of all of those emotions is a warmth and happiness that is filling me and making my heart soften and expand.
I’m with Cian. In Cara. We’re in love. And I am ready to tell the world.
As soon as the bedroom door shuts behind us and Cian turns the lock, he stalks across the carpet, cups my face again, and kisses me. Hungrily.
He starts stripping me, tugging the shirt I’m wearing over my tee down my arms, dropping it on the floor, gathering the t-shirt up and taking his mouth from mine only long enough to pull it over my head.
“I named the foundation,” I tell him as his fingers find the clasp on my bra, disposing of it quickly. “Ruby’s Way.”
“Love that.” He takes both breasts in hand, cupping, kneading, and tweaking my nipples.
His mouth returns to my jaw, kissing down my neck as I tip my head back as I say, “And we’re going to fund a program in Emerald to help with housing costs and a meal program for single moms.”
He squeezes both nipples, causing bolts of heat to shoot to my clit. He kisses up to my ear. “Awesome.” His hands slide down my sides to the button on my jeans and he unbuttons and unzips, pushing them over my hips.
“I also stood up to my dad. In the middle of the coffee shop. In front of a bunch of his cronies.”
Now Cian lifts his head. “That’s amazing. I’m so fucking proud of you.”
I nod. “It felt so good.”
“You’re incredible.”
I grip his forearms, stopping him for a moment. “But that means we need to stay in Emerald. For a while. At least until Mariah graduates. I want to make a difference there . Other places too, but there for sure. I want to show people what loving your neighbor and caring about their lives really looks like. Not telling them how to live, not judging their decisions, but supporting how they choose to live and just helping them do that the best way they can. And,” I swallow. “Admitting that we all need help sometimes so that they can know how good it feels to help others too. I want to give people an alternate community if and when they realize that my dad’s church isn’t what they want. But I want to be obvious about it. Loud about it. Joyous about it. So no one misses it.”
“ Incredible ,” he repeats. His voice is gruff. He’s looking at me with a true admiration I’ve never seen before.
“You’ll stay there with me?”
“It would be the honor of my life to do all of that with you, Scarlett.”
Yeah, not just my ovaries tingle at that.
“Really?”
He rests his forehead on mine. “You’ve had this power all along my beautiful, amazing witch.”
I smile even though tears are stinging my eyes. “That’s a Wizard of Oz quote. Kind of.”
He nods. “It is. And it’s so damned appropriate.” He kisses my forehead then leans back, looking into my eyes. “You don’t need me for any of this. You can do all of this all by yourself. But if you are going to invite me to come along and witness you work your magic and make the world a better place? Yes. With my whole fucking heart and soul.”
My entire body feels like it melts and I lean into him. “I love you.”
“I’m so, so glad.”
“You are incredible too,” I tell him. “I think we’re pretty magical together.”
He looks so touched by that, I put my hand against his cheek and kiss him softly.
When he pulls back, he studies me for a moment. Then he kneels, strips my clothes the rest of the way off of me, stands again, and picks me up.
My legs automatically wrap around his waist, and he carries me into his bathroom.
He sets me down as he leans in to turn on the shower.
Oh, a shower after the long flight and everything sounds great. But then I turn and…
“Oh my God .”
He looks over. Then laughs. “Later. No time for that now.”
“But…Cian…”
The bathtub in this room is absolutely magnificent.
It’s practically a small swimming pool. There are three steps leading up to it. The massive window behind it looks out over the rocky cliff that falls off to the ocean. There are jets all the way around the tub, built in seats, and three different depths.
I could stay in that thing for days.
Suddenly I’m swept up into Cian’s arms.
A naked Cian’s arms.
He steps into the shower with me.
When he sets me on my feet inside the glass encased stall with the multiple shower heads and built-in bench, he says, “My shower is very nice too.”
“But that tub ,” I say reverently, still looking at it through the glass.
“Let me show you,” he says as he starts soaping my body.
And yeah, okay, twenty minutes later, I admit—loudly, with him pounding into me, and at his insistence—that I like his shower very much too.