Page 60 of Claimed By The Other Brother

Greg and Linda exchange glances but nod.

"Take your time."

I straighten my suit jacket and start walking. Across the lounge. Through the crowd. My heart is pounding—an unusual sensation for someone who prides himself on control. People move out of my way as I weave through the space. The bar gets closer. Scarlett gets closer. I don't let myself think about what I'm doing. Don't analyze it. Just move.

She turns just as I'm a few feet away. Our eyes meet. Shock crosses her face. Her lips part. The drink in her hand freezes halfway to her mouth. The air between us crackles, even across the distance. Electric. Undeniable. I keep walking until I'm standing right in front of her.

"Scarlett."

Her friends turn. Jane and Sarah both register surprise, their eyes widening as they recognize me.

"Dax," Scarlett breathes, her voice barely audible over the music.

I force myself to look at Jane and Sarah first. Manners. Protocol. Even though every instinct is screaming at me to focus only on her.

"Jane. Sarah." I nod at them.

"What brings you to New York?"

Jane recovers first, a smile spreading across her face.

"Girls' trip. We needed to get Scarlett out of Chicago for a few days. Help her... you know. Enjoy herself."

Her meaning is clear. Help her recover from what Miles did.

"Good idea," I say, my eyes cutting back to Scarlett. She's staring at me like I'm a ghost. Like she can't quite believe I'm real.

I can't believe she's real either.

Sarah starts to say something else about their trip, but I cut her off as politely as I can.

"Can we talk?" My eyes lock on Scarlett.

"Somewhere quieter?"

Scarlett nods slowly, then turns to her friends. Jane and Sarah are staring at us with wide, buzzed eyes, clearly trying to process what's happening.

"I need to talk to him," Scarlett says.

"I'll be right back."

She picks up her glass and drains the rest of her drink in one shot—her third, I'm guessing, based on the flush in her cheeks and the slight glassiness in her eyes. She sets the empty glass on the bar with a decisive click.

I extend my hand toward the back of the lounge.

"This way."

She falls into step beside me. I can feel Jane and Sarah watching us as we walk away, their confusion and curiosity radiating across the space.

I guide Scarlett through the crowd to a quieter corner, away from the bar and the speakers. A semi-private alcove where the music is muted enough that we can actually hear each other.

We stop. Face each other. The space between us suddenly feels charged, heavy with everything unsaid.

Chapter Eleven

Scarlett

Dax guides me through the crowd to a quieter corner of the lounge, away from the pulsing music and the press of bodies. It's a semi-private alcove, tucked behind a column, where the noise dims just enough that we can hear each other without shouting.