Two Can Play (Celeste and Dominic) novel Chapter 567

SCARLETT

Watching Dominic and Sparrow stand side by side a few steps away brought warmth back to my chest. The bond between the two men was wonderful to see. It was the same kind of deep loyalty I wanted to share with Tasha, and I hoped that as we grew older, maybe she and I would have that.

My pulse jumped when Sparrow's grandmother walked toward us. She wore an expensive dress and looked at me like I was dirt beneath her shoes. I braced myself, afraid she was going to single me out and make a scene about me in front of all these rich guests. A fight with their grandmother was the last thing Dominic and Sparrow needed, so I wouldn't be able to talk back.

But before the old woman could get her way, Sparrow stepped right in front of me. His broad shoulders blocked her view of me completely. He told me quietly to wait, and the calm way he protected me made me feel safe and relieved. Minutes later, the party began to move down toward the private beach. Guests in fancy clothes were walking down the stone stairs, laughing and chatting as they got ready to board the boats taking them to Dominic's big yacht.

Sparrow walked up beside me, resting his hands in his pockets, his eyes watching the crowd. "Time to go. Let's head down to the boat."

I leaned back against the stone railing and gave him a faint smile. "You go ahead. I'll just wait out here until you guys are back from the party."

He frowned, looking at me. "Why? Do you have a problem with yacht parties?"

"Not really," I said, looking out at the dark water below. "I'm just not too fond of being in the water."

"Why? Is it because you fell in the pool earlier?"

"Not quite," I let out a soft breath. "I had a near-drowning incident when I was a child. I had nightmares for a long time, but I forced myself to get over the fear because I would never allow a weakness that someone could use to kill me. Especially one like that."

A faint smile touched his lips. "Trust me, Dominic is fine. Out of the hundreds of people around him on the yacht, fifty are already part of his security team, dressed as normal couples attending the party. And all the armed guards with rifles along the shore belong to my team too. More importantly, the suit Dominic is wearing tonight is completely bulletproof. I made sure of it myself. It would be very hard for anyone to hurt him. Even from up here, I can watch out for any unusual activity. He doesn't need me standing right on top of him."

"I see," I chuckled softly, nodding in respect. "You really think of everything. No wonder you're the head of his security."

He raised an eyebrow with a dry look. "Yeah, no wonder." We stood in quiet comfort for a minute, listening to the music drift across the sea.

"So," I shifted my weight, feeling the cool night breeze. "You're just going to stand here with me and wait until the party is over?"