At Odds with the Heiress(58)

One man stood out from the other bar patrons. With a jolt, Scarlett recognized him. JT Stone, Tiberius’s nephew. What was he doing here? Scarlett followed the direction of his gaze. Staring at Violet is what he was doing here.

“That’s JT Stone,” Scarlett said as Violet sat down on the sofa beside her. “I’m surprised he’s here.”

“He comes by most nights around this time.”

“You know he’s staring at you, right?”

“It’s just his way of telling me he’s angry because I stole Rick away.” Violet nodded toward the bartender who was whipping up one of his legendary cocktails.

“He doesn’t look angry. He looks hungry.” Scarlett paused for effect. “For you.”

Violet waved her hand dismissively. “Why don’t you tell me what happened with you and Logan.”

Despite Baccarat’s dim lighting, Scarlett spied bright color in Violet’s cheeks. But rather than torment her sister with more questions, Scarlett decided to let the matter drop. For now.

“Madison took off for L.A. and Logan blames me.” Scarlett paused as the waitress brought their drinks. Eager to see what Rick had made for them, she took a sip. It was a spicy blend of jalapeño and lime with just a hint of sweetness. “Delicious.”

Violet coughed, probably caught off guard by the punch of heat. “I’m not sure this is one of my favorites.”

“It’s definitely not for everyone.” Scarlett tasted the cocktail again.

“You two have fought before,” Violet reminded her.

“Not like this. He said things. I said things.” Scarlett felt hot tears fill her eyes. “I think I told him that I was done.”

“You think you told him?”

“I didn’t actually come right out and say that I never wanted to speak to him again.”

“What did you say exactly?”

“I think I told him I need someone who has faith in me.” She’d been so hurt that words had just poured out of her. “He makes me feel as if everything I do is wrong.”

“You two have very different ways of approaching things.” Violet patted her hand. “What did he say?”

“Nothing. I gave him a chance to tell me that he believed in me, or to tell me that not everything I do is wrong, but he didn’t say anything. So I ended the call.”

“It doesn’t sound like you two are done.”

“It sure feels that way. I can’t imagine a future with a man who can’t love me, faults and all.”

“Give him a little time to calm down. From everything you’ve said, being in charge of Madison has been really stressful for him. I’m sure he simply overreacted to her going to L.A. without warning.”

Scarlet wanted very much for Violet to be right, but wasn’t sure she could make herself believe that she was.

“Thanks for listening to me,” Scarlett said, forcing herself to smile past the ache in her throat. “Now let me give you a piece of advice. Take JT one of these.” Scarlett lifted her glass and smirked at her sister over the rim. “Unless, of course, you think he’s already hot enough.”

Violet scowled at her, but the burst of color was back in her cheeks. With a laugh, Scarlett finished her cocktail and bid her sister goodbye.

On her way back to Fontaine Richesse, Scarlett’s fingers itched to dial Logan’s number. She was desperate to find out if he’d heard from Madison, but decided to heed Violet’s advice to give him some space.

Scarlett returned to her office. Normally she would go down and make sure everything was running smoothly in the casino, but tonight she needed some uninterrupted time to sort through the day’s revelations.

The message light on her office phone made her heart leap. Maybe Madison had returned her call. But it was Logan who had left the message. He was heading to L.A. to find his niece. Why hadn’t he called her cell? The most obvious answer was he hadn’t wanted to talk to her.

She dropped into her desk chair with a frustrated exhale, her thoughts coming full circle. Maybe she’d been right to end things. Logan showed no sign that he’d stop treating her like a friendly enemy and start regarding her as his partner. On the other hand, the chemistry between them was explosive enough to make it worth their while to find some middle ground.

Of course, Logan’s steely determination wasn’t conducive to compromising any more than her stubborn streak made her easy to get along with. But she’d sacrificed a fabulous part in a television series in order to stay in Las Vegas and be with Logan. And he’d tracked her down at her suite to ask that she not leave town. Surely that spoke to change for both of them.