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I pulled back just enough to meet her widened gaze, letting my eyes roam over her flushed features appreciatively.
“You’re one hell of an adversary, my girl. Brilliant, passionate, a real spitfire in the courtroom. I have to admit, I’m looking forward to squaring off against you again. It’s been... invigorating.”
Scarlett stared up at me, lips parting on a surprised exhale. Her eyes dropped briefly to my mouth before flicking back up and holy fuck, I wanted to devour her right then and there.
But I settled for trailing a fingertip along the delicate line of her jaw, smirking when her pulse jumped wildly beneath my touch.
“That’s what I wanted out of today,” I told her frankly. “A chance to go another round with you. To see that fierce passion of yours ignited again before we settle this thing once and for all.”
Her breath hitched and her eyes darkened to a smoky indigo, raking over me. I felt a surge of heat, imagining her pushing me against the wall and have her way with me.
Which... yeah, I was totally on board with that plan.
The elevator jolted to a stop, shattering the heated tension between us. Scarlett blinked rapidly and took a stumbling step back, putting some space between us.
Pity. I was just starting to enjoy myself.
The gate rattled open, and Scarlett brushed past me without a word, those high heels clicking rapidly across the tile. I stood there for a moment, letting out a slow breath and checking out her ass one more time as she hurried away.
This game between us was just getting started. And I had no intention of backing down anytime soon.
A wolfish grin curved my lips as I turned to follow her out. Oh yes, Scarlett Wright was going to be one hell of a fun adversary.
I couldn’t wait to see what she did next.
CHAPTER 6
Scarlett
As I got out of the car in front of my office, my jaw was clenched so tight it was painful. Was there a bigger pain in the ass on the entire planet than Rhett Rivers? No, there was not. Irritation buzzed in my system as I dragged the office door open, gave Alice a curt ‘Hi there’ as I stomped past on my way to Cassidy’s office.
“Jackass.”
“Wow. And I was just sitting here minding my own business.”
“Sorry.” I slumped in the chair, gripping my hands to stop from biting my nails. Fuck, I was so annoyed.
“I’m the one that should be sorry. You weren’t meant to go on your own.”
Now I felt really bad. “No, it’s fine. I know you had your thing today.”
Cassidy did what she always did when we got anywhere near a personal topic. Her expression went perfectly blank, and her shoulders hunched.
I didn’t actually know what the thing was, other than that it involved Cassidy’s ex and that it wasn’t pretty. That part wasn’t really surprising. I’d met the guy a few times and really didn’t like him. But Cassidy seemed happy with him, in her quiet way. Until recently, something big had gone down between them. Cassidy had been almost non-verbal at work for a few weeks. All I could get out of her was that Brian had moved out and their relationship was over. Although I hadn’t wanted to pry, I’d gone so far as to phone her sister Hannah, just to see if there was anything I could do. That was the really weird part; Hannah hadn’t known anything more than that about the situation, either. We’d both agreed that Brian was a shit stain, and we’d be there for Cassidy if she needed to talk, but there was nothing more we could do than that. Since then, she’d barely said a word about it. I was pretty sure the only reason I even knew something was happening today was because Cassidy couldn’t join me for the mediation. “All good?”
Cassidy kept her eyes down, picking at the skin along her thumbnail. “We were trying for a baby.”
Fuck. “I’m so sorry, Cass.”
“It is what it is. I just don’t know why he would…Anyway, back to your jackass.”
Understanding that my very private friend was looking to change the subject, I went along with it. “He’s not my jackass! I wouldn’t touch him with a ten-foot barge pole!”
“I’ve googled him. He’s pretty hot.”
Memories of that moment in the elevator, with his scent surrounding me, his finger stroking my face. Fucking hell, now I was blushing. “Yeah, sure. But he knows it.”
Cassidy tilted her head to the side, surveying me with an amused look in her eyes. “He’s really got to you, hasn’t he?”