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“Fuck you.”
Fifteen minutes later, I pulled up to the address Grayson had given me, taking in the quaint little building nestled among towering pines. Wright & Hayes Environmental Law. Just the name alone made me want to roll my eyes.
Inside, the receptionist looked up with a polite smile as I strolled in. “Good afternoon, sir. How can I help you?”
“I have an appointment to see Scarlett Wright.”
The welcoming smile faded. “Ah yes, Mr. Rivers. Please have a seat, and she’ll be right with you.”
I nodded, taking a seat in one of the plush armchairs in the waiting area. My eyes drifted around the space, unsurprised by the earthy tones and potted plants scattered about. This woman was clearly a nature nut through and through.
Several minutes ticked by and I was just starting to tap my foot impatiently when the door to the inner office opened. I glanced over and felt my breath catch in my throat.
Scarlett Wright was gorgeous - the kind of beauty that made a man forget his own name. She wore a fitted burgundy dress that skimmed over every delicious curve, paired with strappy black heels that made her calves look incredible. Thick, glossy waves of dark hair tumbled over her shoulders, framing a face with high cheekbones and full lips painted a deep berry shade.
I let my gaze rove over every inch of her, drinking her in. Until I got to her eyes. They were the most stunning shade of blue I’d ever seen, with thick, dark lashes. Right now, though? They were filled with…contempt. Derision. Disdain. This woman utterly despised me.
“Mr. Rivers. Pleased to meet you.”
She had a voice like molten honey. Because of course she did. I took her outstretched hand in mine, doing my best to ignore the tingle that ran up my arm at the light touch.Get a grip, asshole.
With a gesture to the door, she’d just come through she said, “If you’ll just come through here.”
“Certainly.”
Did I check out her ass as she walked ahead of me? Of course I did. I was also stupid enough to take a deep breath as I moved past her into the small conference room. Fuck, she smelled good.
As she turned to take a seat across the tiny round table from me, I let my gaze drop. Just a quick little flick, down to the tantalizing glimpse of cleavage revealed by the deep V of her dress. I swallowed hard. Uh huh, great tits. I willed myself to focus as I leaned back in the chair.
“So, Mr. Rivers,” she began, her tone clipped and professional. “I understand you’re here on behalf of Rivers Development regarding the Henderson property acquisition.” Did she really have to lean forward and fold her arms on the table like that? Push her breasts up like that? A stronger man would have kept his gaze up. Turns out, I’m weak as water. I just couldn’t resist a glance.
When I forced my eyes back up to her face, I could tell she’d caught the movement. Those piercing blue eyes bored into me, entirely unimpressed. Time to get professional. “That’s right,” I managed, clearing my throat. “My brothers asked me to meet with you to discuss the, uh, environmental concerns you’ve raised.”
One perfectly sculpted eyebrow arched delicately. “I see. And I take it they also filled you in on the rare frog species found inhabiting the wetlands on that property?”
Shit, I really should have read the file more thoroughly instead of just skimming it. Hesitating, I gave a small nod. “Something about frogs, yes.”
The disdainful look she shot me made it abundantly clear she saw right through my bullshit bravado. This woman wasn’t going to make things easy, that was for damn sure. I forced myself to sit up a little straighter, fixing her with my most charming smile as I sought to regain some semblance of control over the situation.
“Look, Scarlett?—”
“Ms. Wright,” she corrected with a pointed look.
“Always?”
“Always what?”
“Always right.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Yes, as a matter of fact.”
Okay, so trying to lighten the mood wasn’t going to work.
Clearing my throat again, I tried a different tactic. “Ms. Wright. Let’s cut right to it, shall we? I’m here because my family wantsto move forward with developing those properties. But from what I understand, you have some objections on environmental grounds that are holding things up. So, let’s have it out, you and me. How can we get on the same page here?”
CHAPTER 2
Scarlett