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“I’m not done kissing you yet,” I murmured.
Scarlett exhaled shakily, but she didn’t move away.
She never moved away.
This time, I let her come tome.
And she did.
Her lips met mine in a slow, deliberate kiss, her fingers tangling in my jacket.
I deepened it, letting her taste exactly what she did to me—how badly I wanted her.
By the time we pulled apart, she was flushed, her chest rising and falling rapidly.
Her door was right there.
She could invite me in.
And dang it, I wanted her to.
But then I remembered my conversation with Cole.
Patience.
Let her come to you.
Scarlett hesitated for a fraction of a second—then stepped back.
My jaw tensed, but I covered it with a smirk.
“Goodnight, Scarlett,” I murmured, pressing one last lingering kiss to her lips.
Then I turned and walked away, leaving her standing at her door.
I’d won the business deal.
But this?
This was the real game.
And I had all the time in the world to play it.
6
V
V pacedthe length of her sleek, ultra-modern kitchen, her heels clicking against the marble floors like gunfire.
The open-concept space—cold steel appliances, pristine white countertops, and a view of the city skyline—usually gave her a sense of satisfaction, a reminder of just how far she’d come.
But tonight, none of it mattered.
Scarlett Lane had won again.
The name alone made her stomach twist in fury. V clenched her fists, trying to swallow the rage clawing up her throat.
How had that nobody managed to land Christian Valen as a business partner?