揧ou shouldn抰 have shown these to me.?
揑 know.?
揑抎 be an idiot to sign away shares.?
揑 know that too.?
揃ut you think I will.?It抯 a statement, not a question.
揧es.?
We stare at each other for a few heady seconds. I抦 tempted to call what I think is a bluff. To see her mostly green eyes flash and catch the ire she抣l fling my way. If she was another woman梟ot my fianc閑桰 would. Then again, I can抰 picture anyone else pulling a stunt like this with me.
揑抦 not signing until my legal team has looked at it,?I say.
揃ut you抣l sign it??
There抯 no mistaking the hope in her voice. This matters to her; it抯 not just a power play or a test. My response will ripple past this conversation to the rest of our relationship.
I want her to like me.
The thought is bizarre. People worry about what I think of them梟ot the other way around. 揑f that抯 the only thing you changed? Yes.?
Scarlett bites down on her bottom lip. I watch her white teeth sink into the red skin. As we stare at each other, I realize two things. One, for all her brash declarations, she didn抰 think I would agree. Two, I want to kiss her. Badly. The same awareness that swirled around us in Proof appears in my office, thickening the air until it抯 all I can breathe.
There抯 a knock on the door.
揥hat??I call out. Irritation at the interruption seeps out into my voice.
Isabel, one of the board executives, opens it and pokes her head in. 揅rew, I棓 She stops speaking as soon as she spots Scarlett. 揙h. I桰 didn抰 realize you were in the middle of something.?
揥e抮e not.?Scarlett stands and shoulders her handbag. I抦 expecting the contrary emotions she elicits in me this time. The wish that she抎 stay. She thinks she makes the decisions, and I find it both amusing and arousing. 揝ee you later, sweetheart.?
I smirk before replying. 揟hanks for stopping by, dearest.?
Scarlett rolls her eyes before striding toward the doorway where Isabel is still standing. Isabel doesn抰 move, blocking the door half-way open.
I watch the scene unfold, immediately knowing which woman I would bet money on. It would make my life a hell of a lot easier if Scarlett had the spineless socialite personality I was expecting, but I can抰 summon any disappointment I ended up saddled with a spitfire. She fascinates me, and I抳e never been able to say that about a woman before.
Isabel Sterling is a year older than I am. She worked her way up the ranks of my family抯 company since starting a position here right out of college to become one of only two female members of the board. I抳e seen her stare down powerful men until they fold.
I don抰 think Scarlett isn抰 going to scurry through the small opening like a dirty secret, though. And she doesn抰 disappoint. 揗ove,?she instructs. Her tone is haughty and her back is straight as a ruler.
Reluctantly, Isabel shuffles to the side. In a minute act of defiance, she doesn抰 push open the door. Scarlett shoves it ajar herself and walks out of my office.
Isabel shuts the door behind her with a huff. 揟hat抯 Scarlett Ellsworth??
揧ep.?I stand from the couch and grab the stack of papers Scarlett left behind. 揥hat did you need, Isabel??
揟he Powers Corporation sent over new slides before their pitch. I thought you抎 like to look at the numbers before the Andover meeting.?
Looks like I won抰 be eating the rest of my lunch. 揊ine. We can use the main conference room until the meeting starts.?
Isabel nods. I follow her out of my office and stop by Celeste抯 desk, dropping the stack of papers consisting of my prenup on the counter, encircling her space with a thud. 揋et these to legal,?I instruct. 揑 want them to look through every word and get me a memo listing every difference from the original document that was drawn up. Have them tab every spot I抦 supposed to sign too. I don抰 have time to go through it all myself. Again. Tell them to drop everything else. I want this done by the end of the day.?
揧es, of course.?Celeste grabs the papers and hurries toward the elevators.
I stride to where Isabel is waiting. As we walk, she fills me in on the changes that were made to the pitch tomorrow. The main conference room is in the very center of the executive floor, surrounded by glass that抯 frosted during important meetings.
揥hat did Scarlett want??Isabel asks as soon as we enter the room. I can tell she抯 trying to sound casual, but the question alone is an anomaly. Isabel and I discuss business, that抯 it. It抯 why we work well together.
I unbutton my jacket and take a seat at the table. 揝ome paperwork needed to be straightened out.?
揝he could have had it sent over,?Isabel points out.
揝he wanted to talk in person.?I pull out the notes for the meeting.