揥hat does that mean??
揧ou抮e wondering how I got access.?She takes a bite of her pasta. Chews. Swallows. 揟hat抯 how.?
揙h,?is my brilliant response.
She hasn抰 shown any interest in Kensington Consolidated, but she抯 right. As of our marriage, she gained a substantial share of the company. More than enough to gain access to company reports, or anything else she might request.
揑 don抰 think you should take it,?she continues.
揟ake what??
She rolls her eyes. 揟he Royce offer.?
揜eally? I thought you抎 want me to.?
Her eyes narrow. 揥hy??
揃ecause of everything you just said to me. About earning your own accomplishments. Not being my dad抯 bitch.?
揑 never meant any of that shit, Crew.?
揧es, you did.?
揘o, I didn抰。 I wanted to hurt you and I didn抰 know how else to do it. Kensington Consolidated is your birthright. Your family抯 legacy. You deserve it. Anyone else would destroy it.?
I process that. 揥hat about Ellsworth Enterprises? I could say the same to you. You抮e the sole heir.?
She shrugs. 揥e抣l figure it out when that time comes, I guess.?
揥e, huh??
Pink stains her cheeks. 揑f there抯 a we, then.?
揑 didn抰 have a meeting today.?I blurt the confession with no prelude, no further explanation.
She studies me. 揥here did you go earlier??
揑 read at a caf?for three hours.?
揥hy??
I know she抯 not asking why I read. 揑 wanted to bring you here. I didn抰 think you抎 come otherwise.?
揑抦 a Kensington now.?
I blink at another rapid turn in conversation. 揧eah, I know. I was at the wedding, remember??
She doesn抰 smile at the lame joke. 揑f rouge fails梚f I fail梱our last name will be associated with it. That抯 why I got so upset in Paris. I don抰 want you to be disappointed in me.?
I抦 so stunned I can抰 speak. It feels like I抦 hearing these words through a wind tunnel桰 don抰 want you to be disappointed in me. From a distance and a shout. 揝car棓 I clear my throat. Once. Twice. 揝carlett, how could you桰 could never be disappointed in you, okay? I swear. You could murder someone, and I抎 bury the body, no questions asked. If rouge doesn抰 do well, I抣l be fucking proud of you for trying.?
A few seconds pass where she says nothing, and I become convinced I should have said nothing. They add up to fifty, and I spend most of them rewinding our conversation, spotting all the ways I could have avoided this.
揑 spied on you.?
揥hat??
She half-smiles and gulps more wine. 揑f we抮e sharing secrets?When I was in Paris, I spied on you every night. Through the security cameras. With the time difference, I was back at my hotel when you got home from work. I spied. Every single night.?
揥hy did you??
揑 was curious, I guess. What you would do. How you抎 act. What you were really like.?
揂nd what did you learn??
揘ot much. You抮e pretty boring.?
I smirk. 揘ot boring enough not to spy on, apparently.?
Making Scarlett blush might be my new favorite hobby. Every time, it feels like a gift. An accomplishment.
揥hatever.?
My grin widens. She laughs and looks away.
揧ou ready to go??
揧eah.?
I flag a waiter and pay the check, stealing glances at Scarlett the whole time.
By the time we leave the restaurant, it抯 pitch black out. I didn抰 realize how much time had passed. When I抦 with her, I don抰 focus on anything else. A disconcerting realization for someone used to being in control.
The later hour hasn抰 dampened any activity. The streets are just as busy as they were earlier. We walk side by side, closer than is called for. I glare at every guy who does a double take at her.
Scarlett stumbles over absolutely nothing, and I reach out to grab her arm. She laughs. 揑 thought we didn抰 touch.?
揧ou抮e drunk,?I realize.
She thrusts one hand in my face, holding her thumb and pointer finger tightly pressed together right in front of my face. 揙nly this much.?
I tug them a few inches apart. 揑 think you mean this much.?
I抳e never seen Scarlett tipsy before. Usually, she抯 the picture of poise and snark no matter how many glasses of champagne she抯 downed. It抯 oddly endearing, how her eyes twinkle and her nose crinkles. She looks younger. 揘ope.?She pops the P and closes the gap. Between her fingers and between us. 揑 meant this much.?
Before I can reply, she kisses me. She抯 unsteady on her heels, leaning on me and off-center as she loops her arms around my neck and sucks on my tongue on a busy street.
Most of our kisses have been hurried. This is no exception. She kisses me like there抯 a timer. Like the world is ending and we抮e the only two people who still exist.