Page 19 of A Twisted Arrangement

“All handled. Your asshole ex won’t bother you again.”

My stomach twists as the small device presses into my palm. How could I forget this is why he’s here?

He doesn’t move away like I expect him to. Instead, his mouth moves closer to mine until his breath tickles my lips, and I can almost taste whatever sweet mint he’s been chewing on.

“I’ve come to call in my payment.”

I jerk a little, but he keeps me still with a firm grasp of my jaw. I knew it was coming, but I didn’t know it would be so soon.

“What…what do you want?” This time, I can’t hide the tremble in my voice. The thoughts swirling around of what he can want when he’s so close.

“Kiss me, Scarlet.”

His words are an echo of mine from all those years ago. One that has a million memories flooding my head filled with promises he’d made. I push them away, trying to find some semblance of clarity.

“What?” I say breathily.

“There’s no running away now, Little Sparrow.” His lips brush mine. “Kiss me.”

Before I can even comprehend what I’m doing, my desires from my past take over, and all rational thoughts leave me as I close the distance between us.

His mouth isn’t soft; it’s hard and demanding. Like he wants to own a part of me and show me just how much I need him.

I kiss him back, pulling him closer, losing all sanity as he pushes his knee between my thighs and devours me until my lungs burn.

“Fuck, my memories didn’t do this justice.” His open mouth kisses along my jaw and down my neck, where he sucks on my sensitive skin, and I tilt my head to the side, giving him more room as I grip his hair and hold him closer.

There’s a knock on the door, snapping me into reality, but he doesn’t let me go even when I pull away, instead sucking my bottom lip into his mouth and biting it.

“This isn’t over.”

There’s a twinge in my heart, and I remind myself that this man told me I was nothing to him while pushing me away and disappeared from my life and has done nothing to make me trust him since. Bracing myself, I shake my head.

“Yes, it is.”

He lets me push him back, and I go to the door, swinging it open to see my antsy boss. She’s a few years older than me, with tight, curly black hair braided into micro braids that she’s pulled back into an intricate bun that I could only wish I could achieve.Her cream jacket is the perfect complement to her deep brown skin.

“He’s not here yet.”

Still in a daze, I can’t piece together what she means. “Who?”

“The client. He didn’t show.”

Shit. I’d forgotten all about the meeting.

I can feel Matthias step behind me into the doorway even before he says anything.

“You must be looking for me.”

Chapter 10

Matthias

“Do you two know each other?”Mrs. Robertson asks, looking between Scarlet and me, but my attention is caught on the pink crawling up my girl’s cheeks and the way her heartbeat is visible in the curve of her neck. She’s doing everything she can to push that kiss behind her, but she can’t.

“We’re childhood friends,” I reply when Scarlet stays silent. I love that I left her speechless.

My fingers flex at my sides as I prevent myself from closing the door in the lawyer’s face and taking my future wife on her desk like my cock’s demanding I do.

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