Page 1 of Vermilion Desire

Chapter One

Scarletta

I knock on the door, letting the silence of the night eat away the sound as a distant howl from a dog echo through. A car passes behind me as the headlights drag my silhouette on the door of my beloved Mr. Wolf’s house.

The door opens and in comes a man with burly shoulders, towering height, and an intimidating aura. At first glance, Mr. Wolf is what every fairy tale story describes as villainous; his name is self-explanatory, his appearance resembles a bear with skin, and he has a growly voice.

Everything in him screams predator.

“Mr. Wolf!” I greet, smiling up at the man who curls his eyebrows in confusion.

He steps aside without questioning me or the luggage that I haul behind me. He takes the suitcase from me and effortlessly puts it to the side while I toe off my shoes to face him.

“Are you hurt?” he asks, wrapping his hand under my jaw to tip my head side to side.

His hand is warm, and I shiver involuntarily, and he smells even better. He just showered, his wet hair is evident, and I kind of regret not coming here quicker.

Anyone who finds Mr. Wolf unattractive is utterly foolish. When I was sixteen and became the child under Mr. Wolf’s detective partner’s care. I’m in the program for international student housing service, and my guardian is Mr. Wolf’s friend, Cal.

I like the other older man; he’s funny and lax with his rules. As long as I’m safe, he doesn’t care what I do in my free time. The day I was introduced to Mr. Wolf was the week after being settled into my new housing situation.

He had come over to discuss a case while I was in the middle of figuring out my program situation and find out who my seniors are.

It was love at first sight with Mr. Wolf. He was so handsome, so alluring, and so big. Not only did he brought me a pastry, but he was also extremely kind to me and helped me in locating the research facility that I have chosen to work in my international program.

People say only gifted children can be presented this opportunity, but I don’t see myself as anything special other than being a bit too interested in rare diseases and the ability to focus on my studies.

Anyone with the right motivation can be like that. Either way, this opportunity allowed me to meet Mr. Wolf.

“Scarletta?” Mr. Wolf pinch my cheek, dragging me out of my thoughts.

I pout at the slight sting. “It hurts, Mr. Wolf.”

A flicker of panic crosses his face, and he lets go of my cheek to rub on the tender spot. “I’m sorry, baby. Are you okay?”

Mr. Wolf is not the stereotypical villain. He’s pure-hearted and gentle; he’s mindful of his monstrous strength when he’s touching me, and he holds me as if I am the most precious thing to him.

He seems to not notice the pet name, and I don’t mind; it makes me fizzy on the inside as I giggle. I shake my head; my red hair falling from my bun and crack a grin at him.

“I’m just playing with you!”

Mr. Wolf scowls and retaliates with another pinch. He ruffles my hair and steers me to the kitchen, where he has a bunch of files out, and he swipes them with proficiency as if he has had a lot of practice.

“Sit,” he says as he jerks his thumb to the kitchen chair.

I look around the kitchen first, and nothing stands out to me other than the window above the sink that peers into the other house. It shows nothing but a wall of blackness. However, the light in his house pinpoints the wall color to be copper.

They’re bricks. I shrug and turn to Mr. Wolf as he raises an eyebrow, a cup of warm water in his hand that he passes to me. He waits for me to explain myself as to why I’m not at home with Cal when it’s way past midnight.

“He was called back to the station,” I say, shrugging my shoulders and sipping on the warm water to let the temperature of my body rise.

“Don’t tell me you’re scared to be home by yourself,” he teases, ruffling my red hair again.

My nose itches as I peer at him through my thick lashes. “It’s really scary. Can I stay with you tonight?”

It’s redundant to ask since I have already packed every piece of clothing in my suitcase, but that’s for a different reason that I need to get his permission. I’m positive it isn’t going to be difficult, Mr. Wolf has a soft spot for me, and I know he would do anything to make me happy.

Or Cal would come flying through the door. Cal is a protective father figure that I never had, nor have I ever had a mother figure who taught me anything about love. I only lived with my grandmother until she had a stroke and had to be put into a nursing home and then I was picked up by the gifted children program that grooms rising talent.

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