Page 15 of Vermilion Desire

“You shouldn’t provoke others.” As much as I enjoyed that, I don’t exactly approve of what she did without consulting me first.

“I promise it’s not for petty reasons, Mr. Wolf.”

I scowl, hating the bright sunlight in my eyes. “Then why did you do that?”

“I wanted to see if he would get angry. He’s always putting on this prince-like face, and it’s spooky.”

Having known Scarletta since she was a young girl, I understand every moment of her, and she is lying right now. Not a full lie, but she is holding something back from me.

That’s not acceptable.

“Whatever you are thinking, is it going to hurt you?”

She considers her options with a purse of her lips. “Well… I don’t think so.”

“I want a guarantee, baby.” The more she is able to accept the pet name, the easier for me to restrict her freedom to me.

“I can promise you that I won’t seek out foreseeable danger, but I can’t control what comes to me.”

Another car whizzes by us, speeding down the street, and we come back to the street where three curious characters had a face-to-face in the middle of the streets.

“That’s a start, but I want you to be careful about him. Berkshire is a sly bastard.” I lift my shoulder, nudging her head with my arm, and she nods obediently.

“It’s easy to make people like him angry.” She giggles as our house come to view. “I just have to find bait, set it down with some waves in the pond, and watch him destroy himself.”

“Explain. I’m interested.” I open the door and let her in first.

I follow her into the kitchen to drop the bags on the table. She digs around, pulling groceries out with a grin. Her red hair falls to her shoulders, amber eyes glowing with mirth, and a smile of glee.

“Pride is a sin, and he values that. In his eyes, he is perfect, and nothing is wrong with him.”

I recall the moment his façade truly cracks. “You mentioned his inbreeding history.”

“It’s not a good association with the Berkshire family name, and he can’t maintain that fairy tale lifestyle with that dirt.”

She opens the refrigerator and begins packing food away. I help her with the cupboard section, but I still want to pick her brain. She lives up to her title as a gifted child chosen to be in the international program.

The chances of us meeting without that would be slim to none, and I can’t bear to think of a dull life without my precious little Scarletta.

“You would be a great police consultant.”

She pokes her head out with a smile. “Are you trying to steal me away from the research facility?”

“Yes,” I say, not bothering to hide the desire leaking in my voice.

“You’d have to go through Beth Senior and Beth Junior.”

Her laughter echoes in the refrigerator. One is her supervisor, and one is her other coworker, but I can’t recall which is which. I believe she didn’t clarify when she mentioned them before.

“No one can stop me from taking you, baby.” I nearly crush the cereal box in my hand as I take in her crouched form on the ground.

She whips her head around, red hair flying like a ring of fire halo and prettily flushed round cheeks.

“You’re making me blush, Mr. Wolf!”

Her words are unintentionally provoking, and to a man already addicted to her, she is luring me one step at a time to my demise in her sweet, sweet, love.

Chapter Five

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