Page 10 of Only Ever Mine

She blinked, then let out a soft laugh. “You’re persistent, I’ll give you that.”

“I’m used to getting what I want,” I said, letting a smirk tug at my lips.

“And what happens if I say no?”

“You won’t,” I said confidently. “Because you’re curious. About the partnership… and about me.”

Her gaze locked on mine, and for a moment, the world seemed to shrink around us.

She hesitated, her guard still firmly in place, but I could see the cracks.

“Fine,” she said finally, her voice soft but resolute. “One dinner. But don’t expect any promises.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” I said, though we both knew I wasn’t just talking about business anymore.

She turned back toward the kitchen, signaling the conversation was over for now, but I didn’t miss the faint smile tugging at her lips.

“Scarlett,” I called after her.

She paused, glancing over her shoulder.

“Wear something that’ll make it hard for me to focus on dinner.”

Her laugh was soft and low, and the sound of it followed me out of the restaurant, echoing in my mind long after I left.

Much later, I stared out the floor-to-ceiling windows of my penthouse.

Scarlett was like no one I’d ever met—brilliant, beautiful, maddeningly guarded. And for the first time in years, I felt… uncertain.

Was I out of my league?

The question hung in the air like a fog I couldn’t shake. Women usually came with no strings, no complications, no real depth.

Not to say they weren’t interesting in their own ways, but most of them saw the Valen name and the life it promised long before they ever saw me.

And I liked it that way—clean, detached, easy.

But Scarlett? She was different. She looked right through the polished armor I wore and saw me, the real me, in ways that felt unnervingly raw.

That woman had a way of making me feel like I was both ten feet tall and completely vulnerable, all at the same time.

I ran a hand through my hair, frustration gnawing at me. I needed advice.

Someone who’d been there—someone who had the guts to dive into uncharted territory and come out on the other side.

Cole.

I sighed and grabbed my phone, scrolling through my contacts until I hit his name.

My older brother had always been the steady one, the one who balanced our family’s chaos without letting it break him.

If anyone knew how to handle this mess of emotions, it was him.

The line rang twice before Cole picked up. “Christian. Late-night call. What’s wrong?”

I leaned against the window, tapping my fingers against the glass. “Who says something’s wrong?”

“You don’t call me unless you need something,” he said, his voice laced with amusement. “It’s either business or you’ve gotten yourself into trouble. Which is it this time?”

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