Page 23 of Only Ever Mine

“I’m not done kissing you yet,” I murmured.

Scarlett exhaled shakily, but she didn’t move away.

She never moved away.

This time, I let her come tome.

And she did.

Her lips met mine in a slow, deliberate kiss, her fingers tangling in my jacket.

I deepened it, letting her taste exactly what she did to me—how badly I wanted her.

By the time we pulled apart, she was flushed, her chest rising and falling rapidly.

Her door was right there.

She could invite me in.

And dang it, I wanted her to.

But then I remembered my conversation with Cole.

Patience.

Let her come to you.

Scarlett hesitated for a fraction of a second—then stepped back.

My jaw tensed, but I covered it with a smirk.

“Goodnight, Scarlett,” I murmured, pressing one last lingering kiss to her lips.

Then I turned and walked away, leaving her standing at her door.

I’d won the business deal.

But this?

This was the real game.

And I had all the time in the world to play it.

6

V

V pacedthe length of her sleek, ultra-modern kitchen, her heels clicking against the marble floors like gunfire.

The open-concept space—cold steel appliances, pristine white countertops, and a view of the city skyline—usually gave her a sense of satisfaction, a reminder of just how far she’d come.

But tonight, none of it mattered.

Scarlett Lane had won again.

The name alone made her stomach twist in fury. V clenched her fists, trying to swallow the rage clawing up her throat.

How had that nobody managed to land Christian Valen as a business partner?

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