Lahat ng Kabanata ng Under the Mistletoe with my Ex's Brother : Kabanata 21 - Kabanata 30

The knock on my hotel door was firm, controlled—just like everything else about Damian Cole. I yanked it open, keeping my body firmly planted in the doorway. No way was I letting him into my space. Not now. Not when I could barely control the urge to either slap him or scream at him. Maybe both. "Scarlet." His voice was smooth, dark, entirely too calm for someone who'd just upended my entire life. He stood there in his perfectly tailored suit, not a hair out of place, looking every inch the powerful billionaire who thought he could manipulate the world to his liking. "Did you do this?" I demanded, not bothering with pleasantries. "Do what?" But his expression gave him away. That slight tilt of his head, the way his eyes held mine without flinching — too knowing. He wasn't even going to pretend to be confused? "The job offer," I bit out, my voice shaking despite my best efforts to control it. "Minneapolis. The Midwest Medical Group. Did you orchestrate this?" For a moment

HE'S OBSESSED WITH YOU Scarlet The pounding on my apartment door came at eight in the evening, just after I'd finished putting Jace to bed. I approached cautiously, peering through the peephole. My blood ran cold. Savannah. My stepsister stood in the hallway, arms crossed, expression cold. She looked different than I remembered—thinner, harder somehow. The softness that had always made men fall over themselves for her had been replaced by something sharp and brittle. I considered not answering. I considered pretending I wasn't home and waiting for her to leave. But Savannah's voice cut through the door. "I know you're in there, Scarlet. We need to talk." "I have nothing to say to you." I kept my voice low, conscious of Jace sleeping just down the hall. "Not even about your son?" The words sent ice through my veins. I yanked the door open, intending to tell her to leave, to threaten her with a restraining order if necessary. But Savannah was ready. She wedged her designer hee

ScarletI opened my mouth to do exactly that—to lie and say I felt nothing, wanted nothing from Damian Cole except his protection and resources.But the words wouldn't come.Because he was right. God help me, he was right.I had thought about it. Late at night when I couldn't sleep, when the apartment felt too empty and my body ached with a loneliness I'd been ignoring for five years. I'd wondered what it would be like to be touched again, to be wanted not for what I could provide but for who I was.And the man in those fantasies had dark eyes and a dangerous smile and looked far too much like the one standing in front of me now."I..." I started, then stopped, unsure what to say."If this clause makes you uncomfortable, we'll negotiate it," Damian offered, his voice gentler now. "But I need you to be honest with yourself—and with me—about why."I looked past him to where Marcus sat, still studiously avoiding eye contact. This was humiliating. Having this conversation in front of a la

WE'RE MOVING TOO FASTScarlet His face was inches from mine now. Close enough to kiss. Close enough that I could count his eyelashes if I wanted to, I could see the faint scar above his left eyebrow that I'd never noticed before."The point is that this is moving too fast," I whispered."We just signed a marriage contract that includes an intimacy clause you agreed to." His voice was rough now, strained. "How is this too fast?""Because I need time to—to adjust. To process. This morning I was a single mother contemplating a job offer. Now I'm married with a legally binding agreement to sleep with a man I barely know.""You know me.""I don't." The words came out more forcefully than I intended. "I know you're Damian Cole. I know you've been watching me for years in a way that should probably concern me more than it does. I know you orchestrated my job offer and probably half a dozen other things in my life without my knowledge."I put my hand on his chest, feeling his heart beating a

SPREAD YOUR LEGSScarletThe penthouse door slammed shut behind us, the sound echoing through the vast space.I barely had time to take in my surroundings—floor-to-ceiling windows, sleek modern furniture—before Damian's hands were on me again.He walked me backward, his mouth never leaving mine, until my back hit the wall beside the entrance. The impact knocked the breath from my lungs, but Damian swallowed my gasp, his tongue sweeping into my mouth with possessive intent.His hands were everywhere—sliding down my sides, gripping my hips, pulling me flush against him so I could feel exactly how much he wanted this. Wanted me."Bedroom," he growled against my lips. "Now."But he didn't wait for my response. Instead, he lifted me again, my legs wrapping around his waist as he carried me through the penthouse. I caught glimpses of rooms as we passed—a kitchen that was all dark granite and stainless steel, a living room with furniture that probably cost more than my car.Then we were in h