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“No. I’ve been trying to tell you something.”
Alarm bells start ringing somewhere from inside me. I narrow my eyes. “What?”
“I set it up.”
For a moment I don’t move.
Time has stopped or I’ve gone and done it, finally lost my mind. Because it sounded like Hudson just told me he’d done something he’d never do. He—he did say that.
I replay it again, just to be sure.
Nope, definitely.
I narrow my eyes. “You did what now?”
“Set it up.” He uncrosses his arms and spreads them wide.
“Why would you do that? They made it sound like I was some dirty secret! Mystery woman?”
The corner of his mouth twitches and it sets my blood boiling. Oh, yeah, it bubbles and spits in my veins and it takes everything I am not to shove him. Hard.
“I upped the ante. That’s why we went to those places, especially the dinner. Come on, you know I’m not the type to go there.”
He wasn’t and it hadn’t even hit me. I was just so caught up in him after pulling off showing him my place, so impressed he didn’t wrinkle his nose or look down on me or judge me as the fallen rich girl. He doesn’t know that’s just me and my place and I’ve never been rich, but he didn’t judge me for what he thinks I am and that meant something.
Like me being an idiot, obviously.
“So you took me out to…what? Get a photo-op and a fuck?”
He winces. “The first, yes, the second wasn’t a plan. That happened.”
“And gullible Scarlett went for it.” I shake my head, not sure who I’m more disgusted with, him or me.
Him because he’s pissing me off, and me because…yes, I wanted to sleep with him, I still do…I went there again thinking, I don’t know what. Not that we’d suddenly get a happy ending. This man doesn’t believe in the romantic happy ending. I’m sure one day he’ll decide to pick someone suited to him and his life and position her just so and honestly, I hope he’s really miserable in the little hypothetical I just conjured.
And— I’m off topic. I’m pissed off. I’m furious. I want to make him bleed. And cry. Although I don’t think he does the latter.
Shit. Why am I so mad?
“We talked about upping the ante. I made a decision. Give a little whiff of a scandal to push things forward. I’m not sure why you’re upset about the sex.”
I sniff. “I’m not.”
He just looks at me like I’m lying. Which I am. And it makes me even madder. “The sex, we agreed, was a separate entity, just sex. You—”
“I’m not. I just don’t like the feeling of being used.”
“I’m paying you.”
It’s the reason in his tone that makes me stalk up to him and shove him. “I’m not your property. This is a fake relationship. Not just sort of fake boss and sort of fake employee.”
“Scarlett, you’re complicating things. I just wanted a nice, well-bred woman who needed extra cash from the same social strata as me. I figured you would take the money, and like any good girl of good breeding, you wouldn’t talk about your failed relationships.”
“I’m also not a horse.”
“No. Horses have a better temperament. Even the difficult ones.”
“You, Hudson, are a complete asshole.”
