that would change soon.
“Let me guess,” Lewis said. “Boring bedroom.”
“
Beautiful
bedroom.” She emphasized the beautiful. “Very high-end. Designer everything. In floral prints and pastel colors I hated. A showroom that had to be maintained as such on the off chance one of mom’s snooty friends happened by to take a peek. No shoes on the carpet. No eating on the bed. No pens or markers. No makeup. No pictures or posters or anything to reflect my style and taste.” A fictional set in which she served as a decorative prop to add to the illusion of the happy, successful, fairytale family.
“I like the comforter set,” he said, studying one of the advertisements. “And I’m fine with the posters and even the rug.” He looked at her. “Jessie can do whatever she wants in her room,” he hesitated, “within reason, of course. But there will be no purple wall.”
“When I asked about her ideal bedroom, Jessie specifically said it’d have a purple wall. It’s what she wants.” What would make her feel settled and in her own space. And Scarlet was going to see that she got it.
“It’s important for children to know they can’t always get what they want.”
“Considering her mother is dead and she was forced to leave the only home she’d ever known and all of her friends to live with a man she’d never met and attend a school she hates, I think Jessie has already learned that lesson,” Scarlet pointed out.
“She hates her school?” he asked, looking truly puzzled.
“When she talks, don’t be so quick to dismiss what she says as complaining or being difficult. Listen to her. She has some valid grievances.”
Lewis opened his mouth to say something but Scarlet held up her finger to stop him. “You can discuss them with her when she gets home,
after
you present her fabulously funky new bedroom with the bright purple wall that will show her, and leave no doubt, that you have given her a permanent space of her very own.”
“She’ll have her very own bedroom with her very own door. She doesn’t need a purple wall.”
Stubborn. But so was Scarlet. “I am not giving up on this,” she said. It was too important. “What do you want?”
“What do you mean what do I want?”
“What do I have to do to get you to agree to the purple wall?”
That got his attention. His lips curved into a slow, sexy, seductive smile. “Let me get this straight,” he said. “You’ll give me whatever I want to get me to agree to let you paint a wall in Jessie’s room purple?”
“I didn’t say
whatever
you want, you pervert,” she clarified, instantly regretting her impulsive statement. “Like I would actually sleep with you to get you to agree to a paint color. Is that how the women you prefer getyou to do what they want? By offering you sex? Paint the wall. Don’t paint the wall. Your call. I’ve done what you asked me to do. You have pictures, store names and confirmation numbers on the advertisements. My work here is done.” She turned toward the door.
“A kiss,” he called out.
She stopped.
“On the lips. With tongue.”
And Jessie would get her purple wall. Scarlet turned to face him. “You honestly expect me to compromise my principles and use my body as a bargaining tool.”
He stood there so cocky and confident, attractive, alluring… “Only your mouth.”
Seemed a minor deed for a major victory that would mean so much to Jessie. “No other physical contact.”
He pulled out a stool and sat down. Then he leaned back, rested his elbows on the island counter behind him and spread his thighs. “I will be a perfect gentleman.”
She walked toward him. “For the record, a perfect gentleman wouldn’t coerce a woman into kissing him.”
He smiled. “Okay, maybe not a perfect gentleman, how about a close-to-perfect gentleman?”
She eyed his naked chest, which was close to perfect indeed. Smooth and muscled with minimal hair. “Maybe you should put on a shirt first,” she
“Let me guess,” Lewis said. “Boring bedroom.”
“
Beautiful
bedroom.” She emphasized the beautiful. “Very high-end. Designer everything. In floral prints and pastel colors I hated. A showroom that had to be maintained as such on the off chance one of mom’s snooty friends happened by to take a peek. No shoes on the carpet. No eating on the bed. No pens or markers. No makeup. No pictures or posters or anything to reflect my style and taste.” A fictional set in which she served as a decorative prop to add to the illusion of the happy, successful, fairytale family.
“I like the comforter set,” he said, studying one of the advertisements. “And I’m fine with the posters and even the rug.” He looked at her. “Jessie can do whatever she wants in her room,” he hesitated, “within reason, of course. But there will be no purple wall.”
“When I asked about her ideal bedroom, Jessie specifically said it’d have a purple wall. It’s what she wants.” What would make her feel settled and in her own space. And Scarlet was going to see that she got it.
“It’s important for children to know they can’t always get what they want.”
“Considering her mother is dead and she was forced to leave the only home she’d ever known and all of her friends to live with a man she’d never met and attend a school she hates, I think Jessie has already learned that lesson,” Scarlet pointed out.
“She hates her school?” he asked, looking truly puzzled.
“When she talks, don’t be so quick to dismiss what she says as complaining or being difficult. Listen to her. She has some valid grievances.”
Lewis opened his mouth to say something but Scarlet held up her finger to stop him. “You can discuss them with her when she gets home,
after
you present her fabulously funky new bedroom with the bright purple wall that will show her, and leave no doubt, that you have given her a permanent space of her very own.”
“She’ll have her very own bedroom with her very own door. She doesn’t need a purple wall.”
Stubborn. But so was Scarlet. “I am not giving up on this,” she said. It was too important. “What do you want?”
“What do you mean what do I want?”
“What do I have to do to get you to agree to the purple wall?”
That got his attention. His lips curved into a slow, sexy, seductive smile. “Let me get this straight,” he said. “You’ll give me whatever I want to get me to agree to let you paint a wall in Jessie’s room purple?”
“I didn’t say
whatever
you want, you pervert,” she clarified, instantly regretting her impulsive statement. “Like I would actually sleep with you to get you to agree to a paint color. Is that how the women you prefer getyou to do what they want? By offering you sex? Paint the wall. Don’t paint the wall. Your call. I’ve done what you asked me to do. You have pictures, store names and confirmation numbers on the advertisements. My work here is done.” She turned toward the door.
“A kiss,” he called out.
She stopped.
“On the lips. With tongue.”
And Jessie would get her purple wall. Scarlet turned to face him. “You honestly expect me to compromise my principles and use my body as a bargaining tool.”
He stood there so cocky and confident, attractive, alluring… “Only your mouth.”
Seemed a minor deed for a major victory that would mean so much to Jessie. “No other physical contact.”
He pulled out a stool and sat down. Then he leaned back, rested his elbows on the island counter behind him and spread his thighs. “I will be a perfect gentleman.”
She walked toward him. “For the record, a perfect gentleman wouldn’t coerce a woman into kissing him.”
He smiled. “Okay, maybe not a perfect gentleman, how about a close-to-perfect gentleman?”
She eyed his naked chest, which was close to perfect indeed. Smooth and muscled with minimal hair. “Maybe you should put on a shirt first,” she
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