Then I hear Blake exhale. “Come on, Scar. You’re reading way too much into this.”
His tone drops, coaxing now. “You know how her family is. We’re almost there. Just… take care of it.”
Scarlett lets out a short, humorless breath. “Iamtaking care of it. That’s the problem.”
“You’re good at it,” he says quickly. “That’s why this works. You handle the details, I keep the Ashfords happy. We’re a team.”
“Natalie’s happy. Her parents are happy. So are yours.”
A breath.
“What about me?”
“Come on, baby. Don’t do this right now.” Blake’s voice dips low. “Later, Scarlett… I’ll make you so happy you’ll be screaming my name.”
“It’s not just about sex, Blake.”
A low chuckle. Too smooth.
“Funny. You never minded when I was giving you the best ride in your life.”
My stomach turns.
“That doesn’t give you the right to undermine me in front of everyone.” Scarlett snaps.
“I wasn’t undermining you,” Blake coaxes. “I was fixing it. For us.”
Another pause. His voice drops further. Intimate. Calculated.
“Handle it like you always do. Then later, I’ll make it worth your while.”
“That’s not how this works,” Scarlett fires back. “You don’t get to trade my authority for their approval.”
Blake sighs like she’s being difficult.
“It’s a wedding. This is literally your job.”
Her reply is instant.
“No. This is my jobwhen I’m respected.”
Silence again. Thick. Charged.
Then Blake, lighter. Almost joking.
“Relax. You look so cute right now. You look cute when you’re mad. Best for makeup sex.”
When Scarlett speaks, her voice is ice.
“Stuff your cock away. You don’t get to charm your way out of this."
“I’ll be reworking the seating chart all through the night. Calling the rental company for additional chairs. Reassigning ushers. Rerouting the processional. Updating the photographer’s sightlines. And getting revised escort cards approved. All because you wanted to look impressive.”
A beat.
Then, colder: “If you ever put me in that position again, I won’t clean it up quietly.”
Then I hear her moving. Footsteps. Sharp. Purposeful.
