A Very Wicked Arrangement

A Very Wicked Arrangement Scarlett Avery Copyright © 2023 by Scarlett Avery Edited by John Hudspith Proofread by Chrissy Becker, Jamie Betts, Melody Fuhrman, Angela Tyler, Lisa Fearday, and Jacqueline (Jacks) Larson. Publisher’s Note: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination. Locales and public names are sometimes used for atmospheric purposes. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or to businesses, companies, events, institutions, or locales is coincidental. This book is for sale to adults over 18. All rights reserved under the International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Warning: the unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 . A Very Wicked Arrangement © Scarlett Avery ISBN 978-1-77498-119-1 No part of this book used automated software or AI in its creation. The content was written by a human (Scarlett Avery, the author). The cover was professionally designed and the interior was professionally formatted. Dedication For my readers who are unapologetic about their addiction to smut, but also need all the feels. Get the A VERY WICKED ARRANGEMENT Secret Chapter Join my mailing list and grab the Exclusive Secret Chapter or Storyboard for this romance. Great extra goodies. Hot deals. Zero spam. www.MyRomanceAddiction.com Table of Contents My Books Are Exclusive On Amazon! 1. Angelica 2. Hudson 3. Angelica 4. Angelica 5. Angelica 6. Hudson 7. Angelica 8. Hudson 9. Angelica 10. Hudson 11. Angelica 12. Angelica 13. Angelica 14. Hudson 15. Angelica 16. Hudson 17. Angelica 18. Hudson 19. Hudson 20. Angelica 21. Hudson 22. Angelica 23. Angelica 24. Hudson 25. Angelica 26. Hudson 27. Angelica 28. Hudson 29. Angelica 30. Angelica 31. Hudson 32. Angelica 33. Hudson 34. Angelica 35. Hudson 36. Angelica 37. Hudson 38. Angelica 39. Hudson 40. Hudson 41. Angelica 42. Hudson 43. Angelica 44. Hudson 45. Angelica 46. Angelica 47. Hudson 48. Angelica 49. Hudson 50. Angelica 51. Angelica Epilogue Hudson Epilogue Angelica Epilogue Hudson Bonus Scene Hudson Scarlett’s Book Banter! Get the Secret Chapter for A Very Wicked Arrangement! Sneak Peak of A Very Fake Boyfriend Chapter 1 | Zane Also by Scarlett Avery My Books Are Exclusive On Amazon! If you didn’t obtain this book via Amazon or Kindle Unlimited, you’re in possession of a stolen copy. Downloading an e-book without paying for it isn’t cool and it’s against the law. Those corrupted files often times contain viruses and malware that can damage your e-Reader or computer. Some may even steal your passwords and/or banking information. Please obtain my books from Amazon, and Amazon only. Piracy isn’t pretty and it hurts authors. It’s basically the same as you working a full-time job and not getting paid a cent for your efforts. Please, please, please support authors. Chapter 1 Angelica Leaning against the kitchen counter, I shove a spoonful of ice cream into my mouth, cursing the universe. The second the creaminess and ice-coldness of my dessert concoction hit my tongue, I can pretend to forget all about my shitty morning. Without ice cream, there would only be darkness and chaos. I can’t remember who the wise soul is behind that quote, but I wholeheartedly agree. I’m about to dig in for another spoonful when I hear keys at the door. The sound of my sister’s heels clicking against the wooden floor of the entrance resonate throughout the apartment, announcing her return. “Ange!” I don’t bother answering my sister. The apartment we’ve lived in since we were five years old isn’t very big. She’ll find me soon enough. Arya appears in the doorway, barefoot. She squints her green eyes at me. “Ice cream at eleven-thirty in the morning on a Thursday?” “Not just ice cream, but boozy ice cream.” I scoop up said boozy ice cream and lift it at eye level. “Häagen-Dazs vanilla ice cream with a generous dose of Baileys.” “You splurged?!” “The Irish cream liqueur is a Christmas gift from a client who appreciates my contribution to her writing. As for the ice cream, it was on sale. With the coupon I downloaded online, the pint came to only three bucks.” “Delicious and frugal. What a winning combo.” It’s the only way we can afford dessert these days. Turbulent times and all. “Booze. Fat. Sugar. The ultimate soothing trio.” “In other words, you pulled out the heavy artillery.” “I had to. Since it’s cocktail hour somewhere on the globe, boozy ice cream is perfectly acceptable.” “Rough morning?” “A shitty morning that tops an even shittier week.” She approaches me and places a hand on my shoulder. “What happened?” “I had a heated conversation with a client—” “Don’t tell me, the author who would rather die than cut back page after page of incessant internal dialogue?” “Yes, that one.” “You fired her as a client?” I shake my head. “She fired me as an editor. Apparently, I was dwarfing her creative genius by suggesting she cuts back on her characters’ inner reflection, curtails her overuse of adverbs and unnecessary italicized words, and uses pussy instead of moist vaginal walls.” My sister rolls her eyes. “You don’t need that kind of negativity in your life.” “Perhaps, but I need the money. Just in case you forgot, we’re up to our eyeballs in debt.” “How can I forget? You keep reminding me.” I bite off a bitchy reply. One fight per day is my quota. I change the topic. “You were cagey as to why you had to get out of here so early this morning you aren’t exactly a morning person.” My sister sighs. “Is something wrong?” “Well, the nighttime medical service called me last