She pulled away from his grip. “How dare you bring my son into this?” She paced to the corner of the room, thankful the door was closed and curtains were drawn giving them privacy.
“I told you. I’m a man who gets what he wants. I find every person’s weakness, and that boy is yours.”
“How can you use my own son against me?” She hated him. Fucking despised him. Harry meant the world to her, no matter how he was conceived. She’d die for her boy.
“His medical history. You can save his life. His medication is costing a lot of your salary, and then there is the food and rent. I bet you’re only scraping through.”
Cornered, Scarlet watched him pick up that shameful contract and bring it over to her.
“Give me your body for the next week, and you can give Harry the world. I’m not asking for much.”
“You’re asking me to be your whore,” she said. No way would she take the contract.
“No, baby. A whore sells her body and doesn’t get any enjoyment out of it. I intend for us to both enjoy our time together.”
No matter how much he tried to sugar-coat this contract, it didn’t detract from what it was.
“I can’t do this,” she whispered. She was shocked to find herself contemplating his contract of shame.
The shame would be on her. No man would see him for anything other than the bastard he actually was.
“Take it home with you tonight. Read it through, and then tomorrow I want you to sign it.”
The file burned her where she touched it. She nodded and left his office. Scarlet turned her computer off. She didn’t go and say goodbye to him when she finally left the building.
Once she collected Harry they went home to their apartment. She cooked him dinner and spent the whole night watching him colour or play.
Could she sacrifice this small thing, her body, for his future? With a million pounds she could invest and make sure he was well cared for.
Scarlet tucked him into bed and read through the contract. Some of the words she looked up in the dictionary, while other words weren’t that hard to figure out. Harry deserved so much more, and for the sake of her son, Scarlet made up her mind.
****
Richard had watched her leave for the night. For the first time since she started working for them, she hadn’t come and wished him a goodnight. Strange, the small things he noticed, like the goodbye at the end of the night, and it was only missed when it no longer happened.
He pulled up a copy of the contract he’d made up. From gazing at the wording his gut twisted. He shouldn’t be doing this. Any respectful gentleman should ask Scarlet out on a date. Shaking his head, despising his decisions, he closed down his computer and left for the night.
No-one but his father would understand his decision. As a young boy his dad had told him how the world worked. How everyone would do as they were told in front of money.
“Son, all you’ve got to do is find a weakness and exploit it,” his father would say.
Richard made it to one of his penthouse suites and thought about his father’s statement with fresh eyes.
This contract was doing Scarlet a favour. He wasn’t exploiting her. Over and over he thought of the problems she’d face as Harry got older. Every child deserved a good start in life. He wasn’t going to tell her, but since she’d told him about her son he’d opened up a college fund for the boy and paid a weekly amount into it. Why he’d done it, he didn’t know.
Running fingers through his hair he grabbed a shot of whisky and walked onto his veranda overlooking the city. The hustle and bustle of the streets didn’t calm his thoughts like usual.
Scarlet was twenty-two years old, a kind-hearted woman, and he was treating her like shit. He was nearly old enough to be her father, let alone thinking of her as a lover.
Richard drained the glass and walked back inside. Another night of dreams plagued him. He woke up in the early hours, panting and desperate to feel her wrapped around him.
No matter how much he tried to deny it, he was beginning to believe his obsession for Scarlet had more to do with love rather than lust.
Stupid thought. He didn’t do love. Growing up in his world, money rather than love was relied upon. Scarlet was a woman who needed something from him. All he was doing was providing an opportunity. He wasn’t in the wrong.
Why, then, did he feel like scum?
Chapter Four
Richard waited while she signed the contract. He wanted to stop what he was doing, but the words never left his lips. She carefully folded the piece of paper and threw it in his face. He caught it easily enough. There was no satisfaction in the moment. Only immense guilt. His father had taught him from a young age to always go after what he wanted and to not care about anything but what he wanted.
For the next week Scarlet would be his. Her seduction would be a challenge. He would need to show her that her time was worth every penny.
“I’ve settled the care of Harry. He’ll stay with my parents for the week.”
“I’m not leaving my son for a whole week with strangers. I want him with me,” she argued.
“No. I want you to myself. I’ll pick you up tonight.” Richard knew if he spent time with the boy he wouldn’t be able to walk away.
“No. My son’s welfare comes first.”
He cursed and tried to think of an alternative. “You’ve met my friends, Wayne and Lily?”
He was not really interested in getting his close friends involved, but he wanted his time with Scarlet to be undisturbed.
“Yes.”
“As you know they’ve got a child of their own, and they wouldn’t mind having him. You can phone him every night and anytime you want.”
Scarlet stared at him, and she nodded her head.
“Don’t you want a copy?” he asked.
The punch in his gut had nothing to do with her look of derision. He held the document in his fingers, and the file felt dirty in his grip.
“I want no reminder of our time together. I hope you come prepared with protection. I want nothing from you.” With her words hanging in the air she stormed out of his office and finished off her shift.
Richard wanted to burn the offensive contract. Well, he’d made his bed, and he might as well lie in it.
****
Scarlet made it through the day. She didn’t know how. Work, phone calls and files to be organised. Richard came out and tried to talk with her. She blanked him. When the week was over she’d have to come back and work here. She didn’t want anyone to treat her any differently or think she’d gained special treatment.
Opal turned up at lunchtime, and she had her company for the next two hours. The young girl always stayed near her when she visited. She asked her opinion on everything, and even with the situation with Opal’s brother hanging over her head, Scarlet found herself smiling at the young girl’s jokes.
“Hey, aren’t you supposed to be in school?” Richard came out asking his sister.
“It’s Friday. I’ve got half-day today.”
“Well, stop nagging my employees. They don’t want to hear about a school-girl’s day.” He turned to leave after ruffling her hair.
Scarlet stared back at him. “Actually this employee likes listening to Opal. It wasn’t that long ago I was a school-girl myself.”
He froze and turned back to stare at her. She knew she’d said the wrong thing. What was the point of caring? The contract had been signed, and when he picked her up tonight for the next week she’d be his.
“He’s so bossy sometimes.”
“What’s up, petal?” Scarlet watched the girl freeze up and looked behind her. She recognised the man as being one of Richard’s oldest friends.
“I’m fine, Tony. You?”
“I’m still alive and looking forward to another day. Is the grumpy dwarf in?” he asked the young girl.
“Why do you call him a dwarf?” Scarlet found herself asking.
“A long-standing joke. Rich
ard was a late bloomer. Tiny as a mouse through high school. Only during college did he sprout up. Well, who is this delightful woman?” Tony took her hand and kissed her knuckles.
No spark. She felt nothing compared to the way Richard made her feel.
“Don’t go hogging my employees.”
Scarlet watched the two men embrace and leave to go into his office.
“He’s so lovely.” Opal sighed.
“Tony is a lot older than you,” Scarlet said.
“He’s like my school-girl crush. You know how loads of other girls fall in love with movie stars, but eventually grow out of it? Well, Tony is mine.”
“You managed to say all that without taking a breath,” Scarlet said with a laugh.
“What can I say? I’m young and in love.”
Scarlet smiled and enjoyed Opal’s company until her driver picked her up and took her home.
Before long the end of the day came and went. Scarlet didn’t bother to wish Richard a good night. He’d made it clear he would pick her up later that night once Harry was picked up from day-care and she’d talked to him about staying with friends.
Harry was tired and having a coughing fit when she collected him from the day-care centre.
She phoned John Barnes, Harry’s doctor, to make sure her son would be fine.
“Administer the inhaler, and if he doesn’t settle in the next thirty minutes bring him in.”
Scarlet did what the doctor requested and breathed a sigh of relief when after ten minutes Harry settled down. She didn’t see the need to take him to the hospital, and so she talked to him about spending some time with friends. Packing up their belongings for a week didn’t take long, and by the time Richard knocked on her door at seven, she and Harry were waiting.
“Are you ready?” he asked.
She nodded and gathered up Harry and his car seat.
“Don’t worry about the car seat. I’ve got one installed.”
Scarlet stopped and stared at him. Why would he go to so much trouble for a boy he wanted nothing to do with? Shrugging her shoulders she accepted his help into the car.
Harry sat between them. Richard continued to shock her when he reached out and began playing a game with her son.
She watched amazed at the transformation in the man who’d hurt her with a contract.
“Where do your friends live?”
“Just on the outskirts of the city in the country.” She held her son’s hand and waited. The journey didn’t last long, and Lily was opening the door to a beautiful country-style house.
“This must be the little guy? Hiya, I’m Lily. How are you doing, Scarlet? It’s been so long since I’ve seen you.” Scarlet shook the other woman’s hand and followed her inside. “The men will talk for a little bit. Let’s go, and have some tea and biscuits.”
Scarlet liked this woman already. With Harry on her hip she followed Lily through to the kitchen. The house was modest and not anything like Scarlet had imagined Richard’s friends to own.
“So you work for Richard? I mean officially now?” asked Lily.
“Yes. I’ve been his secretary I think for one year now, but before then I just helped whoever needed an extra pair of hands,” Scarlet said. Harry went up on one of the chairs near the counter.
“You’re very talkative.”
Scarlet glanced at her baby and then at the woman. She was doing the right thing.
****
“What did you do?” Wayne asked the moment the door closed.
“I don’t know what you mean?”
“Don’t give me that shit. I’ve seen you looking at that girl in there. All the time you can’t tear your gaze away from her. Why are you suddenly needing a babysitter?”
He could never keep stuff from his closest friends for long.
“She’s agreed to be mine—”
“What did you do?” Wayne asked.
“I went after what I wanted.”
“Do you have any idea who you sound like right now? You sound like your father. You remember him? The guy you despise more than anything in this world?” Every word Wayne said spoke volumes.
“Look, I’m not like you. I can’t do the whole commitment shit. Lily is a great girl, but she’s one in a billion. Scarlet is a woman of this world. She understands.” Since the contract had been signed, all Richard had been doing was doubting himself. The damned thing had only been dealt with a few hours ago, and it was already the bane of his existence. The contract was supposed to initiate a relationship with Scarlet, not dominate the whole thing.
“Lily is the woman for me. Why don’t you think there’s a woman out there for you? Your parents? Come on, Richard. Explain to me why blackmailing a woman into this relationship is any different from what I did to Lily? You opposed that, remember?” Wayne said.
“This is completely different.”
“Really. What does she get out of it?”
“For one week of her life I’ll pay her a million pounds, okay? Are you satisfied now?” Richard yelled. He checked the door to make sure none of the women heard him.
Wayne looked like he was about to pitch a fit.
“You made her sign a contract, didn’t you?”
Richard swirled the whisky in his glass and stared at the floor.
“No. You don’t get to judge me for what I did to get Lily and then do the exact same thing.” Wayne charged up to him.
“It’s not the same thing,” Richard said again.
“Yeah? Why is it different?”
“Because you loved Lily. You wanted more from her than a quick tumble in the sheets. Scarlet and I have an agreement that satisfies both of us.”
“How many times have you chanted that same line since she signed it?”
Richard refused to answer the question. The truth was a little shocking, even to him.
“You’re going to regret doing this to her, Richard. Do you think we haven’t seen how you are around that girl? You practically glow, and you constantly search for a glimpse of her.”
“I think you’ve been reading way too many romance novels,” Richard said. Did Wayne do that?
“When you’ve broken this woman, it’ll be up to me and Tony to pick up the pieces. I hope you know what the fuck you’re doing,” Wayne said.
Both men turned guiltily toward the door. Lily breezed in, her dark hair swirling round her face. Scarlet followed, the blond strands still restrained in a pony tail.
“Harry has settled nicely, and I think I’ve bored poor Scarlet to tears.” Lily wrapped her arms around her husband and kissed him on the lips.
“Excellent.”
Richard turned to stare at Scarlet. She stood staring at some of Wayne’s books in the corner of his study.
She looked tense and scared, and he didn’t like to think of her feeling like that in his company.
Richard shut himself off from the doubt rolling round his mind. His father’s words always rang true. All he needed to do was fuck Scarlet out of his system, and he could move on with his life.
“I guess we’d better get going,” he said. She stiffened more but nodded her head.
A quick goodnight to his friends and they were being driven to his penthouse suite not far from his work place. Scarlet stayed as far away from him as possible.
“Why did your parents name you Scarlet?” he asked. He wanted to spend more time with her in the bedroom, but he also found he wanted to get to know the woman who’d captured his attention for the past year or so. Was it really a year? Or could it have been more since she’d turned up at his office looking for work?
“I don’t know.”
“Did you ever ask?”
“I never saw the need in asking. Scarlet is my name, and the one I’ve kept for the past twenty-two years.” She still kept staring out of the window.
Did she mention her age as a way to throw it back at him? I know about our age difference, damn it. I don’t need reminding of it.
“What do you want t
o do in life?”
“Is there a purpose of all the questions?” she asked, finally giving him her attention.
“I just want to know more about you,” he said.
“Really? You want to know more about me?”
He nodded.
“Why? I thought men who wanted to know more about a woman would ask her out on a date, not proposition her with a contract so shameful I can’t believe I even signed it. Like you said, Richard, you only want one thing from me, and it’s not chit-chat.”
“I’ve got a family who are a complete nightmare. The only decent one of the bunch of us is Opal. She doesn’t know it yet, but she’s already been bound in a contract of marriage with someone by the name of Charles Clarke.” He opened up.
“Why would they do that behind Opal’s back?” she asked.
“Because it’s what our family do. I like the colour green; don’t know why, I just do. I prefer to drink coffee with full-fat milk, even though it’s against the super skinny theory of today. I love my women to have an opinion and not be skin and bones.”
Scarlet sat back. He wondered if she’d open up as well. The other stuff most people knew, apart from the marriage contract between his sister and a jerk and that he loved bigger, fuller women.
“You sound like you should be making requests on a dating site.”
“We’re here, sir,” his driver called as the car slowed down.
Contract of Shame Page 3
