Page 13 of Contract Of Shame

“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.

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