Richard had fallen in love with her long before last week. Opal adored her, and his friends enjoyed her company. He was fucking worse than David Buttons. He’d forced her and used her body’s responses against her.
“I don’t want to stay,” she whispered.
“I’m begging you. Please stay.”
“You’ll get over it soon.” She turned to leave, and he grabbed her wrist stopping her. “People will see,” she said to him.
“I don’t give a fuck what people can see. I’m so fucking sorry. Please, don’t go.” With her hand still in his he walked round the desk in front of her and went to his knees. He didn’t care about the stares or what people would think. Scarlet, the beautiful woman before him, she was the only thing that mattered to him.
“Don’t do this, Richard.”
Her hand shook inside his. “Marry me,” he asked.
Scarlet grasped and pulled out of his touch. “Don’t do that. You didn’t want me, remember? You wanted a week. That’s all you wanted from me. You contracted the damn thing. You made me feel like a whore.”
Her voice remained level, but the tears falling from her eyes weren’t anything other than hurt.
“I tore up the damn contract. It was the stupidest thing I have ever done. I told Lily, and she opened—”
“You told Lily? How could you do that? She didn’t know about our little arrangement. How could you have embarrassed me like that? You promised me it would stay between us.” Richard got to his feet and went to her. Desperation was clawing at him to keep her. He cupped her cheeks in his hands. He saw the hatred shining out at him, and before he stopped himself, he kissed her.
She struggled beneath him but soon wound her hands around his neck. A sweet victory for him.
Scarlet had to love him. His pleasure was short-lived as she pulled out of his hold. “You got the last bit of me. Now let me go.”
Richard tried to focus his thoughts. She was at his door and about to leave his world forever. “The last time we were together I didn’t use anything? You could be pregnant.” Not using anything had been a genuine mistake.
“You did it on purpose?” she asked.
He didn’t know what the best answer would be. “No. I wanted to be with you and inside you so damn bad, protection slipped my mind. I’m sorry.” He decided the truth would be best in this situation.
She turned back, and the hurt on her face was worse than anything he’d seen thus far.
“I asked one thing from you. I asked you to protect me from that, and you didn’t.”
“I know. What are you going to do?” he asked.
Her complexion was pale, and her entire body was shaking.
“As I’m sure you remember I’m used to taking care of other men’s messes.” The punch to the gut doubled him over. He stood and watched her gather her things and leave his life forever.
She’d asked one thing of him, and he’d fucked up. Maybe she could have forgiven him for the contract, but forcing a baby on her? Could she ever find it in her heart to forgive him?
Richard didn’t know how long he stood watching the empty space. Eventually his friends Wayne and Tony came in. One of his partners had called his closest friends to help him.
“Come on, man,” Tony said, and together they helped him out of the building.
Richard went with them to his apartment. He ignored them and went straight for his strongest whisky. He pouted himself a generous glass and slung the whole shot to the back of his throat, the burn a welcome pain. He poured another glass and took it back.
“You got me back to my place. I suggest you leave,” he said.
“We’re not leaving,” they both said in unison.
“Why? I’m a fucking bastard who fucked up. You know,” he turned to Wayne. “I criticised you for pulling that pre-nup on Lily? I pulled a contract of my own out of the bag.” The strong drink was going straight to his head. “I forced her to sign a contract, so I could fuck her. How shit is that.”
“Richard,
“I don’t want to stay,” she whispered.
“I’m begging you. Please stay.”
“You’ll get over it soon.” She turned to leave, and he grabbed her wrist stopping her. “People will see,” she said to him.
“I don’t give a fuck what people can see. I’m so fucking sorry. Please, don’t go.” With her hand still in his he walked round the desk in front of her and went to his knees. He didn’t care about the stares or what people would think. Scarlet, the beautiful woman before him, she was the only thing that mattered to him.
“Don’t do this, Richard.”
Her hand shook inside his. “Marry me,” he asked.
Scarlet grasped and pulled out of his touch. “Don’t do that. You didn’t want me, remember? You wanted a week. That’s all you wanted from me. You contracted the damn thing. You made me feel like a whore.”
Her voice remained level, but the tears falling from her eyes weren’t anything other than hurt.
“I tore up the damn contract. It was the stupidest thing I have ever done. I told Lily, and she opened—”
“You told Lily? How could you do that? She didn’t know about our little arrangement. How could you have embarrassed me like that? You promised me it would stay between us.” Richard got to his feet and went to her. Desperation was clawing at him to keep her. He cupped her cheeks in his hands. He saw the hatred shining out at him, and before he stopped himself, he kissed her.
She struggled beneath him but soon wound her hands around his neck. A sweet victory for him.
Scarlet had to love him. His pleasure was short-lived as she pulled out of his hold. “You got the last bit of me. Now let me go.”
Richard tried to focus his thoughts. She was at his door and about to leave his world forever. “The last time we were together I didn’t use anything? You could be pregnant.” Not using anything had been a genuine mistake.
“You did it on purpose?” she asked.
He didn’t know what the best answer would be. “No. I wanted to be with you and inside you so damn bad, protection slipped my mind. I’m sorry.” He decided the truth would be best in this situation.
She turned back, and the hurt on her face was worse than anything he’d seen thus far.
“I asked one thing from you. I asked you to protect me from that, and you didn’t.”
“I know. What are you going to do?” he asked.
Her complexion was pale, and her entire body was shaking.
“As I’m sure you remember I’m used to taking care of other men’s messes.” The punch to the gut doubled him over. He stood and watched her gather her things and leave his life forever.
She’d asked one thing of him, and he’d fucked up. Maybe she could have forgiven him for the contract, but forcing a baby on her? Could she ever find it in her heart to forgive him?
Richard didn’t know how long he stood watching the empty space. Eventually his friends Wayne and Tony came in. One of his partners had called his closest friends to help him.
“Come on, man,” Tony said, and together they helped him out of the building.
Richard went with them to his apartment. He ignored them and went straight for his strongest whisky. He pouted himself a generous glass and slung the whole shot to the back of his throat, the burn a welcome pain. He poured another glass and took it back.
“You got me back to my place. I suggest you leave,” he said.
“We’re not leaving,” they both said in unison.
“Why? I’m a fucking bastard who fucked up. You know,” he turned to Wayne. “I criticised you for pulling that pre-nup on Lily? I pulled a contract of my own out of the bag.” The strong drink was going straight to his head. “I forced her to sign a contract, so I could fuck her. How shit is that.”
“Richard,
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