contract giving you complete access to my body. You wanted me, and you couldn’t just ask me on a date like a normal person. Tell me, Richard, what is so fucking wrong with me that men can’t ask me on a date? They make demands and force their way into my life?” The tears were pouring down her face, and his gut twisted.
At any time in his life, if he ever had any doubt about his feelings with regards to this woman, in that instant they were wiped clean.
Scarlet Hughes, the woman he’d been the biggest bastard to, was the very woman who owned his heart.
He knew the look in Scarlet’s eyes. This was it, and they were over.
“There’s nothing wrong with you,” he said. I’m the screw - up.
“I think you should leave.” She brushed away her tears.
“What?”
“I want you gone. I want nothing to do with you anymore. Consider this the end of it.” Scarlet turned to leave. Richard couldn’t leave it like that.
“What about your job?”
“I quit. I’ll come and collect my things when I’m back at work next week.”
She walked away and shut the door behind her.
He ran a hand over his mouth and through his hair. In a second he’d wake up, and it would all be some nasty piss-taking dream.
Richard slapped his head.
The door still remained closed.
Not bothering to look up he left the hospital and drove home.
Chapter Eleven
“Darling, you should have brought a guest with you.” His mother false kissed his cheeks in a sort of French style. Richard knew he looked a mess. He hadn’t eaten, and the only reason he’d turned up is because his sister had begged him to.
Scarlet hadn’t called or sent any word, and what little information he’d gotten out of John Barnes had been the boy was stable. She refused his telephone calls, and the gifts he had sent to her were sent back. Today was Saturday, and at least he’d see her at work on Monday. He prayed she wouldn’t quit.
“You know me, Mother.” The woman didn’t have a clue about his son.
“Well I have to say I’m pleased you didn’t bring that frump you’ve been seen round with.”
Richard tensed, his fists forming. “What did you say?” he asked.
“That woman I’ve been getting reports on. A small fat girl with blond hair. Please, darling, you can do so much better, and remember image is everything. I mean I know Wayne’s fallen far from the tree, but that’s to be expected. and Opal has finally gone on a diet....”
He placed a finger over her lips. “Don’t say another word if you don’t want a scene at this anniversary, even if this whole load of shit is false.” Richard smirked when his mother glanced around to make sure no one had heard him shout the last word. “Another warning. Don’t throw any of your sluts in my direction.” He grabbed a shot of whisky from a passing waiter and went to join Lily and Wayne at the table farthest away.
Lily looked behind him, hopeful.
He sat down under their scrutiny.
“She still not phoned you back yet?” Wayne asked.
He shook his head.
“Wayne, would you take him and give him a change?” Lily handed her son over to his dad. Wayne chuckled, and Richard wanted that. He wanted to be a dad.
“She’s not coming back, Lily,” he said to the sweet woman at his side. Richard took a large swallow of whisky while he watched his sister play with the young children at his parents’ wedding anniversary.
“You love her?”
“Why can’t you just let it go?” He glanced around in case Wayne had come back with the little guy. The man was super protective of his wife.
“He’s gone to change George,” Lily said.
“Sorry for yelling.”
“Good. You can make it up to me by explaining what happened with Scarlet. You were so happy. I can’t accept it’s over. You spent most of your time staring at her with love in your eyes.”
He snorted. “That was lust.”
“Don’t be fucking crude. What did you do?” she asked.
Richard stared at his best
At any time in his life, if he ever had any doubt about his feelings with regards to this woman, in that instant they were wiped clean.
Scarlet Hughes, the woman he’d been the biggest bastard to, was the very woman who owned his heart.
He knew the look in Scarlet’s eyes. This was it, and they were over.
“There’s nothing wrong with you,” he said. I’m the screw - up.
“I think you should leave.” She brushed away her tears.
“What?”
“I want you gone. I want nothing to do with you anymore. Consider this the end of it.” Scarlet turned to leave. Richard couldn’t leave it like that.
“What about your job?”
“I quit. I’ll come and collect my things when I’m back at work next week.”
She walked away and shut the door behind her.
He ran a hand over his mouth and through his hair. In a second he’d wake up, and it would all be some nasty piss-taking dream.
Richard slapped his head.
The door still remained closed.
Not bothering to look up he left the hospital and drove home.
Chapter Eleven
“Darling, you should have brought a guest with you.” His mother false kissed his cheeks in a sort of French style. Richard knew he looked a mess. He hadn’t eaten, and the only reason he’d turned up is because his sister had begged him to.
Scarlet hadn’t called or sent any word, and what little information he’d gotten out of John Barnes had been the boy was stable. She refused his telephone calls, and the gifts he had sent to her were sent back. Today was Saturday, and at least he’d see her at work on Monday. He prayed she wouldn’t quit.
“You know me, Mother.” The woman didn’t have a clue about his son.
“Well I have to say I’m pleased you didn’t bring that frump you’ve been seen round with.”
Richard tensed, his fists forming. “What did you say?” he asked.
“That woman I’ve been getting reports on. A small fat girl with blond hair. Please, darling, you can do so much better, and remember image is everything. I mean I know Wayne’s fallen far from the tree, but that’s to be expected. and Opal has finally gone on a diet....”
He placed a finger over her lips. “Don’t say another word if you don’t want a scene at this anniversary, even if this whole load of shit is false.” Richard smirked when his mother glanced around to make sure no one had heard him shout the last word. “Another warning. Don’t throw any of your sluts in my direction.” He grabbed a shot of whisky from a passing waiter and went to join Lily and Wayne at the table farthest away.
Lily looked behind him, hopeful.
He sat down under their scrutiny.
“She still not phoned you back yet?” Wayne asked.
He shook his head.
“Wayne, would you take him and give him a change?” Lily handed her son over to his dad. Wayne chuckled, and Richard wanted that. He wanted to be a dad.
“She’s not coming back, Lily,” he said to the sweet woman at his side. Richard took a large swallow of whisky while he watched his sister play with the young children at his parents’ wedding anniversary.
“You love her?”
“Why can’t you just let it go?” He glanced around in case Wayne had come back with the little guy. The man was super protective of his wife.
“He’s gone to change George,” Lily said.
“Sorry for yelling.”
“Good. You can make it up to me by explaining what happened with Scarlet. You were so happy. I can’t accept it’s over. You spent most of your time staring at her with love in your eyes.”
He snorted. “That was lust.”
“Don’t be fucking crude. What did you do?” she asked.
Richard stared at his best
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