Free Web NovelChapter 126: Giving in (2)
"I should have known this would have come from you having me sit on your lap. Give you an inch and you reach for more. Tell me, what happened?" Scarlet said, placing her hands on his chest to keep some space between them. "I am not so curious that I would kiss you to know."
"I am aware. The evil woman is stirring up old rumours that she started when I was a young boy while the man meant to be my father continues to push for me to return to what they call home. I forgot how draining they both could be," said Ian.
"I’ve received more ruined items from my past. They are all burnt which means the cottage must have been destroyed. Not that I mind since I hate living there, but it causes concern as to what happened to Noelle. Where was she when the cottage was ruined?"
"When you left, she might have returned to working inside your father’s home. What reason do they have to burn the cottage with her inside of it?" Scarlet questioned.
"Layla wasn’t fond of her. Noelle protected me better than my mother. If Layla wanted to harm me, Noelle got in her way. The first chance she got, Layla would harm her. That is why I wanted Noelle to leave at the same time as me but she said she had to stay. I should have remained," Ian said, regretting that he didn’t take Noelle with him.
"There’s much more I would need to learn but I think you made the right decision in leaving. I’m sure Noelle had her reasons for staying. You had to protect yourself by getting away from the Kingsleys. Why don’t you make use of your brother?" Scarlet questioned, curious as to why Ian avoided Victor.
"No," Ian rejected the idea.
"Why not? He seemed eager to be near you. He lives there to get what you need about Nolle. Why take a longer path when your brother could help you? Has he ever hurt you in the past?" Scarlet wondered.
"Victor could not hurt a fly," Ian answered. "I just don’t want to get him involved. I will not give him hope that there would be a brotherhood between us and truthfully, his mother has quite the hold on him."
Scarlet thought about something. "I am not fond of your brother."
Scarlet wasn’t fond in general of anyone who let another control them so much. Victor was grown and had some of the Kingsley’s money to his name. What was stopping him from speaking up? Unless Layla was harming her son too, Scarlet found Victor to be too weak.
"Are you fond of his brother?" Ian asked, wanting the attention back on him.
"You have another brother?" Scarlet joked.
Ian licked his lips as he smiled. "Do you not like me, Scarlet?"
"I like you better than most in town," Scarlet replied. She would not be sitting here, on his lap, if she didn’t like him around. He was annoying but he was still enjoyable to be around at times. It was good to have another person around who had to put up with this chatty town.
"No. I mean as a man, do you like me? Is there anything you feel for me now?" Ian questioned.
"There are not to be feelings involved," Scarlet reminded Ian.
"The day of the contract and since then, feelings have always been involved. Forget about the contract right now though it might be hard for a businesswoman. What is stopping you from giving me a chance? I am not him," Ian said, looking forward to the day she would no longer think of Jack.
"I am well aware that you are him. I wouldn’t be near you if you were. I cannot have my trust broken again so soon," Scarlet gave an honest answer. fгeewёbnoѵel.cσm
She was fine to move on and start again, but she needed a bit more time. The wound Jack created had healed long ago but there was still a bit of worry about how the next relationship might go. She had to be careful again. Scarlet didn’t need the ridicule for a second time.
"I won’t break your trust. I already have my resting place picked out so if you feel like I have hurt me in some way, you can beat your father to it and rest me there," said Ian.
Scarlet laughed as it sounded ridiculous that Ian had picked out where he wanted to be buried. "You shouldn’t have agreed to that with my father. Though he was drinking, he was quite serious."
"And I was too. I don’t fear being buried somewhere on your estate because I will not harm you. I know the future is uncertain and things change, but I won’t cause you that kind of pain again. Would you be so kind as to forget about the contract for a moment and give me a chance?" Ian asked once more.
"My feelings do not match your own," Scarlet said.
"I know. They can grow as time goes on. It doesn’t need to start serious. Just the two of us enjoying each other’s company," Ian said, gently tucking her hair behind her ear as he spoke.
Scarlet felt like her skin tingled when his finger brushed her hair. A single touch yet her body felt excited. She palmed her face. She had been around a lot of men, both for work and at parties, yet it was only with the man beneath her that she got excited like this.
"Scarlet, denying that there is something between us when only you have been conflicted all the time. I know you must have felt the same as I did when we last kissed. I don’t know about you, but I’ve been waiting eagerly to do it again. What is it about you that has me so attached this fast?" Ian wondered.
"Please stop talking," Scarlet pleaded, her face still covered. It was this kind of talking that led to her having a dream that she shouldn’t have about him.
Scarlet had made a deal with herself that she would wait. Just because she could move on didn’t mean she needed to rush to do it. The only concern was that if there was something between them, how long could she make him wait?
Scarlet could hear her grandmother telling her that if she waited too long she would miss out on what came into her life now.
"Perhaps I went too far. I should have stopped at asking you for a kiss. Here," Ian said, lifting Scarlet so she would sit beside him. He had been too rash with asking her to give him a chance when she was here to comfort him.
Ian feared that he might have gone the steps back with Scarlet today.
"Fine," Scarlet said, giving in. "I will give you the chance. Do not waste it. Once my trust is broken, I cannot be near you again."
Ian stared at Scarlet because he must have heard wrong. It couldn’t be true that she had agreed to it. "You are willing to put aside the contract and let me court you?’
"Is that not what you have been asking for?" Scarlet questioned. Had they been thinking of two different things? "Please don’t let it be that I’ve made a fool of myself. My carriage isn’t here right now for me to leave."
"It is what I have been asking for. I just didn’t expect to hear you agree. You cannot take it back now," Ian said since it was too late for that. He heard it so he was seriously going to court her from now on.
"I wouldn’t have said it only to take it back so soon. What kind of person do you take me for? And here we go again," Scarlet said as Ian moved her back to be on his lap. "My freedom was short-lived."
"Be honest with yourself, Scarlet. You were comfortable on my lap. Now, be careful not to move around too much or I might end up having to ruin my innocent office. What is the answer to my request to kiss again?" Ian questioned, still needing to kiss her.
"You do not need to ask now. W-Wait," Scarlet stuttered as she found herself going down against the couch. "I didn’t mean for us to end up this way. It is only a kiss."
"I only intended to kiss you, Scarlet. There is just a much better view this way. What kind of man do you take me for to go that far on the first day you are taking me seriously? Is that what you were thinking the last time we were like this? Indulge me," Ian said, more than willing to do whatever she wanted.
"It was not," Scarlet answered. Though it came to mind now with Ian towering over her. "Don’t get so excited."
"It’s too late for that, Scarlet. I’m more than excited. You’re going to have to bear with it from now on. Show me that you are serious and kiss me," Ian said, needing Scarlet to prove that she wanted this.
Scarlet pulled Ian down to her. "I told you not to challenge me."
