Free Web NovelChapter 135: Trap (1)
"You look at me like this and then wonder why I always want to touch you. If you keep looking at me like this, I can’t help but think that you want me like I want you," Ian said, resisting his desire to kiss her.
It was a bit complicated now with their current predicament. He might want something more if he kissed her now.
"I am looking at you like normal," Scarlet replied.
Ian smiled as she was far from looking at him normally. There was the look she gave when she was annoyed, humoured, and angry with him. Then it was this look which let him know that she had feelings for him.
Those feelings might be small but they were there.
"Should I take you before a mirror and show you how wrong you are? This is hardly normal," Ian said, gazing at her lips which he would love to have messing up his again.
He would give anything to have her initiate another kiss. He needed it right now and from the look of it, Scarlet had it on her mind as well.
Scarlet bit her lip and looked down at their shoes. It was safer to do that than look at Ian. "I don’t want it to be that I only want you near me because you are a good-looking man and I am having those kinds of thoughts. If I am giving this a try, I want it to be more than attraction."
"I find it to be more than that already. Who else would you have dragged to this room to find a shirt instead of letting your maid do it? I know I said that I can wait, but you aren’t making this easy for me. I know I should enjoy you ignoring the contract, but I can’t help wanting more," said Ian.
"I will give you some space to get ready. Dinner is far from being ready so you can take your time," Scarlet said, backing away from Ian as she spoke.
"There’s no reason for you to leave now," Ian said, balling up the now ruined shirt. "I don’t need to wash up, but I would love it if you bring this cream you speak of and place it on the bruise. I can’t see and you would like to help me, right?"
Scarlet regretted making the offer now that it ended up that she needed to touch him more. She could offer him a mirror for him to stand before to look in as he tried to tend to the bruise, but she knew not to waste her breath.
Her servant had caused him to be injured so she had to take care of it.
"Sit down on the bed. Not a word," Scarlet warned, pointing a finger at Ian.
This was not to be seen as more than it was. She was only placing ointment on him,
While Ian didn’t speak just like she asked, Scarlet didn’t like the smile that he wore now. It was just loud as if he had spoken to her.
"I can send the shirt to be washed or I can buy another shirt for you. It is up to you," Scarlet said as she searched the drawers for the ointment which should be in every room.
"I already plan to throw it away. Why is the ointment here instead of being carefully placed elsewhere?" Ian asked, watching Scarlet’s every move. She wasn’t any different from a busy bee with the way she walked around the room.
"My family sometimes have a habit of injuring themselves because they walk with weapons they use against each other. Not for killing each other," Scarlet quickly clarified. "Just to test who is better."
"And do you join in this challenge?" Ian asked, enjoying her family the more he heard about some of her relatives. freёwebnoѵel.com
"I was trained to use a sword, but I am more fond of guns. I only get to show off my talent when we go hunting. That wouldn’t be until the family trip. I don’t have time to go shooting ducks here. I found it," Scarlet said, taking out a small container.
Now that she wasn’t speaking to Luke, Scarlet had to find other ways to get the ointment as it was specially made for the royals.
Scarlet joined Ian by sitting down on the bed. "Don’t smile. It’s annoying me."
"I can’t help it. Am I the first person to be treated by you?" Ian questioned, leaning back so Scarlet had a better angle to rub the ointment.
"No. I’ve treated others. It might not seem like it, but my childhood consisted of a lot of climbing and falling so we used to sneak one of these ointments with us to treat ourselves. It works wonders. The redness should be cleared up soon," Scarlet promised.
Scarlet gently rubbed the ointment along the bruise that was already fading. It shouldn’t hurt if she were to tap his skin again.
Scarlet tried her best to remain focus on the task at hand. She had to ignore that he was sitting half naked before her.
Scarlet once again wanted to pinch herself for acting like a young girl sitting before a handsome boy for the first time. She was once married so this should be nothing to her.
"Scarlet, you’ve been rubbing the same spot for more than you need to. What is troubling you now?" Ian questioned, holding her hand to stop her from wasting the ointment. "Communicate with me."
"I feel like a young girl around a boy for the first time. I don’t like the feeling. I feel like a fool for being this way at my age," Scarlet said, wanting to cover her face with her hands.
Ever since Ian showed up, she was doing things that were unlike her and she wanted it to stop.
"Well, I like this side of you. It is perfectly normal for you to want me in the way you do. Why do you make it so wrong that you would be attracted to me more than you like me? It is quite normal for most relationships to start with attraction. Or are you afraid that all you want to do is screw me?" Ian asked.
"Can’t you be less blunt?" Scarlet questioned, regretting her decision to bring him to the estate. "I am concerned that if I move too fast, I might end up getting hurt again. The possibility of liking you more than I want to admit scares me."
Silence fell upon the room after Scarlet’s confession with the two staring at each other.
"Scarlet, you need to stop overthinking and just do what feels right."
