Free Web NovelChapter 89: Bet (1)
Ian placed the broken piece of the flower in his pocket. It would be put to good use later to scare Nolan into silence when he got a little too chatty.
If Scarlet did like the teapot as she said, Nolan wouldn’t be so bold to speak on how he had broken it out of jealousy. To witness Nolan be scared about the truth coming out or seeing him tremble as he revealed his deed would be entertaining either way.
"There are more flies around you than I thought," said Ian.
Scarlet didn’t understand what Ian meant and she didn’t want to know. "I have many other teapots you can use. If it upsets you since it is broken, you can leave it as it is. It’ll be a one-of-a-kind."
"How so?" Ian asked. He had it specially made but it was easy for the style to be repeated.
Scarlet went to Ian’s side to take out the pot. "What are the chances of someone else breaking it like this? No other should have this missing piece. It doesn’t look so bad if you tilt your head," she said, tilting her head to prove her point.
Ian chuckled as it was quite the sight with Scarlet tilting her head to find the beauty of the broken teapot. "Then we should leave it as it is. Why aren’t you putting it back inside the box?"
"I wasn’t planning to use it to make tea. There are plenty of others in the kitchen. Must you make it from this one? Don’t laugh," Scarlet said, poking Ian at his side.
Now that she was here with the teapot and it was already broken, she didn’t want to take the rest to have something else happen to it.
"Scarlet, you are sitting on a mountain of money and I can get you as many pretty teapots as you want yet you don’t want to ruin this one? Do you love my gift that much?" Ian asked, expecting her to deny it.
"I do," Scarlet answered honestly.
"Oh dear," Ian mumbled, looking up to the ceiling as he tried not to give him what her confession did to him.
"How many times must I say it for you to believe me? If I didn’t like the flowers, bracelet, or teapot, I would have handed you the ashes long ago with how many times you have asked. Do you want to see them burn?" Scarlet inquired, now believing his questioning would only stop if it happened.
"No. We must leave this room," Ian said, placing the box back down on her desk.
"Why? The painter is not here yet so there isn’t a need to rush. Do you have somewhere to be?" Scarlet asked.
"I am trying to avoid the need to kiss you. I would rather not be kicked where it will hurt most," Ian said, being ahead of Scarlet to start exiting the room.
Scarlet placed the teapot back into its box with great care so it would not break again. "You are starting to learn well. Wait, why do you need to kiss me?" freeweɓnøvel.com
"Asking that question isn’t making it any better. Kiss me and I will tell you," Ian proposed a deal. He waited for Scarlet by the door, holding it open.
"You are terrible at making deals," Scarlet answered. "I will never be that curious."
"I certainly am still curious about what was bothering you before. So much that you did not want to be near me. Did you have a dirty thought about me? Oh," Ian smiled when Scarlet stopped, her face flustered.
He had never gotten such a reaction out of her even when he had kissed her cheek. Ian was merely joking but it seemed that he had somehow guessed right.
It was almost too good to be true that Scarlet could be having dirty thoughts about him already. He planned to give her a little more nudging for it to happen. A little more viewing of his chest.
"Will you speak the truth as you normally do or lie? I will grant you something if you speak the truth," Ian said, slowly closing the door since it wasn’t time to leave yet. Not when the day was starting to get fun.
Scarlet didn’t move from where she stood. "I don’t have to answer your questions. Also, I no longer want tea. We should go back to the room where you are to be painted. You will want to look your best for the portrait and should you keep annoying me, that won’t happen."
"I think I should get some answers since this thought or perhaps dream concerned me. I would like to know what kind of man I am in those kinds of thoughts. I hope you didn’t make me... disappointing," said Ian, his excitement evident from his tone.
Scarlet was now once more bothered by the dream thanks to hearing the man in it speak of it now.
"I thought you were an honest woman," he added.
"Very well. I had a dream of us kissing and it ended before any more could happen. It has passed and I do not have any intention of being intimate with you so I would hope that you do not suggest or joke about it," Scarlet requested.
Now that it was out in the open the rest of the weight from this bothering her was lifted from her shoulders. Now she didn’t have to act a fool whilst trying to hide what was bothering her.
"Knowing that you had such thoughts is enough to satisfy me. After you," Ian said, opening the door for Scarlet.
Scarlet was suspicious of him letting this go so easily. She would have bet that Ian would try to offer his body once more. Was he ill? It was just yesterday that he was offering to help her have a child even though it might have been a joke.
Scarlet slowly walked by him, keeping her gaze on him for any move that he would make. She only needed to give it a little more time and he would be back to offering his body.
Ian shook his head as he laughed. Where did the town get that Scarlet was only cold? She was just the entertainment someone needed when they weren’t in a good mood. "Should we practise what kind of portrait we are going to do?"
"For the last time, I am not going to have a portrait done today. This is my gift to you and no, I will have one of myself for you to put on your walls. Who knows what you would do," Scarlet muttered.
"Me? Says the one with the dirty dream-" freewёbnoνel.com
Scarlet turned to Ian, ready to cover his mouth but she didn’t as it would be unfair for her to touch him when she liked when he couldn’t do it to her. "Do not speak of it. That conversation ended when we left my office."
"It is not unusual for you to dream of the man you like and aren’t your servants warned to not speak of what happens here? Let’s make a bet," Ian proposed. "Have a portrait done with me and if a year from now, I am not still in your life I shall burn it. Or to please you, you can keep it and burn it then."
