"You laughed at it back then but look at you now wanting to do a contract. How long ago did you prepare it or are you used to having these kinds of contracts lying around?" Ian questioned, picking up the paper to read what Scarlet ca up with.
Ian was close to pinching himself as it was hard to believe that Scarlet was going through with this. He was a man of his word and would help her, but he had anticipated it going over a week before she would agree to it.
He had to thank his peers for being so bad at courting her for Scarlet to be open to this. It was either that or Scarlet was bored and looking for so excitent.
"I wrote it up not long ago before you arrived and I will clean it up a bit more if you are not satisfied with it," said Scarlet.
"It is fine. You added in accompanying family events. I don’t have any to attend anyti soon. No touching?" Ian questioned, not liking this rule. "How is it that we are together but I cannot touch you?"
"It is also that I won’t touch you," Scarlet corrected.
Ian frowned. "Pity. We won’t look like a couple with that rule. Change it to no sex if that is what you were referring to. However, there is nothing about sex on here so I should have kept my mouth shut. Before you throw out, I’m joking."
"That was in the no-touching part," Scarlet replied, ignoring the joke. "I shall make it more clear so you can’t twist it. It says no touching when we are not before others. You have no reason to touch if it is just the two of us."
"Says the woman who kissed . Are you certain you want to keep that part here? What if there is a day you want to kiss again? Honestly, I would forget about the contract and just let you do it, but you seem like the type to worry about breaking the contract," said Ian.
"I am not going to kiss you again," Scarlet answered, moving her hand along Sunny’s fur. "Not unless I wish to make this believable. I am using you to get rid of suitors and after that ends, I wish to go back to you being soone who makes my tea."
"I won’t even beco a friend? I’m a little hurt," Ian said, using the paper to hide his mouth. "I see that it is to last three months. What is happening at the end of three months for you?"
"It is the break I decided to give myself and ti for the town to move on from my life. Three months should be enough for to perhaps think about seriously courting a man again. I will need to wed again unless I plan to adopt a child," said Scarlet.
"Hmm. I-"
"Don’t even think of offering yourself to ," Scarlet said, knowing he was going to offer himself to help her have a child. "You continue to confuse . You may not have any family parties to attend, but if there is sothing for your business, I wouldn’t mind joining you."
"No need to spend any money on each other?" Ian questioned, disliking a few of the points she made. "If I wanted to buy you a necklace, I can’t? I might not have the Collins wealth but I can afford to buy my fake lover gifts and not look to ask for them back."
"Or is this a clause ant to not ask for money? If it is, I must remind you that I don’t need money from you nor do I need your help with my business."
’The clause for not asking for money is further down. Not spending money on each other is to avoid getting caught up in this. Certain things might have either one of us forgetting that this is not real. I don’t want to do things a real couple would-"
"I’m afraid you’ll have to take out the one about no gifts and no touching. I’m an affectionate man," Ian interjected, placing the paper back on the desk. "You’re just using to fend off suitors and I have told you my reason for wanting you around, but you are deserving of a good experience. Don’t say you don’t need one."
"The town has been speaking of your divorce more than they speak of the king’s marriage. You had witnessed your husband already walking around with his mistress and you speak of disliking so of your relatives. The break should be fun and I will make it be," Ian promised.
Before she got so bothered by the town nitpicking every detail of her life, Ian was going to help her have fun before she thought of running away like he did.
"Very well. Just rember that this will never be an intimate relationship so I suggest getting rid of your prior interest in wanting to court . That slipped my mind before I called you," Scarlet muttered.
It should have been impossible to forget considering how vocal Ian was in wanting to court her.
"Are you asking not to fall in love with you? You’re too late as I am already smitten," Ian said, touching his chest.
Scarlet smiled as she leaned forward to grab the contract and without warning, she tore it up, causing Sunny to jump from her lap because of the noise.
"It’s good you did that because we needed to write up another with things that I want. Should I do the writing? You are quite easy to annoy, Scarlet. At least my days will not be boring," Ian said, taking it upon himself to get a new paper and pen. "I’m not in love with you," he said to ease her mind.
"I hope there will not be a day where I regret this," Scarlet said, once again thinking it over. Though she didn’t want anyone speaking of their interest in her, Ian didn’t annoy her as others did as there were tis she couldn’t tell when he was joking or serious.
From his looks, Scarlet could tell that he was true when he spoke of his interest in her, but it never seed to be more than the simple attraction between a man and a woman. His gaze was more bearable than that of other n who eyed her.
Samara had been urging Scarlet to find sothing outside of work to occupy her ti with and keeping the mysterious son of Lord Kingsley around for three months might bring sothing new to her life.
"I’ve added that you must go sowhere with once a week. I can’t have you cooped up in this estate when you are not working. It must be lonely at tis," Ian said, thinking of how much more lonely she would be than him in the past as his cottage was small, but the estate was large.
The loneliness would be harder to ignore in a bigger ho.
"I like being inside of the estate. I don’t have to talk to anyone. I don’t have to worry about looking over my shoulder for those trying to get rid of . It is safe here. I will grant you permission to co here once a week. If needed," Scarlet said, looking away as she cleared her throat.
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