Contract of Shame Read online

  Evernight Publishing

  www.evernightpublishing.com

  Copyright© 2012 Sam Crescent

  ISBN: 978-1-927368-82-4

  Cover Artist: Sour Cherry Designs

  Editor: Karyn White

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.

  This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  DEDICATION

  I would like to thank all the team at Evernight for their support and to my family for giving me the time and encouragement to write.

  To my fans who've asked for this story. Contract of Shame is for you.

  CONTRACT OF SHAME

  Unlikely Love, 2

  Sam Crescent

  Copyright © 2012

  Chapter One

  Richard Shaw glanced out of his rented motel room. He had plenty of such rooms placed around the city. He held a steaming mug of coffee in one of his hands, and in the other he fiddled with the contract he’d written the night before. The distant sound of the water running from the shower let him know last night’s lay was getting ready to leave. Richard hated the way his life had turned out. He was forever moving on from one woman to the next, never stopping for more than an hour or two. At best they stayed in separate beds overnight.

  Sissy, if that was even her real name, had been a good distraction from the party he’d attended.

  His best friend, Wayne Brown, had gotten married two years ago to a charming and beautiful woman called Lily, and last night they’d celebrated the birth of a small son. Opal, Richard’s sister, had been there, and because of how well Lily had gotten to know one of his employees, Scarlet Hughes had been invited also.

  Cursing, Richard sipped more of his coffee finding it tasted way too bitter. How the fuck had he gotten old so fast?

  The girl had been in his employ now for over a few months. She’d worked in the office building but never on the same floor as he did. He believed they’d be approaching two years in the summer. When she’d first turned up, he thought she’d arrived straight out of college. As he’d gotten to know her he had found out she attended night courses in between working a couple of jobs and raising her son. A single mother to boot. She didn’t deserve the kind of attention he wanted to give her.

  “I’m done in the shower,” Sissy said coming up behind him.

  Richard froze. The woman may have graced his bed and used him for the night, but he wanted nothing more to do with her. Seeing Scarlet always had the same effect on his body. Other women became a poor substitute.

  “You can leave now,” he told her.

  He went to the kitchen and poured the bitter coffee down the sink, followed by the rest of the dark liquid from his coffee pot..

  “What?”

  Oh, great. A scene. “You’ve had your fun. Grab your clothes, and get out. Tell my mum she’ll have to try someone better.” For the longest time, women had become merely products to him. Things to be used and discard as he saw fit. Not to mention the number of what his mother called “suitable women” thrown his way.

  Richard despised the woman who’d given birth to him.

  “You’re a total asshole.” Sissy threw a glass vase on the floor and stormed back to the bedroom.

  Richard ignored her outburst and placed the contract in his briefcase. He wanted to go over it several more times to assure himself he had what he wanted.

  “Don’t let the door hit you on the way out,” he shouted down the hall.

  “Go to hell,” she said as her parting shot.

  Romance dramas were really doing a number on the female population. Didn’t they understand that kind of shit didn’t happen?

  He rolled his eyes. Sissy was from his circle of friends, a woman with plenty of money who could do whatever she liked. Richard thought he’d seen her picture on a billboard on the way to work not long ago.

  “I take it she didn’t take the break-up well?”

  Richard jumped spilling the coffee blend all over the side.

  “Opal, what the fu-hell are you doing here?” he asked his sister. Opal had been a surprise to the Shaw household. She was only sixteen, but he knew when she grew up, she’d become a beautiful woman.

  “Andrew drove me over. The parents are driving me crazy. You know they don’t think I should go to college?”

  Richard finished cleaning up the mess and put a pot of coffee on to brew. He pulled out some milk from the fridge and handed her a glass.

  “What type of milk is this?”

  He frowned. “The one that comes from a cow.”

  “No. I mean what is the fat count in this?”

  Richard glared at the bottle and placed it in the fridge. “Why would my sister be wanting to know the fat count of a glass of milk?” Opal still went to high school. She hadn’t wanted to be taught at home, and she’d begged him to talk to “the parents” about it.

  “Some of the girls in my class—” She stopped and bit her lip.

  “Some of the girls? Come on, Opal. You know you can tell me anything.” The battle inside her tore him up. He took her hand and kissed her knuckles. “Tell me.”

  “The girls at my school keep saying I’m fat, and I think they’re right. I’m going on a diet and only eating vegetables, no meat. I’m also thinking I should cut dairy out. What do you think?” Her eyes were wide open, and she had a smile on her face. Richard hated young teenage girls. Not only that, but he also knew his mother had a lot to answer for, too. Opal was young and adorable. She shouldn’t be worrying about weight and calorie count.

  “Opal, you’re not fat.” He moved round the counter to grasp her in a bear hug.

  “But—”

  “No buts.” He cut her off. “You are wonderful the way you are. No talking of dieting and not eating meat. What will you do at Christmas? Forgo Turkey?”

  “It’s all right for you. You don’t date fat girls.”

  Richard thought of Scarlet. She wasn’t fat; at least he didn’t think she was. More a full, rounded woman with curves. Nice curves. The rounded belly at the front and the full hips, more than a handful, and giant tits he could suck on all day long. He had to stop his thoughts.

  “You know you’ve just insulted a lot of women in the world. Men love a full woman ,and I don’t want to ever hear you say the fat word again. Do you understand me?”

  “But, mum—”

  “I don’t give a fuck about what that woman has to say. Do you understand me?”

  Opal nodded her head. “I miss you. You never come around anymore.”

  “Sorry, kiddo, but that place gives me the creeps. Including the two older occupants.”

  “I know.”

  “Good. Let’s talk about something else. Now do you fancy coming to work with me today?”

  Richard laughed when she nodded her head in agreement. In ten minutes, he changed and prepared for work.

  The contract was burning a hole through his brief case.

  ****

  “I’m late. I’m late. I’m so late,” Scarlet said to herself, groaning as the zipper refused to pull up on her skirt. She rummaged through her closet to find another one. The special bargain at the supermarket on ice-cream was ruining another diet.

  What woman could pass up a double discount on yummy, delicious chocolate ice-cream with a fudge sauce rippled through?

  She found a pinstripe knee-length skirt, fortunately big enough to contain her ever-expandin
g waist line. So much for New Year resolutions. Hers were down the drain as if they never existed.

  “I think you look pretty, mummy,” Harry, her four-year old son and the reason she continued on living, said to her.

  “Baby, you are the loveliest man I know.” She kissed his cheek and carried him through their small apartment to the breakfast table. Harry was such a peaceful child. She placed him at the table and served him some cereal. It was a cheap supermarket brand, but the stuff that had some flavour, rather than the other kind which tasted like cardboard.

  “The phone is ringing, mummy.”

  Scarlet ran for the phone. What would she do without her observant little guy?

  “Hello.”

  “Is this Scarlet Hughes?”

  “Yes.”

  “I’m sorry to inform you that day-care won’t be available for you today.” A mother’s worst nightmare.

  “But I’m at work. I need to keep this job,” she said, staring at her son.

  “We’ll be open tomorrow, but maintenance has had to come out.” The woman continued on with a big long explanation. Scarlet listened with half an ear as she poured some milk for Harry.

  “Okay, thank you for letting me know.”

  Scarlet placed the phone back in the cradle and looked at her son. What was she going to do? The crèche at work would take him in, but they charged more than the day centre. His prescription would be due in a couple of weeks. Could she afford the extra expense?

  She saw no choice other than taking him to work. The last few bits of food were eaten, and Scarlet got Harry ready. She carried her handbag, the bag for Harry with fresh clothes and toys, and allowed Harry to walk to the car. The bags ended up on the floor while she strapped him into his car seat.

  Her hands were shaking by the time she got to work. What would people think when they saw her son?

  She wasn’t ashamed of Harry, but she knew people had horrid thoughts about her being a single mother. Especially when they asked where the father is. The crèche was located on the floor where she worked. She parked her car and walked the short distance with Harry in her arms. At four he was getting to be a heavy bundle, and her arms ached.

  Someone opened the door for her when she got to the entrance to the office building. A small blond haired girl. She looked like a teenager.

  “Thank you,” Scarlet said.

  “Opal, wait up.”

  Scarlet tensed. The voice of her boss, Richard Shaw. Instead of turning round she smiled at the young girl and moved into the warm air of the reception.

  Heads turned her way, and she blanked them out.

  At the elevator she prayed for it to arrive quickly. Why did people stare at her because she had a child and no wedding band?

  Wedlock was a thing of the past.

  “I thought I noticed you. Hi. Opal, I want you to meet, Scar—” Richard stopped speaking, and she knew he’d finally noticed Harry.

  “Nice to meet you. I’m Opal, Richard’s younger sister.” The helpful girl held out her hand. Scarlet tore her gaze away from her boss and held a hand out as best she could for the younger girl.

  “I’m Scarlet Hughes.”

  Opal had a firm grip and a smile that dazzled.

  “Is that your son?”

  Scarlet smiled. “My pride and joy, Harry.”

  All four of them got on the elevator. Scarlet, aware of Richard’s staring, tried not to fidget. Had he not seen a child before? She didn’t want to even analyse the heat rising up in her body from his penetrating gaze. Richard was way older than she, successful, and way out of her league. A single mother could only dream of having a man like him interested in her. Not that she wanted any kind of attention. Look what happened the last time she gave into the temptation. Temptation had turned sour and had caused her to be in the worst circumstance of her life. She loved Harry, and she had thought she loved his father, way before Harry’d been born. The man had turned out to be a pig of the highest order.

  “Why have you brought your son to work?” Richard asked after some time.

  “The day care centre was closed. There’s a crèche on our floor, so I’ll have to leave him there for the day.”

  “Hasn’t he got the cutest little hands?” Scarlet smiled down at the younger girl, wishing she was as oblivious of the tension between herself and Richard as Opal seemed to be.

  “Will this be a regular occurrence?” he asked.

  “No. I hope only for today.”

  She licked her lips and was out of the lift as soon as the doors had opened wide enough. The red stain of her cheeks couldn’t be disguised as anything other than embarrassment.

  “Come to my office when you’re done, Miss Hughes.” Scarlet tensed, glanced behind her, and nodded.

  Would he fire her for being a single mother?

  Once at the crèche, Harry settled in better than at the day care centre. She spoke briefly with Linda, the lady who cared for the kids.

  “He’s a charmer,” Linda said.

  “Yep.”

  “Will this be a regular thing?”

  “No, just for today.” Scarlet watched Harry for several minutes before she moved to her desk.

  Richard stood in his doorway waiting for her. She followed behind him and carefully shut the door.

  “I’m sorry about bringing Harry.” She stopped when he held a hand up.

  “What about the father?”

  “What?”

  “Couldn’t his father care for him?” He folded his hands over his chest, observing her.

  “His father didn’t want us.” Not the complete truth, but near enough and at least the best explanation her boss was going to get.Scarlet blocked out the rest of her thoughts. She couldn’t think of that man, time, or place.

  “What about your parents?” he asked, interrupting her thoughts.

  “No. They’re gone as well.”

  “I’m sorry for the third degree,” he said.

  “You’re asking a couple of questions about one of your employees. Not really the third degree,” she said.

  “He won’t stop you doing your job?”

  “I’m here, and I intend to work for my wages,” She buttoned her suit jacket up. The top button beneath her breasts refused, and she left it.

  Scarlet glanced up in time to see Richard staring at her breasts.

  The open heat from his gaze warmed her from the pit of her stomach all the way through her body, curling her toes. She shouldn’t be having feelings like this for her boss. No matter who he was, she shouldn’t be this affected by him.

  “Is that all, Sir?” she asked.

  “Yes. For now.”

  She left him and made sure to close the door quietly. Without thought, she went about her duties at work. The pounding of her heart made her question her sensibilities.

  Chapter Two

  Richard watched her leave. His cock was hard and throbbed against the tight, confined trousers he wore. Would he be able to fuck his fist before anyone interrupted him? Shaking his head at the uselessness of his thoughts, he moved a few bits around on his desk. Opal had gone to get some breakfast and a fizzy drink while he dealt with his morning calls.

  A click of a button and his computer fired up. His inbox was packed with queries from clients and other colleagues. He hated being a lawyer at times. Most of his cases dealt with married couples or marital disputes, but occasionally he did other styles of law, mainly within family law.

  Scarlet was a distraction he could no longer risk. While she had stood in front of his desk and mentioned the father of her child, he had wanted to reach out and take her in his arms.

  He had visualised fucking her over or on every surface in his office. She’d look fucking beautiful laid across his desk with her thighs splayed open. He wondered what her juicy cunt would taste like. Did she wax? Or was she a full, real woman with a neatly trimmed bush?

  He ran a hand over his face. The lustful thoughts did nothing to compose him in starting his day.
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br />   Harry, the kid, put a spanner in the works. The contract he’d planned to use to get her in his bed would be null and void with a kid. Before today he could imagine she didn’t have a child. Richard had thought of her as a single woman with no responsibilities and no one waiting at home. Harry was her son, and Richard saw in her eyes the devotion and love she felt for the small boy.

  He slammed his fist against the desk.

  “Damn it.”

  Lost, that’s what I am. Fucking lost. Women came to him begging. If not for his good looks then certainly for his money. Richard Shaw came from a billionaire family. His grandfather had started up in the boating business, and when his father took over the boats turned to hotel chains until everything with a Shaw label or copyright stamp was paying money.

  The small boy had struck a chord inside Richard. The boy had sandy hair so like his mother’s with a small button nose, and he had smiled. The little boy had smiled at him. So much trust in an infant. He remembered what it was like to put his trust in another person. A woman, he had a distant memory of a woman in his childhood who’d been more like a mother to him than his real one. Like all the other nannies and people he knew, she eventually had left.