Well. What do you think so far?
“Scarlett, your boss is...” Clarissa frowned when she walked in on Scarlett aggressively biting her nails and pacing across the room. “Scar...” She stopped suddenly and glanced in her direction, “Mother, how could you just let anyone into our home?”“He looked trustworthy, and he introduced himself to me as your boss, I had to let him...”“Mom, anyone could have introduced themselves as my boss, anyone in the neighborhood, Luke could have...”“Luke will not dare show his face before me again!” she shut her down.“All I am saying, Mom, is this was reckless. You don’t let just anyone into the house; he could have tried to hurt you or Levi...”Clarissa shook her head, “If anyone tried to touch Levi, they would have to go through my dead body, and even then, I can't promise that my spirit wouldn't react.”Scarlett knew she was serious. She resumed pacing.“I don’t get it, Scar, he is your boss, isn’t he? If he is, why are you worried?” She asked, but Scarlett didn’t answer, “You don’t have
Scarlett glanced at her reflection in the mirror. She didn’t just look different because she had changed her hair color back to the vibrant black that she was born with. There was something else that was different, something that had changed in her. She had barely gotten any sleep the night before; her eyes were dull and tired. How could she? She was resuming work today, and it was hard for her mind not to go into overdrive, thoughts of Cameron, wondering what he was thinking, just how much he knew.Her hair was cut in a curtain bang, framing her face perfectly. She leaned forward, her hands shaky as she applied mascara. Her nerves were all over the place, but it was hard to relax, it was impossible. She slipped into a simple black and white dress with black stilettos, applied finishing touches to her light makeup, put on perfume, grabbed her purse, and continued to stare at her reflection in the mirror.Clarissa walked in behind her with Levi on her hip, “You look beautiful, Scarr…”
Clarissa rushed towards Scarlett as soon as she walked in, “How did your day go?”Scarlett exhaled, tucking her hair behind her ear, “I can’t say for certain…”“Come on, Scar, give me something.” Clarissa pleaded, her eyes were wide like huge saucers.“I think things went smoothly…” she replied as an afterthought.Clarissa exhaled in relief, “Thank heavens…”“Maybe too smoothly…” Scarlett added before plunging down on the couch.Clarissa came up beside her quickly, “Scar, I'm goung to need more than that.”“He didn’t refer to anything that happened that day. He didn’t mention Levi or you. The only time he acknowledged that event was when he asked why I left the job,” she explained.“And what did you say?”“Nothing.” Scarlett sighed, “I didn’t have a sensible reason to give.” She massaged her temples, “I mean we talked about everything, work, Lucious, even my hair but nothing about our meeting. I couldn’t help but think there was something up, like he was deliberately avoiding the subje
Cameron’s face was set in a deep frown as he fiddled with the paper in his hand. He had lost count of the number of times he had stared at it all weekend, terrified the words on it would change the moment he looked away. His hair was messy like he had run his fingers through it repeatedly. He caught a glimpse of her from his monitor as she walked in, and he immediately rang her up. Every minute he had to wait for her felt like long agonizing hours.Until she walked in, her long curly hair framing her perfect face, clad in the most tight-fitting white dress he had ever seen her in, with a black jacket draped on her shoulders. Her long legs accentuated by the black stilettos she had on. He bit down on his lips and sucked in a breath.“Good morning, Mr. Grayson,” she greeted in that sing-song voice of hers, pulling him out of his reverie. She had a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. He wondered in that moment if she had always been like that. If all the nervousne
Scarlett was sitting cross-legged in front of her table, her eyes fixated on her screen, sipping from a cup. Her workload had doubled, and she knew it was all thanks to Lucious. Lucious hated her guts, even more now that he found out she had dark hair. He didn’t look like he was going to admit that she had fooled him with a cheap box dye, but he sure knew how to express his displeasure.Suddenly, the doors opened with a force that startled her. She looked up from her laptop to stare into the disgruntled face of Cameron. His hair looked like he had run his fingers through it repeatedly, his brows furrowed, and his full lips were upturned. His black jacket was slung over his arm, his tie hung loosely around his neck, and a few buttons of his black silk shirt were undone.She got to her feet, her eyes giving him a once-over. “Mr....Cameron,” she corrected herself at the last minute.“Pack up, we have somewhere to go,” he responded without sparing her a glance.The lines of worry on her fo
Her heart was racing in her chest, “No...” her voice was barely audible.“Scarlett, I’m giving you the time to tell me what it is you’re keeping from me...” his tone was growing impatient.“Cameron, I don’t under...”“Don’t act coy with me, Scarlett,” he cut in, his grey eyes bore into hers, “You and I know, you’re not innocent,” he said through gritted teeth.Her cheeks burned bright red in embarrassment; she knew exactly what he was talking about. He was referring to the night in Paris, the night where she was sad, pumped full with more than her usual amount of alcohol, and ready to make wrong decisions. She had been anything but innocent that night. She didn’t know how much he knew, but she was willing to play the long game, for as long as she could.She swallowed, trying to ignore the proximity of their bodies, his breath that fanned her cheeks, his lips next to hers...She cleared her throat and tried to pull away from him, but it was futile. His strong arms were on each side of
Scarlett lost track of time and any sensible thought the moment she lost sight of the taillights of Cameron’s car as he drove away. Nothing made sense, just like that lonely morning in Paris. Tears were flowing freely down her cheeks, fresh ones brimming in her eyes, her thoughts were all over the place. Cameron knew, somehow he knew. For how long, she didn’t know, but he had a test, he had done a DNA test.She raked through her head trying to figure it all out, and it made sense that he knew the very first time he saw Levi. Yes, Levi had all of his features, but how could he have been so sure, how... Yet, somehow, the weeks that followed after that, he had pretended like nothing happened, like he didn’t just find out something as huge as that, why...What did it mean? She thought to herself, what was he going to get out of all this? What was he planning? The more she thought about it, the pang in her chest heightened.She didn’t know how she got to her house, but she was standing at t
“I think you should try on the cotton blue shirt!” Lucious suggested, failing to hide the excitement in his voice. He turned to one of the assistants who was helping set up the lighting. “What do you think, Blake?”Blake merely shrugged.Lucious dismissed him with a wave of the hand. “Trust me, Mr. Grayson...”“You know how much I hate colors,” Cameron protested.“I do, but there’s something about you in a casual cotton blue shirt that speaks to the average person. It gives off a normal boss, hard worker, someone’s daddy vibe...” Lucious trailed off as Cameron almost choked.Cameron shot up from his chair. “Are you okay? Can I help you?”“I’m fine,” Cameron replied in a barely audible voice, grabbing a glass of water and sipping.“Trust me, while the silk black shirts ooze pure class, there’s something about this one...” Lucious trailed off. “I can’t quite place my finger on it.”“If you say so then...” Cameron conceded and began to unbutton his shirt. “Remind me, Lucious, what’s the
Lucious arrived fashionably late, as always, for Mrs. Grayson’s birthday celebration. Through no fault of his own, his flight had been delayed. He rushed in when the party was already underway, grabbed a glass of champagne, and blended in with the merry crowd. His eyes searched the room for familiar faces, and then he spotted her: Scarlett Knowles.She looked beautiful in the blue and white floral dress she was wearing. He rushed towards her, grabbed her shoulders from behind, and exclaimed, “Hello, Scarlett!”She turned around sharply, her eyes widening in excitement. “Lucious! You got here late. I was beginning to think you wouldn’t come anymore!”He rolled his eyes. “I had the most hectic flight, you won’t believe it…” He let out a big exhale and fanned himself with his hands. “The flight got delayed, and we encountered some difficulties on the way here. I should have just listened to Mr. King's advice and flown private…”Scarlett gave him a knowing gaze. “Mr. King, huh?”Lucious g
“Happy birthday to you...” Everyone's voices rose together in a slightly off-key rendition of "Happy Birthday."Belinda beamed, glowing as her family and friends sang together for her. They were all gathered at a hall in the resort. Her birthday celebration was a small, cozy event. At the end of the rendition, everyone stepped forward to personally wish her a happy birthday and hug her.Her husband, Mr. Grayson walked up to her, beaming with smiles. He opened a jewelry box and revealed a diamond necklace. “I had one especially made just for you, there’s only one special gem, just like you...” He leaned close and kissed the top of her head.There were a lot of "aww's" from the crowd.She shut her eyes. “Thank you, my love.”Her grandchildren, Loretta and Levi, had brought gifts for her: handmade cards and letters. It was the cutest thing. Levi’s gifts were mostly illegible scribblings, while Loretta’s were more meaningful, but she loved and appreciated every one of them.Cameron and Va
Vanessa walked into the lounge, her hands folded across her chest, “Cameron! Cameron!” She yelled aloud as she walked in.He rolled his eyes, “Nessa, it says relaxing lounge for a reason,” he gestured towards the sign at the door.She glanced at it and back at her scruffy-looking brother, “Yes, I can see that it clearly says relaxing lounge and has a no alcohol policy so what’s that about?” she pointed at the half-full bottle of whisky by his side.He exhaled, “Does it matter? We bought out the whole place. The rules don’t apply anymore.”She walked up to him, “I don’t think that’s how rules work, but you’ve never been one to abide by any rule ever, so I can’t say I’m surprised.”He groaned, the last thing, okay maybe not the last thing. The second to last thing he wanted to hear was his sister’s bickering. The last thing was definitely his mother's voice chiding him for something, “What are you here for, Vanessa?”She gave him a long look. He lay on the couch, his hair overgrown, spo
Cameron bit down on his lips, liking the way she called out his name softly. It made him rock hard. “I want to bend you over right now, right here, and make love to you until your body shakes in excitement. I’d like to hear you cry out my name as you beg me to make love to you, knowing no other man will ever give you pleasure like I would, knowing it will never be enough…”Scarlett let out a small squeak. He spun her around until she was facing him and pulled her close. Her breasts were pressed up against him, almost spilling out of her dress. He stared at them with a burning look of desire in his eyes.Jaxon was fuming where he stood. Somewhere in the middle of the song, he had stopped pretending like he wanted to dance. He just stopped and stared at them. His hands were clenched into fists. Cameron’s hands were roaming, whispering into Scarlett’s ears, and she looked like she was enjoying it, every bit of it. Her eyes were shut, and she was leaning into Cameron. She had no fear for
It was going to be fun, alright! Cameron gulped down two more shots, loving the burn of the liquid as it trickled down his throat. This was what he needed. He turned around to leave. Jaxon finalized their order before he left.Cameron was only halfway towards Scarlett and Hadley when a familiar song came on the speakers. He stopped in his tracks to listen, his lips curling into a small smile. He looked up to meet those bright blue eyes staring at him with flushed cheeks. He knew exactly what she was thinking about at the moment. He walked up to her and grabbed her, “Shall I have the first dance, Scarr?”Scarlett looked around in worry.Hadley opened her mouth in protest, “Cam—”“Oh, it’s only an old-fashioned dance, love,” he cut in. “It will be good for us, remember?” he used her exact words against her.Hadley frowned.“What the hell, man?” Jaxon protested when he saw Cameron was holding hands with her.Cameron spun around to face Jaxon, still holding onto her. “Oh, it’s only a danc
As they got out of the car, Hadley leaned forward, cupped his cheeks, and kissed him, “This will be good for us.”Cameron stared at her hesitantly.“I promise.” She leaned into him, grabbed his hand, and put it around her waist, “You’ve been stuck up all day, overthinking, worrying...” She pulled at his cheeks, “You’re beginning to have worry lines. You’re in need of a good rest…”He gave her a look.She burst into soft laughter, “Yes, you need rest and you’ll rest later tonight. You’re also in need of some fun. I don’t think you have enjoyed any bit of our trip here. You can’t keep wallowing in your problems, let loose and let’s party!”He glanced at the neon flashing sign; it read Club Dazzle. They had driven a long way to find the club. Apparently, it was a hotspot for tourists. He could easily blend in without being noticed, and maybe that was what he needed. A night without Scarlett, a wild night drinking and dancing might just be enough to stop thinking about her. He hardly beli
Jaxon peered into the room with a frown on his face, “Are you sure the petals are enough?” he asked.The young brunette girl nodded, “There isn’t a lot to work with here. The twin-sized beds don't really help..."” She trailed off.His frown deepened, “Have you checked with the staff? Are there no available rooms?”She nodded, “This resort is fully booked by the Graysons. The neighboring lodges are fully booked at this time of year. The nearest hotel room is two hours away…”Damn you, Cameron! Jaxon cursed under his breath. His plans to take Scarlett to bed were getting frustrating each and every day. He hated sleeping next to her yet unable to touch her. She usually slept with her back to him and a blanket covering her head. It was like she was taking extra care to get further away from him as she possibly could. There were no other rooms available, and he had no car to make the two-hour journey.He had to improvise and make do with what he had. He couldn’t continue to hold back, it w
Cameron stepped out for a walk, and this time he truly needed the time alone and the fresh air. He needed to settle with his thoughts and clear his head. He had walked for a long distance, without his phone or his headphones, and then a thought hit him, Levi! He had been so caught up in his life falling apart; he hadn’t given his son much thought. He walked straight to the suite he shared with Ms. Sharma, and to his amazement, Scarlett was there.She stared wide-eyed at him when he walked in. She was sitting on the bed, with Levi in her arms. Ms. Sharma was giggling about something she said; she stopped when she saw him.Cameron took in her appearance. She was wearing a pale pink robe, her hair was tied up in a messy bun atop her head. Her suite was not far from Levi’s, so she had probably made a quick stop. He had hoped to catch her alone since the first day he spotted her at the airport. He had memorized a long list of questions he hoped to ask her when he did, m
Hadley stared at her reflection in the mirror, her blonde hair styled to perfection and cascading in waves down her back. She reapplied her bright red lipstick and admired her reflection in the mirror. She had on lacy lingerie that left next to nothing to the imagination. Of course, it was bright red lingerie. Red was Cameron's favorite color, something she had learned only a few hours ago, which was pathetic. But she wasn’t going to put herself down, not today. Today was great, she and Cameron had gotten a lot closer. She had half-expected him to push her off when she started kissing him earlier, but he didn’t. He let her, all of that in front of Scarlett. She would be dumb not to get the message that Cameron was hers and hers alone.As if on cue, the doors opened, and he walked in. He froze and stared at her. For some unexplainable reason, she was unnerved by his piercing stare. She had done this a couple of times. She was a model, being seductive was her job. S