Scarlett knocked and peeked in, “I brought lunch,” she announced in a cheery voice.
His eyes drifted to the doorway where she was standing. His emerald green eyes lit up in excitement when he saw her. “Scarlett…”As she closed the distance between them, he began nervously shuffling through the papers, pretending to be focused on work. His throat turned dry when Scarlett pushed a few things to the side and sat on his table.Benjamin’s heart skipped a beat. Her perfume tickled his nose; she smelled like fresh flowers.“What are you doing?” Scarlett asked, interrupting his musings.“Work,” he answered. “Loads of it, actually Lucious’s work.”Her face pulled into a frown.“I know that look…” He pointed at her. “What did he do?”Scarlett thought about everything he had done up to that point, until the elevator incident. She had gone home that night and instead of poring over Cameron’s half-naked pictures in a magazinScarlett watched her mother from the large mirror in the room as she held Levi in her hands. Clarissa was packing a suitcase. "What was it like when you met dad's parents?" Scarlett inquired."Is Cameron's family going to be our in-laws?" Her eyes lit up excitedly."Mum...""Well, you two look so good together, really cute, and you've been spending a lot of time with him at home," Clarissa remarked.Scarlett turned around quickly, a look of disbelief in her eyes. "How did you know that?"Clarissa did a little dance. "Trade secrets," she giggled. "I was thinking you guys were well on your way to being a couple. I mean, he is arrogant, but he is rich and handsome, so I can manage."Scarlett rolled her eyes. "I know you like him, ma.""Okay, okay, I like him!" she admitted. "He is the only decent guy you've brought home.""The only other guy I brought home was Luke.""Exactly, that's another reason for me
“We are here,” the driver announced. It had been an almost two-hour drive. They drove through the ornate gates of a private resort just outside the city.They were ushered in by the security man at the entrance who checked and confirmed her ID. As they drove in, she was greeted with lush tropical gardens adorned with beautiful flowers. The gardens led to the grand main building, with a large fountain in the middle.She exhaled in a bid to calm her nerves and stole a glance at Levi. “We are going to be fine, my love, I promise,” she whispered in his ear, clutching tightly to him.She was welcomed by impeccably dressed staff. Someone offered to take Levi, but she held on tightly to him, too scared to let go.When they entered the main building, Scarlett was unprepared for the beautiful interior. It was even more magnificent, but she didn’t have time to dwell on it because one of the staff was mouthing off instructions. “You have arrived just in time
Cameron checked his watch for the umpteenth time, glancing around in hopes of catching a glimpse of her the moment she walked in. It was a small crowd, yet she was nowhere to be seen.“...look how far it went. I tell you, it’s all in the posture and the grip. You hold it like this...” his father gestured towards his hands, “And then you swing.”Cameron watched the ball travel. “Only you would organize a golf game on their anniversary.”“Your mother was doing something she liked. I had to do something I liked,” Grayson answered. He was the older version of Cameron, with full dark hair streaked with white on the left side and light grey eyes that almost appeared blue.Cameron nodded in understanding. “By the way, where’s mother?” he glanced around. “I don’t see her anywhere.”Grayson sucked in his teeth. “I don’t think you’re going to like it...”Cameron’s brows knit in confusion as he tried to understand what he meant when his mother’s cheery voice pulled him away.“Cameron! Look who c
Scarlett’s hawk-like eyes followed the lady holding Levi. It was hard to stay calm. The Graysons had made it pretty clear in fewer words that she wasn’t welcome. The thought that they could take Levi away from her and cast her aside like she didn’t matter terrified her. Cameron hadn’t been any help either...“Do you like Uncle Cameron?”She spun around sharply, startled. Her eyes widened when she saw Cameron’s niece Loretta standing beside her, “What? No!”The little girl giggled, “But you’ve been staring at him all day!”Her cheeks burned from embarrassment. If Loretta noticed, then that means everyone else could. She exhaled. She was only staring at him because she was pissed at him, but deep inside, she knew that excuse wouldn’t make sense to a little girl, let alone an adult. She pulled her gaze towards the expectant eyes of Loretta, “I wasn’t…”She shrugged, “It’s okay, everyone likes Uncle Cameron.”Scarlett turned her gaze
Dining with the Graysons was an even harder task to accomplish. She was torn between canceling or showing up late, but after weighing the consequences, she decided none of it was favorable for her. So she sucked it up and put on her best look and wore her mask of confidence. She stared at her reflection in the mirror. She was wearing a peach backless dress that clung to her figure like a glove, with tiny straps. She wore silver heels and a silver clutch to match. She exhaled before walking out of her room.Cameron had still not spoken to her. All they had managed was sideways glances, while she endured the torture from his family. She had been close to tears many times, but she had told herself she wouldn’t let them get to her.She walked into the hall. There were a few of Cameron’s extended family seated. She smiled politely at them and took a seat at the far end. When the waiters came to lay out the table, she leaned closer to one of them and whispered, “Is my so
Cameron knocked hard on the door, and almost immediately it opened. Clarissa stood in the doorway with tear-stained cheeks, clearly distressed. He had never seen her in such a state before, as she was usually bubbly. Seeing her like this set off alarms in his mind. “Where is Scarlett?” She asked in a tearful voice. He exhaled, realizing that if Clarissa didn't know where Scarlett was, it meant Scarlett and Levi were still out there somewhere, which was unsettling. “She left...” His voice was solemn. Clarissa's face fell, and she covered her mouth, retracing her steps. “I thought she came home, and so...” “You hurt her, you and your family hurt my little girl,” she spun around sharply. “You hurt my girl, and now she has run off to God knows where? I haven’t heard from her for hours. It has been hours, and I don’t know where my babies are...” Cameron felt a rage building up inside him, but in that moment, he understood Clarissa's pain. There was no denying her love for Scarlett; i
Cameron stood in the living room, his hands tucked in his pockets. He looked up at her when she walked into the room, her mother not too far behind. She rubbed circles on Scarlett’s back to soothe her before walking away.He clenched his jaw as he took in her slightly disheveled appearance, trying not to focus on how beautiful she looked.“Mr. Grayson,” she called out to him in a small voice, “I wasn’t expecting you.”“I should have called,” he responded, realizing he should have but didn’t trust himself to go through with his plan if he heard her voice, “I’m here for Levi.”Her eyes shot up in panic.He turned to look behind him, Mrs. Sharma was standing there. He extended a hand to her and took a file from her.Her eyes widened in alarm when he gave her the file. She stared at him hesitantly, he merely shrugged, so she tore it open, “What is it?”“Check it for yourself.”He watched as those bright blue eyes scanned the paper, emotions flickering in them, “These are documents for Lev
Cameron had a smile on his face as he stood at the doorway watching them. He tugged at his tie and slowly loosened it. Levi was sitting on a mat, a look of amusement in his eyes as he watched Mrs. Sharma make faces at him. It warmed his heart to see him happy.Levi was the first to spot him, his smile widened, and he began to giggle, babbling incoherent words, “Dada da…”Mrs. Sharma spun around, “Mr. Grayson, I didn’t see you there.”“Not a problem, Mrs. Sharma, thank you for your help.” He walked up to them and picked Levi up, who had his arms outstretched. Since he had Levi, he was spending less time at work and more time at home. Yet, it never felt like it was enough. He couldn’t shake off the guilt he was feeling on the inside. He pulled him closer and planted soft kisses on top of his curly dark hair, “Any news?”"Any news" was code for any update on Scarlett. He had lost count of the number of times he had asked the question in the past week
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