Scarlett rushed into the restroom, closing the door shut behind her. She stared at her reflection in the mirror, tears flowing freely down her cheeks. Of course, they had sex. What was she thinking? A part of her wanted all her fears to be wrong, she didn’t want to believe all the thoughts she had about Cameron, about being nothing but just another number to him. Maybe it was true. All of what they said was true. She didn’t stand a chance, not with Hadley being around.She clung to herself tightly as her sobs racked her lithe frame, tears flowing unabashedly down her cheeks. She wiped at them, but she couldn’t stop the tears.Her heart was breaking at the thought of the man she wanted but couldn’t have, the man she loved. Love? She hadn’t given it much thought until now. It had to be love. Why else would she be crying at the knowledge that a man she was casually involved with had sex with another? Why did she stare into those grey eyes and feel betrayal? Why did the knowledge hurt mor
Anika peeked behind her, “She’s coming,” she announced excitedly.Tess smoothed her brunette hair, “How does my hair look?”Lynn’s eyes narrowed at her, “Are you trying to impress her?”Tess shrugged, “I don’t know. It has just been so long, I don’t know, I’ll be awkward around her.”“Y’all be nice, don’t chase her away,” Whitney took a sip of her glass, “It has taken a lot for her to come here.”Scarlett sighed and sat down at the table, her chest heaving, “Hi...” She glanced around nervously, “That was unnerving.”“Hello Scarlett,” Lynn greeted.Anika pulled her into a hug, “How are you?”“I’m fine,” she smiled at them.Tess turned to her, “It has been a while, Scarlett. We missed you here.”She nodded, “Well, it was a lot, I couldn’t...”“You should let her eat her food,” Whitney intervened.Scarlett flashed her an appreciative smile.They ate in silence and began making small conversations. Scarlett chirped in occasionally, thankful for the company. She was no longer conscious of
They all turned to look at her, Lucious's expression was one of disappointment that their conversation was cut off, which was quite understandable. He had become quite a good conversation partner, and she was grateful for their friendship.Cameron, on the other hand, had a look of astonishment that quickly turned into realization. She didn't understand it, and frankly, she didn't want to understand. It was day five of following Whitney's advice, and every day was harder than the last. She couldn't bring herself to look him in the eye. "I'm just going to take this," she whispered in a small voice and moved away from them."Hello, mom.""How are you, Scarlett?""Fine, and you?" her voice was hushed. She glanced at them."Why are you whispering?" Clarissa queried. "Are you okay?"She nodded at first, until she realized she couldn't see her. "I'm still at work, mom...""So, you're with Cameron?"She peeked at him. "Yes.""Just the two of you?""Eww! No."Clarissa chuckled. "You were fine
They heard the door open, forcing them to detach from each other. Cameron held her hands in place, hoping to hold on to her for long, but she pulled away and walked to the sink. She turned on the tap, washed her hands, and stepped out. He followed closely behind. Lucious twirled around his chair to look at them, an amused expression on his face. "You know, I forgot for a moment there that leaving you two together was a recipe for disaster," Scarlett’s cheeks turned rosy, and she lowered her gaze as she sat down. Lucious looked between the both of them curiously. "Whatever happened between you two?" She glanced at Cameron, but as soon as he looked up at her, she looked away. "Wow! Okay, the energy here is tense..." Lucious massaged his temples, feigning exhaustion. "I don’t think this is a healthy working environment. It’s toxic for my mental health. Do I file a suit?" he teased. "I don’t know, Lucious. All I know is Scarlett won’t talk to me, and she won’t tell me why either," Cam
“Is he coming to work today?” Scarlett asked Lucious as he walked into the office.“No,” he answered, “I didn’t get any response when I reached out to him.”Her face fell. It had been a week since she saw Cameron. Even when she went to his house to pick up Levi, she didn’t see him. Instead, Miss Sharma received her.“Do you think I should reach out to him?”Lucious plopped down on his chair. “What do you think?”She didn’t even think she had the right words to say to him, or that she wanted to speak to him. “I don’t think that’s great…”Lucious shrugged. “You have broken the man.”She shot him a playful glare.Lucious chuckled. “Don’t think too much about it. Cameron has never been the type to come to work every single day. He probably just needs a break, or he’s in some important meeting…”“Without his personal assistant or his secretary?”He scratched his jaw. “I know that’s odd, but we have to trust that he’s fine. I do periodic checks. His housekeeper said he’s breathing fine. I g
“Can you believe it?" Tess' eyes were like huge saucers, "Cameron Grayson in the cafeteria. I have seen it all.”“What do you think Cameron would be doing here?” Lynn asked in a whisper.“How would I know?” Tess drawled out. She turned to Scarlett, “Do you have any idea?”She shook her head, “He hasn’t been at work for a week. I wasn’t expecting him, none of us...”“Is he coming towards us?” Anika asked, tilting her head to the side.“No, he can’t be...” Lynn shook her head.Whitney squinted her eyes at him, “Well, it does look like he’s looking for someone...”“Why would Cameron be looking for someone?” Anika cut in, slurping her drink in her hand, “He could easily have sent someone to get them.”“Yeah, he could have,” Tess commented absentmindedly. She had a small smile on her lips as she stared at him, “Is it just me, or is Cameron looking even hotter than I remember?”Scarlett stole a glance at him and quickly pulled her gaze away. She had a feeling that maybe he was looking for h
Cameron signaled the driver and whispered something in his ear. The driver began driving. Scarlett glanced at him, “Where are we going?” She asked, “We got a change of dresses and I...” “Don’t act like you don’t want to be here, Scarr. If you didn’t want to be here, you wouldn’t have readily agreed to change into this dress...” He gave her a once-over. It was a short, tight-fitting black dress paired with matching heels that made her legs look longer. She was conscious of his lewd gaze trained on her body. He didn’t bother to be subtle about it, he was gawking at her like he wanted to devour her. “What did you think was gonna happen, Scarr?” He asked curiously, “That you’re going to put on this hot dress and what? Go to an office with me? Do work?” He chuckled in amusement, “Don’t act coy, Scarr...” Her eyes widened in shock, “You pulled me out of lunch with my friends, dragged me across the hall because we had an important meeting, and now you’re saying... where are we going?” H
Cameron flashed his boyish smile at her, his hands in the pockets of his pants. "I don’t think we’ve met since the unfortunate incident. My heartfelt condolences."Lucia lowered her gaze and began playing with her fingers. "Thank you so much, Cameron. It means a lot to me..."Scarlett shook her head in disbelief. Did he really bring her along to watch this painful conversation? For what purpose exactly? So she would feel jealous?“I missed out on the first chance to dance with you. I hope I don’t miss the next?” He asked expectantly.She glanced curiously at Scarlett. “I thought you already had a partner?” She had a wide smile on her face, but there was no denying the sharpness of her tone.Cameron let out a dry chuckle and glanced at Scarlett. “Contrary to the common misconception, Scarlett is just my secretary,” he held her gaze. “She’s not my lover, nor is she my girlfriend.”The words he said were true, at least they were now, yet it hurt so much to hear him say it out loud. To op
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