“Urrr? Cuz?” Max asked from behind when he noticed his cousin rubbing her pouty lips all red and raw.
“Mmmm?” Clarice answered while still unconsciously rubbing.
“Why are you rubbing your lips like that?” he asked in concern. “Did you eat something wrong? Or did a bee sting your lips?”
“Huh? Huh? What? Of course not. No, nothing.” Clarice turned away from Max’s prying eyes. “I’m going to bed now.”
“What? Cuz.” Max stepped in her way to block her path, drawing his eyes forward to examine her lips. “They look really red, cuz. It looks like someone kissed you.” Then his eyes popped wide open at the realization. “Shit, did Anton eat your lips or something?”
“Max!” Clarice clamped his mouth shut. “Don’t say things like that.”
“Did he? Did he kiss you?”
“Max, I am not having this conversation with you. I’m tired. Would you just go to your room now? I’m going to sleep.”
“Don’t give me that excuse,” Max said. “Your face is all red. He kissed you. didn’t he? And he gave you that sperm!”
“Of course he did. You set us up, didn’t you?” Clarice let her tongue loose, and before she realized it, Max had dragged her to the comfy couch and demanded she tell him the whole story.
“Aren’t you too young to listen to this kind of story?” She was about to leap off the couch again, but Max’s arms were firmly on her shoulders, holding her in place.
“Come on, cuz. Just spill a bit,” Max pleaded with puppy dog eyes. He knew Elise and Whitney couldn’t resist those eyes so he was sure it would work on his cousin too.
“There is nothing to tell. I’m going to bed,” Clarice said quickly, then ran off to her room, but Max’s voice still drifted into her room when she’d closed the door.
“Someone’s shy right now,” Max teased her from the other side. “Ooo-la-la.”
“Shut up. Don’t make that stupid noise. You are so annoying. Go to bed now,” she shouted. “We’re leaving early tomorrow morning, so go to sleep.”
“Aye, aye, Clarice cuz. See you tomorrow morning all bright-eyed and fluffy-tailed. Hope you have a good dream about that baby of yours. I so can’t wait to have a nephew or a niece,” Max said.
Once she was sure Max had gone off to his room, she sank to the floor, her knees weak.
Dear heavens! So many things had happened to her in the last twenty-four hours. Getting confessed to by Anton that he wanted her, sleeping with Anton, and then getting kissed by that Casanova Hunter.
“Urrggggg…” Clarice moaned as she felt her heart beating for both men. “Why oh why did that Casanova have to kiss me?”
CHAPTER 19
The slim woman in the four-inch heels strode along the hallway to the head office of Silverton Hotel like she was parading on a catwalk, her gait sly like a panther stalking her target. She dismissed anyone who got in her way, only heading toward her destination, which lay hidden in the private sector of the hotel. Her target: the young heir of Silverton Enterprises, Hunter Silverton.
Winton, who was busy dashing between errands for Anton Silverton, just stood in the hallway, watching her glide past him, his mouth gaping open in awe as he admired her beauty. She was a sight to behold all right, with her long, glorious fiery red hair cascading all the way down to her waist.
Winton didn’t realize he was gawking and drool was forming on the corner of his lips until she slid past him toward the restricted staff-only area. Blinking a few times for his wayward mind to return back to reality, he clamped his mouth shut, swiped the drool off the side of his chin, and raced to catch up to the beauty that had caught his eyes.
“Miss, I’m sorry, but you can’t pass this area. This is a no patron area. Only staff is allowed in here,” he said sweetly by way of blocking her passage with his body.
The woman gazed at him under her lashes. “But Fern has someone she needs to see. Can’t you just let her in? It’s very important to her.”
Winton couldn’t handle being spoken to like this. He felt his legs turning into jelly. He always had a soft spot for sweet beauty like this woman here. Especially if she was referring to herself in the third person.
“I’m sorry, miss, but I can’t.”
“Really?” she asked, her eyes twinkling with sadness, her lips pouting. And she even batted her eyelashes again just for effect.
“I… I could get that person for you.” Winton tried to woo her and stood a little straighter so he could look manlier.
For someone who was on par with Anton Silverton, the same age and everything, Winton couldn’t help feeling inferior to the man. Where Anton was blessed with thick brown hair, Winton was starting to turn into a silvery grey fox, what with the silver lining on his temple already. And it didn’t look good either when there was a potbelly on its way too. He needed to get those extra pounds off if he wanted to attract any woman at all. He just needed a beautiful woman to motivate him to do this. And he just hoped this woman in front of him here would be his prize for losing all that extra weight.
“I… can’t.” Winton still stood his ground. “Who do you need? I can call for him. You can just—”
Blue blazes, the woman was winding her arms around him, and Winton almost peed in his pants. He had never been this close to a beautiful creature before. He couldn’t even think straight, let alone react. This was outside the bounds of their office rules. No sexual conduct in Silverton Enterprises between strangers or office workers. She was a stranger, but he had no doubt he’d just broken the rules.
“What is going on here?”
Winton turned to the voice and there was the CEO of the hotel, all serious-looking, Anton Silverton. Winton tried unwinding the arms of the beautiful creature, but she was like a leech, sucking him until he was out of energy.
The woman turned to the man and ran her eyes down the length of his body. Smiling as she saw the man who interrupted her, wearing a suit that was not as expensive as this gentleman with the growing potbelly, she assumed immediately that he must be the underling of Mr. Potbelly.
“Fern is here to see Hunter,” she announced. “Are you the secretary here? Please bring Hunter to Fern,” she instructed.
Anton almost gaped in horror at the sight of the woman before him. She was like the devil, dressed all in red with red sharp claws and lips that were so scarlet it hurt his eyes to look at. And the gall of her to even assume he was a secretary.
“I…” Anton couldn’t pretend to speak; in fact, he was that speechless.
“Fern would like to speak with Hunter.” She came to stand in front of Anton and with her heels, her head was level with his.
Eye to eye, nose to nose, and lips to lips, Anton couldn’t help feeling a slight thump in the rhythm of his heart. There was no denying there was some sort of electric shock running through his being.
Fern cocked her head to one side. This man, why was he not having any reaction to her? He looked so serious and still, like a mannequin.
Anton couldn’t take his eyesight off this woman; he just couldn’t. So he continued to stare at her, putting on his serious and businesslike face.
“What in the grasshopper is going on?” came Clinton Silverton’s booming voice, breaking the two’s eye contact.
The red-haired woman gracefully turned her head to look at the old man, which in turn made her coppery mane sway past Anton’s face, and he couldn’t help sucking in her sweet, exotic scent. When she saw the man with the silvery grey hair and the Armani suit, with the round chin and chubby cheeks, Fern knew immediately who this person was.
“Are you by any chance Senior Silverton?” she went to ask Clinton, grabbing both of his hands to hold within hers. “You look just like him in the magazine.”
Clinton was a bit awestruck. “Yes, I am. And you, my dear—cough—beauty, who are you?” he asked, also struck by her attractiveness.
The woman smiled at the three men before her.
“This is Fern.” She ind
icated herself. “And she is pregnant with Hunter, Senior Silverton’s son.”
Clinton Silverton almost collapsed, Anton looked so shocked that he couldn’t even utter a single word, and Winton’s motivation to lose those extra pounds deflated like a helium balloon.
* * *
“You did what?” Hunter stared at the woman before him, who was busy giggling on the couch. “Fern, stop laughing. I’m being serious here,” he yelled.
“Oh, Hunter darling, stop yelling at Fern. What a way to welcome your beautiful best friend from America, yelling like that.” She giggled again, brushing him off.
“Best friend my ass. Why the hell did you tell that kind of joke to my family? You know Dad almost had an aneurism.”
“Look, Fern is sorry. Stop being mad at Fern. Are you still upset because Fern wouldn’t visit you sooner? Hummmm?” She wound her arm around Hunter’s neck, bringing him closer. “And would you remove your sunglasses? Fern wants to see you.”
“I’m not upset with you. You’re like my long-lost sister,” Hunter muttered. “And no, I will not remove my glasses.”
“I thought so. This long-lost sister of yours does apologize. Fern didn’t mean to make everyone so upset. But please do remove your glasses. It’s like Fern can’t even tell if she’s talking to Hunter or not.”
“You have to go and apologize. And no, for the last time, I am not going to remove these glasses,” Hunter said, straightening his sunglasses again.
“Why not?” Fern asked, moving to remove those glasses, but Hunter backed away fast, preventing her from doing so.
“Look, would you just go apologize?” Hunter said, a little upset. “You’ve caused a commotion in the workplace, and it will not dissipate until you go and apologize.”
“Okay,” Fern said finally. “Fern will go to apologize. It is to Senior Silverton, is it not?” she asked. When Hunter nodded his head, she smiled. “Of course, for you, my darling, Fern will do anything.”
Fern was about midway to the door when Hunter’s added comment froze her on the spot.
“And Anton.”
“What? No, no. Not that mannequin,” Fern grumbled, coming back to the couch and sitting down.
“Mannequin?” Hunter asked, wondering whom Fern was referring to.
“Yes. The mannequin,” Fern said, explaining her serious dislike of Anton. “You didn’t see it, Hunter darling, but he was the only man there that didn’t drool or bat an eyelid at Fern. Even Senior Silverton commented on how beautiful Fern was, but that mannequin, that mannequin… Fern’s beauty didn’t affect him. Fern is very disappointed.”
“For the first time, you realize your beauty will not affect all men.”
“You, my darling, are excused since you are this beautiful creature’s best friend,” she said while gesturing to herself, “but that mannequin… I can’t let it go. He hurt Fern’s ego.”
“You sure have a huge ego, Fern.”
“Not as huge as yours, Hunter darling,” she replied, then smirked as if interested to see what he’d been up to since the last time they meet. “Tell Fern, how many have you bedded lately, my darling Casanova?”
“None,” Hunter confessed, nudging his sunglasses again.
“None?” Fern uttered in shock. “What do you mean none? You’re like the number one Casanova from our university days.”
“I can’t seem to get it up these days,” Hunter confessed quietly, but Fern had excellent hearing so she was able to pick it up.
“Really? Why? Wait! Does this have something to do with why you’re wearing the sunglasses?” Fern asked.
“Well, you could say that.” Hunter began his pathetic story. “I had this experience with this mysterious goddess once, and now I can’t seem to sleep with anyone else.”
“Was she really that good?”
“Beyond anything you can imagine,” Hunter said gloomily.
“Since she’s that good, why are you feeling so down? Why don’t you ask her to be your girlfriend, then? That way you can sleep with her every night.”
“I can’t.”
“Why not? Fern doesn’t understand.”
“Because she’s the mysterious goddess, that’s why. I don’t even know her name or where she is now. Hell, we had sex once and then she just left me. I tried searching for her everywhere, but I can’t seem to find her.”
Hunter didn’t want to tell Fern that his ailment was also due to Clarice, the avocado. Both the avocado and his goddess were doing his head in.
Fern came to sit beside Hunter and began rubbing his back like she always did when Hunter was upset.
“Have you hired a private detective? Fern knows some really good ones, just like Hercule Pirot in Miss Agatha Christie’s books.”
“I did, but none could help me. Apparently, they’re still searching for the woman.”
“Poor Hunter darling.” Fern hugged her friend then. “I guess she doesn’t want you to find her. Maybe she just wanted a one-night stand with you. You know, since you’re all hot and everything.”
“I guess so but… arrrggggg,” Hunter growled and ruffled his hair even more in frustration. “I just can’t sleep. I’ve tried sleeping, but I just can’t. It’s like this woman put a curse on me. I slept with her once and now I can’t sleep ever again. I feel if I don’t get to sleep with her again, I might die of insomnia. And if I do manage to sleep, I dream of her. That’s why I have all these dark shadows under my eyes.” Hunter tore the sunglasses off his face, exposing the many bags and bags of dark shadows underneath his eyes that he was trying to hide.
Fern let out a shudder.
“Oh, poor Hunter baby,” Fern said, then went to sit on his lap and examined his eyes.
“Ka, you do have bags under your eyes. They could hold many lollies,” Fern said, trying to cheer up her friend.
“Fern, my eyes can’t hold lollies,” he said, getting annoyed. Why must she tease him like back in their university days? He was starting to get really upset and annoyed. He wasn’t an immature guy like before. He’d changed. He thought.
“Fern is very sorry. Please forgive Fern. She just wants to cheer you up.” She smiled, then gently touched his eyes. “But still, having these bags, you can’t go around like this. What happens if someone sees you? You’d be tainted for life.”
“I know. That’s why I’ve been wearing those glasses. Then Dad yelled at me to come to the hotel, saying it was a life and death situation. You know I had to take the back stairs so no one could recognize me. I feel like a criminal coming to steal something from my own hotel.”
“Ha-ha. Poor Hunter. It must have been tiring trying to escape from all the employees who know you.” Fern laughed. “But it doesn’t matter now. Fern will help you. She has this eye cream that just came out. Fern will give some to you. You just need to apply the eye cream on these spots here if you don’t want to have more ba—”
“Ahem.”
There was a clearing of the throat sound at the door, which alerted both Hunter and Fern, turning their gazes towards the sound. There stood Anton Silverton, his eyes sharp as he took in the sight of his playboy of a cousin and the provocative woman sitting on his lap with her arms around his neck. Somehow his heart was beating fast and he wasn’t sure why, but it must be seeing that unpleasant scene before him.
“Hunter, Uncle needs to see you.” He spoke sharply, then turned on his heel and left.
“Did you see that, Hunter?” Fern asked her friend. “That mannequin looked scary and he didn’t even look at Fern when she was sitting on your lap. He’s really bruising Fern’s ego here,” she whined again.
“Fern, maybe you should go and apologize to him,” Hunter said, lifting her up. “I think you should clear up the misunderstanding. Anton is a very traditional man, after all. He’s not like me. He doesn’t like to see skin.”
“Skin?” Fern looked at Hunter in confusion.
“Yes, skin.”
* * *
“Knock! Knock!” Fern sai
d, then opened the door without permission. “Fern’s here to see Junior Silverton,” she announced.
“Is there anything you need?” Anton asked indifferently, surprised when he heard a musical voice instead of the sound of knocking, followed by the opening of his door.
Fern stood like she owned the place, then came to perch her elegant bottom on the swivel chair facing Anton. With one hand underneath her chin, elbow resting upon Anton’s desk, she glanced at him through her thick eyelashes, putting on her best seductive smile, and said, “Fern is here to apologize for playing a joke on Junior Silverton.” She glanced up to observe the effect her voice had on him.
Anton didn’t even bat an eye. His face was as impassive as ever before. It looked like he was stone cold. Fern tried even harder to get the man to react to her beauty.
“Fern apologizes again. Would Junior Silverton be willing to grant Fern a private audience at lunch? Fern can buy Junior Silverton lunch?”
Anton would have to react now since Fern had never had to use this tactic before. In all of her life, she had never had to lift a finger to get any man to react to her, but this one was proving to be a challenge. No matter, she could handle anything. A bit of a challenge was nothing to freak out about.
Anton, who just listened to Fern talk, couldn’t believe she had the gall to ask him out. He disliked this kind of woman. What was his cousin thinking hanging out with a woman like that? But the more he looked at her, the more he couldn’t suppress his beating heart.
But he hated her. He hated the way she behaved, the way she wore that flimsy material that barely covered her skin. He just wanted to grab a blanket out of the first aid cupboard and wrap it around her. Even if she died due to the suffocation, at least it was better than to die with the humiliation of having that much skin exposed for the male species to feast their eyes on. Even he, Anton Silverton, who was usually unaffected by anything, was starting to feel a niggling sensation running up his spine. God help him, but the more he looked at her form, the more she resembled a fiery goddess out to seduce all men on Earth. But Anton vowed to himself that he was not going to be one of them.
Baby Be Mine (Spinsters & Casanovas Series Book One) Page 17
