Authors: Sabel Simmons
“MOTHER!” Raymond
thundered at her, but Robby started sobbing and ran inside and up to his room,
a furious Retha on his heels.
Cecile stood up and
faced Raymond with malice in her eyes.
“No, don’t Mother me.
It is time someone speaks the truth around here. She has been whoring with you
and you are too blind to…”
Raymond was livid and
Clarissa turned as pale as a sheet. He closed in on his mother, his whole body
ready to strike.
“I warned you the other
day Mother, not to say anything against Clarissa. I expect you to apologize to
her and then you can …”
“Apologize! Over my
dead body! What is the matter with all of you? Miguel, talk to him!”
Miguel’s eyes glowed
with hatred. “What did I ever saw in you? No Cecile, you are what is the
matter. You have no right to insult Clarissa like this. No right, whatsoever,
and you, more than anyone know it!”
Raymond frowned at his
uncle. “What do you mean, Uncle?”
Before he could reply,
Retha joined them again and at Raymond’s concerned look told him that Robby was
fine. Then she turned towards Cecile.
“I threw you out a door
by your hair once before Cecile. I am not too old to do that again! Now, if
you have no intention of apologizing to this wonderful woman here, leave.”
Cecile sputtered in
indignation and Raymond looked at his aunt in wonder. Never has he seen her so
angry. It was a quiet anger, an anger that was far more dangerous than his
visual, loud anger.
“I am only thinking of
my son’s future. You have given him your empire, Miguel. Do you really want
to have it ruined by his relationship with this … this …”
“Mother, I am not going
to stand for this much longer!”
“But, Ray! It is your
birthright! You, at the top, in charge of the Princeton Group! This … this
wh … this woman pulled you down once before! Don’t allow that to happen
again!”
Clarissa’s blood
dropped to pool in the soles of her feet. She swayed and just wanted to leave,
but Raymond’s hard hand on her shoulder kept her rooted next to him. She felt
the anger so long suppressed erupt from him in the tightening of every muscle
in his body.
“Birthright!
Birthright! What birthright, Mother!” He literally shouted the words at her,
fury vibrating in his voice.
Cecile took a step back
at the anger thrown at her. She paled visibly and looked at her viscously
angry son facing her.
“Wha … what do you
mean?”
“What do I mean? You
mean I have to spell it out for you!”
Retha approached
Raymond and laid a calming hand on his arm. “Ray, not so loud, Robby should no
…”
Raymond hardly
acknowledged her, even though he nodded, his arm still like a vice around
Clarissa, his eyes unyielding on his mother.
Cecile’s confidence
started to waiver. “Ray, son, what are you saying?”
“What I am saying, dear
Mother is that you know just as well as I do, that the Princeton Group Hotels
is NOT my birthright! Never was, never will be!”
Miguel paled. “Ray, my
boy, what do you mean?”
Everyone looked at
Raymond in shock. Cecile went grey.
“No, you don’t know
what you are saying! It is yours! It is! Your father …”
“Was not Darius St
Claire,” he said so quietly they had to strain to hear him. Cecile dropped
down on the chair and struggled to breathe.
“How can you say that?
He loved you with all his heart. He was your father!”
“Stop lying, Mother.
He might have been the man you married, but he was most definitely NOT the man
who fathered me!”
“No … Ray … no … you …”
Cecile tried to stop him, but he ignored her. Facing his aunt and uncle, who
was now deathly pale, he continued softly.
“I am sorry, Uncle, but
you have to know the truth.” His grip tightened on Clarissa.
“Five years ago Mother
asked me to clear out all Dads paperwork in the study. All these years there
were still stuff lying around in boxes. I went through everything and came
across … across an envelope from a pathologist. ”
Cecile slumped in her
chair, her mouth pressed in a thin line; hatred in her eyes fastened on Miguel
and Retha.
“It was DNA results,
mine and his. It was clearly indicated even though there were similarities in
our DNA, Darius St Claire could not have fathered me.”
Everyone was deadly
silent, the one paler than the other. Retha sank down on a chair and Miguel
stood behind her, his hand clamped on her shoulder, not even realizing he was
probably hurting her with his vice-like grip. His voice came out in a hoarse
whisper.
“Not your father … he
was not your father …” He swung to Cecile, hope enlivening the gloom in his
eyes.
“Cecile, you were … he
is … Ray is he …” He could not get the question out. Retha lifted her hand
and covered his on her shoulder.
“You married Darius
directly after … after … and you said Raymond was a honeymoon baby … and was
born two months … two months premature …”
Clarissa inhaled
sharply. Could it be? Raymond glanced down at her and saw the excitement
mounting in her. His gaze swung questioningly towards his uncle.
Cecile pressed her lips
even tighter together and refused to answer him, hatred still scoring from her
towards Retha.
“Cecile! Is he mine!
Is Raymond my son?”
Miguel’s voice wavered
at the possibility, and he had to force his feet to remain where they were,
least he went over there to strangle the truth out of her!
Raymond drew his breath
in with shock, his gaze riveted on Miguel and Retha, a soft smile now playing
around her mouth where she sat looking up at him.
Cecile hissed in anger
and directed the full force of it in his direction.
“What do you think,
Miguel? High and mighty Miguel and Retha St Claire! You used me! For
months, I was good enough because you needed someone to boost your ego. I did
that, I was there for you, not her! I did everything you wanted and needed
then what did you do? When she snapped her fingers, you crawled back to her
like a little puppy!”
Retha paled and she
swung her gaze towards Cecile.
“You’ve got it wrong,
Cecile. He needed time, time I was prepared to give him because I loved him.
You saw a tiny crack in the wall and thought you could wiggle through it! He
didn’t need a lover he needed understanding and love. Both emotions you could
not give him!”
Cecile snorted.
“Maybe not, but I gave him what you never could. A son!”
Three people paled even
more, and Raymond still struggled to breathe.
“But that was my
revenge! You were both so high and mighty! Blaming me for everything,
whereas I only took what was offered! Yes, Miguel, I had your son, but you
never knew and would never have known! I would never have told you! You, who
so desired your own son! What a joke!” She laughed harshly.
“All those years, you
and your precious wife helped me to raise him. All those years, you never knew
you were in fact raising your own son! That, my dear Miguel, was my revenge
for what you did to me!”
Raymond stepped towards
Cecile, anger in every step.
“And Dad? Did you keep
it from his as well?”
Cecile colored. “He
was always suspicious. He never knew about my relationship with Miguel, but he
found it hard to believe that I could fall pregnant in a short two weeks’ worth
of a honeymoon. He apparently had a low sperm count and questioned me from day
one.”
“Obviously something
you denied?”
“What else was I
supposed to do, Ray? Tell him the truth and then end up on the street with a
baby and no way to support you.”
“There were us! I am
his father!”
She snorted. “Oh,
please, let’s not go there again! You would have been the last person I would
ever have told!”
“What made him do the
DNA test? It was only done when I was six years old.”
Cecile shifted
uncomfortably on her chair.
“You had Darius’s dark
hair and eyes, but everything else … your mouth, everything about you. You
were an exact replica of Miguel at that age. You only started taking after
Darius when you got older, I suppose the genes of twins intermingle in their
kids. Your father and Miguel were not identical twins. Darius and I were
paging through some old photo albums after his mother passed away. You asked
questions with every photo. You were the one that in your excitement pointed
out that there was a picture of you. Darius went as still as stone, sat
staring at the picture for ages. He sent you to take a bath and then turned to
me.”
Cecile wrung her hands
on her lap at the memory.
“He went berserk! He
accused me of all sorts of things. That I cheated on him with Miguel. I was
so scared. I thought he was going to hit me and I told him he was imagining
things. They were twins, so obviously the genes would regenerate to their
children.”
She looked at Ray
beseechingly.
“He calmed down after
that, even apologized for becoming so angry, so I thought that was the end of
it.”
“But it wasn’t.”
“No, he clearly didn’t
believe me and had the DNA tests done. I could kick myself. I never realized
the results were amongst his other documents otherwise I would never have asked
you to go through those things.”
“I for one am glad you
did.” Miguel ground out through tight lips.
“What happened when he
got the results?”
“He was livid. He came
home the minute he received them. He would not listen to reason. He slapped me
repeatedly. He was so angry.” Tears now streamed down her cheeks.
“I shouted it out to
him. Ray is Miguel’s son! He is Miguel’s son! He just stopped. He stared
at me with loathing in his eyes. He didn’t ask, but everything came out. I
told him the truth.”
Raymond looked at her
with disgust and shook his head.
“That is when he had
the heart attack?”
“Yes,” Cecile
whispered. She wiped the tears furiously from her cheeks.
“They were always so
competitive. The one thing he could not accept was that Miguel managed to
father a child when he knew he would not be able to. To hear that the boy he
adored was his brothers’ was more than he could bear. To know that he has
treasured and loved his brother’s child as his own was too much for him.”
She shuddered at the
memory. “He was dead before the ambulance arrived.”
She reached out to
Raymond beseechingly. “Ray, believe me, I had no other choice. I would never
have allowed Miguel to take you away from me. Not then and not now.”
Raymond looked at her
with loathing. “The difference from then to now is that now … I have the
choice … you … you have nothing!” He grated the last words through clenched
teeth and so soft Clarissa had to strain to hear them.
Cecile paled even more,
her skin the color of white paint. She stretched a beseeching hand towards
Raymond. “Ray, please…”
“NO … no more!”
Miguel stepped between
Mother and son, his eyes hard as steel when they met hers. “I think it is time
you left. You have caused more damage in your miserable life than I ever
imagined. Don’t ever come near my family ever again!”
Gripping her by the
elbow, he led her down the veranda steps and pushed her away from him down the
path. She stood looking back at Raymond, and for the first time she looked
frail and defeated. When she realized no one was going to call her back she
turned and stumbled down the path.
Miguel slowly climbed the veranda steps,
his heart in total turmoil, rejoicing at the same time. Raymond was his! He
was his own flesh and blood. The strong, proud young man was his son! Their
eyes met and Miguel noticed the uncertainty flashing in Raymond’s eyes. His
heart contracted. Would they be able to get past all the wrong doings over the
years and be a happy family? He walked up to Raymond, a small smile hovering
on his lips.
“I still can’t believe
it! I can’t begin to tell you how many times over the years did I wish you
were my son … and now …,” emotions clogged his throat and he had to swallow
hard to keep the sob from escaping his lips.
Raymond took the small
step that separated them and pulled his father into his arms. They held on to
each other like lost souls. Retha and Clarissa cried unashamedly, with a
confused Robby that just walked in, looking on. He felt tears fill his eyes
even though he had no idea why the two women were crying or why his Dad and
Uncle Miguel were hugging so fiercely.
They pulled apart and
the blinding smiles on their faces wiped out the recent unpleasantness. They
started talking at the same time and it was clear that the turn of events
carried both their acceptance.
“I always felt close to
you, Unc … Dad …,” Miguel’s eyes misted and he clasped Raymond’s shoulder. “If
only … so many years wasted!”
“Let’s not waste any
more, let’s get to know one another as father and son, be a family … at long
last!”
Raymond looked down at
Robby pulling at hand, his eyes cloudy. “Daddy, what is happening? Why is
everyone crying and so sad?” His lower lip quivered and he felt like crying
too. Raymond laughed aloud, the sound of joy and happiness caressing the
slight breeze in the air.
“Something magical
happened, my boy! Something magical!” He bent down to pick Robbie up, hugging
him tight. “We just found out that Uncle Miguel is in fact my Daddy … and
therefore … your grandfather!” Robby frowned, still not understanding but the
word grandfather made his face lit up.
“Granddad? I have a
Granddad. Whoopee!” He literally lunged into Miguel’s arms and hugged him so
tight around his neck Miguel battled to breathe. Yet he did not complain,
laughingly returning the hug until Robby wiggled to be let down. Immediately
he rushed into Retha’s arms. “And a Granny … a Nana! I have a Nana!” Totally
forgetting that Cecile were in fact his real Nana, which caused a fresh set of
tears to course down Retha’s cheeks.
It was much later when
Robby looked around and his voice rose, “Where is Rissa, Daddy?”
Raymond realized she
was not amongst them anymore and his ire rose immediately. Did his feelings
mean so little to her that she could not stay and share in his joy!
Retha’s soft hand on
his arm pulled him back from leaping down the stairs to go looking for her.
“She realized how much this must mean to the two of you Ray, that is why she
left. To give the two of you time to get to know each other better.”
A grim smile locked on
his lips, a clear indication that it was not how he saw it. Miguel cleared his
throat, knowing how torn Raymond was to stay or to go after Clarissa.
“It’s fine Ray, go find
her. Now that we know what we are to each other, we have lots of time to
become a family. Go … we’ll be here when you return.”
Raymond did not need a
second invite and he was down the veranda striding down the pathway to her
cottage in a flash. His long strides covered the distance in no time. He
threw open the front door, still amazed that no one locked their doors here,
and strode in. The quietness told him she was not there.
He cursed and swung around and stormed
to the hotel. Today was the one day that he really needed her with him and she
again was only concerned about her job! Supposedly wanting to give him and
Miguel time to get to know each other … hogwash! Today she would admit to him
that her job was the most important thing in her life. Maybe then, he would be
able to forget and carry on with his life!
It took threats, and then nearly begging
to get Bette to tell Raymond where to find Clarissa. “She went to the Mastic
trail on the North Side. There is a hidden cove that opens into a waterfall
with a pool. She always goes there when she is upset and needs to relax.” The
last bit she spat at him like a venomous snake. “It is a two hour drive so she
should nearly be there by now.”
“Two hours!” A glance
at his watch told him it was already twelve o’ clock. He was not going to
waste two hours driving! “Where can I charter a helicopter?” He did not even
realize how long ago she left!
“I really think you
should leave her be. She worked herself to death the past two months and needs
some time to herself. You only ups …”
The flash of anger in
his eyes warned her she was threading on thin ice. “You seem to forget that
you now work for me. Let me be very clear Miss Du Pont, I do not appreciate
any of my employees interfering with my private life, least of all dictate to
me what I should or should not do!”
“I am sorry, but
Clarissa is also my friend and I love her! I do not want to see her hurt!”
“Trust me; she does not
need your protection. She is the expert in dishing out hurt! Now, are you
going to tell me where I can charter a helicopter or do I find an EMPLOYEE that
will?”
The threat neatly
hidden was not lost on Bette. She stomped around her desk and scrambled
through business cards in her drawer. Finding what she was looking for she
thrust it towards him with a mutinous frown on her brow. Thanking her, he
strode out the door pulling his cell phone from his pocket at the same time.
By the time the chatty
pilot circled the landing spot close to the Mastic Trail entrance his mood had
lifted somewhat. The view from the air was breathtaking and soothed his
anger. As he climbed from the helicopter, he realized he never asked Bette how
to get to the hidden cove! Cursing under his breath, he swung back to the
pilot.
“Do you know the
directions to the hidden waterfall cove?” The pilot stared at him blankly.
“No, I am afraid not. I’ve heard rumors about it, but no one I know has ever
come across it. Guess that’s why it is called the hidden cove!” He guffawed
at his own joke but swallowed it when Raymond glared at him.
Raymond grabbed his
backpack where he stuffed swimming trunks and a towel in and with a wave to the
pilot walked towards the entrance of the trail. With relief, he noticed a
reserve warden and walked up to him. Repeating the question the warden looked
at him sharply. “How do you know about the hidden waterfall cove? Only
natives ever talk about it?”
On a hunch, Raymond
flashed a smile and relaxed his stance. “Clarissa told me. We were supposed to
meet here at the entrance but I was delayed and she went on without me, but
forgot to tell me how to get there.”
The warden stared at
him with distrust, “How do you know Clarissa? She has never brought anyone
with her.”
So, the trusting Trace
had never been invited here. That made his smile broaden even more. “We are
old friends, from back in Manchester. Actually … more than friends…” He let
the suggestion hang between them and had to suffer another agonizing few
minutes before the warden reluctantly gave him the directions.
“Now remember, if you
reach the yellow sign indicating the Mangroove swamp you are too far and have
missed the turn.”
Raymond thanked him and
set off at a jog. It was close to one already and it was hot and humid. He
stopped and pulled his shirt off over his head and stuffed it in the backpack
and set off in a jog again. Soon he reached the curve the warden told him
about and slowed to a walk searching for the silver colored stone that marked
the area where he had to turn into the thick forest. He sighed with relief
when he found it and quickly followed the directions until he reached the side
of the mountain. Without hesitation, he walked towards the side of the
mountain covered with greenery.
“How am I supposed to
find …?” he mumbled under his breath when all of a sudden a slight breeze
lifted some of the curtain of vines towards him, cooling his glistening torso.
“Aah…” He pushed the branches out of the way and stepped into the cool
interior of the cave. It was slightly humid but surprisingly light inside. He
heard the rushing sound of water falling and walked in that direction, absolute
amazement in his eyes when he exited the cave behind the curtain of water. He
lifted his hand and let it trail into the falling water. He noticed a narrow
ledge leading from behind the waterfall to the side and followed it quickly.
His eyes searching the moment he landed on the lush green grass surrounding the
clear blue pool.
The beauty of the
nature around him disappeared and all that occupied his mind was the sight of
the beautiful goddess, breaking the surface of the pool. Head thrown back she
lifted her arms and stretched backwards to float lazily on her back. His
breath caught in his throat. Her sun bronzed body glistened in the sun as it
gently warmed the parts exposed … and they were all exposed. She was
completely naked!
The blood surged to his
groin and he felt himself go instantly hard as a rock. He threw the backpack on
the ground, kicked off his sneakers and pushed his pants and jockeys off. He
made a clean dive directly in her direction, kicking strongly to reach her.
The sound of someone
diving into the water pulled Clarissa out of her dreamy state and she struggled
to an upright position, kicking her legs lightly, her eyes frantically scanning
the water. She was naked for goodness sake!
The sight of the naked
man swimming towards her energized her to start swimming to the edge of the
pool. No one ever came here, which is why she always swam naked! Before she
even started swimming, she felt hard hands grab her by the waist and pulled her
back against a hard, aroused body. She started struggling violently, but the
arm around her waist tightened. The voice in her ear soft, but oh, so
passionate and familiar.
“Now where do you think
you are going, my love?” Ignoring her gasp his head lowered and his warm lips
closed around the pulsing vein in her neck, softly kissing, licking and
suckling. Her head fell back on his shoulders and she moaned. “Raymond … how
did you find me?”
“With a lot of
effort…” He had been drifting them to the side of the pool all the while and
he quickly turned her around. Their eyes met and she shivered at the look of
fiery desire and passion in his. Before she could utter a word, he pulled her
legs around his waist and surged forward plunging full length into her pulsing
heat. His breath warm against her neck he growled in her ear.
“You better hold on, my
love … this is going to be rough!”
Before she could even
comprehend what he said, he started thrusting into her with rough urgency, hard
and deep. It was as if he desperately tried to fuse their bodies as one. They
were on the deep end of the pool and she felt the smooth stone edge against her
back. He held on to the edge of the rocky surface to aid him in his urgent
possession of her.
Clarissa hung on for
dear life. Her own body could not deny the pleasure in the deep thrusts rocking
her. Each plunge made her crave the next, harder, deeper, more … until she
screamed and scoured her nails down his back as pleasure so deep exploded and
carried her higher than she ever imagined she could go.
Raymond followed soon
after and his shout echoed hers as his body shattered in pieces. He breathed
hard and fast as if he had just run seven miles. He pushed deeper into her,
still hard and pulsing he leaned full against her, trapping her between his
body and the pools’ edge at her back. He struggled to get his body under
control and when Clarissa tightened her legs and arms around him, he groaned in
her neck.
Clarissa felt fully
engulfed by Raymond, his hard arms around her holding her in place against the
pools’ edge, his hard body pressed tight against her from breast to where he
still lodged inside her. She closed her eyes and breathed him in, her body
still tightly wired even though she just had the most shattering climax. She
tightened her muscles around his hard length inside her and smiled when she
heard his breath catch. She did it again, twice rapidly after each other and
he tightened in her arms, his arousal growing even bigger and harder inside
her.
“Don’t … I still don’t
have control over … I still need to … I still need more!”
She turned her head,
softly kissing his ear and whispered, “Then take more…” She pulled his earlobe
between her lips and softly suckled it. He drew in his breath, and then totally
lost it again when Clarissa started rotating her hips; causing so much
pleasure, he felt the last of his control slipping. “God, baby … I don’t want
to hurt you …but if you cont …”
Clarissa was savoring
his fullness deep inside her and tightened her muscles around him at the same
time she rotated and he could hold back no longer. With a growl, he lifted her
clear out the water and pushed her on the soft grass covered edge of the pool.
He surged out of the water reminding her of pictures of Zeus rising from the
sea. Water dripping from his body, he immediately spread her legs and lowered
himself on her plunging in and filling her eager body to the hilt. She moaned
and pushed her hips into his with her legs bend and her feet flat on the
ground. She could not get enough of him!