Authors: Sabel Simmons
When one of the floor
managers asked Clarissa to dance, she accepted eagerly; anything to get away
from the scrutiny of Raymond, and the glowing hatred in his mother’s eyes. She
still battled to come to terms with Miguel’s announcement and what the future
held for her with Raymond in charge.
She forced herself to
relax and swung to the music in Wayne’s loose hold. They chatted in general
and she actually started enjoying the dance. As soon as the music ended,
another colleague grabbed her until she eventually pleaded exhaustion, and was
about to turn away when her elbow was caught by a hard hand closing around it.
The heat against her
side told her who it was and she stiffened. His voice was deep and the barked,
“This dance is mine,” boded no resistance from anyone, not even herself.
He drew her tight
against him and they started swaying on the slow tune the band was playing.
His hand gripped hers so tightly she winced.
“A dance is supposed to
be enjoyed, not torture!”
He looked down at her
and realizing what he was doing, relaxed his hold on her hand. He kept her on
the dance floor dance after dance, loosely but firm for fast numbers, tight and
flush against him for slower ones.
Through it all, her
senses buzzed. He aroused her without even trying. Her skin tingled where he
touched her, even where he was not. The heat sizzled through her body to
settle low in her loins.
True to his word,
Raymond came to her every night for the past three nights and they spent every
night making love half the night. He never stayed to sleep with her and that
made it feel so cheap, and yet she could not deny him whenever he walked
through the door.
Every touch of his hard
body against hers on the dance floor reminded her of a touch of his in bed, and
she moaned softly. His hold on her tightened.
“At least this time no
one can say you slept with the boss to get to the top. You are already
sleeping with me…”
She gasped and tried to
pull away. He only drew her even tighter against him.
“So, seeing as you
can’t dangle sex in front of me … what more have you to offer me, Miss
Langston?”
The tears gathered and
burned her eyes, her chest throbbed with distress and her heart shattered in a
million pieces. Over the past two weeks, she naively thought that maybe he
would come to love her again. She pushed against him frantically and this time
he loosened his hold.
“Why do you always have
to spoil everything? Why do you always have to be so cruel? Oh … how I hate
you at this moment!”
With tears coursing
down her cheeks, she swung around and stumbled outside. She pulled her shoes
off, and ran down the garden pathway and onto the beach and kept running until eventually
the burning in her chest forced her to stop. She crumbled to the sand, heaving
sobs racked through her body.
Raymond started after
Clarissa when his mother barred his way. “Ray, come talk to me. We have not
seen each other for ages!”
He tried to shrug her
hand off again, but she tightened her hand on his sleeve. He growled: “Not
now, Mother.”
“You always say that!
You never have time for me! Goodness Raymond, I am your mother! Surely I
deserve to be treated with some respect and dignity.”
His mouth tightened and
he looked down at her dispassionately.
She was the woman that
gave him life but being a mother was something about which she had no clue. His
years of emotional neglect and verbal abuse at her hands were proof of that.
In addition, her lies … that one big lie … were something he would never
forgive her for.
His lips in a thin
line, he turned towards her, forcing his feelings back. This was not the place
to have such a confrontation, which he knew would turn ugly, and besides, he
wanted his uncle present when he challenged her with his knowledge of her lies.
“So, Mother dear, what would you like to
talk about?”
Clarissa enjoyed her morning cup of
coffee when Miguel walked through her office door. A slight headache pounded in
her head, probably from all the crying and lack of sleep. Hopefully the
make-up she put on this morning hid all the telltale signs.
“Ahh, just in time, I
see! How is my favorite Hotel Manager this morning?”
“Good morning! Good to
see you so cheerful after the bomb you dropped on us last night! Would you
like some coffee?” At his nod, Clarissa buzzed Bette with the instructions.
They chatted for a bit
about the Pirates’ week and the previous nights’ awards until Bette brought the
tray through, not only with coffee, some warm, buttered croissants as well.
“Thank you B, you are a
jewel.” He bit into a croissant and rolled his eyes in appreciation. He
waited for Bette to leave before he turned back to Clarissa.
“My announcement last
night … did it upset you much?”
He watched her closely
and she squirmed under his direct gaze, but decided to be very honest with him.
“Not at first, but then
it really hit me that my future is now in Raymond’s hands. With our history, I
am not sure what he will do …”
“I would not worry
about that too much. There might be many issues to be resolved between the two
of you, but Raymond knows you are an excellent Hotel Manager.”
“That might be, but
what’s to stop him from not renewing my contract in three months’ time?’
Miguel looked at her
with hooded eyes.
“Does it still matter
so much, Clarissa? Managing this hotel? Working for the Princeton Group?”
His question caught her
off guard and she stared at him wordlessly for a moment. Her mind wandered
back over the past six years, so far away from everyone she loved. Her family,
losing Raymond, and tears burned in the clear gaze she lifted to him.
“Looking back now, I’m
not so sure it ever mattered that much. If not for what happened nearly six
years ago when I went back to see Raymond … I would probably not even have
ended up working for Princeton at all.”
“What do you mean?
When did you go to see him? He did not say anything?”
“He didn’t know. I
realized within four months of arriving here that I made a mistake. That I loved
him too much and did not have a future without him. So I got on a plane and
went to Manchester; I went to his office and when I opened the door, he was in
the process of seducing a very pretty, petite blond woman.”
The remembered pain at
what she saw shot through her heart again and she sighed.
“I guess I could not
blame him, and I now know it was Linda, although I still hurt at the thought of
him turning to her so soon after I left. At the time, I just broke down and
came back here in a trance. I was in survival mode and all I did for the first
two years here, was to work, work and work.”
Miguel watched her with
regret gleaming in his eyes. So many misunderstandings so many painful lies!
He had to set things right. Raymond deserved to know the truth about Henry
Scott. He should have told him long ago!
It was only after Henry
Scott confirmed the lie Cecile told him, that Raymond decided to give in to
Linda’s request. His childhood friend, diagnosed with terminal cancer and she
had less than two years to live. She always secretly loved Raymond and desired
to have a baby before she died, to leave something of herself behind. Raymond
was shocked when she made the declaration to him and immediately told her he
could not marry her. She was like a sister to him; he would never be able to
make love with her to give her the child she desired.
Then he heard the lie
about Clarissa’s infidelity, and he became a hard, closed man. He still
refused to marry Linda, but he agreed to give her the child she desired so much
and supported her until she breathed her final breath. She made sure no one
would contest that Robert would be his when she died and he was a St Claire
from the day he was born. Her parents loved Robert very much, but accepted her
wish that he grew up with his father.
Miguel opened his mouth
to tell Clarissa the story and snapped it shut again. It is something she
should hear from Raymond, not from him. Silently berating himself, he changed
his mind, and quickly told her about Linda, but omitted the story about Henry
Scott. Clarissa listened to him not saying a word, tears slowly trickled down
her cheeks. When he finished, she wiped her cheeks dry.
“He really didn’t marry
her?” Her heart sang when Miguel once again confirmed it. Somehow, that hurt
somewhat less. “Thank you for telling me, it does not make it any easier
though.”
“I know … maybe one day
you will overcome all these obstacles.” She nodded silently and looked at him
with honesty shining in her eyes.
“To answer your
question, Miguel, no, working at this particular hotel doesn’t matter anymore.
At the Princeton Group … you’ve done so much for my career, I will be sorry to
have to go, but even that does not matter so much anymore. Work, a career
even, does not matter so much anymore.”
She lifted sad eyes to
him and whispered. “Not without love …”
Raymond turned away
with a frown marring his forehead from where he stood just outside the office
door. He heard only her last response of the discussion and felt thoroughly
confused.
Now it did not matter!
Six years ago, she could not get away quickly enough! Clearly, the love she
declared for him were exactly as his mother had said. False!
She only
used him as a stepping-stone in the Hotel industry. His fist hit the wall
next to him and he flinched at the pain.
Maybe this was another
tactic of hers to get Miguel to persuade him not to fire her! She would
realize very quickly that a pretty smile and a lying mouth would not sway him
again.
This time there was no
Henry Scott to seduce!
Miguel’s guests started arriving the
same day and Clarissa made a point of dealing with them personally. By six
that afternoon, she had a pounding headache and rested her head on her folded
arms behind her office desk.
Bette tsk’ed at her
from the door, and she lifted her head. Her vision blurred and she realized
that she had developed a full-blown migraine. She did not sleep at all the
night before and her eyes were still puffy from all the tears she shed.
“I think you need to go
and rest. You are as pale as a sheet! Are you okay?”
Clarissa lifted a weary
hand to her forehead. “I have a pounding migraine, and you are right, I will
have to go and lie down, I can hardly see, everything is so blurry.”
That distressed Bette immediately
and she rushed around the desk to assist Clarissa. She tried to wave her
away. “Bette, I’ll be fine, I am sure I’ll make it on my own.”
She swayed as she
rose. “Yeah right! I can see that you can! Now stop talking, I am helping
you to your cottage and basta!”
On their way down the
garden path, Miguel and Retha came across them. He immediately took hold of
her other arm, concern apparent in his eyes.
“What is the matter?’
“Migraine.” Bette
responded.
“Oh, you poor thing!
Here, Bette, let us take care of her and you go and take care of everything so
she doesn’t have to worry about the guests.” Reluctantly Bette handed her
over to the two St Claire’s and turned back to the hotel.
Slowly the threesome
made their way to her cottage, but at the turn-off in the path way they turned
left instead of right and she protested: “No, that way…”
Retha shook her head.
“No way am I leaving you alone at this point. You are as weak as a baby and
clearly in a lot of pain. As a migraine sufferer myself, I know exactly what
you are going through. You are going to stay with us until you are better.”
“No … Please …”
Staying in the same house as Raymond? Never!
She was still trying to
turn them around when Raymond and Robbie came across them.
“What’s going on?”
He demanded briskly.
Miguel explained briefly and the next minute he picked her up and carried her
down the path to Miguel’s house as if she were as light as a feather. Totally
ignoring her feeble protests.
“Is Rissa sick,
Auntie?”
Robbie’s concerned
question floated up to her. Tears formed in her eyes at his obvious concern.
She closed her eyes, the light was now hurting them immensely, but she also did
not want Raymond noticing her tears. Lately she seemed to be crying around him
all the time.
Raymond shouldered his
way through the front door and ran up the stairs to place her gently on a King
size bed. She looked around and tried to sit up. He pushed her back.
“I’m not staying in
your room!”
“You are not going
anywhere. You are staying here until you are better!”
The timber in his voice
clearly indicated that he would not tolerate any protests. He walked over to
the cupboard, pulled out a light blanket and after taking her shoes off gently
covered her with it.
Retha came rushing
through the door with a glass of water and some tablets in her hand. Gently
she assisted Clarissa to take the medication and smoothed her hair back once
she lay back down.
“Now you rest and do
not worry about anything. These are prescription drugs I take for my
migraines. They will knock you out for a few hours, but they work miracles.
Both Ray and Miguel can assist with any problems at the hotel should it be
necessary. Close the curtains Ray, I think the light is hurting her eyes.”
She watched him walk
over and quickly closed the curtains. Concern flickered in his eyes as he
stood gazing down at Clarissa.
“You should have put
her in the spare room, it …”
“She stays here.”
Retha hid a smile
behind her hand and told Clarissa to call her if she needed anything. “I’m
staying right here, so she’ll be fine.”
“No, you don’t ha…”
Clarissa tried to protest as Retha left the room.
He lowered himself on
the bed next to her, pulled her into his arms and placed a soft kiss on her
forehead.
“Shh, close your eyes
and rest. I’m not going anywhere.”
She stopped struggling
and relaxed in his arms. His strong arms around her and his slow steady
heartbeat in her ear presently soothed her to a deep sleep.
Recrimination raging
through him, Raymond softly smoothed her hair back from her face, his gaze
fastened on her beautiful, yet very pale face.
A soft curse escaped
his lips and he leaned forward to place a feather light kiss on her lips. She
sighed and snuggled closer to him. His arms instinctively tightened around her.
He recalled the words
he said to her on the dance floor and he repeated the curse. He was such a
jerk, but he could not get the picture of her and Henry Scott out of his head.
A picture his mother painted six years ago with such glee.
Miguel abdicating The
Princeton Intercontinental Group to him brought all those feelings back to the
surface. The disgust, betrayal, hate and distrust, but most of all, the hurt,
all of which he still could not seem to overlook. Hurt that she misled him,
all those years they were together. Hurt that he gave her his heart and she
felt nothing! That she threw all of that away for a job and a tryst with the
Personnel Director to secure that job. When his mother told him, he only
realized then why she never told him of her interviews. Because if she did,
she knew he would have wanted to accompany her, and then she would not have
been able to …. He cursed again and forced his thoughts back to the present.
So, if he mistrusted
and loathed her so immensely what was he doing lying here sheltering her in his
arms? Protecting her and trying to draw the hurt from her body into his?
A small hand shook his
arm and he looked around to find Robbie with a worried frown standing next to
the bed.
“Is Rissa going to be
okay, Daddy?” He whispered so loudly he felt Clarissa move restlessly in his
arm.
“Softly Robert.
Clarissa has the same headaches Aunt Retha gets.”
“Oh … yes … shhh…,” he
said so softly this time Raymond couldn’t help a soft chuckle from escaping.
“Can I stay with you
for a while, please Daddy?”
“Yes, but you must be
quiet and don’t bump the bed.” Immediately Robby climbed on the bed on
Clarissa’s other side, lying down next to her, his hand on her shoulder.
Raymond smiled. “Only
until Auntie calls you for dinner.” He nodded and gently stroked down
Clarissa’s arm.
Retha came to call them down to dinner
some time later. Raymond send Robby down with her but told her he was not
leaving Clarissa and that he was not hungry, so she brought him a plate of food
on a tray. She came back later and took the untouched tray back to the
kitchen, gently took his shoes off and covered the sleeping couple with the
thin blanket. She looked back at them and with a smile, switched the lamp off
and closed the door behind her.
Clarissa awoke with a start. For a
moment, she was completely disorientated, until she tried to sit up and
realized she couldn’t move. Her lower body was held captive by a hard male leg
snuggled between hers, and a strong arm across her waist held her upper body
pressed against a warm, hard body.
She breathed in and
smelled Raymond’s familiar fresh aftershave. She closed her eyes and realized
her headache was completely gone apart from a feint tingle remaining, which was
normal after such a bad migraine.
She tried shifting out
from under Raymond, but his arm tightened around her. She glanced up, her eyes
caught and held by his in the moonlight shining through the window, so
brightly, it nearly lit up the entire room. As she shifted again, she felt the
strength of his rough leg settle in the apex between her legs.
She gasped, lifted the
sheet and glared at him. “Where are my clothes?”
His voice was still
husky with sleep. “You seemed uncomfortable so I removed them.”
“Oh … you didn’t … you
didn’t …”
“Do you really think I
would take advantage of your body when you are in so much pain and out cold! “
The sleepiness instantly disappeared from his voice.
“No, of course not.
I’m sorry.”
“Besides, when I make
use of your delectable body, I prefer you to be totally aware of it.”
She stiffened. Make
use of her body. Not have sex with her or make love with her, but make use
off! She struggled, but he simply moved on top of her and settled between her
thighs.
“No, you are NOT going
to make use of my body! Never again! Get off me, Raymond!”
He ignored her protests
and closed his mouth hungrily over hers, shutting her up with a deep, demanding
and a shatteringly passionate kiss. The hours of lying next to her, holding
her warm naked body in his arms had been agony and now with her awake, he could
not hold back any longer.
She tried to struggle
to shake him off, but he patiently and tenderly seduced her. It was over
before it began … her struggles; the tenderness got to her. Every time they
made love since his arrival on the island, it had been hot, heavy, lustful and
so extremely passionate. It had been about satiating the desires of the body
more than anything, not only for him, but for her as well.
For her however, having
sex with him was an expression of her love for him, of how much she had missed
him and needed him in her life, not just using him as a body for sexual
release.
She sighed helplessly and gave herself
over to his seduction, feeling the ripples of pleasure shudder through her
body. Her hands clutched his arms in helpless surrender as he set out to make
her body sing.
“Daddy … wake up!
DAD!”
Raymond reluctantly
opened his eyes. Robby’s excited face came in focus and he groaned. He moved
to stretch out and felt the warm weight of Clarissa on his shoulder. Her soft
hair caressed his arm, curled around her back and waist to keep her flush
against him.
He groaned again. He
intended to leave the room to sleep in the spare room before anyone was up but
he must have fallen asleep after they made love the third time.
Of all the people to
find them in bed together, Robby was the worst. His beaming smile and his
eyes on Clarissa was proof of what raced through his inventive mind.
Softly he disentangled
him from her arms and waited for her to snuggle back into the pillows. With a
soft curse, he realized he was naked below the sheets. He cleared his throat
and asked Robby to fetch him a glass of water from the bathroom.
When he returned
Raymond was in his shorts, opening the curtains and the balcony door.
Motioning to Robby, he walked out in the early morning sun.
“Is Rissa gonna be my
new Mommy? Is she Daddy, is she?”
Raymond groaned aloud.
He should have known what was coming. He cursed softly. How was he going to
get out of this one?
Having woken up when
Raymond left the bed, Clarissa waited with baited breath for his response to
Robby’s excited question.
“What makes you think
that, son?”
“Auntie Retha said she
and Uncle Miguel sleeps in the same bed, ‘cause they love each other and they
are married!” The excitement in his voice rang through her mind and she
groaned, which she heard echoed by Raymond.
“You know that Clarissa
was sick last night, Robby. I only stayed with her to make sure she was fine.”
“Yes Dad, I know that!
But, THEN you got UNDER the sheets and slept in the same bed! THAT means that
you lo…”
“Robby, that’s enough.
You are going to wake Clarissa and she might still have a headache this
morning. Now, go downstairs and help Aunt Retha to set the table for breakfast.
”
“But Dad, are you and
Ri…”
“Robert!” Ray sighed
and brushed a weary hand over his eyes. He went down on his haunches and took
Robby by the shoulders.
“Things between
Clarissa and I are not like your aunt and uncle. What they have is special,
something that very few people are lucky enough to find.”
“But Daaaad…”
“No buts Robby. Things
happened in the past between us that can’t just disappear; things that created
a Grand Canyon between us.”
“Huh?” Very confused,
Robby wrinkled his brow at his dad.
Raymond sighed.
“Forget it. Go now, I’m sure Clarissa is going to wake up soon and you can’t
be in the room when she does.”
Muttering to himself,
he tiptoed past the bed and out the door. Raymond stood rooted to the spot.
Flashes of Clarissa in a wedding dress tortured his mind and he gripped the
balcony rail. A family … the three of them, but as always, her betrayal years
ago brought him back from fantasy world and he turned back to the room.