The Ploy
that she had grown an attachment to Ethan, while they were stranded on the island. She went on to confess that she had feelings for both him and Ethan, but he was having none of that. He brushed it off and was under the illusion that it was all temporary infatuation because she had spent a lot of time on the island with Ethan, and that those feelings would soon fade away. She would come back to her senses and realize that Kace was and always had been her one and only true love.
He believed that he was very persuasive and had swayed her to make the right decision.
The next morning when both her suitors arrived and started their usual bickering she announced her decision.
"Ethan, we need to talk. " She forced the words out of my mouth. "Can you all please excuse us Kace?"
"Of cos sugarplum. Anything you want," Kace took her hand kissed it. On his way out he stopped to glare at his arch-rival as a lion might glare at the thought of being defeated by a cub.
"What is it, sweetheart? Talk to me." Ethan gazed at her tenderly and she seemed to have forgotten all she had wished to say. He helped her into a sitting position and fluffed her pillows. "Are you comfortable?"
"Yes, thanks."
Her mother was about to step in but halted at the door, not wanting to interrupt. She personally thought Ethan was a better match for her daughter-after all he was an all-inone package. He was drop-dead gorgeous, dressed like a Hollywood star, wellmannered, charming, rich and kind-and the country's most eligible bachelor. Women literally threw themselves at him, she even noticed how the nurses fawned-over him when he so much as looked in their direction. They would make her some very beautiful grandchildren-if only...
Ethan and Cassie talked and laughed, as he tried to get her to relax. He seemed to have the knack to do that.
She couldn't help but smile when he was around. She had developed a strong attachment to him but she still had feelings for Kace, and unfortunately, they just didn't disappear overnight. They had been childhood sweethearts and it felt so natural when he finally got around to popping the question. She really thought that she had found the 'one'-her soulmate, her life partner. But she was wrong.
When Cassie noticed Kace hovering at the door, probably trying to eavesdrop, she put on a serious face and sat back. It was showtime.
"Ethan... I'm sorry if I led you on but...I'm with Kace," she fiddled with the gold necklace around her neck.
"You don't belong with him, Cassie. You should be with me. Please give me a chance to prove it to you?" he pleaded in a piteous voice.
"I belong with Kace. I'm sorry Ethan-"
"No please don't do this sweetheart? You know that we belong together!" He reached down and took her hands, pulling her into his arms but she backed away.
"Please don't make this any more difficult. I've made my decision and I'd like you to respect it." Her tone was flat, almost uninterested. "Can you please leave now? I don't want to see you again."
"What? No!" Cassie's Mom barged in.
"Mom! Please stay out of this. You shouldn't have been listening to a private conversation," Cassie admonished.
"Tell that to him too," she jerked her head towards Kace.
"I wasn't-I was going to leave-" Kace stuttered, seeing that he had been caught out.
"Save it Kace."
"I think I'm going to go now," Ethan rose and gave her a kiss on the forehead. "Goodbye, Cassandra. Take care of yourself okay?"
"Don't worry about her Hunter. She's in safe hands." For this reason, he became arrogant for he believed that nobody could match him.
"You think you've won?" Ethan asked.
"You know what they say about eating the pudding, Hunter?" His mouth twisted in a sardonic smile.
"Oh, I know too well, Miles..." His face had a sinister, troubled expression; but an enigmatical smile played perpetually around his lips. "Till we meet again." With another curt nod, he opened the door and went out of the room.
"Kace, can you give me a moment with my daughter please?" Mrs. Winters said after a few minutes of silence.
"She made her choice-"
"Shut it and get out!" She shot him an icy amber gaze, that almost chilled him to stillness.
The picture of the two of them glaring at one another was enough to start a snow blizzard. She looked like she was ready to shoot fire out of her mouth and singe Kace where he stood.
"Very well. I need to go back to the office anyway." He conceded without emotion, his eyes sizing up her mother before he left in a huff.
"Cassandra Winters, have you lost your mind??!" she narrowed her eyes and yelled at her only daughter.
"Relax and take a seat Mumsy," Cassie patted the spot on the bed and grinned wickedly.
Her mother glided over and assumed the position. "I'm listening..." Her steel-gray eyes looking straight at her daughter.
Just then Ethan burst through the door. "So...he bought it?"
"Hook, line, and sinker baby..." She grinned at the perplexity across her mother's face.
"What's going on you two?" Cathrine Winters tried to cover her confusion with a wry smile and a casual question.
"It was all a ploy..." Cassie sighed and patted her knee.
"You mean..." it finally dawned on her as Cassie and Ethan nodded. "Oh, you're good..." she wagged her finger at both of them. "You were both so convincing. You really had me going for a while," she laughed. "Although I must say I am so relieved," she placed her hand on her chest, "I'd really thought my daughter had lost her marbles." Relief brought a smile to her lips.
"I may be blonde but I'm not dumb Mom!" Cassie giggled.
"You're anything but, sweetheart," Ethan gave her a swoon-worthy smile and she blushed.
"Does that mean you two are...?" she asked, hopeful once more.
"If I have your blessing and if your daughter is willing to have me?" He directed the question to Cassie mostly.
"Oh, you have my blessing!" She gazed down at Cassie, overwhelmed with the joy. "I just hope my daughter will give you a chance and not let past experiences ruin her chances of finding love again."
"I won't Mom," Cassie smiled. "Sometimes you have to take a risk..."
"This one will be worth it. I can assure you." His smoldering gaze finally shifted to Cassie.
"I think I'll give you two some privacy."
"Thank you, Mrs Winters," he kissed her on the cheek before she walked out.
"Sooo... what does this mean for us?" Cassie asked.
"That can only be determined by what your answer to my question is..." he said as he sat next to her. Strong arms slipped around her waist, drawing her closer to him.
"What would that be?" she replied in barely a whisper. "Cassie Winters, will you be my girlfriend...?"
that she had grown an attachment to Ethan, while they were stranded on the island. She went on to confess that she had feelings for both him and Ethan, but he was having none of that. He brushed it off and was under the illusion that it was all temporary infatuation because she had spent a lot of time on the island with Ethan, and that those feelings would soon fade away. She would come back to her senses and realize that Kace was and always had been her one and only true love.
He believed that he was very persuasive and had swayed her to make the right decision.
The next morning when both her suitors arrived and started their usual bickering she announced her decision.
"Ethan, we need to talk. " She forced the words out of my mouth. "Can you all please excuse us Kace?"
"Of cos sugarplum. Anything you want," Kace took her hand kissed it. On his way out he stopped to glare at his arch-rival as a lion might glare at the thought of being defeated by a cub.
"What is it, sweetheart? Talk to me." Ethan gazed at her tenderly and she seemed to have forgotten all she had wished to say. He helped her into a sitting position and fluffed her pillows. "Are you comfortable?"
"Yes, thanks."
Her mother was about to step in but halted at the door, not wanting to interrupt. She personally thought Ethan was a better match for her daughter-after all he was an all-inone package. He was drop-dead gorgeous, dressed like a Hollywood star, wellmannered, charming, rich and kind-and the country's most eligible bachelor. Women literally threw themselves at him, she even noticed how the nurses fawned-over him when he so much as looked in their direction. They would make her some very beautiful grandchildren-if only...
Ethan and Cassie talked and laughed, as he tried to get her to relax. He seemed to have the knack to do that.
She couldn't help but smile when he was around. She had developed a strong attachment to him but she still had feelings for Kace, and unfortunately, they just didn't disappear overnight. They had been childhood sweethearts and it felt so natural when he finally got around to popping the question. She really thought that she had found the 'one'-her soulmate, her life partner. But she was wrong.
When Cassie noticed Kace hovering at the door, probably trying to eavesdrop, she put on a serious face and sat back. It was showtime.
"Ethan... I'm sorry if I led you on but...I'm with Kace," she fiddled with the gold necklace around her neck.
"You don't belong with him, Cassie. You should be with me. Please give me a chance to prove it to you?" he pleaded in a piteous voice.
"I belong with Kace. I'm sorry Ethan-"
"No please don't do this sweetheart? You know that we belong together!" He reached down and took her hands, pulling her into his arms but she backed away.
"Please don't make this any more difficult. I've made my decision and I'd like you to respect it." Her tone was flat, almost uninterested. "Can you please leave now? I don't want to see you again."
"What? No!" Cassie's Mom barged in.
"Mom! Please stay out of this. You shouldn't have been listening to a private conversation," Cassie admonished.
"Tell that to him too," she jerked her head towards Kace.
"I wasn't-I was going to leave-" Kace stuttered, seeing that he had been caught out.
"Save it Kace."
"I think I'm going to go now," Ethan rose and gave her a kiss on the forehead. "Goodbye, Cassandra. Take care of yourself okay?"
"Don't worry about her Hunter. She's in safe hands." For this reason, he became arrogant for he believed that nobody could match him.
"You think you've won?" Ethan asked.
"You know what they say about eating the pudding, Hunter?" His mouth twisted in a sardonic smile.
"Oh, I know too well, Miles..." His face had a sinister, troubled expression; but an enigmatical smile played perpetually around his lips. "Till we meet again." With another curt nod, he opened the door and went out of the room.
"Kace, can you give me a moment with my daughter please?" Mrs. Winters said after a few minutes of silence.
"She made her choice-"
"Shut it and get out!" She shot him an icy amber gaze, that almost chilled him to stillness.
The picture of the two of them glaring at one another was enough to start a snow blizzard. She looked like she was ready to shoot fire out of her mouth and singe Kace where he stood.
"Very well. I need to go back to the office anyway." He conceded without emotion, his eyes sizing up her mother before he left in a huff.
"Cassandra Winters, have you lost your mind??!" she narrowed her eyes and yelled at her only daughter.
"Relax and take a seat Mumsy," Cassie patted the spot on the bed and grinned wickedly.
Her mother glided over and assumed the position. "I'm listening..." Her steel-gray eyes looking straight at her daughter.
Just then Ethan burst through the door. "So...he bought it?"
"Hook, line, and sinker baby..." She grinned at the perplexity across her mother's face.
"What's going on you two?" Cathrine Winters tried to cover her confusion with a wry smile and a casual question.
"It was all a ploy..." Cassie sighed and patted her knee.
"You mean..." it finally dawned on her as Cassie and Ethan nodded. "Oh, you're good..." she wagged her finger at both of them. "You were both so convincing. You really had me going for a while," she laughed. "Although I must say I am so relieved," she placed her hand on her chest, "I'd really thought my daughter had lost her marbles." Relief brought a smile to her lips.
"I may be blonde but I'm not dumb Mom!" Cassie giggled.
"You're anything but, sweetheart," Ethan gave her a swoon-worthy smile and she blushed.
"Does that mean you two are...?" she asked, hopeful once more.
"If I have your blessing and if your daughter is willing to have me?" He directed the question to Cassie mostly.
"Oh, you have my blessing!" She gazed down at Cassie, overwhelmed with the joy. "I just hope my daughter will give you a chance and not let past experiences ruin her chances of finding love again."
"I won't Mom," Cassie smiled. "Some times you have to take a risk..."
"This one will be worth it. I can assure you." His smoldering gaze finally shifted to Cassie.
"I think I'll give you two some privacy."
"Thank you, Mrs Winters," he kissed her on the cheek before she walked out.
"Sooo... what does this mean for us?" Cassie asked.
"That can only be determined by what your answer to my question is..." he said as he sat next to her. Strong arms slipped around her waist, drawing her closer to him.
"What would that be?" she replied in barely a whisper.
"Cassie Winters, will you be my girlfriend...?"