Chapter 2001


    Watching them leave, Danielle''s hands clenched a little tighter, the stiffness betraying her anxiety.


    She wished she hadn''t rushed back, longing instead to present the birthday gift she had carefully


    chosen for him in person. Even a chilly eptance would have been preferable to having Cicely


    snatch it away like she just had.


    Seeing Cicely punch in the door code with practiced ease, as Seth Diaz stood by, a chill shot


    through Danielle. Birthday,te night, two people and the scent of alcohol on their breath...All these


    elements seemed to weave a narrative she didn''t dare to read.


    Maybe things were moving too fast between them. She couldn''t imagine Seth, with his frosty


    demeanor, ever getting cozy with Cicely.


    How could someone so cool and detached treat a woman with tenderness?


    Danielle bit her lip hard, squashed down those thoughts, and stepped into the elevator.


    *d2


    Back at home, Seth helped Cicely onto the couch.


    Kicking off her shoes, Cicely watched as Seth came over to help her out of her coat. It seemed like


    a routine she was well ustomed to. She lifted her arms and tilted her head, her attention on the


    gift box in her hands.


    "She came back just for your birthday, huh?"


    Seth unzipped her down jacket, slid off one sleeve, and gave her a look that was as unreadable as


    ever.


    She switched the gift box to her other hand so he could remove her coat. As he went to hang it up,


    she leaned back into the couch, inspecting the box, turning it over in her hands. "You know, with her


    putting in so much effort and openly making advances towards you, can I pretend not to care?"


    Should she continue the charade, even when Danielle had already abandoned it?


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    Seth approached her, looking down from his greater height, "There''s nothing between her and me."


    Cicely gave a halfugh, "You expect me not to worry about her?"


    She rattled the box in her hand. "Even if you''re clear about it now, receiving gifts on every special


    asion is a bit much."


    His gaze finallynded on the box in her hands. Momentster, he snatched it away and tossed it


    into the trash with a ng. "Satisfied?"


    Cicely nced at the trash can, smirked, and looked up at him with eyes that twirled with mischief.


    "I''m dizzy."


    He smirked, "Are you trying to tell me that the dizziness from drinkinges and goes?"


    Cicely didn''t care, she just stretched out her arms towards Seth, "Take me to the bedroom."


    Seth''s eyes narrowed, pausing on the skin of her neck.


    Her arms moved slightly, urging him on. He looked away and finally lifted her in his arms. Heid


    her down on the bed and Cicely curled up, supporting her head with a slender arm. The hem of her


    burgundy dress had ridden up carelessly, revealing the elegant lines of her legs. She gazed up at


    him, smiling. "Seth, I''m drunk tonight, so you can take advantage of me if you want."


    The dark fire in his eyes was barely contained, even as they roamed over her. Her beauty tonight


    was more striking than usual, the dress entuating her wless figure.


    At eighteen, she had the kind of allure that stirred envy in women and desire in men. The way those


    men had looked at her tonight when she had taken off her coat had left him feeling unsettled.


    Cicely''s teasing had been light-hearted at first, but now the intensity of Seth''s gaze was making her


    surprisingly nervous.


    "Shall we take a shower?" His voice was huskier than she expected.


    She nodded, "Sure."


    He continued to watch her. She didn''t move.


    Finally, Seth bent down and carried her into the bathroom.


    He had never intended to rush things now that she was of age. She must have known that, which


    was why she felt so bold in teasing him.


    He hadn''t been with a woman before and, at his age, men were particrly vulnerable to such


    temptations. Perhaps she overestimated his self-control. Or maybe, it was just her self-control she


    overestimated.


    After the shower, Cicely felt like a cooked shrimp, her body limp and energy sapped. She''d been


    seen entirely, touched almost thoroughly. Now in the soft embrace of her bed, she breathed a sigh


    of relief, thinking her only task was to sleep.


    But she was wildly mistaken.


    Seth pinched her chin, "Sobered up yet?"


    She nodded, "Yes."


    His eyes swept her exposed skin and his lips curled into a slight smile. "Even if you weren''t drunk,


    you know our rtionship is such that I could take liberties with you whenever I wish, right?"


    Cicely blinked, "Yes, I know. So, is it time to sleep now?"


    Seth raised an eyebrow, "Do you think the episode in the bathroom was enough?"