Page 21 of Christian Clause

My eyes catch the eye of a woman seated opposite of me at a nearby table. Her sheer lace black dress leaves nothing to the imagination. She bats her eyes at me even though she’s seated with two men. She crosses and uncrosses her legs and strikes a provocative pose. Disgusted, I return my attention to my friends who are talking about their ex-girlfriends. As an unwritten rule, we don’t talk about work or anything serious. We leave that for our business meetings, with an exception of Tyler. We also do that when we play golf or tennis, or host parties on our yachts.

I grunt at the thought of how well-known we are. We’re all single and known by tabloids as players. Not that the title is accurate, but we’re used to the tags.

“What’s with women and commitment?” Hudson asks with disgust in his tone.

My shoulders lift and drop in a shrug. “I guess that’s how they were made.”

Wayne takes a sip of his scotch. “It grates on my nerves. I sent Lisa a Ferrari and a diamond necklace, but she wasn’t satisfied. She wants a ring. I had to be plain with her. I simply told her that hell would freeze over before her dreams came to pass.”

The others burst into laughter, but I only chuckle.

Hudson cuts in, “I can’t tell you guys how happy I am that it’s over between me and Annabel. She clung so much to me she left a rash.”

Laughter erupts from our table again.

I understand what my friends went through. I, too, don’t like clingy women. Unfortunately, we seem to attract such women.

“It’s such a turnoff,” Wayne puts in. “Thank goodness we’re free from such women.”

Raising my brows, I ask, “Are we?”

Wayne takes his glass of wine and says, “Well, I am. My present mistress knows once she gets clingy, things are at an end between us.”

I laugh and lean back against the black leather chair. Wayne only dates actresses and models. We all nod because we’ve been there with women who refused to get the message that it was over. My last girlfriend was sweet and understanding in the beginning. But after six months of dating, she wanted a commitment from me, too.

I told her I wasn’t the marrying kind, but she tried everything in the book to get a ring on her finger. She even went as far as faking a pregnancy. It ended unpleasantly. Britney yelled like a banshee when she moved out of the house I bought her. She also destroyed the Bentley I got her as a birthday gift and burned the clothes I ordered for her during one of Paris fashion weeks. I was grateful I changed my mind about taking her on my yacht for the weekend. She would have set it on fire.

Suddenly, my friends, who are seated in a circle around me in the booth, turn to look at me with inquisitive eyes.

“So, how’s life after Britney?” Tyler asks with a twinkle in his blue eyes.

I shrug and stare into my glass. “You know, it’s been great.”

Hudson frowns. “Just great?”

I nod. “I don’t have the time for women right now.”

Normally, I would have told them about my interest in Hope, but I keep it close to my chest. My friends know I don’t date my staff. Telling them I can’t get my personal assistant off my mind would sound crazy.

“What about Katherine?” Wayne asks with a mischievous smile on his face.

A frown creases my forehead. “What about her?”

My friends look at one another.

Hudson shakes his head. “Don’t tell me you’re blind to her banging body and stunning face?”

I almost burst into laughter as I recline against the booth. I stare at them from the rim of my glass. I know my friends are inquisitive about Katherine, who moved to Cedar Crest a few months ago. I like them wondering about my relationship with her.

“Katherine, I agree, is stunning, but she does nothing for me,” I tell them with amusement.

My friends exchange surprise glances. “Are you serious?”

I shrug. “Katherine is an old friend. She knows nothing can ever happen between us.”

“I can’t believe you’re saying this, Chris.” Tyler looks at me with bewilderment. “Britney and Katherine are similar in looks and figures. How is it that you’re not attracted to Katherine?”

An image of Hope comes through my mind. “I don’t know. I prefer a woman with a curvy body, generous breasts, thin waist, flared hips, nicely rounded backside, smooth dark brown skin, a heart-shaped face and piercing dark brown eyes.”

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