The Enticing CEO’s Chosen Bride novel Chapter 2017

Cicely arched an eyebrow, reaching out to playfully snag Seth's tie and draw it from its loops, twirling it around her fingers. "Seth, you're only three years older than me. How come you're so old-school about some things?"

Seth's gaze dropped to her delicate fingers as they danced the tie in front of him.

"Still, your willpower seems to be lacking. You didn't plan on getting hot and heavy with me before I turned eighteen, yet here we are."

Her voice was soft and teasing, her words lingering in the air like a siren's call, an eighteen-year-old temptress enchanting him.

He reached out, capturing her hand, and spoke in a husky, velvety voice, "Am I to blame for having a weak spot for you?" His voice was naturally melodious, and in the solitude of their study, the lowered tone added an intimate charge to the atmosphere.

"Even if it is my fault, it can't be all my fault. Why is it that my will crumbles only with you? That's something you should ponder."d2

Cicely huffed and pulled her hand back. She had seen blame shifted before, but never quite like this—where the one doing the shifting actually managed to make the accused feel better about it.

She pushed up on her toes, "Alright, I'll ponder it now." As she spoke, she turned back to the computer and bent forward, once again settling into Seth's lap.

Her idea of "pondering" involved taking hold of the mouse again, her eyes scanning the design layout with focus. "Let's start with two nurseries. One room in pink, with a princess bed and white lace canopy, and leave this corner for toys."

"The other one in blue, hmm... What do boys like? Should we go with a theme? Transformers? Sports cars, or something else? What did you like when you were a kid?"

Seth replied, "Tanks, airplanes, excavators."

Cicely paused and looked back at him, "Excavators? Are you sure?"

Seth's lips curled, "The joy of boys, you wouldn't understand."

Cicely blinked, "Indeed, I don't." She decided to take his word for it.

Turning back to the computer, Cicely scrolled to their master bedroom, "For our room, let's go with pastel blues, I want hanging lamps at the head of the bed, and a full wall of floor-to-ceiling windows with blackout curtains and a layer of white sheers."

"As for the living room, I like a grey palette. And the balcony...

"Are you planning to build an amusement park here? We'll need a long slide, bumper cars, and a carousel. Should we add a couple of basketball hoops? We could play basketball with them, or badminton.

"Ah, and I want a music room. The study needs to be large, so I can be with you while you work. You work, and I'll sketch you."

Cicely talked endlessly that afternoon, brimming with enthusiasm. She seemed to have so many plans for the future, and in every detail, she included him.

As she spoke, it was as if she could see these visions right before her eyes, as if she'd already lived them.

Eeach plan sounded as mundane as daily meals, but her expression was far from the plain simplicity of everyday sustenance. It was rare for her to be so visibly content and engaged.

"Who says you don't know anything? You could totally be an interior designer."

Finally, Seth wrapped his arms around her waist, lifted her from his lap, and placed her on the desk before standing to fill a cup with warm water from the dispenser.

The news from Issac couldn't have been clearer.

Ray was still laid up in the hospital. Most people knew what had happened but not the details.

Ray had attempted to force himself on Danielle, so any normal woman wouldn't be caught dead near that hospital, unless she was there to pull the plug on his life support.

But what Danielle did was show up at the hospital, fully armed, and enter Ray's room. She didn't end Ray's life; instead, he was alive and kicking, even having managed to trip up Seth.

Calling Danielle foolish would be an understatement. She played her hand well. Using Ray as a pawn, she managed to turn herself into the center of public sympathy, absolving her of suspicion, and casting the woman who had slapped her on set, threatening to kick her off the project, as the prime suspect in everyone's mind.

And then, everyone pitied Danielle, squeezed by what they called "the mighty clout of capital." Seth, being the reasonable man he was, would naturally suspect Cicely. If Patty were to discover that Cicely had affected her son's career and bullied the girl she liked the most, she would naturally step in to fix things for her son and Danielle.

Was Danielle naive? Far from it—she was shrewd as they come.

"Ray's family has lost its clout," Seth said, his face a mask of indifference. Their reputation had taken a nosedive, their company was in chaos, a real dog's breakfast, and they were broke, with not a decent script in sight. Hardly a threat.

Cicely let out a chuckle. "Looking at Ray's latest move, he's going for broke, not willing to let you off easy. Even if he’s down, he has certainly landed a blow."

"Mm. I shouldn't have given him the opportunity to strike."

Seth didn't seem inclined to elaborate, leaving Cicely to speculate that he had some kind of plan in mind.