Hot CEO: An Enemies to Lovers Romance

by Charlize Starr

  “But I thought you were happy here. What do you need?”

  “I am happy here. But I’d be happier if I got back to my usual things.”

  “Like waitressing?”

  “No, like sleeping on my own bed, in my own apartment.” Heidi’s voice was a little raised now, and Declan had taken a few steps towards her. His face was twisted in frustration and surprise.

  “But three weeks isn’t enough. That isn’t a solid relationship. That doesn’t prove anything. They’ll only hate me more.” Declan breathed out loudly and ran his hands through his hair.

  “What do you want? This to go on for years?” she asked, and Declan shook his head.

  “A few months? I don’t know. I thought this was working well.” He raised his voice and Heidi whipped away from him.

  “I just want to return to my normal life now. That’s it. If you don’t want to pay the whole amount like we discussed, I’ll accept a partial payment.”

  She heard him sighing and then pulling out a chair to sit down.

  “This isn’t about the money or a business deal, Heidi. I thought we were having fun. I thought I’d made a genuinely good friend,” Declan said, and Heidi whipped around to face him.

  “Of course this is a business deal. You’ve said it a hundred times to remind me.” She could feel tears stinging her eyelids. The last thing she wanted to do was cry in front of him.

  “I said it because that’s what you said. The first evening when we met, remember? This stopped being a business deal for me when you walked into my house and told Maud off. I knew then that there was a friendship growing.” Declan stood up from his chair and walked towards her.

  “I just want to go home.” Heidi pushed past him, afraid of what might happen if he came any closer than that.

  The door of the kitchen flew open and David walked in. His face was as red and furious as Heidi’s was, and they both looked at him in surprise.

  “What the hell, David? What’s happened to you?” Declan asked, his voice dying a little at the sight of David.

  “David?” Heidi asked her brother, after he had been silent for a while, glaring at Heidi first and then at Declan.

  “Why are you looking at me like that?” Declan asked, and David turned to Heidi again.

  “What?” she asked, afraid of the way her brother looked at that moment. What had happened to cause this reaction?

  “Do you want to explain to me why you were buying pregnancy tests at the drug store today?” David asked, in a slow, grueling voice, stepping towards Heidi, who was now retreating into a corner of the kitchen.

  “What the hell are you talking about?” Declan asked, in a thundering voice.

  “Just what I said. Why do you need pregnancy tests, Heidi?” David repeated himself, not taking his eyes off his sister. Heidi felt at that moment like she was about to burst at the seams.

  Chapter Eight

  “Pregnancy tests?” Declan was the one who broke the silence in the room.

  “How do you know about that?” Heidi had the courage to ask her brother. She held her chin up in a stubborn show of confidence, even though she could feel herself crumbling inside.

  “Because one of the reporters who was chasing you spoke to the sales person at the drugstore and she told him. He called me to ask for an official statement.” David’s eyes were still wide, and he was looking at Heidi like he couldn’t believe his eyes.

  “So this is true? You were buying pregnancy tests?” Declan spoke up from behind David.

  “Yes, I was,” Heidi said, and David huffed and turned away from his sister.

  “You did this, didn’t you? You bastard.” David screamed and lunged at Declan. Declan grabbed David’s arm and wrestled it back behind him, pinning it lightly in place.

  “Just calm down, David,” Declan said, in a smooth, even voice. Heidi had retreated further. She wanted to get out of there.

  “How can I be calm, knowing what I know now? You had sex with my sister!” David was screaming still. His face had grown very red.

  “Heidi. Are you pregnant?” Declan ignored his friend and turned to her. She looked away from him, the tears really threatening to burst out now. “Heidi?” Declan urged her again, and she turned to look at him. They stared into each other’s eyes and she didn’t have to say anything. He knew the answer.

  He let David go and rushed towards her.

  “Was that why you said you wanted to go back to your normal life?” Declan asked, standing directly in front of her now. Heidi couldn’t look at him. She knew what he was going to say. He was going to apologize and then ask her to have an abortion. That was what she expected from Declan Xavier, what he must have said to countless other women before herself.

  “I wanted to end this because I want to keep the baby,” Heidi blurted out before she could stop herself. She still had her chin up, and she was challenging him with her eyes.

  “Heidi! Are you insane?” David appeared behind Declan, coming towards her now. His rage had turned to helplessness.

  “David. Stay out of this,” Declan said harshly, and David turned to him.

  “Stay out of this? Just like you’re planning to?” David threw the words at him and Declan looked away from him.

  “Heidi is an adult. She may be your sister, but she can make her own decisions. So if she wants to keep the baby, you have no right to say otherwise,” he continued. Heidi’s jaw dropped slightly.

  “You want me to keep it?” she asked. Declan turned to her with a look of confusion.

  “Of course I do. Why would I not?” he said, and he took a few more steps towards her.

  “I can’t believe this. I can’t watch this,” David said, and Declan turned to him again.

  “Go away then, David,” he snapped, and David turned around and left the room. Heidi and Declan stood staring at each other. “Were you planning to just leave and not tell me?” he asked her. His voice had dropped several decibels, and he was close to her now.

  “Of course. I didn’t think you’d want to have a baby with your fake girlfriend,” she said, her voice shaky. She could hardly believe that any of this was happening. A part of her still believed that it was a joke.

  “For all intents and purposes, Heidi, you’re the only real girlfriend I’ve ever had,” Declan said, grabbing her by the waist and pulling her close to him. She landed on his chest, placing her hands on his shoulders for support.

  She couldn’t stop the smile from spreading across her face.

  “I'm sorry if I pushed you away earlier, Heidi. I didn’t think it was right,” he whispered in her ear and then nibbled her earlobe. Heidi smiled and looked into his eyes.

  “I was pushing you away too, without realizing it,” she said, and they kissed softly.

  “Can we just make this official now, so I can kiss you in private too?” Declan was smiling as he covered her face in kisses.

  “We already made it official, remember?” Heidi laughed.

  “To David, I mean,” Declan said, gently biting her chin. Heidi wrapped her arms around his neck and nodded.

  ***

  When Heidi got out of bed, the curtains had already been pulled and the sun was pouring into the room. She stretched her arms and noticed that Maud had left a tray of her usual breakfast beside her.

  Her hand went to her belly. She had begun to show. There was no hiding it from the media anymore. David had planned an exclusive interview with one of the big entertainment channels that morning. Heidi remembered this and quickly stepped out of bed.

  Declan, as usual, was nowhere in sight. A quick shower later, Heidi ate her breakfast while putting her makeup on. She went for a fresh, minimal look, her trademark style, much to the disappointment of David, who had initially insisted that Declan Xavier’s girlfriend should wear dark, Goth eyeshadow and sparkly lipstick. Heidi couldn’t stand it. She wasn’t going to spend the rest of her life pretending to be someone else. The truth was that Declan Xavier wanted to be with her. It wasn’t a
pretense anymore. He had picked her, Heidi Scott, with her plain taste in clothes and lack of interest in makeup.

  She had decided to grow her hair again, and it had already started grazing her shoulders, falling in tight curls.

  Heidi picked out a turquoise Lycra dress. It accentuated her baby bump and she examined herself in the mirror sideways. Her hand stroking her belly, feeling for the child she was carrying. Declan’s child.

  Sandals and small turquoise earrings completed the look, and she was ready.

  “You look absolutely stunning,” Declan said, when he saw her descending the stairs. David was busy in the background, attending to cameramen at the front door. Maud and a few of the other household staff were assisting him.

  Declan welcomed her into his arms and they hugged tightly.

  “Your first interview. How do you feel?” he asked her, as they walked together hand-in-hand towards the living room. David had specially rearranged it for the interview.

  “Nervous, a little. Mostly excited,” she said, and he kissed her on the cheek.

  ***

  “What is it like being Declan Xavier’s girlfriend?” was the first question Liam, the reporter interviewing them, asked, directing it to Heidi immediately. She laughed coyly, exchanging a quick happy look with Declan and then turning back to Liam again.

  “I can’t say he’s not hard work. It’s very difficult to have a serious conversation with this man,” she said, and Liam smiled. Declan laughed at that himself, and Heidi instantly felt at ease.

  “We assume that you’re getting used to the rock star lifestyle gradually?” Liam continued. Heidi brushed away some curls from her eyes.

  “There’s nothing to get used to. It’s a regular household with regular people. Declan and I like our private, quiet days. It’s not what you think you know from the movies,” she replied. She felt Declan squeeze her hand gently.

  “And we hear that there’s a grand opening for your bakery next week?” Liam threw this question to the floor, and Declan jumped in.

  “You have not lived if you haven’t tried my girlfriend’s cupcakes. It’s what clinched the deal for me. I tasted one of them and I was a goner,” Declan said, and Liam and Heidi laughed.

  She liked watching him in front of the camera, how his personality remained the same, how his smile was capable of pleasing everyone in the room. Declan made it look so easy to be a celebrity. That was probably what made him a rock star.

  “And your other big announcement is…” Liam said with a smile.

  “That we’re pregnant!” Heidi and Declan said together and kissed lightly. Heidi noticed the camera pan downwards and capture her baby bump for the audience.

  “Congratulations to the happy couple. Have you picked out names yet?” Liam asked.

  “If that’s your way of finding out if it’s a girl or a boy, that’s not happening, Liam,” Declan said, and squeezed Heidi’s shoulder playfully. Liam laughed at that as well.

  “I have to ask a question that has been on everybody’s mind, really. How did Heidi Scott manage to slow down Declan Xavier? How did you manage this big transformation in him?” Liam asked, crossing his legs.

  Heidi felt the cameras focus on her, and she shifted in her seat. This was always the hard part, lying with a straight face about how they met.

  “I don’t know if I’ve changed him,” she began, and Liam pounced on that.

  “Of course you have. Declan was surrounded by women, there were scandals about him sleeping with underage girls, supermodels with broken hearts…” Liam cut in.

  “But that wasn’t necessarily his side of the story. Declan is a celebrity. He’s a rock star. Of course the stories about him will be exaggerated. Not that I’m defending any of the bad stuff that he may or may not have done. From my perspective, we met and we changed both our lives forever,” Heidi said. She could feel herself getting worked up. When would these allegations ever end? Even after all these months, they refused to abandon him.

  “The truth is, Liam,” Declan spoke up then, “that she did change me. She changed my life because I met her and realized that I didn’t need anybody else. Nobody had ever done that to me before. And then I fell in love with her.” He had turned to her while he spoke and she could feel the squeeze of his hands in hers.

  That was the first time he had said that to her, and she was afraid she was going to cry.

  “And now she’s going to be the mother of my child.” Declan smiled at Liam, who smiled back at the happy couple.

  ***

  “That was an incredible performance!” David clapped his hands as he shut the kitchen door behind him. Declan and Heidi were kissing when he entered.

  “It wasn’t a performance, David, for heaven’s sake.” Declan slapped David on his back.

  “Okay, okay. You know what I meant. We’ve done it, team,” he said, simultaneously offering high fives to both Heidi and Declan.

  “And my first interview!” Heidi let out a sigh, pouring herself a glass of water.

  “Very well done, sis. And I have to say, you look incredible as well,” David said, giving her a quick hug.

  “Free publicity for my bakery too,” she said, with a wink towards Declan, who shook his head and laughed.

  “Heidi Scott, ever the businesswoman,” Declan said, pulling her into his arms again.

  “I’m so glad this isn’t a game anymore, so I don’t have to tiptoe around the media,” David said, sitting down at the table.

  “We might have one more secret to keep, for a few months.” Declan turned to David who frowned. Heidi was staring at Declan too. Now what?!

  “Heidi.” He turned to her and was down on his knee in a flash. She nearly squealed but remembered that the people from the TV show were still in the house outside.

  Declan took out a small velvet box, which he popped open. A diamond ring sat in the center, and Heidi nodded her head before he had even asked her.

  “A rock for my rock star girlfriend,” Declan said, slipping the ring onto her finger before he had picked her up in his arms and swung her around. Heidi had never felt this much happiness before.

  *****

  THE END

  Hungry Mountain Man

  Description

  She crashed into me on a corner, spilling coffee all over me.

  But all I could see was her gorgeous smile.

  I want to take her up to my mountain.

  But it’s too dangerous.

  Someone’s after me and my billions.

  I suspect it’s my brother.

  I know I should hate him, but I can’t hurt him.

  So I retreat to my cabin.

  And me and Mia talk dirty on the phone.

  But it’s not just dirty talk.

  This woman is becoming the only good thing in my life.

  The one thing I’m living for.

  What will happen when we finally meet again?

  Chapter One - Mia

  There is something in the mountain air that makes me feel alive.

  I don’t know what it is, but I can feel it thrumming through my entire body. I’ve never been much of a morning person, but today I bounded out of bed fifteen minutes before my alarm in a rush to get a head start on my new life. Now, walking down Main Street, it feels as though every step I take is toward somewhere grand and exciting.

  It’s just like I remember it – the air and the whole vibe of the town. I haven’t been to this quaint mountain town since I was in middle school when I’d had the most wonderful vacation with my grandparents. They’d loved this little town their whole lives. They even got married here. My grandma’s parents had never approved of their relationship, so the summer after graduation, they ran away and eloped in one of the small chapels here. They visited every summer as adults, too, celebrating their anniversary in a cabin up in the hills overlooking the town. I remember driving in with them that summer, hearing that same story I’d heard them tell a hundred times before through a completely different
perspective as I experienced this town for the first time myself.

  My grandma died the winter after that trip. Sometimes I think she knew the end was near and wanted me to see this place with her before she passed. Grandpa never could bring himself to come back here without her. The whole town still holds a sort of magic for me because of it all. Being here feels romantic, even if I’m all alone, because of the way their stories make everything come to life. I’ve wanted a love like theirs my entire life, and this town makes me feel closer to them – makes their memory come alive for me.

  My friends hadn’t understood me when I said I was leaving. They understood it even less when I said I was moving up to the mountains. But lately, I’d been feeling called here. Maybe it was fate, or maybe it was just boredom. Either way, I wanted to find out why. I’d been spinning my wheels at work for the past two years, feeling worse with every day more tedious than the last.

  I’d always imagined that working in advertising was going to be glamorous and exciting. I’d wanted to design luxurious campaigns for travel, jewelry, fine dining, or fashion. I thought that it’d be a great way to find new brands and products worth trying out for myself – things I could feel good passing onto customers. Instead, I’d ended up with dry frozen dinners, boring cleaning products, and medical supplies shoved off on hypochondriacs who probably didn’t even need them. It was all taking its toll on me. My last few projects were terrible, sloppy, and poorly done, and I’d known it, but I just couldn’t bring myself to put my heart into something I didn’t care about. So, standing there in my boss’s office, getting lectured and nodding in all the right places, I’d made my decision.

  Instead of promising to put out better work that aligned with my previous standards, I’d quit right there on the spot.

  I knew I couldn’t actually do better work – couldn’t put my all effort and passion into yet another ad for the same old tin of cat food – so I’d given my boss my two weeks’ notice right there in his office. I left the city behind and headed for this small town, feeling like what I needed was a drastic change of surroundings. I haven’t even been here twenty-four hours yet, and it’s already turned out better than I’d hoped, at least so far.