Sweet As Sin

by Ana Jolene

  Now that they were back in Moonrise Beach, however, he would have to wait to see her again. It was a good thing that she’d agreed to go with him to tonight’s charity event.

  Although the rest of his family was going to be there, his sister, Dacey, had declined the invitation. She’d told him earlier that she wasn’t interested in seeing her old co-workers. Given that her ex worked at Gleam too, that was understandable. After ditching her in India while she was suffering from typhoid fever, their engagement had ended badly and returning to Moonrise had caused a lot of new changes in his sister’s life. Now, she had her own booming business to look after.

  Still, Hutch didn’t realize what a hardship finding nice clothes to wear would be. Thankfully, Dacey had shown up at the house a half hour ago and was trying to help him put together something to wear. Greyson, her boyfriend, had also come with her but he and Buddha, Dacey’s French bulldog, were watching an old episode of America’s Next Top Model instead of helping him out. “Will you turn that garbage off and help me?” he called out. If he didn’t find something soon, he would be screwed.

  Both Greyson and Buddha glanced in his direction, but neither of them looked interested in what was happening. “But this is the good part,” Greyson whined as he gestured at the TV.

  Beside him, Dacey rolled her eyes. “Don’t mind him. I’ll get you situated.” She held up a suit he had in his closet. “What about this one?”

  Hutch frowned. “Are you sure?” He hadn’t worn it in years and he wasn’t even sure if it fit him anymore.

  “Try it on and let’s see how it fits you. You’ve gotten a little bit bigger but I think it’ll still look good.”

  That didn’t give him much confidence. He wanted to look good for Maison and not in a way to just impressed her. He wanted her to be happy to be his date for the night.

  When he went to the bathroom and tried it on, he realized that Dacey had been right. It still fit, but it was a little snugger than he was used to. It did, however, outline his broad frame nicely.

  Hutch examined himself closely in the mirror. What would Maison think of him when she saw him wearing this? Would she think he looked silly? Or would she actually like what she saw?

  If only he could be a man worthy of her attentions.

  Dacey banged on the bathroom door, startling him from his thoughts. “Hey, come out and let’s see what it looks like!”

  “Hold on.” It had been a long time since he’d seen himself in something other than a band T-shirt and jeans. He still wasn’t used to seeing himself this way. While working at Gleam meant that he was dressing better, he still had a ways to go if he wanted to look like his father.

  As soon as he stepped out of the bathroom, Dacey let out a whoop of excitement. “Wow, look at you! You look great!”

  From the bed, Greyson let out a wolf whistle. “Lookin’ sharp, my man!”

  “You think so?” He still wasn’t sure. A button-down shirt he could handle, but this felt like too much.

  “You’ll definitely catch some lady’s attention wearing that,” Greyson said.

  “I’m really only interested in impressing one girl.”

  “Oh really, who? Are you bringing a date to this thing?”

  “Yes, I am,” he replied smugly.

  “Who?” Dacey suddenly seemed very interested.

  “Maison.”

  “Maison? As in Maison, like our Maison?”

  “Yes, our Maison.” And he was still over the moon about it.

  “Did you force her to go with you or something?”

  “Hey! That’s not very nice. And no, I didn’t. I asked her and she said yes.”

  Dacey snorted. “Yeah, right. Why would Maison lower herself to you?”

  Greyson chuckled and rose from the bed to join them.

  “Does Dad know?” Dacey asked.

  “Yeah, he was there when I asked her.”

  “You know, I kind of like it,” Greyson stated and that earned him a horrified look from his girlfriend.

  “How can you say that? He’s going to corrupt Maison!”

  “I’m not going to corrupt anyone!” He liked how Maison was just fine. “Relax, okay? We’re just going to this thing together. It’s not even a date.” Why were they making such a big deal about this?

  “But do you want to date her?” Greyson asked.

  “You can’t!” Dacey cried. “I’m not losing her as a friend after you’re done with her!”

  “Who said anything about doing that?” He didn’t intend on ever hurting Maison.

  Dacey pinned him with a look. “I know you, Hutch. We all know how you are with women, and I’m not going to let you do it to Maison!”

  Their yelling brought Owen to his door and Hunter poked his head in. “What’s going on here?”

  “Did you know that Hutch is going with Maison to the charity event tomorrow?”

  Hunter looked momentarily confused and then he said, “Oh, you are? That’s cool. So what’s the problem here?”

  “Thank you,” he breathed. At least someone had his back.

  “That doesn’t bother you?” Dacey asked.

  “Why would it bother me? Maison can take care of herself.”

  “Maison is going to get her heart broken!”

  “Maison is a big girl,” Hunter retorted. “And I’m sure she can decide on her own who she wants to go out with.”

  “I can’t believe you guys. You’re all such men!” Dacey said the last word as if it was an insult.

  Greyson came to stand between them. “Okay, okay. That’s enough. Hunter is right. Maison is more than capable of handling herself.” Hutch was about to thank him for having his back when the guy turned on him and said, “But don’t be reckless with her. I have a feeling underneath those big, blue eyes she’s got some bite.”

  Hutch nodded. “Noted.”

  “Fine.” Dacey stomped out of the room and Buddha and Owen followed after her.

  Hunter let out a low whistle. “She was really upset about that.” He turned to Greyson and grinned. “Good luck with that.”

  Greyson groaned. “I want you happy, man, but you know I won’t hear the end of it if you mess shit up with her.”

  Hutch gave him his best winning smile. “I won’t.”

  “Good.” And with that, Greyson left after his girlfriend. Hutch never expected to rekindle his friendship with his childhood friend, but he was definitely glad for Greyson’s presence now.

  Alone with his brother, Hunter didn’t say anything to him, which only made him feel uneasy. They’d never had much to talk about, especially now that they were older. But if his older brother had any advice to give, he didn’t share it now. Instead, Hunter just walked out of the room.

  On a sigh, Hutch turned to face the mirror again and adjusted his suit. “No breaking Maison’s heart,” he muttered to himself. That would be easy enough. He had no intentions of ever hurting her. And while he had experience with a lot of women in the past, he had a feeling that none of that would work with her.

  No, what he really wanted was to win Maison’s heart.

  FIFTEEN

  Maison was a ball of anxiety but no amount of deep breathing was going to get her to calm down. With the charity event tonight for the American Cancer Society, she was running amok, trying to get everything done.

  Normally, an event like this wouldn’t be enough to put her into a panic, but ringing in the back of her head was the reminder that she wasn’t going to be going alone this time.

  For the first time since she started working for Gleam Enterprises, Maison actually had a date to go with. And it wasn’t just any date either! She was going with Hutch Happa-Hewitt! Hutch could easily have any woman in the world but he’d asked her. Why? She still couldn’t believe it as she gazed at herself in the mirror.

  Her hair was still damp from her shower and she’d actually written a reminder down in her planner to shave her legs too. The extra primping was needed if she wanted to look good tonight.


  While she would really love to look like a Victoria’s Secret model, she only had herself to blame. With the stress from work and traveling, she had completely disregarded her diet and had recently gained a few pounds. Unfortunately, she didn’t know any instant weight loss system that worked.

  Whatever. She had to remind herself that this was a work function and not a date. As thrilled as she was about tonight, she couldn’t expect it to actually mean anything.

  Maison took her time applying her mascara. Two coats would do. Or would a third coat make her blue eyes really pop? While she normally didn’t wear much makeup, she wanted her eyes to look sexy and sultry for a change.

  When she was satisfied with her makeup, she went over to her closet to change. She’d picked out her favorite dress earlier but then noticed something she hadn’t before. What was Hutch’s scarf doing on her bed? She realized with surprise that she’d totally forgotten to return it to him when they’d come back from their trip. She would have no use for it now since the weather in Moonrise was warm. Still, a part of her was reluctant to return it.

  Picking it up, she brought the scarf to her nose and took a sniff. It still smelled strongly of Hutch and a shiver went through her. If she hadn’t already been thinking of him before, she was now. That’s when her anxiety hit her.

  Was the dress she picked out too safe? Black normally worked for all occasions and disguised any unwanted lumps and bumps she had, but Maison was tired of wearing dark clothing and blending into the crowd.

  She had no doubt that people would be watching her tonight, especially since she was going to be arriving with Hutch. She hadn’t considered this before saying yes to him, but now that she had, what would people think about her? Would they laugh and wonder how a girl like her could think she could run with the likes of the Happa-Hewitts? Hutch’s entire family was superstar quality. They were all so good-looking and successful. Maison would look stupid beside him.

  “I guess I just need to put my best foot forward.” How embarrassing would it be if she showed up looking like she’d just trekked through the sewers? No, she was going to look nice tonight! While she would never be on the same level as any of the Happa-Hewitts, she at least wanted to look like she could be a part of them.

  Maison returned her plain black dress and pulled out a siren red one. She’d bought it but never worn it before. It was supposed to be a motivational tool for her weight loss. She’d hoped to one day lose enough weight to wear it but that day hadn’t come.

  Until now.

  While she hadn’t reached her ideal weight yet, she was hoping she could pull it off. The color was stunning and she thought it would look nice with her blonde hair and blue eyes. If only she had the confidence to match.

  Whatever. It was the best she had and after slipping on the dress, she realized that she didn’t look too bad in it. The straps of her bra were showing but maybe if she tucked it in a little bit, it wouldn’t be as visible.

  Dammit. Why was she overthinking everything? It was just a stupid dress!

  She switched out her bra for a strapless one and immediately regretted it. Her boobs just didn’t have enough support. She felt like she would spill out of the cups at any moment. She was already uncomfortable and she didn’t need any more to worry about. Deciding that she didn’t want to risk a wardrobe malfunction, she changed into a black one with straps. At least if the straps showed it wouldn’t clash too much with the rest of her outfit.

  As a finishing touch, she then applied a matching red lipstick. “Wow,” she murmured as she examined herself in the mirror. She’d never seen herself like this before! While she wasn’t used to exposing this much skin, she had to admit, she did look pretty good!

  Her curled hair softly accentuated her facial features and she liked that the bright lip matched her dress. Although she’d been worried that the color might be too shocking, it had the right amount of statement without being too loud.

  Damn, she looked good!

  But just as quickly as she’d built herself up, her anxiety took her down a notch.

  In the previous years, she’d normally drive over to the Hewitt house and they would all go together, but this time Hutch had insisted that he come and pick her up.

  Now with nothing left to do but wait, her anxiety tripled. She still couldn’t believe she was going to be going with Hutch! She really hoped she didn’t say anything stupid or make a fool of herself in front of everyone. Then she’d really regret saying yes to him!

  Checking the clock, Maison realized that she had a few minutes to spare, so she went into the kitchen and made a cup of chamomile tea. It would help in calming down her nerves a little. Her palms were already getting sweaty. Damn, she really hoped her deodorant held up through the night.

  When the doorbell rang, Maison swallowed past the lump in her throat. “Okay, here we go. Just have fun,” she reminded herself as she opened the door.

  She felt her heart lurch in her chest as she took Hutch in.

  Wow.

  Are you kidding me? She thought seeing him in his dress shirts and slacks at work were hot but Hutch all dressed up in a tux was going to kill her! Holy shit! He looked amazing!

  Dressed in a black suit, Hutch looked hotter than a jalapeño. His hair was slicked back, revealing his warm eyes and sharp cheekbones. He’d even shaved and the neat look only added to the editorial look he was going for. Not even movie stars could compete with him tonight. At this rate, it was likely that he was going to give her a nosebleed!

  “Hey, Maison.” Hutch’s warm eyes crinkled before running down the length of her. His jaw dropped. “Wow, you look amazing!” Maison felt herself flush. Not as good as you look. But she was glad she’d put in the extra effort. “That dress is stunning on you.”

  “Thanks.” She blushed even more. God, at this rate, she was going to flare up before they even got to the charity event.

  “So are you ready to go?” Hutch asked her.

  She just hoped that she wouldn’t regret this night.

  “Maison, are you okay?”

  “Um, yeah.” She was just overthinking things. There was nothing to worry about, and she deserved something special every once in a while. For one night, she was just going to enjoy herself and not care what other people thought of her.

  Maison forced herself to smile, hoping it looked convincing. “Come on. Let’s go.” In a bold move, she took Hutch’s hand. “I don’t want to be late.”

  * * *

  To her surprise, the night progressed smoothly. No one batted an eye at her arriving with Hutch, and Matthew didn’t even seem weirded out to see them sitting together. After the charity work was done and Matthew had said his speech, the rest of the night was devoted to food and dancing. Normally at this point, Maison would say her goodbyes and head home, but with Hutch here with her, she didn’t think that would be appropriate.

  He’d been glued to her side all night and, surprisingly, Maison was growing more used to his presence. Her anxiety had long disappeared and she was happy to finally be able to enjoy her night. She was quickly realizing that despite Hutch’s rebel reputation, he was a really nice guy. He held up her champagne glass. “Do you want another refill?” When she nodded, he rose to refill it.

  Her gaze followed him all the way to the refreshments and that was when she caught the gaze of Michael Davenport. Michael, or Mickey as he was better known as, was Clive’s son and she hated him more than any other person she’d ever met in her entire life.

  Mickey was a slob and that was a nice way of saying it. As the CEO’s son, Mickey indulged in his father’s money often, using it more than a kid had the right to. And at twenty-nine years old, that was not an attractive quality in a man.

  Catching her gaze, he smiled at her. “Oh God,” she muttered. “Here we go.”

  “Maison, it’s good to see you again. You look amazing.”

  Maison pasted on a fake smile. As much as she hated the guy, she couldn’t be rude to him. “Micke
y, nice to see you too.”

  “So I heard this year you came with a date. Is he your boyfriend?”

  “No,” she said immediately. She didn’t want to start any false rumors about her and Hutch.

  “Ah, but do you want him to be your boyfriend?” The mischievous sparkle in his eyes made her want to throttle him. This guy just didn’t understand the meaning of space.

  Ugh.

  Hutch finally returned with their drinks and Maison wanted to clutch him like a lifeline. “Here you go.”

  She settled for smiling at him. “Thank you.”

  “So, Hutch,” Mickey started now that he’d returned. “Why are you working at Gleam Enterprises?”

  Beside her, Hutch shifted in his seat. He obviously wasn’t affected by his questions as she was. “Well, I started working here because I needed something to do.”

  Mickey snorted. “What? Can’t find any friends?” He laughed but no one else at the table joined him.

  Hutch glanced at her. “I have friends, but my father stressed that having a job was important.”

  Once again, Mickey snorted. “Yeah, my old man is the same. I don’t know why though. I mean, they earn enough money as it is. Why can’t they continue to support their own children? It’s way better than handing it over to stupid charities like this.”

  Maison frowned, not liking where this conversation was going.

  “I think donating is admirable,” Hutch said.

  Mickey rolled his eyes. “Nah, it’s a waste of time and money.”

  Not surprisingly, their conversation had gained other people’s attention and Maison found herself growing embarrassed. Mickey, however, seemed oblivious to it.

  She had a mind to put him back in his place, but doing so could open up even more problems for them.

  “If you think charity work is a waste of time, then you’re clearly fortunate to have everything go perfectly in your life. However, my mother’s death could have been avoided if we had the resources to treat her,” Hutch growled. “And I’m sorry to say, but not even money can buy life. If there is something that we can do to help aid research for cancer patients, then I’m all for it.”