Chapter 2 He's So Charming

Claire's POV

I sat there waiting and my mind kept racing with questions about what kind of games my friends had planned for tonight. The blindfold felt strange against my skin but I tried to stay calm.

"You look so beautiful in this blindfold," someone said close to my ear. His voice was deep and masculine.

"Who are you?" I asked but got no answer. "Who are you?" I repeated.

"I'm Alias Dave-Don Carlos, son of Marcel Huston Carlos," he whispered back.

Those names hit me like lightning. There was something about the way they rolled off his tongue that made my heart skip a beat.

"Wow, that's a lot of names!" I said louder than I meant to.

"Yes, Dave is short for David meaning dearly beloved while Alias means lion. Don means Boss and Carlos means Strong. Together they mean 'The beloved Lion and powerful Boss.'"

"That explains the dominant voice you have," I whispered back. I could hear him shifting closer and the sound of fabric moving as he unbuttoned something.

"You can say that again," he said.

The surname Carlos rang a bell in my head. I remembered one of my friends mentioning it during our gossip sessions at school.

"Wait, are you the son of Carlos Pharmaceuticals?" I asked while my eyes moved restlessly behind the blindfold.

"Yes I'm his only son but I have a younger sister too," he whispered.

My heart started pounding harder because I suddenly remembered seeing him and his father on television commercials when I was seventeen. I had been crushing on him ever since and always wished I could meet him in person. Could this really be happening right now?

"What's your beautiful name if you don't mind me asking?" he said.

I hesitated for a moment because my thoughts were spinning but then I answered.

"My name is Claire Smith."

"Really? There's only one Smith family that everyone knows. They're the most recognized family in Las Vegas. Wait a minute, are you the daughter of Edmund Smith, one of the richest and most respected scientists in Las Vegas? He owns one of the first labs here and his achievements have been all over the Vegas spotlight for years. If he's your dad that means you're also the daughter of Felicia Smith who owns Felicia Fragrance and Co. She's actually my role model because I love creating perfumes even though I'm still learning. Are you really one of them?"

"Yes, I am, The first daughter of Mr and Mrs Smith and I have two sisters but sadly no brothers," I said and my voice sounded sadder than I wanted it to.

"It's such a pleasure to meet you. I know you probably have a box full of wishes and one of them would be having a brother," he whispered.

The way his voice sounded made my whole body react in ways I wasn't expecting. Even though I couldn't see his face clearly yet I was already lost in my imagination about what he might look like.

"You're absolutely right. I do have a lot of wishes but the one that ranks highest is wanting a brother."

"Your name suits your beauty though I can't see your face clearly yet. I'm already charmed by the little I've seen," he whispered and I heard him removing his blindfold.

His words had me completely under his spell so I reached up and gently pulled off my own blindfold.

The moment I saw his face I realized he was even more handsome than I remembered from those commercials.

Something about his hazy brown eyes and pointed nose made my breath catch. His muscle build was obvious even under his shirt and I could see part of his chest where his shirt had come unbuttoned.

The tight fabric showed off his physique in a way that made heat spread through my body.

When he pulled off his blindfold the way his lips moved caught me completely off guard.

Then he licked his lips while staring at me.

"Are you okay Claire?" he asked while still running his tongue across his lips in a way that made my pulse race.

I sat there completely lost in his gaze. His smile was brief but it was the most seductive thing I had ever seen and it took my breath away.

"Are you okay Claire?" he asked again and this time his voice was louder.

His question snapped me back to reality from wherever my imagination had taken me.

"I'm okay I'm just..." I started but couldn't finish the sentence.

"You're nervous I guess. I understand completely. It's alright. Can you tell me more about yourself?" he asked while his eyes never left mine.

I waited a few moments before answering because my heart was still racing.

"You already know my name. I'm a writer and I've written more than a hundred books but I'm currently working on a romance masterpiece that I'll be launching soon. I also love reading books and I'm an aspiring fashion designer. I design unisex clothes.

I have several wishes on my list. I want to be free from my parents because they control everything in my life. I want to get a masters in fashion design and I want to own a fashion brand.

I also want to be a renowned writer and someday I want to own a library filled with my own books," I whispered while watching his face anxiously for his reaction.

"You're a writer? That's incredible! A hundred books isn't just an achievement, it's a major milestone! You must be so passionate about writing! Congratulations and keep it up Claire!"

His words filled me with encouragement and lit a fire of determination inside me that I thought I had lost completely.

"Thanks for the encouragement. I really appreciate it," I whispered.

"You're welcome but that's quite a list of wishes so I stand corrected. It's not just a box of wishes, it's more like a catalog of wishes because you said you had two but you mentioned way more than two.

I totally understand that every human being has lots of wishes but sadly not all of them get granted. I'm not saying you should give up hope but you might get lucky," he replied.

His words felt heavy because I knew my wishes probably sounded impossible but I wasn't ready to give up hope just yet.

As we looked into each other's eyes I could see how eager he was to know more about me but I wanted to learn about him too.

"It's your turn now, handsome. Tell me about yourself, your dreams and wishes."

"Okay Claire darling. The obstacles fighting against my dreams and wishes are actually similar to yours," he whispered while raising his eyebrows in a way that left me completely in suspense.

"How similar? Please tell me because I'm all ears," I said curiously.

"Let me give you a glimpse into my world. My family isn't a picture perfect family. Many people see me and think that because my family has wealth I've been given freedom to chase my career, dreams and passions.

They don't realize that behind the curtains of riches there's an ugly chain of loneliness and bondage," he whispered and the low tone of his voice showed me how much pain he was feeling.

"Tell me more. I'm curious," I whispered back.

He gently took my hands and helped me stand up while he got to his feet too.

"Dance with me Claire while I continue," he whispered.

He put his right hand around my waist while I placed my right hand on his shoulder.

When he held my waist he squeezed it gently and raised his eyebrows again.

As we danced to slow music playing in the background he continued talking.

"Just like you I have a long list of wishes. I'm twenty nine years old and all my life I've been living to please my parents.

I've always wanted to be an artist and I dream of owning my own art gallery someday.

I also wish to become a perfumer because I've admired your mother's brand for a long time like I told you earlier.

I love creating perfumes with chemicals I buy with my allowance but my dad wants me to take over his pharmaceutical company," he whispered and tears started rolling down his cheeks.

I pulled a handkerchief from my bag and wiped them away.

His story didn't just touch me, it completely matched mine in so many ways.

"Sometimes I ask myself if I'm living my life for my parents instead of for myself," I whispered to him.

"I ask myself that same question every day. My dad forced me to study pharmacy after high school and he didn't care about what I wanted to do.

I had no choice so I did what he wanted but he still wasn't satisfied. He keeps reminding me about the family business even now," he whispered and his voice was full of tears.

This part of his story was exactly like mine so I could feel every bit of pain in his voice.

"I'm really sorry. I just don't understand why our parents won't let us choose our own careers. This is the twenty-first century for crying out loud!"

"I don't get it either," he whispered while gently squeezing my waist again.

He smiled and raised his eyebrows before his hands gradually moved to my backside. He squeezed firmly which made me shiver all over.

"Easy tiger, you're moving too fast," I whispered but he just smiled again and squeezed harder. This time I felt his entire body pressed against mine.

As we stared at each other and danced slowly to the music his dominance over my body made me want him more than I had ever wanted anyone.

Suddenly a phone started ringing. At first we ignored it and kept dancing but the sound wouldn't stop.

The ringing was getting louder and more annoying by the second.

He let go of me and whispered, "I think it's mine."

He reached into his bag and pulled out his phone. He gave me a strange look before speaking again.

"Can I take this please?" His voice sounded urgent.

"Go ahead," I replied.

He answered the call and walked away from me.

I sat down at the dinner table and watched my friends dancing with their dates while I waited for him to come back.

Twenty minutes passed and I started wondering what kind of emergency call could take this long. I wanted to go check on him but I figured it must be something urgent.

An entire hour went by and I became really worried. What kind of emergency call lasts this long? I couldn't sit still anymore so I got up from my chair and headed outside the restaurant hoping to find him.

When I got outside he was nowhere to be found. He had completely vanished without a trace.

"What could be the reason? Was the call really that urgent? He should have told me he wasn't coming back because now he's left me in a completely confused state. What am I supposed to do now?" I whispered to myself while looking around the empty street