Hesitantly, Cami made her way into the living room and perched at the other end of the couch. Drew leaned forward, picking up her glass and handing it to her. But then, instead of staying close to her as Cami had been expecting, Drew returned to his end of the couch, leaving a good bit of distance between them.
“So,” Drew began. “I promised you an explanation.” Cami didn’t say anything, so Drew continued. “I know I’ve seemed distracted lately and haven’t been able to give you the attention you deserve. But that’s all changed now. I promise.”
Cami wanted to speak up, tell him that damn right, he hadn’t given her the attention she deserved, and to demand answers. But, instead, she remained silent, giving Drew a chance to speak his piece.
“For the last several months, I’ve been in the middle of trying to sell my company. When we met, at the Emersons’ beach house, I was only there because I was trying to impress an investor. The man—James Cook—was there with his awful wife and daughter. You met his daughter, remember? We had breakfast together. Her name was Analise… She wouldn’t shut up about herself.”
“I remember,” Cami replied.
Her mind went back to that weekend. She knew exactly the moment he was talking about. Cami and Drew had been having breakfast together the morning after they’d fooled around on the beach. He’d seemed to really be interested in her—until Analise had shown up. Then Drew had shifted his attention solely to the conceited model. Cami had been hurt and confused at the time but, if he was trying to impress her father, his actions made a bit more sense.
“Anyway. The man that was offering to buy my company, Sylvester Kenton, he didn’t want to finalize the deal until his investor—Cook—signed off on it. And Cook didn’t want to sign off on the contract that I had insisted upon. You see, I was stipulating that none of my employees be terminated. I couldn’t bring myself to sell unless they were all secure. But I didn’t want to hold on to my company anymore. Too much stress. Too many long hours. I wanted to settle down, start a family. So that’s where my focus has been for the last few months. That’s why I’ve been busy and unable to treat you the way you deserve to be treated. But the deal was finalized on Saturday. The company is sold. I’m free to take care of you now and I want to do that.”
“Why,” Cami interrupted, genuinely bewildered, “why didn’t you just tell me that? It would have been so much easier than acting all hot and cold around me.”
“I’m sorry,” Drew said, looking down at his hands. “I should have. I guess that was just my own insecurities getting the better of me. I told you about my ex-wife, right? Pretty much every woman I meet is just after my money. I think I was scared to tell you that I was about to sell my company for two and a half a billion dollars until I was completely sure that you liked me for me.”
“Have I ever given you the impression that I was after your money?” Cami asked indignantly.
“No!” Drew assured her. “I know you aren’t like that. I think I’ve always known. That’s why I’ve been into you since the moment I met you. Well, one of the reasons. I was just being insecure. I know that now and I’m sorry.”
Cami thought about her own insecurities. Perhaps if she wasn’t constantly waiting for Drew to ditch her, perhaps if she wasn’t always waiting for the other shoe to drop, things might have gone a little more smoothly too.
“I think I just needed to be sure,” Drew continued. “And I’m sure now. In fact, I’ve never been more sure of anything in my entire life.”
Those words—and the promise they contained—sent a chill down Cami’s spine. She suddenly felt sure of something as well.
“I understand,” Cami said after a moment, offering him a reassuring smile. She then placed her wine glass on the table and crawled across the couch to give him a soft kiss on the lips. Drew leaned into the kiss, deepening it for a moment. But he soon pulled away.
“I should probably go, if you want,” he replied, moving to stand.
“No,” Cami said, standing herself. She offered him her hand. “Stay.”
“Okay,” Drew replied. He placed his hand in hers and let her lead them towards the bedroom.
Every other time they’d been together, Drew had been in charge. And Cami loved that. She really did. But this time, Cami wanted to be the one to show Drew just how much she appreciated his honesty. She felt the need to prove that she wasn’t just after his money—that she cared about him.
This was why, as soon as the door to the bedroom was locked, Cami stopped. She turned towards Drew and pushed him onto the bed. Even though he was tall and strong, he was caught off guard and went toppling back against the blankets. Cami smirked at his puzzled expression as she leaned to pull a condom out of the nightstand, tossing it onto the bed next to him.
She then climbed onto the bed. He moved to sit up, but Cami stilled him with a hand against his chest.
“Not tonight,” she said with a smile. “Tonight, it’s my turn to take care of you.”
“But—” Drew began.
“No buts,” Cami interrupted. “Your only job is to lay there and enjoy yourself as I take care of you.”
Drew looked like he wanted to argue, but eventually, he relented and relaxed back against the bed. Cami moved to the foot of the bed and began by pulling off his shoes and socks. She then straddled his waist as she ran her hands up and down his chest, first outside of his shirt, then below it. He shivered as her nails raked along his flesh. Cami allowed herself to settle down against him, grinding her body against his hardening flesh.
“I see you’re already enjoying this,” Cami replied as she pulled his shirt up and over his head.
She spent a few minutes gliding her hands against his hard, muscular chest, exploring it first with her fingers, then with her mouth and tongue. When Drew was a moaning mess, Cami finally crawled off him, unfastening his fly before pulling both pants and underwear off in one fluid motion.
Cami couldn’t stifle the moan of her own as his swollen, dripping erection popped up against his stomach. Drew reached down to grope himself, but Cami stopped him.
“Nope. No touching, remember? Two can play this game,” she said, smirking at his glare.
Oh, how the tables had turned. Making sure not to touch him herself, she climbed off the bed and slowly began to undress as sensually as she could.
Drew moaned at the sight, his cock twitching and leaking pre-cum across his stomach as he unconsciously thrust his hips into the air. Cami remembered being in the exact same position when he’d teased her. It made her smile. Once she was naked, she crawled back up the bed, rubbing her hands along his legs, thighs, and hips, but avoiding the spot he wanted her to touch the most.
Eventually, Cami grabbed the condom, opening it with her teeth while her other hand finally reached out and grasped his throbbing erection. Cami had planned to slip the condom on right away, but found that she loved the feeling of him, hot and heavy in her hand. And so she spent a while sliding her fingers up and down his cock at a teasingly slow pace.
After only a few minutes, Cami’s hand was wet with his excitement and she could feel her own juices trickling down her thighs. She didn’t think she would be able to wait much longer. And so, at an agonizingly slow pace, she slid the condom over his rigid length.
Once the sheath was secure, Cami didn’t waste much more time before straddling Drew and guiding him against her aching pussy. Then, her self-control shot, she pushed down onto him, completely enveloping him in her hungry body.
This position allowed him into her deeper than ever before and she had to pause for a moment to acclimate to his substantial size. She couldn’t bring herself to wait too long, though, and was soon rocking back and forth as his massive cock pulsed within her.
He looked beautifully debauched beneath her, face twisted in pleasure and pupils wide with desire. She could see his eyes on her bouncing breasts and, having a little mercy, reached down to grab his hands, placing them on her aching nipples.
Drew t
ook this as permission to participate and squeezed her mounds roughly as he thrust up into her body. Cami, driven half out of her mind at the sensation, ground down on his cock in earnest. He pushed up to meet her with just as much vigor, their bodies slamming together as Cami felt her orgasm building within her.
“I’m not going to last much longer,” he panted huskily.
The sound of his voice, combined with the confession itself was enough to send Cami over the edge.
“Come for me,” she commanded as she rode Drew through her own climax, wave after wave of pleasure pulsating through her, extended by the sight and sensation of Drew losing himself beneath her.
Spent, Cami collapsed against Drew’s chest, panting heavily. They lay there for a long time, Drew still inside her, as they both regained their breath. Eventually, Drew slid out from under her, disposing of the condom and helping her under the covers. He crawled in next to her and nestled against her back.
“I’m not going to stay the night,” he whispered in her ear, which made Cami tense for a second. “Relax,” he continued, obviously sensing her distress. “I just don’t want to confuse Madison by being here when she wakes up. But I’ll come back over tomorrow night. I can make the two of you dinner again. If that’s okay with you, that is.”
“That’s perfect,” Cami replied with a smile before letting herself drift off to sleep.
6
Cami
The following week went by quickly. “Time flies when you’re having fun,” Cami’s mom had always said. Cami was realizing now, more than ever, how true that saying really was.
Drew came over most nights and made dinner for Madison and Cami. Most evenings, he stayed late to make quiet but passionate love to Cami while Madison was asleep, though he never spent the night. On the nights that he didn’t come to their house, they had been invited over to his.
Cami was getting to know Drew’s sister, Elsie, whom she had taken to liking right off the bat. She could see what Maggie meant when she’d said that the two of them would have a lot in common—and not just abusive ex-husbands and small children they were raising practically alone. Elsie was funny and smart and fun to be around. And Robbie and Madison had taken to each other well, despite the slight age difference, and were now as thick as thieves.
As much as Cami had enjoyed getting to know Drew’s family and having Drew bond with Madison, when he mentioned that his sister and nephew would be out of town for the weekend visiting a friend, Cami made plans for Madison to have an overnight stay with her grandma. She wanted to be able to spend an evening alone with Drew—and to make love to him without having to worry about how loud they could get.
After dropping Madison off with her mom, who gave Cami another one of her knowing smirks, Cami made her way across town to Drew’s house. Although his house was just as large and nice as Ken’s, he was in a much less ostentatious neighborhood. It was actually situated on a small plot of land near the edge of town.
As she pulled into the long driveway—which separated the house from the road—Cami imagined what it would be like to come home to this view every day. The three-story house sat in a little clearing, surrounded by trees. There was a large deck on one side and a pool in the back, which was enclosed by a fence to keep the children from accidentally falling in.
Since up until very recently, Drew had spent almost all of his time at work, he hadn’t put a lot of effort into landscaping. Cami imagined what it would be like with flowerbeds and a vegetable garden. They’d get a dog or two. Hell, they were even far enough outside of town to get a pony for Madison when she was older.
Cami shook her head, trying to get her mind away from such thoughts. She and Drew had really only been an actual couple for less than a week. Yes, so far he’d been consistent and reliable. But she still wasn’t one hundred percent sure that she could trust him.
Drew had the door open before Cami had even stepped up onto the porch. He was wearing a bright orange apron over jeans and a t-shirt. His feet were bare, his hair a complete mess, and there was dark stubble along his jaw. He looked relaxed and happy and Cami didn’t even try to fight the urge to lean in and kiss him, running her hands through his dark locks.
“Hi,” she said against his lips.
“Hi,” he replied with a smile as he led her in.
The house was as magnificent on the inside as it had been on the outside, though just as bare. According to Drew, Elsie had brought a lot when she’d moved in, so Cami couldn’t imagine how empty it had been before. Apparently, he’d had the house custom built for his ex, thinking they would have a large family, and when she’d left, she’d taken almost everything with her. Drew said he didn’t mind. Now that he had free time, he could work on making this house a home.
He hadn’t outright stated that he wanted her help in decorating because he wanted it to be her home too, one day, but it seemed the assumption was there. And Cami wasn’t sure how she felt about that. She was still waiting for something bad to happen, she realized. Good things didn’t happen to her, after all.
“How was your day?” Drew asked as he took her bag and set it on the couch in the living room. He led her into the kitchen, where he handed her an already poured glass of wine.
“It was good,” Cami replied. “With all the custody stuff going on, I’ve gotten to where I really value my weekends with Madison more than ever. We went to the park and the farmer’s market, then out to lunch.”
“Oh,” Drew replied, looking uncertain. “You didn’t have to leave her with your mom tonight, since you don’t get to spend every weekend with her…at the moment.” Drew’s confidence in Cami’s chances at winning the custody battle always made her feel better.
“No,” Cami replied, trying to assuage his guilt. “We had a great time. Now she’s having fun with grandma. I needed this. Trust me.”
“Okay,” Drew replied, pressing up against her for another kiss before he moved back towards the stove, where dinner was simmering.
“What’s for dinner?” Cami asked, coming up behind him and resting her head on his shoulder to look over him at the stove.
“Fettuccine Alfredo with chicken,” he replied with a proud smirk.
“Well, I can’t wait. It smells amazing.”
“Thanks.”
“What did you do today?” Cami asked as she pulled herself up onto the bar stool away from where he was cooking.
“Not much,” Drew admitted. “After I saw Elsie and Robbie off, I did a little bit of paperwork for the philanthropic foundation I’m trying to start, but there’s not much I can do on a Saturday.”
“Tell me more about the foundation,” Cami prompted.
He’d mentioned it in passing a few times, but the only time they’d had away from Madison in the last week had been spent making love, so she still didn’t know the details.
“It’s going to focus on fighting poverty in the U.S. I want to partner with local food banks and Habitat for Humanity chapters, things like that. As much as I can, I want to work with existing institutions instead of reinventing the wheel. You know what I mean?”
Cami nodded. Drew looked so excited when he talked about the foundation that it made Cami excited as well.
“I also want to work with inner city schools, funding after school programs and tutoring for underprivileged and at-risk youth.”
“That sounds awesome!”
“Yeah,” Drew replied. “I’m pretty excited.”
“Is there anything I can do to help?” Cami asked. Drew stopped what he was doing and looked at her for a moment, tilting his head questioningly.
“You’d really want to help?” he asked, as if anyone wouldn’t want to help with a project like that.
“Of course!” Cami said. “I don’t really know what I could do. I guess I could use my medical expertise. Maybe we could work on setting up a free health clinic in a low-income neighborhood.”
Even as Cami heard herself speaking, she knew it was a bad idea. She didn’t need to
get this involved this fast. But she couldn’t help herself. And Drew obviously didn’t think she was being too forward, as he shut off the stove and moved towards her with a goofy smile on his face.
He took the wine glass out of her hand and set it on the counter beside her before moving between her legs and pressing his mouth against hers. She wrapped her legs around his hips as she perched on the stool, opening to him as he deepened the kiss.
“That’s amazing,” he whispered between kisses. “You’re amazing. I don’t know what I did to deserve you, but I’m so grateful I get to have you just the same.”
Cami couldn’t help but think that the exact opposite was true. Drew was the amazing one. He was the one who hardly seemed real, now that they were together. He was wealthy and handsome, sweet and caring. He wanted to spend time with her daughter and he planned on spending the rest of his life helping the poor. Not to mention that he was amazing in bed.
That’s why she was waiting for things to get bad again—because Cami was never able to keep good things. She was the girl that bad things happened to, not the girl that got to marry Prince Charming.
But, as Drew ran his fingers through her hair and bit her lip hungrily, those thoughts were being pushed from her mind by the desire building in her body. She was about to suggest they put dinner on hold for a while and head upstairs—or just have some fun on the kitchen table—when her phone rang. She tried to ignore it, but it was the creepy theme from Halloween, the ringtone she’d downloaded specifically for her ex-husband. The phone went to voicemail after four rings, but soon rang again.
“That’s Ken,” Cami said, pulling away from the kiss.
Drew let go of her and stepped back, frowning. “Your ex-husband? Why would he be calling? I thought he wasn’t supposed to contact you except about his weekends with Madison.”
“He’s not,” Cami said, confused. “Should I answer it?”
“Yes,” Drew replied, going to fetch her purse from the living room for her. “It may be important if he keeps calling.”
The Stubborn Suitor, Book Three (An Alpha Billionaire In Love BBW Romance) Page 4
