A Cinderella Affair

by A. C. Arthur

  His hand slipped between her legs as if it belonged there. He had an arm around her waist holding her steady. When his fingers entered her center she gasped, then began moving her hips against his motions.

  Camille flattened her hands on his chest loving the feel of his taut muscles beneath her skin. Moving lower she felt his erection slick from the constant spray of warm water, already coated with a condom. She leaned forward, kissing his chest, stroking his length at the same time.

  In the next instant she heard him moan. Then he lifted her. She wrapped her legs around his waist and he pressed her back against the tile, entering her as he did.

  Again Camille was filled with him until her mind could think of nothing else. He pumped her with fierce strokes until, as if on command, she shattered in his arms. A few strokes later and he was groaning his own release.

  They stayed that way for another minute or so before he lowered her to her feet. It was then that she opened her eyes and looked up into his. “Good morning,” she whispered.

  With a huge grin on his face Adam said, “A very good morning.”

  Jade hadn’t seemed the least bit upset when Camille returned to her house way past noon. In fact, she and Linc had been sitting in the den when Camille and Adam arrived, and neither of them looked surprised that they’d spent the night together.

  When she came back from changing her clothes it had been decided that the four of them would spend the day together. Camille felt a moment’s alarm as she’d been expecting her and Adam to spend as much time alone as they could before she left. However, Adam and Linc had already planned the day out and she couldn’t bring herself to argue. Besides, they’d still be together.

  Camille actually ended up enjoying herself as they’d toured Vegas. Because she was not a native she’d mistakenly been under the impression that the city was all casinos and lavish hotels. But the part they’d visited had great homes, big yards and scenery that put postcards to shame.

  “Next time we’ll do the official tour of all the casinos,” Adam told her when they were on their way to dinner.

  Camille only smiled, wondering when the next time would be.

  They entered the Mandalay Bay and Camille looked at Linc with some confusion. “You’re having dinner at the competitor’s establishment?”

  Linc smiled. “That’s how I do most of my research.”

  Jade elbowed him in the ribs and Camille began to laugh with them.

  The Mandalay Bay was a gorgeous hotel with its gold-and-cream décor. There was no evidence of the gambling since they’d entered through the Mandalay Place. Jade told her that they were having dinner at the r.bar.café.

  “They have an excellent grilled Barramundi and I love the Cajun popcorn. Plus they have a bunch of shops we can peek into as we go.”

  “I don’t know about the shops, I might be a little biased,” Camille joked. She felt as if she’d known Jade all her life.

  Jade laughed. “Don’t worry, I am, too. But I was figuring if we go into some of the shops we could tell them who you are and maybe strike up some kind of deal.”

  “Oh no, there will be no deal. CK Davis Designs is going to open its own exclusive boutique at the Gramercy,” Linc said.

  Camille only stared at him. “I thought you just wanted to continue carrying some designs in the boutique you already have.”

  “I did. But I’ve been thinking that it’ll be much more effective if it were an exclusive shop. I know you don’t have one yet and this would be the first of many. What do you think?”

  Camille didn’t know what to think. She looked at Adam who had just given Linc a knowing nod and a smile. Then she looked at Jade who was grinning as if she’d known about this little announcement for some time as well. “I…um, I’m not sure. I haven’t given much thought to opening my own stores. I’ve actually been content with mail orders. I mean, we’ve done well with mail orders.”

  Adam came to her side putting his arm around her. “Yes, you have. But just imagine how much better you’ll do once you open stores across the country. You can start by hitting all the major cities. This is a great strategic move after the success of the fashion show. This way people won’t have to wait to receive catalogs and then wait to receive their orders. They can just walk into the shop and buy the latest designs.”

  Camille listened to his words and thought how much they made sense. Her dream had been to simply design clothes and while she was an astute businesswoman she really hadn’t given much thought to expanding beyond her Los Angeles home. But now, with the help of the Donovans, she was entertaining a whole other direction for CK Davis Designs.

  “You might be right,” she said slowly. “I’d have to research the market to figure out which cities would be best. Then I’d have to talk with my financial advisor to see how many I could start with.”

  “Okay, but right now we need to eat. I’m starving.” Jade began walking toward the restaurant.

  Camille shook her head. “I don’t know how you stay so thin eating the way you do. I’d be as big as a house,” Camille said then realized that her words, which normally would have made her think of her own size and eating habits and feel depressed, had come out as light as if she’d commented on the weather. She felt beautiful in her cream pant suit and each time she’d looked at Adam she’d seen him admiring her body with much appreciation. She could get used to this.

  “In a couple of months I’ll be big as a house but I’ve already decided I’m not going to worry about that until after the baby is born,” Jade said nonchalantly.

  Adam stopped walking. “After the baby is born? What baby?” He grabbed Linc by the arm. “What baby?”

  Linc chuckled and Jade came to his side, entwining her arm in his and giving Adam and Camille a radiant smile. “We’re pregnant.”

  Dinner was a celebration for all four of them and Camille had never had such a good time. So much so that going home had taken on a new low for her. But she held tight to her emotions as Adam drove her to the airfield. Her bags had already been loaded and the pilot said he was ready when she was. But she knew she wasn’t ready.

  “What’s the matter? You look a little sad. I thought I was doing a pretty good job of entertaining you,” Adam said as he held her loosely in his arms.

  “I don’t know.” She shrugged. “It almost seems unfair that as soon as we take our relationship to another level we have to be separated. I kind of liked waking up with you this morning.”

  He leaned forward and kissed her lips quickly. “I really liked waking up with you. And I’m looking forward to doing it again in the very near future.”

  “How near?” she asked breathily.

  “Thanksgiving is this week. The crew will be working around the clock for the first half of the week to get the wallpaper up and carpet installed. Then we’ll only have to furnish the house. So I was thinking that I could come to L.A. and you and I could go to the house to do an inspection.”

  Camille tried to hide her disappointment at the fact that he was only thinking of seeing her again along business terms. “That sounds fine. I don’t normally do much for Thanksgiving. Moreen wasn’t the cooking type so she and Daddy preferred to going to restaurants.”

  “You spent Thanksgivings alone?” Adam asked incredulously.

  “Not all of them. Sometimes I went with Dana to her parents’house. But now that she’s married she’ll have to divide her holiday time between her family and Carl’s family. And I’ll feel like a third wheel.”

  Adam nodded. “Then I guess I won’t feel bad about what else I had planned.”

  “What else did you have planned?” she asked cautiously.

  “I was thinking that after we did the tour on Wednesday we could head back here and you could spend the holiday with me. I mean, with me and my family.”

  Camille was elated. Her weekend with the Donovans had been very special. The eye-opening conversations with Jade, the warm reception she’d received from Mrs. Donovan and the crazy r
ecitation of Noelle’s adventurous life, had been most entertaining and had contributed to her sadness about leaving. Not to mention the step she’d taken with Adam.

  That could not be explained and while he hadn’t said anything about loving her again, Camille was letting the idea that he really cared about her sink in. It was a good feeling, that she mattered to someone. A good feeling that Adam respected her and defended her. If she gave herself a moment to really think about it she would finally be able to give her feelings for him a name.

  “So what do you say?” he prompted when she still hadn’t answered him after a few seconds.

  She smiled in response, then came up on tiptoe and touched his lips with hers. “I think that’s a fantastic idea.”

  Adam wrapped her tightly in his arms and deepened the kiss. Camille felt as if there were so much unsaid, yet felt through that intimate exchange. He wasn’t saying goodbye, but instead conveyed “see you later” through the long strokes of his tongue. When he nipped her bottom lip she figured he was giving her a reminder of the things he’d done to her with his teeth and tongue last night. Her body warmed and she sank into the kiss, conveying a few things of her own that she hoped he’d pick up on.

  As she slanted her head and opened her mouth wider to him she wanted him to know that she’d enjoyed all the things he’d done to her, that giving him her virginity was the best decision she’d ever made. Clutching the back of his head meant that she couldn’t wait to be alone with him again and that she’d be thinking about him every second that they were apart.

  The plane’s engine was loud and disrupting, most likely what the pilot had intended, and Adam pulled away. “I meant what I said, Camille.”

  She stared at him in momentary confusion.

  “I love you.”

  He released her then and Camille had no idea how her spongy feeling legs had gotten her onto that plane. But when she was belted in her seat she didn’t have to think long about the word that described her feelings towards Adam Donovan. She loved him.

  “As far as I can tell she left here and went to Europe. She got a few modeling gigs then moved in with some singer and got married,” Trent said leaning back in his chair.

  “So she’s married?” Adam lounged on a leather couch. They were in the den at their parents’house, waiting for dinner to be served. Something they’d done since they were kids. While both he and Trent had their own homes, they didn’t have a cook and they didn’t have a hot meal on their table every night at seven. Which meant that at least four nights out of the week they were at their parents’ house. “Why’s she harassing me if she has a husband?”

  “Had a husband,” Trent corrected. “They divorced last year. She hung out overseas for a while longer then came back here two months ago.”

  “So what does she want?”

  Trent shrugged. “Her bank account is far from zero so I can’t say it’s money. You said she says she wants to talk. Maybe that’s all it is.”

  Adam shook his head. “No. I don’t buy that.”

  “So what are you going to do?”

  Adam thought about it for a moment then sighed. “Nothing.”

  “Nothing?”

  “I have better things to occupy my mind with besides wondering about Kim Alvarez.”

  “Kim Alvarez? Now that’s a name I haven’t heard in a while,” Linc said as he walked into the den and headed straight for the bar. “Why are we talking about her?”

  Adam sat up in the chair and snatched a magazine from the table. “We’re not. What are you doing here? Don’t you have a wife and a kitchen?”

  Linc emptied his glass. “Yes and yes. But one is pregnant, which means she’s eaten us out of house and home already and hasn’t had a chance to go to the market. So I’m here because I’d like a home cooked meal and one night without her scrutinizing everything on a take-out menu.”

  Trent laughed. “Oh the joys of family life.”

  “Jade’s not that far gone in her pregnancy to be bothering you that much,” Adam said.

  “Then I invite you to come over to my house and stay a couple of days.”

  “She just had the sleepover with Noelle and Camille. She was fine then.”

  “That’s because they’re not the ones who got her pregnant,” Linc swore. “One minute I’m the best husband in the world. The next she’s cursing me because she can’t stop throwing up or using the bathroom, depending on the time of day. I don’t know if I can take seven more months of this.”

  By now both Trent and Adam were laughing until Linc shot them a scolding look.

  “Hey, don’t get mad at us, we’re not the ones who got her pregnant,” Trent said.

  “Watch it,” Linc warned and took another sip of his drink. “So why aren’t we talking about Kim Alvarez?”

  Adam stood, moving to the bar to fix himself a drink. “She’s back in town and she wants to talk.”

  “To you? About what?”

  Adam unscrewed the top from a bottle and poured into his glass. “I don’t know and I don’t care.”

  “Yeah, he was just about to tell me what other, more interesting, things are on his mind besides Kim and why she’s here. Weren’t you, Adam?”

  Adam frowned at Trent, then spied Linc’s curious gaze and took a long drink. “The house is almost finished. I have to take a trip to L.A. tomorrow.”

  “Isn’t that convenient?” Linc quipped.

  “Convenient? It’s my job,” Adam argued.

  Linc gave him a knowing glare. “And I’ll bet it doesn’t hurt that Camille lives in L.A.?”

  “So we’re back to the alluring Ms. Davis,” Trent said.

  “No. We’re not. I have to go to L.A. for business. Seeing as this business involves Camille I have no choice but to see her.”

  “And seeing as you’re in love with her I guess that’s a good thing,” Linc added.

  Adam looked at him then smiled. There was no use in lying; besides, he couldn’t think of a reason that everyone shouldn’t know how he felt about Camille. However, he braced himself for Trent’s comments.

  “A smile and no denial. Does this mean I’ve lost another brother?” Trent groaned.

  Adam emptied his glass. “I haven’t gone anywhere to be considered lost, Trent.”

  “But you’re about to cross over to that married status aren’t you?”

  “No. I mean, I haven’t asked Camille to marry me.”

  Linc took a seat across the room. “Are you going to?”

  At that precise moment Henry Donovan stuck his head in the doorway. “Dinner’s ready. Don’t dawdle, you know how your mother is about being at the table on time.”

  Yes, Adam remembered quite clearly and couldn’t resist thanking his mother for her timeliness. He was first out of the den, leaving Trent, Linc and their questions behind.

  Adam had left his parents’house almost an hour ago but he was just arriving home. He didn’t live that far from them but had stopped at the house he was finishing up for Ben to see how things were going. It was dark so he couldn’t get a good idea of what had been done but then, that hadn’t been his only purpose.

  He loved this house, loved its shape and its feel. Secretly he’d hoped that Ben would change his mind and stay overseas for a couple more years, giving him the excuse to live in it for at least a short time.

  And he’d also taken the opportunity to think more about his brother’s words. Was he going to ask Camille to marry him?

  It would seem the logical next step. But Adam hadn’t thought about marriage in a very long time. And he wasn’t sure he was ready to start now.

  He was about to slip his key into the lock when he heard something behind him. He turned and came face to face with the only woman to ever break his heart.

  “Hello, Adam. I figured I’d better come to you since you weren’t in a hurry to see me.”

  Trent was right, she was a fantastic-looking woman. Her golden skin had darkened a bit, her body certainly fuller in all the ri
ght places. Her eyes were still dark as night, her nose thin, her lips a neat little heart shape. Her ebony hair shone and hung over one shoulder.

  “Hello, Kim.”

  “Is that all you have to say to me?” she said with a coy little smile that he remembered she used to break down all his defenses.

  This time, years later, it didn’t work. “Not really, I actually said everything I needed to say to you nine years ago, when you left me standing in an airport terminal.”

  Kim took a step closer to him. He inhaled and smelled her scent: pure sex. Another man would have hastily invited her inside. He folded his arms over his chest.

  “That was a long time ago. I came to apologize. I was wrong.”

  Adam chuckled. “You were wrong to leave me for a career in modeling that you could have just as easily pursued here. Or were you wrong for leaving me to marry that singer? I get confused with all your lies and mistakes.”

  One elegantly arched brow rose and the corners of her lips lifted. “Keeping tabs on me, huh?”

  “No. Trent checked you out. The same way he would a terrorist or any other criminal.”

  “Hmm, Trent still acting like the family James Bond?”

  “Enough with the small talk. I’m going to bed,” he said and turned his back to her, attempting to unlock his door again.

  She pressed herself against his back, her hands going around his waist, her cheek lying against his spine. “I’ve missed you, Adam.”

  Adam turned and pushed her away. “You’re crazy, Kim.”

  She stared at him looking half hurt and half pissed off. “You never were the type to hold a grudge, Adam. What happened to you?”

  “You, happened to me.” And she was right—he didn’t normally hold a grudge but his gut instinct was telling him that there was definitely something else to her return to Vegas. “Why did you really come back, Kim? And don’t tell me it was because you all of a sudden felt guilty and wanted to explain why you walked out of my life.”

  “I missed you.”

  “Wrong. I don’t believe that, either.” He took a step toward her then stuffed his hands into his pockets. “Look, the thing is if you did really come back to talk to me, don’t bother. I’ve moved on and so should you. Whatever happened nine years ago is finished. Now, I’d like you to leave.”