Camille couldn’t believe that she’d forgotten Charlie was in the house. She jerked back and when she nearly lost her footing, both men came to her aid before she ended up with her body parts intermingled with the wood of a nearby table.
A large, strong hand landed under each elbow. She was practically lifted from the floor when they righted her. Camille yelped a little and then stepped away from the men. They glared at one another before Charlie spoke first.
“I knew it wouldn’t be long before you showed up.” Charlie took a protective stance next to Camille, folding his arms over his bulky chest. Giving a welcoming look to Remi wasn’t an option for Charlie. He didn’t really care for Remi’s more conservative, good-guy nature. He felt a man who was so loyal and “perfect” had something to hide, though Camille did not agree. Remington Krane was exactly who everyone believed him to be. He was that nice.
She had not even considered that Remi would seek her out. He had not done so in all these years and there was no doubt he had the means and time to do it. She figured he’d gotten over her pretty quickly and had moved on without much thought to what had happened. But, if that kiss and the look on his face was any indication, she was completely wrong. Not that she’d had much time to think clearly in the past few moments. Her brain was still trying to catch up to Remington Krane actually being here and on top of that, acting as if no time had passed between them. His behavior suggested that he was no longer angry with her for the way she left, but now Camille was left to decipher what it all meant. However, her traitorous body was telling her it didn’t care about any of that.
Reeling in her libido, Camille stood tall and mimicked Charlie’s stance. “Why are you here, Remi?” she asked again. She desperately wanted to have his lips on hers again, but that wasn’t what she needed. She needed him to leave. She needed him to stay far away from her. He’d only reawaken feelings she’d kept hidden. She’d left for his sake—for their sake. Her leaving was supposed to be her liberating act—one that left them both free to realize their dreams.
“I’m here for you, of course.”
Had Camille been expecting that response? No. Should she have expected nothing other than the confident man she knew he’d become? Probably.
“We don’t know each other anymore, Remi. That was ten years ago and we were stupid teenagers. Stupid teenagers who made stupid promises they could never have kept. I left, Remi. Obviously you haven’t heard. So, you should probably just...go.”
Tears were forming and threatening to spill by the time she got out the last word. She didn’t think saying the words would hurt her so much. She wanted to turn away so she could experience the full range of her emotions, but she needed to know if she’d hit her mark. Pushing back the tears, Camille squared her shoulders and waited.
“Know you? Well, that is a joke, isn’t it? Of course I don’t know you, Camille. I don’t know the person who lied and said she would stand by me. I don’t know the person who left without so much as a call or a note. You have some nerve, you know that? I should be angry with you. I should never want to speak to you again and here I am trying to—”
“Leave,” Camille said in a low voice. Charlie was her best friend and Remi was nothing more than an ex—an ex whom she still needed to protect despite her true feelings. “Leave, Remington! Get out now,” Camille said and balled her fists at her sides. She then looked at Charlie and he nodded his support, knowing why she had to do this to Remi.
Remi noticed their eye contact, and he glanced from one to the other. “You two together now? Is that what this is about? You finally get her into bed, Charlie?”
Slap.
Camille could not believe she’d just done that and stepped back shaking her hand while Remington held the side of his face in astonishment. Although she had to admit it had worked out perfectly. She’d provoked him to anger and surely he’d leave now and forget about her. It was why this whole act was necessary.
“I deserve that,” Remi admitted. “I shouldn’t have said that and I’m sorry.”
“I said leave, Remington, especially if this is all you came here for.” He really needed to remove himself from the premises because she could almost feel herself slowly giving in. “Maybe...maybe we can talk...”
Had those words fallen from her lips? She’d meant to think them, not say them aloud. Thankfully Remington said, “Forget it,” and turned to walk toward the door. “And just so you know... I forgave you a long time ago,” he said not looking back at her and then walking out the door without another word.
Was this what gum on the bottom of someone’s shoe felt like? Probably pretty close to it. She’d known this encounter would happen, but she didn’t think it would be this soon and she hadn’t expected him to do that when he first saw her.
Camille didn’t know what had driven Remington Krane to go through the trouble of actually stopping by, but he’d left her with a simple, sweet, memorable kiss that had so much power and meaning behind it. It would take a while to get over this, but she knew it was for the best.
* * *
What had come over him, he wasn’t quite sure. Remington had gone over to that house to simply let Camille know that he was aware she was in town and that this time she wouldn’t be hiding from him. He also wanted to tell her that he was sorry about her father and to offer his help in any way she needed.
But the visit had not gone that way.
She had opened the door before he’d had a chance to knock, catching him off guard. He’d planned to give himself a little pep talk before ringing the doorbell but seeing her had made him forget all that.
He’d looked down at her standing there with her mouth opening and closing like a cute little guppy and his little friend down below had started to throb as if asking him if they were both seeing the same thing. They were. Camille had stood there in a pair of sexy little lounge shorts and a tank top with no bra. He even guessed that she might have been panty-less since the shorts left little to the imagination.
His groin had done the moving for him as it took over and propelled him in her direction. He’d not intended to kiss her without even saying hello but other parts of him had other plans and he’d not been in control of his actions.
That was the story he was sticking to.
Then it had all gone to hell with her best friend being there. He knew the man thought of her as a little sister so he couldn’t blame him for his protectiveness. However, when it got in his way, it was annoying.
It was easy to see she had not meant the words she’d yelled at him. It was even easier to feel how she’d responded to his touch. It had been unmistakable. The girl was a woman now and the woman had wanted him.
Remi drove through the streets of town trying to calm himself. He was angry with himself for not sticking to his plan, he was angry with Camille for her reaction to his presence, and he was angry with Charlie for simply existing.
The anger had him driving aimlessly around town, but somehow he had ended up right back at her house. He didn’t go in this time but instead stood outside the gate. He looked over the fence at the shed. He and Camille had spent many a day making out in that shed when they were supposed to be completing a task for her father’s landscaping business.
He smiled as he remembered when he and Camille had first started dating. Mr. Ryan would not allow Remi to set foot in his home. His daughter was only fifteen and a sophomore and he was about to be eighteen and a senior. Mr. Ryan had forbid his daughter to date until she was sixteen but she’d begged him to let Remi come over, vouching for his good nature. Her father was a pushover when it came to Camille and couldn’t say no. After that, Remi became a regular fixture at the Ryan home since Remi’s grandfather had made it clear that he did not approve of his grandson dating someone with such a “common” background.
Remi stood in front of Camille’s childhood home for a wh
ile longer before leaving. He noticed the light in her old bedroom was on and briefly watched as her silhouette passed the window. Seconds later the room went dark, which was his signal to stop acting like a stalker.
“God, please watch over the man who raised the woman I love and restore him to full health,” he prayed before getting in his car and returning to his home.
Chapter 4
Two days after her arrival in town, Camille’s father was released to her care and that of that home health nurse. He was given a better prognosis than she’d anticipated, along with the all-clear to return to normal activities as long as he cut down on some of his more strenuous ones.
She’d taken him home to find the nurse already waiting. Camille had cooked a small meal and prepared an area for her father to rest and relax. He’d grumbled and groaned as she’d helped him to the house, but his whole demeanor had changed when he’d laid eyes on the woman who’d be caring for his needs for the next week.
Now as she stepped into the grocery store, Camille thought about her life in New York for the first time in days. She’d have to return to her apartment soon. She had a profession that was ruled by deadlines and she needed to get in touch with her agent to discuss them. The woman was a barracuda and a shark and any other ferocious animal all rolled into one. She could find a bookstore in the middle of Antarctica to sell Reese Elaine books in if she so chose. And she’d done just that if her lengthy phone message that morning was anything to go by. Anna had arranged for Camille to meet with a potential distributor who was also a fan. The woman had agreed to not take any pictures if she could simply meet Camille, the woman attached to the pseudonym Reese Elaine. Her publishing team had wanted to do business with this distributor but it was too costly. The meeting would guarantee a substantial discount for them and make it happen. Camille was just glad she’d packed for this possibility.
To the world—the literary world—Reese Elaine was the author of ten full-length erotic novels and several novellas. Camille had pursued her writing dream at the encouragement of her high school English teacher after Camille had mistakenly turned in a few chapters of her work instead of an essay. The teacher had pulled her aside and given her an application for an internship in New York and had told Camille she had a real future in writing. It was all the encouragement she needed and had been the catalyst that had led her to New York, where she ended up pursuing her degree. Her life had changed that day.
Now she was no longer a teacher of tenth grade English at a private school and hadn’t been for some time. She’d come this far and had not had to reveal her identity to anyone and didn’t see herself doing so anytime soon. And by “this far” she meant a hefty contract for three of her books and even bigger ones for her next seven. It was truly a blessing to be able to do something she loved; she only wished that she could share the good news with her family and friends, but she knew that wasn’t possible. She’d be putting her father’s business and reputation in jeopardy. His clients, church members and friends might not understand that his daughter wrote what conservative people considered pornography.
Reese Elaine was the main reason she’d had to give up Remi. Krane Foods was considered a family-oriented business and her books were nothing of the sort. She couldn’t allow Remi to give up his future for her so she’d chosen for him.
Camille was energized not only by her agent’s message but also by that news she’d gotten over the phone a few minutes ago. She’d woken up feeling a little off, but after that conversation, she’d felt like singing. Her father’s doctor had said his tests had all come back normal and after his recovery he’d be in better health than he had been in years.
She hurried home from the grocery store to share the results with him, but his reaction to the good news was less than enthusiastic.
“’Bout time you got back.”
“Well, good to see you, too, Mr. Grumpy Pants. What has you in a bad mood?” Camille put a bag of food down on the coffee table and sat on the couch she remembered her and Remi making out on. The thought brought a smile to her face, but she wiped it away just as fast as it appeared.
“Not in a bad mood, just hungry. And it didn’t help that I had to smell that crap in the kitchen. I bet they’re doing something illegal with the packaging to get folks to buy the stuff. Some sort of subliminal scent or something, I bet! Like I said...illegal,” Reese Ryan ranted.
Camille had not noticed the smell before but when she did, she couldn’t help the bright smile that took over her face.
She’d recognize that smell anywhere. It was her favorite snack from Krane Gourmet Snack Foods and she’d eaten it ever since she could remember. She even made sure to buy up all the stock they had in her local corner market when they got it in. It was odd because no other market in the area—or in the city, that she’d noticed—sold the snacks except for this one store by her house. She’d always thought it was strange but she’d been grateful to have that one comfort from home.
She went into the kitchen and pulled up short.
“Oh. My. God.” Camille had no idea what had gotten into Remington Krane but she was in awe. It hadn’t been long since their encounter, but she figured that she wouldn’t hear from him again after her attempt to reject him. But hear from him she did, and in the sweetest way...literally.
There on the counter of the kitchen was a beautifully arranged basket containing at least twenty bags of her favorite snack. There was a bright yellow card attached to the front that said “Read Me” instead of her name.
She opened it and another small plastic card fell out. A gift card to a big chain office store with a four-figure amount attached, no doubt for supplies for her supposed teaching job. She cursed under her breath and then read the three handwritten sentences.
We start over tomorrow night at 7 p.m. with dinner. I’ll pick you up at home. Wear my favorite color...please.
Camille had no idea what she should do. She knew she wouldn’t be able to meet with him for dinner but that didn’t mean she didn’t want to. She’d had a chance to sleep on it and realized that she really, really wanted to know what that kiss had been all about. She wanted to tell him all about her career. She wanted to tell him about her life and hear about his. She wanted...
Camille wanted him.
She wanted Remington Krane.
She wanted to experience the things she wrote in her books. She wanted to be seduced and touched and treated like the sensual woman she knew she could be. She no longer wanted to feel like a fraud to her fans because she was a virgin. She was a woman who was raised in this town and its values had been ingrained in her. Despite her career, she still believed in saving herself for the one man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with.
If her fans knew, they’d boycott her books and demand refunds. That was probably an exaggeration, but she didn’t want anyone to find out that each and every book was written about a fantasy she’d had about the very man who was now requesting her presence for dinner.
* * *
By now, his gift to Camille would have arrived and hopefully she’d have seen it. He knew it would be a hit regardless of whether they were at odds with one another or not. It was her favorite snack and would always be if he had anything to do with it. And he did have something to do with it since he’d found out where she lived after a conversation with Charleston and had personally sent the snacks to the nearest grocery store. He’d even contacted the owner personally to see if Camille frequented the store and when he found out that a woman matching her description had been coming in, he’d paid the man to carry the snack and point it out to her the next time she came in. She had no idea that Remi had done that and he’d do it again if she ever moved to a new place.
His behavior bordered on stalker since he knew where she lived and where she bought her groceries thanks to a little investigating.
He was allowing
his thoughts to stray, taking his mind off of the land deal he should’ve been thinking about. His grandfather had called every day wanting to hear some information but Remi had dodged the man as usual. The land deal was under way but he wanted to handle it without his grandfather’s interference. He loved his grandfather, but in his old age he’d started to stray from some of the core values of the company. He’d been touched by the demons of power, ambition and success, and he’d begun to believe they made him better than others—better than good people like Reese Ryan and his lovely daughter.
Making sure the land acquisition went smoothly should’ve been the only thing on Remi’s mind but it wasn’t. A pair of shapely bronzed legs, attached to a petite little frame that he could see himself buried deep inside of, was all his mind kept going back to. The way her womanly body—more alluring now than before—had appeared to him the other night should’ve been a sin. The doe-eyed look on her face when she had opened that door was one that he wouldn’t mind seeing while she writhed underneath him.
Had she had sexual experiences over the years? Of course she had. She was a beautiful woman and had the smarts to back up the looks, so she’d have no trouble attracting men.
It tormented Remi to think about another man with his hands on what he’d always considered his. No matter the time and the distance, he’d always thought of Camille Ryan as his girl, though she’d left him.
Remington was startled from his thoughts when his phone rang. He answered it since his secretary didn’t come in on Saturday. Neither did he on most Saturdays, but he was trying to take his mind off Camille and the fact that she could be leaving soon.
“Remington Krane,” he said when he didn’t recognize the number that showed up on the caller ID. He had a feeling that it might be Camille and if she was calling, then he hoped it wasn’t to turn him down. He switched on the speaker so he’d have his hands free.
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