Return to Passion

by Carla Buchanan

  “Good. I need to get this deal done and out of the way as soon as possible because—”

  “Mayor, right?” Sonya said and placed a curvy hip on the edge of his desk. He ignored her subtle attempt to be nice to him and focused on the fact that she seemed to know more than she was saying. “I heard your petition got approved.”

  “Well, you shouldn’t have heard since I haven’t given the approval for the information to be released. There are some issues I need to take care of before I make that information public knowledge. I’d appreciate it if you kept it to yourself since it took some convincing to get the office to keep it on their desk for a few extra days.”

  “May I ask why you don’t want anyone to know?”

  “You can ask, Sonya, but just like I don’t want anyone to know about the petition, I am not ready to disclose those reasons, either.”

  Sonya looked a little put off by his response but quickly fixed her expression. “Would I be correct in assuming this has everything to do with Camille Ryan?” Sonya asked with a hint of malice lacing her words.

  Remington didn’t like the tone of Sonya’s voice but he couldn’t help the smile that took over his face. It was none of her business what he chose to do with his life and if she was in some way jealous or felt threatened by Camille, there was no need to be because Sonya had no claim to Remington. What they’d done was a onetime thing and it had happened nearly a decade ago when he was hurting and vulnerable after Camille’s disappearance from his life. It wasn’t his fault that she somehow thought they were on the road to fulfilling some manufactured destiny their parents had in mind for them. He’d already told Sonya long ago that they didn’t have a future regardless of what his grandfather thought. He didn’t love Sonya...hell, sometimes he could barely stand her, especially when she got like this. She was a beautiful girl, but her sometimes manipulative, often entitled, attitude was a complete turnoff.

  “Can I say something to you...as a friend and not your lawyer?” Remi didn’t say anything; he waited for the unsolicited advice that he knew Sonya would impart regardless of how he answered her question. “She’s going to do it to you again. She left you once and as soon as you get too serious she’ll leave you again. She tries to play innocent but she is...she is...you know she writes this really smutty stuff and tries to pawn it off as literature. You don’t need that! What will everyone say about you when you run for mayor? She’ll destroy you, your reputation and this company, and you don’t need that, Remi.”

  Remi felt he’d given her enough leeway. She was loud and insulting and she had somehow found out about Camille’s career.

  “How did you find out about her writing?” Remi had jumped from his chair and walked around the desk. He needed to get away from Sonya.

  “I have my ways.” The woman was now crossing the line. She knew she had something to bargain with and he could see the wheels in her head turning. She’d ask for something he wasn’t willing to give. Remington was sure of that.

  So he waited for her to make her move. He knew she would because she would never pass on an opportunity like this. She’d definitely try to take advantage. And he was right. Sonya approached and leaned into Remi. With her height and heels they were almost eye-to-eye. Once she was a breath away Remi clenched his jaw and waited for her to make her demand.

  “What do you want, Sonya? If I know anything about you, you’ve been sitting on this, waiting for the right moment, so out with it...what do you want?”

  She rubbed her breasts against him, making it obvious what she desired. “Material possessions aren’t quite what I had in mind, though I think a piece of the designer luggage I was looking at the other day could come in handy for when you invite me to your place to...” She trailed off and then made sure her eyes said exactly what would happen if he ever extended her an invitation, which would never happen.

  Remi backed away. “I’m engaged. And as I’ve told you before—”

  “He doesn’t want you so why don’t you back off, Sonya.”

  At the sound of Camille’s voice, Remi nearly gasped. He hadn’t even heard the door open.

  “He’s taken...officially,” Camille said with a force he’d never heard from her before. She then held up her hand so Sonya could see the diamond in the antique setting on her finger. Then she stepped in between them, giving Sonya a view of her back.

  Remi was thankful Camille had arrived.

  “What are you doing here so early, Ladybug?” Remi couldn’t resist touching her as she stood there. It was as if her body called out to him. He smoothed a hand over her hair and nearly forgot all about Sonya standing there until she cleared her throat.

  “I think I will leave you two alone,” Sonya said, obviously put out by Camille’s presence. “Remi, we’ll finish our conversation later.”

  “No, we’re done. Just make sure you keep me updated on the information coming in from Franklin Weir.”

  Remi then gave his full attention to the woman who was now looking quite suspicious. Remi wasn’t sure when exactly Camille had arrived, but he hoped she hadn’t overheard about his petition to run for mayor.

  “You want to tell me what that was about?”

  “It was just Sonya being Sonya. I told her about us being engaged and she didn’t take it well. But enough about her. Let me look at my future first lady. I’m glad you found my office okay. You didn’t have any problems with security, did you? I told them to send you right up when you got here.”

  * * *

  If Remi was trying to keep Camille from being suspicious with his uncharacteristic ramble, then he was sadly mistaken. She knew she wasn’t crazy. She’d seen how close Remi and Sonya were when she walked in, but had only caught the end of what had been said. She didn’t think Remi would be so bold as to invite Camille to his office and have a fling with his company attorney all in the same day, so she believed what he’d told her about Sonya not taking their engagement well. It was understandable since the woman had been led to believe she had some sort of claim on Camille’s fiancé all these years.

  The woman was not to be trusted and Camille could definitely see Sonya trying to proposition Remi just to test his loyalty. Camille was jealous but decided not to act like the typical jealous girlfriend. She’d made her point and would just let Remi handle Sonya. It appeared he’d been doing that when Camille walked into his office.

  “You’re not a rambler, Remi, so something else must’ve gone on here besides—”

  “Camille, you know I’d never do—”

  Camille laughed, amused by the way he immediately thought she was about to confront him about what she walked in on. “Not what I meant, but good to know that you’d never let her influence you. I was trying to say that I know you’re holding out on me. You look...unsettled.”

  “She knows about Reese Elaine,” he blurted and looked directly into her eyes. Camille wasn’t sure what he was saying. “What do you mean? How could she know?” Camille was at a loss, but it didn’t surprise her in the least. Sonya was always determined when it came to something she wanted, even if it took using unconventional methods to get it.

  “Not sure, but that’s not really the important part.” Remi shifted as though he was uncomfortable with telling Camille about Sonya’s behavior even though it was obvious Sonya was up to something when Camille had walked into Remi’s office. “Sonya thinks I’ll sleep with her to keep your secret,” Remington blurted, looking the slightest bit guilty. But he had no reason to be. Camille had heard him turn Sonya down without hesitation.

  Camille was actually surprised by Sonya. She knew the woman suffered from a sense of entitlement, but didn’t think she’d try to ever force a man to be with her. It wasn’t as if Sonya wasn’t beautiful enough to get her own man. It made Camille feel sorry for Sonya because there had to be another reason for the woman’s desperation. She just hoped So
nya would figure it out and leave Remi alone.

  This was unexpected. She had known there would be people who wouldn’t understand what she wrote about but someone as young and as brazen as Sonya should surely be sophisticated enough to understand her writing was art.

  However, Camille had pissed Sonya off and Remi had rejected her, so Sonya would definitely cash in on this information regardless of whether or not she understood the need to keep it quiet. Whom she’d run crying injustice to first, Camille did not know, but she knew she’d run.

  “What do we do?” she asked Remi.

  “We wait. There’s nothing else to do. I don’t want to worry about her. You can call Anna later and warn her and maybe she can push everything up somehow. But you know that means the talk with your father has to be sooner rather than later.”

  “I know.”

  “Don’t worry about any of that. You look beautiful and this white dress...perfect. Makes me wonder what you’ll look like in your wedding dress.”

  Could this man be any more wonderful? He was not at all afraid to tell Camille how he felt about her. She loved his possessiveness, his constant need to touch her, the way he looked at her as if he wanted her every minute of every day. And he was all hers. He’d turned down sex with the wealthy, beautiful, experienced Sonya Brandt because she was the only one he wanted. She’d never find anyone more loyal to her. She’d never find anyone more honest. Really...what man confesses to his fiancée that a gorgeous woman propositioned him?

  “What makes you think I’m wearing white?” she teased him. “Maybe you’ve had me doing such naughty things that I am no longer worthy of being sheathed in such an innocent color.”

  Remi peeled her purse strap from her shoulder and set it on his desk. He then pushed her hair off her shoulders and let it fall behind her. His fingers threaded into her hair. “I want you in white. This body,” he whispered as if they weren’t alone, “has only been touched by me.” A hand on her hip and a soft squeeze there made her need to stifle a moan. “That is the biggest turn-on,” he admitted and then kissed her below her ear. “Only me.” The kisses continued down her neck until he could go no further because of the cut of her dress. “White.”

  It was a one-word demand, not a suggestion, not a question. It wasn’t harsh, though. It was almost seductive. She wasn’t sure how one word, a color at that, could be seductive, but the way Remington Krane demanded her body be encased in white on their wedding day made her want to run out and try on every stark white dress she could lay her hands on.

  When she thought he would take her mouth roughly under his, he didn’t. He began slowly, gently stoking the embers of her desire. He barely grazed her lips with his own and the whisper of breath that filled the space between them was almost more than Camille could bear. Her whole being seemed to fill and begin to spill over with want and she could no longer stand the wait to be his again.

  Remi’s lips finally joined with hers, but only a feathery brush, not nearly enough, given the way she was dripping with need. His teasing was almost arrogant in its manner, yet it was still all about her and making sure she was the center of his world in that moment.

  Camille allowed Remi to lead her because surely if she held any amount of control in this situation, they’d already be spread out naked on top of his desk.

  The kiss deepened and when she could no longer hold in her moan, he took advantage, sliding his tongue into her mouth, tentatively exploring and caressing with a masterful tenderness. And now his roaming hands had her blood pounding in her brain, the feel of them had her heart nearly leaping from her chest, and his skilled mouth had her writhing against him like she was in heat.

  “White it is,” Camille finally said when they had no choice but to pull away from one another or pass out from lack of oxygen.

  “Mmm...” Remi groaned through clenched teeth. “I don’t want to share you. You are looking too damn hot right now.” Remi pulled away reluctantly. “But I want to show you off. Plus, I think David wants to see you.” He chuckled when he mentioned his friend. “I think he might cry when he finds out we’re engaged.”

  Chapter 16

  The dress Camille wore to Remi’s office spoke to his more primal instincts. It was a conservatively short white number with little raised ridges in the fabric that were interesting to touch. It was fitted at the top, but at her waist it flared out into a bouncy skirt. There was nothing revealing about the garment. The neckline was modest, the sleeves came to her elbows, but the hemline...well, she obviously came here to tease and taunt him or to have him take her right here in his office. He hoped both the former and the latter were true because he was already hard enough to hammer nails.

  She knew his weakness. Her legs. The fact that such a petite woman could have such long legs amazed him. Beautiful, glowing, toned, thick, sculpted, soft, smooth, bronzed legs. And the crazy part was he was not even a leg man. He was a definite fan of the curvier rear portion of women. Camille had both. She had the most perfect rear atop an equally perfect set of legs. And now that he’d seen her in heels... Let’s just say he’d have to buy her a closet full of dresses because none would survive his potent need for her. If he got his hands on her after a night of enjoying the sight of her feminine and graceful limbs move and flex inside a pair of four-inch heels, he’d destroy whatever barrier was between them, even if it was a thousand-dollar dress.

  Reining himself in after their tension-filled kiss, Remi sent Camille into his personal bathroom so she could freshen up. He needed her out of his sight so he could calm down. Something about her scent when she was aroused called to him—almost like each tantalizing note was engineered just to tease his senses. It was distracting in the best kind of way.

  The tour and introductions went very well. Camille was a hit with everyone. And since a lot of the people who worked for him were young, they didn’t know about Camille or that she’d left all those years ago. Her worry that the women wouldn’t like her was unfounded as she was nice and personable. Remi was astounded by the easy way she interacted with everyone. She pointed out pictures on some of the desks, school memorabilia, and even commented on a few quotes one young woman had decorating her space. She complimented women on clothes and knew where they’d bought certain items. She had the men adjusting their slacks left and right. It could have made him jealous but it didn’t because each and every time any man flirted or they moved to the next floor of the building, she’d look at him lovingly or steal a kiss in the elevator.

  He was glad he didn’t tell her there were cameras in there.

  They skipped visiting Sonya’s office and made a beeline for David’s. They found him doing his usual stress-relieving activity, making origami shapes. He’d been doing it since he met a girl who had the same hobby. He’d said she was weird and boring but for some reason he was compelled to actually try to fold one shape after watching a video and had become hooked. He had books on the subject, subscribed to some sort of magazine, and participated in online groups that shared rare and unusual shapes and techniques. Remi always found it funny that David didn’t realize he’d turned into the woman he’d dumped for being weird.

  His stress level must’ve been unusually high today because there were already a few shapes completed and it was barely lunchtime.

  When David saw Camille he straightened in his chair and swept the shapes onto the floor at his feet. Camille probably didn’t notice the move but Remi did and he had to chuckle because the three shapes on his desk were a drop in the bucket compared to the shelf he had lined with his creations. Remi could admit that the man was good at his hobby though his complete immersion in it was still a mystery.

  “I see you couldn’t stay away,” David said to Camille. “I’m so glad you had this chump bring you to me. Did he tell you I asked about you?”

  Camille actually blushed when Dave flirted, and though Remi knew he had
no reason to feel it, a flash of jealousy shot through his body and he latched possessively onto Camille’s waist.

  “It’s good to see you as well, David. But sorry...this guy here has taken me off the market.” Camille shrugged and briefly flashed her left hand and wiggled her fingers. She tried to appear nonchalant but she couldn’t contain her smile. Her full, pink, glossy lips curved softly upward and he felt a throb in his pants when she lifted her head to him and winked.

  “Ho-ly crap. Congratulations,” David said seriously and got up from his chair to hug them both at the same time. It was just David’s way. He was extra excited and jovial about everything, which made him good at his job. When he let go of the couple, he exclaimed, “I’m throwing you two a party. We’re inviting the whole damn town. The Prince of Fairdell Weds.” David said it as if he was reading a headline in the local newspaper. “This is going to be like Will and Kate coming to Fairdell to live,” he said, and Camille laughed at the man’s histrionics.

  To Remi’s surprise Camille agreed. “Sounds like it’ll be a good time. I’m looking forward to a party thrown by you, David.” The even more surprising part was that Remi could tell that she was being honest. She actually wanted to share their happiness with her family and friends and even those who may not like her too much. It showed her heart. It showed that she was willing to try to put hard feelings behind her and move forward. After all, she had to live there so why not try and make life more peaceful by extending an olive branch.

  David started to throw out party ideas until his office phone rang. It was his assistant telling him the call he’d been expecting had finally come through. David took the call and Remi and Camille left. They decided to take the stairs since Remi’s office was only one floor above the one they were on. He could hardly wait to get her alone.

  * * *

  They’d traveled up the first set of stairs and were on the second set when Remi turned Camille and pressed her into the wall. “Thank you.”