by Kaylee Quinn
She snorted. “I’m sure.”
“If you don’t have anything else to tell me—”
“Oh, I have a lot more to say to you, but I’ll save that for another time.” She waved her hand in the air between us. “I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”
Before I could respond, she turned her back and strode down the hall, her head held high with confidence.
“Fuck,” I muttered under my breath as I closed the door and leaned against it. Damn Janet for her eavesdropping, and damn Cameron for putting me in such an awkward position. If I didn’t watch my step, Janet was going to ruin both my career and my reputation. I wouldn’t put it past her to walk into the meeting tomorrow morning and steal both Cameron and his account out from right under my nose.
I was going to lose both Cameron Wolff and his lucrative CAM account, and there wasn’t a damn thing I could do about it.
Chapter 6
I tried to bury myself in my work, but it was no use. My job and my personal life were intertwined, so working on the CAM account did nothing more than cause me to ruminate on my problems. The more I tried to come up with a campaign, the more miserable I became. There was no way I was going to be able to come up with something by tomorrow morning. Instead of meeting with Cameron, I should just hand in my resignation. Janet was going to ruin me anyway. By quitting, I’d leave the company on my own terms, with my head held high. I’d at least be able to keep my dignity intact.
Decided, I pulled up a blank document and started working on my resignation. I was three sentences into the letter when my phone buzzed with an incoming text.
I am still waiting for that picture.
The man was insufferable.
Well, you’re not going to get it, I texted back.
Come now, Sadie. That’s no way to do business.
We’re not doing business together anymore.
Immediately, the tone of his text changed. What are you talking about? What happened?
Was the man really that obtuse? Your careless ways have cost me my job.
Excuse me?
My reputation is ruined, thanks to you.
I don’t understand.
Janet knows, I texted through tears. She heard us in my office and is holding it over my head.
I tossed the phone on the desk and grabbed a tissue from a nearby container. As I dabbed my eyes and blew my nose, I wondered how on earth my life had gotten into such a mess.
How much does she know? Cam texted.
I tossed the tissue into the trash. Everything. She said that she will be at our meeting tomorrow morning.
She won’t do a thing.
You told me that your brand is all about going after what you wanted. What you didn’t tell me is that when you go after it, you leave dozens of broken bodies in your wake.
Don’t be so dramatic.
This is my career. my reputation. I hesitated, then added. I can’t do this anymore.
What do you mean?
I mean that I am done playing these games. I’m going to hand in my resignation tomorrow morning.
Don’t. You will regret it if you quit.
Why?
Let me see you. We can fix this.
I can’t see how.
Trust me. Look, it’s almost five. Let me pick you up and take you to dinner. We can discuss.
No.
Sadie.
I can’t Cam. Every time I’m with you, I get in trouble.
This time it will be different.
How?
This time we won’t be together as coworkers. We’ll just be together as friends.
I frowned at the screen and wondered if it was possible for any woman to be “just friends” with Cameron Wolff.
All I’m asking for is one night, he texted. If after we talk, you still want to resign, I won’t stop you.
I considered his words for a moment before responding. Okay, fine. I’ll get my things and wait for you downstairs.
Perfect. You won’t regret this.
Like hell I wouldn’t, but if having dinner with Cam would help me put him and this mess behind me faster, then I’d do it.
He must have been close by, because it wasn’t long before he pulled up to the curb in his black Bentley and popped open the passenger side door.
“Wow, fancy car,” I said as I slid inside. The seats were soft leather, and were warm. He must have had one of those fancy cars that had the heated seats.
He glanced over and smiled at me as we left the curb. “You like it?”
“I do.” I had never been inside anything so luxurious before.
“It’s a guilty pleasure I don’t normally buy things so frivolous, but I have a soft spot for cars.” He flashed me a seductive smile. “And a few other things.”
“Where are we going?”
“To a small place I know not far from here.”
I furrowed my brow. “A fancy car and elegant dinner isn’t going to change my mind, you know.”
“I wouldn’t expect it to. I know you’re smarter than that.”
His comment took me off guard. I wasn’t sure what to make of it. Was the man trying to pay me a compliment? It was hard to tell.
Instead of pulling up to a fancy restaurant with valet parking, we parallel parked on a side street of a busy intersection.
“Aren’t you worried about someone stealing your car?” I asked as he ushered me out onto the sidewalk.
“Not really. It has a good alarm system, and even if it didn’t, I have one just like it back home.”
I pondered his statement as we walked down the sidewalk toward the restaurant. That car was worth more than my annual salary—my executive salary—and he had two of them. Clearly, he was out of my league, and yet he was going to the trouble of taking me out to dinner. It was hard information to digest, and it made me wonder what his true intensions were.
We stepped inside the restaurant and I was immediately struck by how ordinary it was. I had expected someone like Cameron would take me to a fancy place, one that was rated five stars and had an up and coming chef you hear about on the Food Network.
This place wasn’t like that, but it wasn’t a dump, either. The atmosphere was warm and cozy with its stone walls, ornate rugs, and large fireplace. The atmosphere was colonial American, and the hostess explained that the kitchen used a lot of the traditional cooking techniques of the first American settlers long ago.
“They cook over an open fire?” I asked as Cameron held out a seat at a secluded table for me.
“Yes. They make their own rolls and butter, too,” she added.
Cameron whispered something to her and slid something into her hand.
“Yes, sir. Of course.”
“What did you tell her?” I asked as he sat down.
“You’ll just have to wait and see.”
I flashed him a skeptical look, but it was quickly wiped away when several waitstaff brought in a wonderful bounty of food and wine for us to enjoy.
“What do you think?” he asked as a basket of sweet rolls was placed before me. I a bite of one and nearly melted in a pool of ecstasy in my seat.
“It’s delicious,” I said.
“I’m glad.” He poured us both some wine.
“I can’t picture you at a place like this.”
He raised his brow. “Why not?”
“I don’t know.” I glanced around at the cozy and warm décor. “It seems too simple and traditional.”
He set down the bottle. “I like simple and traditional.”
I snorted. “Yeah, and I’m the next American president.”
“You can be anything you want to be.”
“That’s not what I mean and you know it.” I leaned back in my chair. “I just never pegged you as someone who likes traditional things.”
“No?”
“You strike me as someone who is more contemporary, more elegant.”
He picked up his glass of wine and swirled its contents. “It is true that I te
nd to have more contemporary tastes.” He stared at the wine for a long moment, then took a sip. “But this was my mother’s favorite place. It has special meaning for me.”
I feigned surprise. “The famous Cameron Wolff has a mother?”
“Had a mother. She passed away a long time ago.”
The smile dissolved from my face. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”
“No one does.” He put down his glass. “She loved how it wasn’t pretentious like the other places around town, and how they served traditional comfort food rather than trendy things that were hard to describe, let alone eat.”
“Sounds like my kind of woman.”
“You’d like her. She was a lot like you, so I thought you might like this place as well.”
I glanced around at our surroundings once more. While this restaurant wasn’t to Cameron’s tastes, he took me here because he thought it would be a place I’d feel comfortable eating at, a place I’d enjoy. I couldn’t help but be touched by his show of kindness. It seemed a little out of character, and I couldn’t help but think that I was getting a glimpse of the real Cameron, one that he kept hidden from the rest of the world.
The conversation moved on to other things, but from time to time my thoughts would return to his mother. I wondered what type of person she was to have such a profound impact on the man before me, and if she’d approve of me being a part of her son’s life.
Chapter 7
We spent a lot of time talking about my childhood, and how I had lead a boring and uneventful life. While I didn’t find it interesting, Cam found it fascinating, and he asked questions about my piano lessons, my drama club plays, and how made debate team had won first place my senior year in high school.
All the while the waitstaff kept the food and wine coming, and I suspected that whatever he had slipped the hostess at the beginning of the night had convinced her to seat the other patrons who came after us on the other side of the large, open room. As a result, the dinner felt intimate, and by the time dessert came around, I felt a close bond with the man before me, one that could never had been formed if our relationship had just been about sex.
“You really used to play baseball?” I asked as I placed the last spoonful of dessert into my mouth. The warm, chocolate melting cake tasted divine. It was unbelievable how something so basic could taste so rich and delicious.
“All the way through college.” He took a sip of coffee. “I even caught the eye of one of the recruiters for the minors.”
“But you didn’t play. Why?”
He shrugged and put down his cup. “I didn’t want to base my entire profession on my athletic ability. It’s far too risky.”
I smirked. “I thought you liked to take risks.”
He pointed his finger at me. “I do, but only in the board room.” He toyed with the edge of his cup. “Health is a fragile thing. All it takes is one injury, one accident in the off season, and my entire livelihood would be gone.”
“I can’t believe you gave up something you loved so easily.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t say that.” He took a sip of his coffee. “I bought the team that had first shown an interest in me all of those years ago. I still follow the game quite closely.” He winked at me. “I like to keep a close eye on my investments.”
The sound of someone clearing their throat caused me to jump back in surprise.
“Will that be all, sir?”
“Yes, thank you.”
“Very well, sir. Take your time. You can have the table as long as you want.” The waitress turned and left.
“Aren’t you going to pay for this?”
“I already did.” He suddenly leaned forward and kissed my jaw and neck, making it difficult to form a complete thought.
“When?”
“At the beginning of the night.”
“That was money you slipped the hostess, wasn’t it?”
He murmured sounded like an affirmative answer, but it was hard to tell with him kissing me like that.
“Cameron,” I whispered as I pushed him away. “There are other people here.”
“So?” He kissed first my cheek, then my lips. The touch was feather-light, but the effect was powerful. More than anything I wanted to straddle his hips and fuck him right in front of the other customers.
“So, we shouldn’t do this. It isn’t decent.”
“Be bold, Sadie.” He nibbled my ear and slid his hand in between my legs.
My breath caught as he brushed his fingers against my damp panties. ”I don’t want to get in trouble. They were good to us.”
Cameron sighed and removed his hand. “Very well.” He helped me to stand and, after gathering my things, steered me toward the door.
“Thank you,” I said to the hostess as we passed her by.
She flashed us a knowing smile. “No, thank you.”
“How much money did you give her?” I asked when we settled back into his Bentley.
“I don’t know, a thousand dollars.”
“A thousand dollars? That was way too much money.”
“Did you have a good time?”
“Of course.”
“Then it was enough.”
I blinked in surprise as I realized that money really didn’t mean anything to this man. “You’re insufferable,” I said as I smirked and turned toward the window.
“But you like me anyway, admit it.”
I couldn’t help but smile. “Maybe a little.”
“Oh, I think you like me more than a little.” He placed his fingers on my leg.
I tried to look irritated, but failed miserably. “Egotistical ass.”
He laughed as he pulled into a garage beneath a luxury apartment complex. “And you, my dear, are a temptress.” He parked the car and squeezed my thigh.
“You’re not really thinking…” I motioned to the leather seats. “I mean I’m sure it’s comfortable and everything but…”
He chuckled and slid his hand around to the back of my head. “No, not here.” He tugged me close and captured my lips in a hot, searing kiss. “Upstairs.”
“Where are we?” I asked as he ushered me from the car.
“My apartment.”
I raised my brows. “You have an apartment and a beach house?”
“And a yacht and a jet.” He squeezed my fingers. “You don’t mind, do you?”
I gave him what I hoped was a sexy smile. “No, of course not.”
He quickly steered me away from the garage and into one of the elevators. After sliding a card and punching some numbers, the doors closed. As soon as we were shut off from the rest of the world, he pulled me to his chest once more. His body heat surrounded me as he kissed me again, this time with more urgency and passion.
I groaned and slid my arms around his neck, eager for more. Suddenly hands were everywhere, his mouth, everywhere. Every inch of my body was burning up hotter than an oven, and I could hardly wait to get out of my constricting clothes.
The elevator doors opened, and he practically me into some sort of foyer. I barely had time to register my surroundings before I was being lifted up into the air and carried down a long hallway. It was dark, but he didn’t bother to turn on any lights. Instead he stepped into a large room. His dress shoes click on the hard wood floor as he made his way over to the bed.
“Cam,” I gasped as he dropped me onto the mattress. I wanted to say more, but words escaped me as he lowered his rock-hard body on top of mine.
“I need you,” Cam whispered as he kissed my neck. “I need you unlike I have needed anything else in my life.”
“I need you, too.” I spread my legs apart in invitation. He growled and nipped my neck, sending tingles of awareness through my system. I tore at his clothes, determined that this time I was going to feel his skin against mine.
He seemed to sense what I wanted. After one last kiss on the lips, he straightened and pulled off his jacket and shirt. Then he was back down on top of me, and I took delight in runnin
g my fingers across his skin.
“I love how your nails feel on my back,” he whispered against my skin.
I smiled and raked them along his spine, causing him to shiver.
“You’re going to be the death of me,” he said right before he peeled back my shirt and kissed my breast through my bra.
“You’ve said that before.”
“Have I?” He tore down the thin fabric of my bra and took my nipple into his mouth.
“Yes.” I gasped and arched my back, loving how the sweet ripples of desire swam through my body.
“Well, it’s the truth.” He tugged harder, popping the buttons off my shirt and exposing more of my skin.
I doubted that, but his mouth felt too good for me to protest. Within moments he had me out of my shirt and bra and was gently teasing my sensitive nipples.
“More,” I whispered as I slid my nails along his shoulders.
“Greedy woman.” He grinned and kissed the underside of my breast before straightening.
Grabbing the edges of my skirt, he tugged at the fabric, exposing both my hips and thighs. He then flicked his wrist, sending the long, navy-colored garment to the floor.
“Beautiful.” He pushed my thighs apart and dipped his head in between my legs. I groaned as he ran his tongue along my inner thighs, setting all of my nerve endings on fire. He teased and nibbled his way first up one leg, then the other. Each touch wound me tighter, pushed me higher, until I thought I was going to burst with need.
“Cam…” I turned my head to the side and fisted the comforter beneath me as he pressed his tongue against my damp panties. “Oh God.”
He pushed aside the thin fabric and slid his fingers around my opening. As he did, I opened my legs wider in anticipation. He didn’t enter me, however. Instead, he teased and savored my pussy, pushing me right up to the point of breaking before gently pulling away.
“You’re evil,” I said as he straightened.
He flashed me that wicked, dimpled grin. “Absolutely.”
He reached down and removed my panties, then settled himself in between my thighs. I groaned as I felt the head of his hard cock press up against my opening.
“I want you to take me, Sadie,” he whispered as he curled his body over mine. “I want you to take all of me.”
