“Excuse me, Mr. Valentine, are you busy?”
Chapter Fourteen
Hunter spun around slowly when he heard her voice. Camilla stood before him with a microphone in hand and a pair of shades on her face. Her hair was in another conglomerate of curls that bounced over her shoulders disappearing behind her back. Her brown skin looked so rich he was sure she’d been dipped in an oven of chocolate. Hunter’s eyes traveled to her lips that held a smooth shine. He unknowingly took his tongue across his own, remembering the way she’d tasted.
The blouse that hid her from him was a white ruffled buttoned down, and as the wind current sailed their way, with it was her tantalizing fragrance.
“I’m never too busy for you,” he said.
Camilla arched a single brow. She hadn’t been expecting that response. A smile covered her lips. “Are you always this charming with the ladies, Mr. Valentine?”
“I think you’ve asked me that before.”
“Oh? And what was your response?”
“Something along the lines of no, only you.”
A whimsical laugh tuned from her lips, causing a ring of heat to circle Hunter’s skin. “You have a beautiful laugh.”
She blushed. “Thank you.” Camilla cleared her throat. “So where should we set up? I want to make sure I get the shot I need while not blocking the view of the other stations.”
“Don’t worry about them. It doesn’t matter where you’re standing, a good reporter will get their shot if they’re on the top of a mountain.”
Camilla’s melodic laugh cruised from her mouth again, and this time warmth traveled to Hunter’s shaft.
“Let me take you out, Camilla.”
Although it was cloaked in a request, it wasn’t really. Camilla tried not to be surprised by it although she was slightly taken aback.
“I know a place where we can have a little fun and get to know one another.”
A riveting swirl of chills scurried across her skin.
“What did you have in mind,” she asked.
“It’s a surprise, this Saturday.”
“Tomorrow?”
“Yes, is that a problem?”
“Um, no, well…” she hesitated. “My close friend from Florida is coming down this weekend. We’re supposed to have a girls’ night out.”
“She misses you already,” Hunter asserted. “I can understand that.”
“How? I’ve only literally lived in Chicago a week and a half if that.”
“Believe it or not, Angel, it only takes being without you for a few minutes to want you there again.”
Camilla was stunned speechless. She genuinely didn’t know what to say.
“She can come along, too, if she’s up for a double date. I have someone in mind. What’s her name?”
“Corinne Thomas. We worked together back in Florida, but she’s a flight attendant now.”
Hunter rubbed his chin. “I have just the guy for her.”
“Mr. Valentine,” the same young man who’d approached him earlier saddled up to their side. “We’re going live in fifteen minutes.”
“Thank you,” Hunter said. He reached out and grabbed Camilla by her hand. She didn’t try to, but their fingers linked naturally as he led her to the middle of the charging station.
“Here is where we will stand to cut the ribbon,” he said.
“We?”
“Yes.”
Camilla stuttered. “Um, I thought—I don’t know if—”
Hunter chuckled. “Relax, gorgeous. You’re a natural. Being on TV is your thing.”
Camilla chuckled anxiously. “Yeah, but this is your business. I couldn’t cut your ribbon.”
“Why not?”
Camilla paused. “Well, you have a contract or something with Toyota. You’re their hero. I’m sure they want you to carry out the celebration.” Camilla’s intake of breath almost made her dizzy. She looked for any excuse to be an onlooker like everyone else. Standing in front of Hunter now already threatened her nerves, never mind being at his side during a special occasion in his career.
“What’s the real reason?” Hunter asked.
Camilla opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out.
“You don’t want to be too close to me,” he asked. “Do I smell?” Hunter lifted his arms and made a show of checking his scent.
“No, of course not. Don’t be ridiculous,” Camilla said, grabbing his arms to pull them down.
“Okay, listen.” He grabbed her chin and drew her close. The move made her squirm and silently dismiss her sudden emotions. “I promise not to pester you, but I would love it if you would join me in cutting this ribbon today. Toyota won’t mind. Our contract has nothing to do with this part of the occasion.”
Camilla bit the corner of her lip as she thought it over. “I don’t know, Hunter. It’s a personal event.”
Hunter stared at her for a moment. “You don’t want to be personal with me, Angel? Because I’d like to become personal with you.”
Camilla opened her mouth with a breathless gasp, and Hunter’s eyes fell to her lips. A thrill of energy crawled around them both, and Camilla could do nothing but stare into his hypnotic eyes.
“If you keep looking at me like that, I’m going to kiss you, in front of all of these lovely people out here.”
Camilla’s cheeks flushed, and her heart rate increased, but still she didn’t pull her eyes away. She tried but it seemed useless when their connection was so strong.
Hunter took a step forward and leaned closer to her face. “I’m not kidding,” he added, his voice deepening to a profound depth. Camilla seemed to snap out of her trance. She dropped her gaze and took a posterior step.
“Two minutes,” someone shouted.
Camilla twirled toward her cameraman and called over Allison.
“Allison, this Hunter Valentine. Hunter, this is our assignment editor, Allison Sullivan.”
“How are you, Allison?”
“I’m doing just fine, how about yourself, Mr. Valentine?”
Hunter took a sweeping gaze over Camilla. “Never been better,” he said.
Allison smirked at Camilla then back to Hunter. “Thank you for inviting us. We appreciate the exclusive.”
“Pleasure’s all mine. Hey, Ms. Sullivan, you don’t mind if I call you Allison, do you?”
“Not at all.”
“Great, well could you do me a favor, Allison?”
“Sure, anything to help.”
“Camilla is going to help me cut this ribbon, and we need you to catch it all on camera for us.”
Allison smiled brightly over at Camilla, and her eyes lifted in surprise.
“I wouldn’t mind at all,” she said.
Camilla could almost roll her eyes. Allison was becoming more and more like Corinne every day. That wasn’t a bad thing, but it was crazy at the same time.
“Merci,” he responded.
“Sixty seconds,” someone called.
Both Camilla and Allison slipped off to the side, but Hunter reached for Camilla.
“You’ll stand over here with me, Angel.”
“Right now? You don’t want to do your introduction first?”
“With you by my side,” he said.
Camilla glanced over at Allison and the other eyes that were trained on them.
“Okay…” she droned.
The camera counted down while a representative at Toyota did the same in hand signals. When they went live, Hunter’s authoritative voice thanked the crowd and the viewers for being a part of the official partnership and grand opening between Toyota and VFC Energy. The audience cheered, and Camilla smiled proudly beside him. It was interesting really. They had only known each other a short spell but being in his company stirred things inside Camilla that she should’ve reserved for a boyfriend or fiancé.
That thought made her think about Steven, and Camilla fought to keep a frown off her face. As if sensing the brief cacophony in her spirit, Hunter turned to her wit
h a smile just as Camilla heard her name. Her lips lifted at the corners, and the crowd cheered on as Hunter drew her in front of him and placed the giant scissors in her hand. He covered her hands with his massive palms, and a bustling heat crowded her fingers.
“Count down with me!” Hunter shouted to the crowd. And they did loudly as Camilla and Hunter held giant smiles.
“3, 2, 1!”
The large blades sliced through the ribbon then fell to the ground as everyone around them cheered and flashes of light from camera crews ignited. A representative ran up and took the scissors out of their hands as Camilla eased to the side. Hunter slipped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her in for a celebratory hug. She reciprocated, slipping her arms around his solid waist.
“Thank you,” he said in her ear, the heat from his mouth making her shiver.
“You’re welcome. Thanks for allowing me to share that with you.”
Hunter pulled back and gazed at her. With a slow grin, he replied, “Anytime, Angel. Anytime.”
Chapter Fifteen
“Can I call you?”
Camilla stood on the sidewalk in front of WTZB’s news van.
“I’d like that.” She smiled, and Hunter returned her grin. “Congratulations. This partnership is a good thing for us all. You really are a great guy.”
Hunter’s gaze softened. “Thank you. You know I try to be, but that’s according to who you question I guess.”
“I can see it for myself.”
Hunter reached for her chin and caressed the outline of her face, causing a ripple to sail down her flesh. She shuddered and took in a breath.
“Thank you for the roses,” he said.
Camilla’s smile widened, and a small giggle slipped from her lips. “Thank you for mine. I meant to tell you that at the club earlier this week, but I got a little sidetracked.
“What stole your focus?”
Camilla glanced away from him and cast her eye around the scenery. Although they landed on people in the distance, really, Camilla was inside her head, like she always was. She couldn’t tell Hunter seeing him with Kelly had made her jealous, so she decided to take another route.
“If I ask you a question, would you be honest with me?”
“Of course.”
Camilla’s eyes drifted to his lips then back to his handsome face.
“The girl at the club, are you dating her?”
Hunter’s brow creased a bit. “Kelly?”
“I guess. I don’t know her name.”
“No, she’s just a friend.”
“And by just a friend you mean you guys have a platonic relationship, or is she a friend with benefits?”
Camilla already knew the answer to this question. But Hunter didn’t know she’d seen Kelly leaving his apartment the morning they met, so she held her breath to see if he would lie to her.
“Kelly and I aren’t friends with benefits. We have been before, but she’s not someone I’m dating nor currently seeing.” Hunter held her attention. “Listen, Angel, I have no reason to proclaim false truths. I don’t know what you’ve heard about me, and yes, I’ve been a bachelor for a long time, but I wouldn’t lead you on. I told you that night at the club why you interest me and why I wanted to get to know you. You have every right not to believe me, but I wouldn’t say that knowing I wasn’t serious. Give me a chance before you give me a sentence.”
Camilla’s breathing held steady, and her eyes were trapped in his.
“Okay,” was all she said.
Hunter smiled, a charming, primitive leer that was as contagious as he was. Camilla glanced away as she bit down on her bottom lip. The news van waited with Allison in the passenger seat and the cameraman behind the wheel.
“I’ll call you, so pick up,” he said.
Camilla nodded, and she turned and climbed into the van. Once buckled in, Hunter closed the sliding door and tapped the side twice. The van pulled away from the curb, and he watched it disappear down the street, thinking about how bad he’d wanted to kiss her. But she wasn’t ready for that public display of affection. Not yet, Hunter determined. He’d wait until she trusted him and then there was no holding back.
Allison twisted in her seat to look at Camilla.
“If you don’t turn around, your seat belt is going to choke you,” Camilla said.
Allison laughed. “If I ever get too far into your business, and you don’t want me there, just tell me to mind my business, but until then, I need the juice.”
Camilla laughed and shook her head. “I swear you sound more and more like my best friend.”
Allison nodded with a grand smile. “Hey, I can be your best friend, too. I’m all good.”
They both laughed and so did the cameraman.
“You even have Alan laughing at you,” Camilla said.
“Alan knows the deal by now,” Allison responded. “So, this time, I won’t question you to death, but I’ve got to tell you, honey, that man right there wants you bad. Honestly, I’ve been living in Chicago all my life, and I’ve never seen Hunter interact with a woman romantically. Have I seen him in pictures at an event with a woman on his arm? Of course, but in public like this, showing her off in front of the camera, whispering sweet nothings in her ear. Having her involved in a personal and professional venture of his?” Allison shook her head. “No, no, and no.”
A blush fell over Camilla. “You could see all that?”
Allison nodded. “We all saw it, even the viewers at home.”
Camilla didn’t know how to feel about that. On the one hand, the more she spent time with Hunter, the more she wanted to stay, but she wasn’t entirely sure that was a good thing. They rode back in silence with Allison sneaking a smirking peek back at Camilla every now and again. And Camilla could only think about the next time she would hear Hunter’s voice again.
“Say what now?”
Corinne shifted the phone from one ear to the other. Camilla snickered.
“Hunter asked me out, but when I told him you were coming up for girls’ weekend, he suggested we double date.”
Corinne slipped a string of hair behind her ear. “With who?”
“I’m not sure. I told him we worked together before, but now you were a flight attendant—”
“A stewardess,” Corinne corrected.
“Okay, a stewardess. What’s your deal about being called a flight attendant?”
“Because it sounds so regular. I’ll have you know I’m certified by the Federal Aviation Administration. I have a degree in social studies and communications and foreign language. I’m not just a flight attendant. I’m a stewardess.”
“Honestly, Corinne, I don’t think there is a difference.”
“Yes, there is.”
“I’m certain the definition is the same.”
Corinne went to object again, but Camilla cut in.
“But, hey if stewardess is what you prefer, I promise to try and never regard you as a flight attendant again.”
“Thank you.”
“However, for the sake of getting through this conversation, you should know I told him you were a flight attendant. He seemed to have someone he thinks you’ll get along with.”
“He said that?”
“Not in those exact words but something close to it.”
“Oh my God, it could be anyone but if it’s one of his brothers…” Corinne purred. “I have never been the type to fawn over men, but those brothers are beyond beautiful, and educated. It’s something about a sexy ass beautiful black man, and him being financially settled is like icing on the cake.”
“I take it you’d be happy to go out on a date with one of his brothers then.”
“Is that a joke?” Corinne asked, seriously interested in the answer.
“It’s not!”
“Well it should be. If any of them are as intelligent as they’re made out to be, do you know what that means?”
“I’m sure you’re going to tell me.”
Corinne
laughed. “It means I could have an orgasm from a simple conversation.”
Camilla balked and fell over laughing. She was sitting in the middle of her queen size platform bed dressed for bed. The two-piece top and bottom were made of black silk with a trim of lace crawling down the front of the top. It wasn’t one of Camilla’s sexier gowns, but it provided a simple, comfortable, and cute look. While she laughed at Corinne, Camilla couldn’t help but think about why she wasn’t wearing her cotton pajama top and bottom instead. Because over the last week, meeting Hunter made her want him in ways she shouldn’t care to think about. If he knocked on her door right then, she would probably welcome him in, but somehow, she had to stop lusting after him long enough to really get to know him. Camilla was afraid of what might happen should that take too long. Besides that, Hunter still wasn’t aware she lived in the only other apartment on the hall. To know he was so close played on Camilla’s nerves.
She wiped the tears from her eyes. “Wow, there aren’t many times that something shocks the hell out of me, but that was one of them.”
Corinne chuckled. “I’m only telling the truth. You know the ratio of good men to toxic ones is just plain staggering.” She paused. “Now, I have to Google his brothers.”
Camilla laughed some more.
“What is so funny?”
Camilla wiped her eyes. “You are so serious about this. Corinne, you should really calm down. It’s just a date.”
“Let’s make a deal.”
“Oh no…” Camilla whined.
“Come on, let’s make a deal.”
“What about?”
“If by the end of our double date, you haven’t had an orgasm, I’ll never bring it up again.”
Camilla shook her head as she laughed again. “You know, just to appease you, you’re on.” She chuckled. “I told the assignment editor at WTZB she reminded me of you.”
Corinne perked up. “That means we’ll get along great, I think.”
Camilla chuckled.
“Is she coming on the date, too?”
“Oh no, although I think she has a crush on Lance.”
No Holds Barred (In The Heart Of A Valentine Book 1) Page 10
