Still upset with him, Olivia ground her teeth in frustration and finished her packing.
She was going home with Cameron Banks, the man she’d married, the man her mother had commanded her to marry. And yet, now she was free of Vivian Helbrock-Donovan-Roark.
Free.
It was so exhilarating and frightening she sat down on the bed to steady her nerves as Cameron finished dressing.
Ten
Kansas City
By nine that evening, Olivia and Cameron arrived in Kansas City. She had one travel bag with her, full of all the possessions she had left in the world. She followed her new husband up the front walk into his sprawling mansion and stopped just inside the doorway, her fingers clutched around her suitcase handle.
Cameron tossed his keys on an end table and tugged a cell phone from his pocket.
“I have to make a quick call,” he said, glancing her way even as he moved toward a doorway leading to another room. “This will only take a minute.”
Olivia swallowed, wondering who he had to talk to so urgently. Probably some girlfriend, advising her not to come over tonight.
Jealousy thickened in her lungs, making it hard to breathe, making her follow him to the doorway and peek in.
With his back to her, he paced the sitting room. After a moment of holding his phone to his ear, he finally spoke. “Hello…? Grandma?”
Grandma? Olivia mouthed the word, her eyebrows puckering in confusion. He was in a hurry to call his grandmother? No way. It must be some kind of code language. Grandma was probably short for Hey, baby, can’t talk right now. Super secret spy stuff going on.
Olivia rolled her eyes.
“It’s Cameron,” he said and, after a moment, lifted his voice, repeating, “It’s Cameron.”
Okay, so maybe his girlfriend was hard of hearing. Either that or he really was talking to an elderly deaf woman.
A smile was clear in his voice when he added, “Yeah, it’s Sunday already. I can’t talk long though, I have a guest…What’s that? Oh, don’t you even worry about it, Grandma. I love calling you. No bother at all…Yes. Uh huh.” After a second of listening, he threw back his head and laughed. “You naughty old woman, you. You’re going to ruin my innocent ears if you keep that up.”
Curious, Olivia found herself moving forward to listen openly. He was really talking to his grandmother, wasn’t he? How bizarre.
“No, wait! Don’t hang up yet. I wanted to tell you…”
Holding her breath, she wondered if he was going to announce his marriage or something. God, she hoped not. He’d give poor Grandma a heart attack.
“I have another spoon for you to put in your collection. What? Oh, this one’s from Chicago…Yeah, I know I already brought you one from Chicago, but that was in honor of the Sears Tower. This one is for the city in general… Oh, that’ll do then, will it?” he murmured, like he was repeating what she’d just said. Turning so Olivia could see his face, he grinned and added, “Good. I was worried you’d shove it back in my face.” Though he didn’t sound worried.
Olivia must’ve breathed aloud because his eyes snapped her way. They both froze.
“I have to go, Grandma,” he said into the phone. “Yes, I’ll call next Sunday. I love you too. Bye.” Never taking his eyes off Olivia, he snapped the phone closed.
He and Olivia took a few seconds to stare at each other, both leery.
“That…” he cleared his throat, looking suddenly rueful. “That was my grandmother. She’s been a widow for a few years now and gets lonely. So, I, uh, I make sure to call every so often.”
Olivia wondered what kind of man this was who took time out of his life to call a lonely old woman every week, just to flirt with her. Her chest felt very tight.
Cameron glanced away, looking awkward, as if he were embarrassed. “Anyway,” he murmured under his breath. “Who needs a drink?” He didn’t look at her again as he strolled to a nearby shelf lined with books.
He’d barely talked to her the entire day, and Olivia was fast learning she’d married herself a moody man. He could go from one extreme to the next. One moment, he was grinning and cracking jokes like a comedian. The next, he was quiet and withdrawn, wrapped up in some inner demon that made her wonder what could put that haunted look in his eyes.
Olivia figured the mood swings were why he was so successful. Growing up with Vivian as her mother, she’d met dozens of millionaires and discovered they all possessed quirky personalities. It must be a trait common among the insane masterminds. Next thing she knew, Cameron Banks would probably pull a Van Gogh and cut off his ear or something.
She had to admit, however, even at his nastiest, he had an innate
kindness. He could never in a hundred years be what Vivian was. His sour side didn’t seem to come naturally. It was like he forced himself to be rude, as if some emotional struggle was taking place in him, making him guilty about every smile he revealed, so he had to counter it with a snarl.
Apprehension attacked every nerve ending she possessed. Everything felt new and foreign. She was a long way from California, hundreds and hundreds of miles from the only home she’d ever known.
Ignoring her, Cameron rummaged through the books on the shelf until he came to one thick dictionary. But he didn’t seem interested in reading. Instead, he tugged it out of his way and reached into the open gap to extract a glass decanter filled with amber liquid.
Olivia rolled her eyes. Letting go of her suitcase handle, she strode toward him and jerked the container from his hand as soon as he’d taken his first swig.
“Don’t drink that!”
Wiping a drip that dribbled down his chin, he frowned. “Why not?”
Yeah, why not?
“Because…” Olivia sighed in irritation. She didn’t want him to think she was actually worried about him. She had a feeling he’d make fun of her if she showed him any tenderness. But, honestly, she didn’t want him to suffer any more. Despite how easily he could get her back up—not to mention how easily he got her back down on a bed—she was in his debt. He’d successfully removed her from Vivian’s life. The kind of gratitude that act inspired made her want to save him from himself.
“Horrible things happen to me every time you drink,” she said, instead of revealing her compassion. “First, I ended up marrying just the man I wanted to avoid. Then, the next time I ran into you while you were drunk, my mother found out about everything and I lost the only home I’ve ever known. And now, I’m stuck here, clear across the country, doing God knows what with my life. I’m telling you, Bud, that’s not a very good track record.”
“Maybe it’s just plain old me that’s bad luck for you,” he suggested with a careless shrug.
He reached out to take the bottle from her but she held it away from him.
“You didn’t drink a drop all the way here from the hotel this morning,” she said primly. “And no pianos have fallen on me yet, so I’ve concluded it’s the alcohol. Besides, I thought you were a recovering—”
“Yeah, yeah,” he snapped. “I know.” Cameron switched his scowl from the bottle to her. But as soon as their gazes meshed, he blew out a breath and closed his eyes. “Sorry,” he said as he rubbed at his forehead. “You’re right. I’ve been imbibing more than I should lately. I’ll stop.”
When he opened his eyes, his irritation was gone. He gave her a sudden seductive grin. “So, if I’m not allowed to drink, you’re going to keep my mind occupied on other matters, right?”
She rolled her eyes. “Is sex the only thing you ever think about?”
His eyebrows arched. “When I look at you? Yeah. Pretty much.” He reached out and touched a sensitive spot on the side of her neck.
She shuddered, wanting to ignore the way her body responded and quickly stepped away. “Cameron,” she groaned. “I’m serious. What are we going to do? What am I going to do? I can’t just stay here.”
“Sure, you can. I’ve got plenty of bedrooms. You can take your pick—”
/>
“No,” she cut in. “I’m not talking about today. What am I going to do with the rest of my life?”
He shrugged, obviously unconcerned. “You can stay as long as you like. I don’t care.”
She gritted her teeth. “I can’t stay forever. I have to decide what I’m going to—”
“Livy, honey,” he said, reaching out to take her arm and pull her toward him.
For some reason, Olivia didn’t resist. She let him tug her into a warm, comforting hug, where she closed her eyes and sank into the blessed sensation.
“You don’t have to figure out your entire future tonight,” he murmured, softly stroking a hand down her back. “It’s late. You’re tired. You’ve had a big day. Let me just show you to your room, and you can sleep on it. Tomorrow, while I’m at work, you can use my computer, cruise the internet, and try to come up with some ideas. Okay? Sound like a plan to you?”
She nodded her head against his shoulder. It sounded marvelous. Images of a huge, comfortable bed filled her mind, and all she wanted to do was close her eyes and dream the rest of the night away.
Cameron made an approving sound as she unconsciously cuddled closer. “Say,” he murmured in her ear, his warm breath a subtle caress compared to his hand, which was sliding over her hip with hot, bold strokes. “You don’t really want to sleep all alone in some big scary foreign bed tonight, do you? Why don’t you just come with me to my room. I’ll keep you company. And then tomorrow, you can scout out the house and feel better about—”
“You are so not funny, do you know that?”
“Oh, come on. Not even a little?”
Olivia jerked away. “I’m not sleeping with you again. We’re getting an annulment.”
“But, Livy,” he cajoled, reaching out to haul her back into his arms. His nose nuzzled her cheek, and the swell of emotion that followed kept her from resisting him when his fingers found their way under her shirt. “How can you say you don’t want me?” he asked, eliciting a hurt tone in his voice. “To me, being with you is the most amazing experience of—”
“I didn’t say I didn’t want you,” she interrupted quickly, before she could hear any more of his oh-so-sweet words.
If she listened to him much longer, he’d talk his way into getting what he wanted. Geesh. No wonder the guy was insanely rich. He could talk a doughnut from a cop.
“Then why are you saying no?” he asked right before dipping his head and kissing the side of her neck. His tongue lapped her sensitive skin and then his teeth gently closed over the area.
*
Thirty minutes later, Cameron rolled off her and landed beside her on his king-sized bed. Still coming off the peak of her climax, Olivia stared up at his ceiling in wonder.
This was all wrong. She wasn’t supposed to fall for his corny come-on lines. She wasn’t supposed to tumble into bed with him every time he crooked his finger.
What in the hell was going on?
“How do you always do that?” she demanded.
He paused in the process of running a finger up and down her arm. “Do what?”
“Coax me into bed,” she grumbled.
Cameron merely turned his head so he could send her a lazy grin. “What can I say?” he replied, breathing on his knuckles and buffing them against his bare chest. “I’m irresistible.”
She sniffed and turned onto her side away from him. But he only spooned up behind her and wrapped his arm around her waist. It felt so wonderful; she wanted to relax against him. But wanting him—sleeping with him—couldn’t be good. She shouldn’t get used to this. As soon as she made her plans, she was out of here. She didn’t want any ties to him. She didn’t want—
“Don’t think it to death,” he murmured sleepily in her hair as if he could hear her thoughts, and they were keeping him awake, too. He patted her hip. “Let’s just enjoy this while we can. We’ll figure the rest out later.”
Deciding to take his advice, Olivia closed her eyes and let her body go lax against his. He was right. There was nothing saying a couple on the verge of annulment had to keep their hands off each other. And he really was talented in the sack. He made her forget reality for a while.
She fell asleep thinking she would just become Scarlett O’Hara and worry about it tomorrow.
*
Olivia was dead to the world when the loud smack and sharp sting of a hand slapping her butt rudely jerked her awake from the delicious dream she was having.
“Damn it, woman. Wake up,” Cameron growled with a sexy rasp in her ear. “I want some sweet loving before I have to go to work.”
Irritated he’d yanked her from her sound sleep, she curled into a tight ball. “No,” she moaned and shook her head when his fingers slipped up to her bent knee and back down along the inside of her thigh toward her undies.
She clamped her legs together, trapping his hand about six inches from its destination.
“Come on, Livy,” he coaxed. “You know you want to.” His fingers wiggled a little, making her squirm from the tickling sensation. But she managed to keep her knees together.
Cameron tugged his hand free and started up her stomach toward her breasts.
“No,” she said again and rolled onto her side away from him. “I’m tired,” she groused. “And sore. You wore me out last night. I can’t take anymore.”
Her husband seemed unconcerned by her rejection. He merely slid up behind her and pressed his warm chest again her naked back.
“So, why’d you moan when I touched you a few seconds ago?” he asked as his seeking hand snuck around her hip and slithered across her abdomen.
Olivia caught his wrist. “I was dreaming,” she complained and then growled when he continued to move his hand to the warmth between her legs in spite of the restraining grip she had on him.
“Yeah, you were dreaming,” he countered on a husky, morning laugh. “About me. So, here I am, baby.”
God, he was such a self-inflated chauvinist. But damn it, yes, she’d been dreaming about him. She hadn’t been tired and sore in her dream either.
Clearly oblivious to her refusal and hoping to catch a little morning nookie, Cameron slid the pads of his fingers across her moist center. Olivia sucked in a loud breath. Tightening her fingers around his wrist, she tried to resist him, but her legs parted of their own accord.
“I’m serious, Cameron,” she said, closing her eyes as if that could block out the heat from his touch. “No more. I hurt.” And that was true. She wasn’t used to so much sex. He’d awakened her three times last night, and now every muscle in her body ached.
Yes, dear Lord, her body ached, and it throbbed.
“You poor thing,” he said sympathetically and kissed the back of her shoulder as his fingers eased their pressure between her legs. “I’ll be gentle. I swear.”
To prove his point, he slipped one finger inside her so slowly and delicately that it teased her into wanting more, wanting faster and rougher.
She sighed and sank back against him. Her butt nestled snugly against his pulsing erection, and she realized he’d already slipped on a condom.
He groaned. “Oh, yeah,” he said, lifting her thigh and pushing the crotch of her panties out of his way to enter her from behind.
“I thought I told you to stop,” Olivia complained, all the while curling her toes and arching her back, eager for his next thrust. She grabbed a fistful of the sheets in front of her, preparing for the jolt of his loving administration.
“Stop, you say?” Instead of moving further inside, he pulled completely out and rolled away.
“Cameron!” she cried shrilly, her body demanding more. She rolled toward him, reaching for that warm fuzzy chest she already missed. “What’re you doing?”
He glanced over his shoulder and met her gaze. Though the rest of his face remained perfectly serious, his green eyes were lit in amusement. “You told me to stop.”
Oh, the filthy cretin. He was actually enjoying this.
Olivia frowned.
“Get back here now,” she commanded, too tired to try the honey approach and heading straight toward vinegar.
A smile tipped his mouth. White teeth flashed as he rolled back and scooted an inch closer. “Yes, ma’am,” he crooned cockily. “Just tell me what you want me to do to best please you. I’m here to serve.”
“You know what I want.” Olivia ungratefully flopped onto her back and closed her eyes, waiting for him to cover her, for his hands to touch her and his mouth to kiss her everywhere. Yeah, he always knew what she wanted. It was embarrassing to realize she was in no way immune to his touch.
But when he didn’t move toward her, her eyes sprang open.
“Cameron,” she said irritably because her body was pulsating.
He just smiled and shook his head. Sitting up so he could gaze down on her, he said, “No. You have to tell me. You already chewed my ass for guessing. Now you need to be specific.”
She narrowed her eyes. His grin grew.
“Just tell me, Livy,” he coaxed as he reached out to flick her nipple with one finger. “I’ll do anything you want. Your wish is my command.”
She blinked. Anything she wanted. The possibility made her body tighten with need.
“Touch me,” she said on a whisper.
His eyelids went heavy. “Where?”
Olivia licked her lips, suddenly very shy. She’d never been the one to give the commands before. The power was overwhelming, but exciting. “Here,” she finally said, and covered the mound between her legs with her fingers.
His eyes followed the move. “How?” he asked next.
She frowned. “How?”
He chuckled softly. “How, Olivia?” he repeated, coming up on his knees so he could lean over her and hover above her with a hand buried in the mattress on either side of her face. His mouth hovered inches above hers,
making her suddenly want to kiss him.
“How do you want me to touch you there,” he pressed. “With my hands? My dick? My mouth?”
Her eyes sprang open wide as her gaze shot to his lips. She’d heard all kinds of stories about guys going down on a girl but it had never happened to her before. She figured it was only a myth.
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