“Oh.”
“And don’t look so nervous. You’ll do great.” She smiled up at him to help him relax.
They entered the restaurant and the smell of bacon and coffee hit her in full force, making her mouth water. She hadn’t realized she was so hungry. “We’re here with the Bennett-Adams party.”
The hostess motioned. “Right this way.”
As they approached the table, Kenzie saw they were the last to arrive. Aunt Vita sat on the end, her hair teased up to look like she stepped out of a 1960s ad. Her parents were next, followed by an older couple she could only assume was Eric’s parents. Tessa and her fiancé sat on the opposite side, two empty seats next to them.
Eric’s mother stood. “You must be Kenzie. I’ve heard so much about you.” She extended her hand. “I’m Veronica, and this is Rodger,” she said, indicating her husband.
“Nice to meet you. This is my boyfriend, Camden.” They shook hands.
Camden pulled her chair out for her and she smiled. He was acting like the perfect gentleman.
Tessa elbowed her and leaned closer. “Where did you pick him up? He’s gorgeous.”
Panic filled her. They hadn’t made up a story yet. What should she say? She couldn’t think. The first thing to pop in her head came out. “We met on a blind date.”
Camden put his arm around her. “Through Matchmaker.com.”
Tessa’s mouth dropped open. “We met online too. What a coincidence! How long have you been dating?”
“Don’t ever date a zookeeper,” Aunt Vita said, her high-pitched voice carrying through the area.
Everyone stared at Vita, waiting for her to finish. When she didn’t say anything else, Tessa piped up. “Why not?”
Vita took a drink of her water, taking her sweet time to answer. Finally, she said, “They spend all day with their hands up an elephant’s you-know-what.”
Her mother’s face paled. “Vita, please. We’re eating.”
Her father wiped his mouth, hiding a smile behind his napkin. “She doesn’t know what she’s saying.”
Kenzie stole a glance at Eric’s parents. They were sitting there, smiles frozen on their faces. Camden coughed into his fist and ducked his head down. Kenzie bit her lip so she wouldn’t laugh out loud. This should be an interesting wedding.
Chapter 4
Camden bit the inside of his cheek. He loved Kenzie’s family already. Everyone except for Helene. She seemed to have a problem with everything. He watched her pinched lips and disapproving frown. Kenzie and her mother couldn’t be any more different.
Helene’s gaze zeroed in on him. “Camden, what do you do for a living?” She picked up her water glass and swirled it around.
Heat crept up his neck. He liked Kenzie thinking he was a construction worker, but didn’t want to lie outright. “I’m in construction.”
Her eyebrow raised and she stilled her glass. “You do what, exactly?”
“He’s a construction worker, Mom.” Kenzie shot her mother a look over her menu.
A polite smile came over Helene’s face. “Oh. That must be . . . interesting.”
Kenzie sank down in her chair, disappearing behind her menu.
“How long have you been doing that?” Michael asked.
“I started working in the industry when I was still in high school, so it’s been about fourteen years.”
“Ah, I see.” Michael gave him a polite nod and smile.
Helene, on the other hand, narrowed her eyes at him. “You didn’t go to college, either?” She glared pointedly at Kenzie.
He desperately wanted to tell Helene that his business was now worth billions, and that going to college would have interfered with his business plan, but he knew that was a bad idea. Kenzie’s face flushed, and she looked like she wanted to crawl under the table.
“What are you going to order, dear?” Michael asked, putting his arm around Helene.
Tessa whispered something in Kenzie’s ear and they both snickered. The waitress approached the table and everyone grew distracted with ordering.
When the conversations started up again, Camden leaned toward Kenzie. “I’m sorry.” It wasn’t his fault, but he wanted her to know he felt bad about how she was being targeted.
“Nothing you can do about it. That’s just the way she is.” Kenzie’s gaze fell to her lap.
There was something he could do, but choking her mother was probably against Kenzie’s rule number three. He picked up his water and took a long drink. Maybe that would cool him off.
Vita fluffed her hair with one hand. “Kenzie, dear, when are you getting married?”
The table grew quiet and all eyes turned toward them. Kenzie gave her aunt a weak smile. “I’m not getting married, Aunt Vita. Camden and I are just dating.”
“Thank goodness,” Helene said under her breath, fingering her pearl necklace.
Camden gripped his seat to stop himself from standing up and giving her a piece of his mind. Who did she think she was? He couldn’t believe how she was treating her own daughter.
“Well, you should,” Vita continued. “You make a lovely couple.”
“Thank you,” Kenzie said, her eyes glued to the table.
Camden stared at her. Where was the vivacious woman he’d seen yesterday? The one who laughed like she had no cares in the world? He suddenly wanted to protect her from the darts her mother was throwing at her.
Michael cleared his throat. “Tessa, tell us the story of your first date. I don’t think everyone has heard it yet.”
Eric chuckled and Tessa’s face flushed, but she laughed and nodded. “Yes, you all should hear this. I think I only told my parents. Unless you told. . .” Tessa motioned between Eric and his parents.
“Oh, no. I didn’t tell a soul.” He winked at her.
Tessa laughed again. “Alright. Well, you all know we met online. We had been chatting for a while, and we both knew it was time to meet in person. I loved everything about him. I was a bit worried he wouldn’t live up to his online awesomeness, but I knew I needed to find out.
“We agreed to meet somewhere public. And he knew I loved flowers, so we decided on the botanical gardens. It was a chilly morning, and I was wearing a short-sleeve sweater with a cute jacket. As we walked, I grew warm and took off my jacket.” Tessa blushed and looked at Eric.
“Apparently she’d been folding laundry on her bed,” Eric said. “A pair of red thong underwear was stuck to the back of her sweater. At first I didn’t notice it, but when I saw it I knew she’d be mortified, so I didn’t say anything. I quickly snatched it off her back and wadded it up in my hand.”
Tessa giggled. “And then he didn’t know what to do with it as we walked through the gardens. He stuffed it in his pocket. We had a great time talking, we both felt a connection, but when we got back to his truck, I noticed something red sticking out of his pocket. I was curious and asked him about it.”
Kenzie laughed, then immediately put her hand over her mouth. Camden held in a chuckle. Veronica covered her mouth with her hand. “Oh no.”
“I know, right? He turned red and wouldn’t tell me what it was. Finally, he pulled it out of his pocket and I saw it was my underwear. Imagine my shock! I had all kinds of things running through my head about him sneaking into my apartment to get a pair of my underwear!”
“I knew what she was thinking,” Eric said, his ears turning pink. “So I had to tell her it was stuck to the back of her sweater.”
“How embarrassing for both of you,” Veronica said.
Camden glanced at Kenzie, who sat there biting her lip. Tessa and Kenzie looked at each other and they both busted up laughing. Helene shot them a glare.
Vita looked around the table at everyone. “Never go on a date wearing someone else’s underwear.”
Kenzie and Tessa dissolved in another fit of laughter. Camden struggled to keep his composure. Their food arrived and took some of the attention off the girls. By the time everyone was served, they had gained con
trol of themselves, but Camden didn’t miss the looks Helene was giving Kenzie, and couldn’t wait to get her away from the table.
They ate while chatting politely, mostly about Eric and his legal practice. He was on track to make partner in a year. Helene seemed particularly fond of talking about it.
After they were done eating, Veronica set her napkin on the table. “Kenzie, I really like that brooch you’re wearing. Where did you get it?”
Kenzie’s hand flew to the pin, and she fingered the metal piece. “I made it.”
Camden did a double take. When she said she made jewelry, he figured she strung beads together. Her brooch was much more than that. It was made of silver and had intricate southwestern images stamped into the metal. The way the edges curled made it look like aged paper. A turquoise stone was set in the middle.
Surprise widened Veronica’s eyes. “Really? It’s beautiful.”
Kenzie smiled. “Thank you.”
“It’s a wonderful hobby,” Helene said.
Camden couldn’t stand it anymore. He stood. “Thank you all for a wonderful meal. It was nice to meet everyone.”
Tessa got up and squeezed Kenzie’s hand. “See you at the pre-wedding welcome party. It will be in the clubhouse this afternoon.”
Kenzie nodded and took hold of Camden’s arm. “Great. See you.”
As they walked away, Kenzie looked up at him. “Thanks for saving me. And for being such a gentleman. You were perfect.”
They left the restaurant and approached the elevators. He tried to keep his thoughts to himself, but after they got into the elevator, he couldn’t remain silent any more. “Is your mother always like that?”
Kenzie didn’t meet his gaze. “She’s got high expectations.”
“That’s not what I saw,” he muttered.
She let out a sigh and combed her fingers through her curly hair. “Sometimes it’s worth it to stand up and say something. Other times it’s best to let it be.”
“You mean it’s best to run away.” He regretted the words as soon as they were out of his mouth.
Her gaze snapped up to his and her eyes flashed. “What do you mean by that?”
He didn’t want to anger her, so he shoved his fists in his pockets. “Nothing.”
The bell dinged and the elevator doors opened. He followed her out into the hall. Guilt tugged at him. He didn’t want things to be strained between them. “Did you bring more of your jewelry?”
“Yes.”
“I’d love to see it.”
She looked up at him, that weary look back on her face from last night. “Alright,” she said slowly. “I have a few pieces in my room.”
She got out her key card and swiped her lock; the door clicked and she opened it. She went to the dresser and pulled out a carved mahogany box. “I put all my favorites in here.”
“That jewelry box is beautiful.”
“Thanks. I got it in Tijuana.” A look crossed her features, but left just as quickly. He wondered what that was about, but didn’t want to pry, so he let it be.
She lifted the lid and he peeked inside. Delicate pieces littered the bottom of the black velvet. She pulled out one that was shaped like a dragonfly, the wings crafted in silver, the body made from an iridescent stone.
“This is one of my favorite pendants.”
She handed it to him, and he took it gently, afraid to bend the dainty wings. “How do you make these?”
“A variety of ways. This one was made with metal clay that I torch-fired.”
He turned the dragonfly over and examined the back. Ken Z was embedded into the metal. “You stamp your signature on each piece?”
“Yes. Each one is a work of art to me.”
Camden was fascinated. The next one she handed him was made from copper and looked like a piece of fabric with a face popping out of it. It truly was art. “What does something like this sell for?”
“My last piece I sold for three thousand dollars.”
His mouth dropped open and he stared at her. “Are you kidding me?”
Hurt laced her gaze. She took the jewelry from him, placed them back in the box, and snapped the lid closed. He quickly tried to amend his statement. “That came out wrong. I’m really impressed with what you do.”
She turned away from him and walked to the window, her arms folded.
“Kenzie,” he said, stepping toward her. “You’re very talented. I’m just a stupid guy who doesn’t know anything about jewelry.” He put his hand on her shoulder. “I didn’t mean to make it sound like they weren’t worth that.”
“I know,” she said, turning around to face him. “I’m probably more sensitive about it because no one gets it. They think I’m wasting my life or being lazy or something. Or worse, when they find out how much my jewelry sells for, they think I’m a scam artist.”
He took her hands in his. An electric current passed between them as he gazed into her mesmerizing green eyes. “You are nothing of the sort. I can tell you put your heart into your work. It’s beautiful.” He almost said, “Just like you are,” but bit back the words. He wasn’t there to flirt.
She gazed up at him. There was something vulnerable about her. “Thanks,” she said, dropping his hands and drawing into herself again.
He could see the damage a few minutes with her mother had done. They hadn’t even been at the table more than an hour. Anger simmered in his stomach. “You should stand up to her,” he said, softly. “You don’t deserve to be treated that way.”
Her eyes narrowed at him and she stiffened. “You don’t know my family situation. Maybe it’s best if you stick to doing the job I’m paying you to do.” She turned on her heel and left the hotel room.
Camden sighed. Great. First day as her fake boyfriend and he was already messing things up. He ran after her.
Chapter 5
Tears pooled in her eyes as Kenzie stalked down the hotel hallway. She blinked them back. The last thing she wanted to do was cry in front of Camden, and she knew he was coming after her. She could hear his heavy footfalls behind her.
“Kenzie—wait.”
The warmth of his hand ignited her skin as he took her arm. She turned to face him, and all anger melted away when she saw the concern in his gaze. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I overreacted.”
He let go of her arm and ran his hand through his hair. “No, you’re right. I shouldn’t have said anything. I promise to just be your man candy from now on.”
Kenzie tried to not smile, but failed. He was a good guy. She needed to cut him some slack. “You’re so good at it.”
A half-smile lifted his mouth. “Are you calling me sweet?”
No. She was calling him hot. But sweet was close enough, and she shouldn’t be thinking about him that way anyway. “Yes.”
His smile stretched wider. “I was thinking I’d walk around the grounds. Want to come with me?”
“Sure.” The fresh air would do her good. Plus she needed to get her mother out of her head. Even though she didn’t like it, Camden was probably right. She let her mother walk all over her, and she just took it. But her sister’s wedding wasn’t the time to start giving her mother a piece of her mind.
They took the stairs down to the main floor and went out on the back patio. Empty tables with umbrellas were scattered about, as the breakfast crowd had come and gone. She walked with him down the boardwalk toward the beach.
They stopped when they got to the end of the path. He looked up at the clear sky, one hand resting on the railing. “Such a nice day. I feel a little overdressed for the beach, though.”
Yes, they were overdressed, but he looked good in his suit and tie. “Then we’ll have to come back tonight after all the festivities.”
He gave her a look she couldn’t quite decipher, then nodded. “Good idea. I love the beach at night.”
They watched as a young girl and boy ran along the shore picking up sea shells and other treasures. The girl giggled as the boy chased her. Their mother f
ollowed along behind them, calling out a warning to watch out for sharp rocks.
Camden smiled at the children. “They are so carefree at that age.”
“You have any nieces or nephews?”
He nodded. “One. My sister has a little two-year-old daughter. The cutest thing I’ve ever seen. And there’s one more on the way. It was just me and my sister growing up. I always envied big families. My father left when my sister was a baby, so it was just the three of us.”
“Are you close to your mom?”
“Yeah.” He smiled at her. “She put herself through nursing school and worked nights when Kelly and I were little, but she always made time for us. She made me and Kelly feel like we were the most important things to her, you know? She had a way about her. I always felt loved and wanted.”
Kenzie couldn’t even imagine it. “That’s awesome.”
“We didn’t have much, but I never knew it. She made us believe we lived like kings.”
Her experience was the opposite. Her parents were wealthy, but they were never satisfied with what they had. And her mother was never satisfied with what Kenzie did. “Sounds nice,” she said, looking down at her sandals.
“Don’t get me wrong, we had our problems. And it was tough growing up without a father. But it made me determined to be better than him.”
She liked that attitude. “I get that. My parents always put money before anything else. It’s also made me determined to live my life differently.” She glanced up at him. “Money doesn’t matter to me. In fact, I like that you’re a construction worker. You’re not chasing after something you’ll never have. My parents taught me that. No matter how much money you have, you’ll never find happiness there.”
Camden frowned and leaned down on the railing, studying the waves. She wasn’t sure what she’d said to upset him, but just as she was going to ask his frown disappeared. “You’re right. Happiness doesn’t come from money.”
“It complicates things.”
He was silent for a moment before speaking. “It’s not the money that complicates things.”
Her Big Fat Fake Billionaire Boyfriend (Billionaire Series Book 1) Page 3
