Taming The CEO: An enemies-to-lovers romance (The Whitley Brothers)

Chapter Eleven

Cami

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It was a good thing that Maddox fixed my roof, because the weather turned moody the very next morning. We only got light rain—not enough to scare customers—but it would have surely damaged the leaky parts even more. But who had a super-sealed roof? This girl right here. And as a bonus, I’d gotten a smoking-hot kiss too.

I was still not completely sure how it had happened. Or even if it had happened at all. Maybe I”d just fantasized because I hadn’t been kissed in a long time, and Maddox was extremely handsome.

In fact, as the day went by, I was certain I’d imagined it. But all that changed in the evening after I slipped into my bed and got a message from a mystery number.

Unknown number: Gran loves the cookbook. She gave me your number.

I instantly smiled as I saved the number into my contacts list.

Cami: I’m glad. I have lots more.

Maddox: Just gives me another reason to stop by your house again.

I wiggled my toes, deciding to play along.

Cami: Anytime.

Maddox: You need anything else fixed?

Cami: I can find something if you insist.

Maddox: Or I can just come to see you.

And kiss me some more.

Oh, I was so damn tempted to write that back. But I didn’t.

Cami: Good night, Maddox.

Maddox: Good night.

***

The next morning, I woke up with an excess of energy. I loved October, and I was sad to see it coming to an end. It was always a flurry of activity here in Essex. I liked to call it the pumpkin month, or alternatively, the orange month—the color, not the fruit, because everything was shades of orange. A pumpkin stand popped up in the town square mid-October each year. Traditionally, I went on the second Saturday of the month, but this year, I”d only managed to get there a week before Halloween.

I received a message on the way. Usually I didn’t check my phone while driving, but what if it was from Dad?

Checking the text, I groaned.

Bill: Heard the Whitleys are interested in Essex Adventures. Hope you know my family is still interested in it.

I saw red. I couldn’t believe he even had the audacity to say that, considering they”d tried to take advantage of us right after Mom passed away.

I didn’t even bother replying. Bill could shove it.

I pushed the issue to the back of my mind, determined to get back into pumpkin shopping mode.

”Cami, you”re late this year,” Ms. Hendricks said. She had a farm about fifteen minutes outside Essex and came every week to sell produce, but pumpkin season was an entirely different beast.

”I know, and I’m sorry,” I said.

She”d arranged the pumpkins in several rows, and this year she”d even painted eyes and smiles on some smaller ones. Ms. Hendricks was charging more for those, and good for her. Some had creepy smiles, others had genuine ones.

Yeah, no, I wasn”t one for creepy smiles. I didn”t like Halloween and October for the spooky angle. I liked it because of the color. Some people went way overboard with Christmas decorations, but I had a weakness for pumpkins. I usually bought about five or six for my house and seven or eight for the park. But this year, I couldn”t resist and bought twenty in total.

”My goodness, girl. You”re on a roll.”

“You”ve outdone yourself this year,” I told her, and she gave me a heartfelt smile.

Ms. Hendricks had been manning the fort by herself since her husband passed away. I”d hoped to set her up with Dad a few times over the years, but I”d learned to accept that everyone heals in their own time. And perhaps once you”d had a real soulmate, you didn”t want a replacement.

”Good afternoon,” Maddox”s voice boomed behind me.

I instantly heated up even though the wind was quite chilly.

”Hi,” Ms. Hendricks said. ”Are you here to buy pumpkins? Did you move to town recently?”

”No. I’m here to build a new hotel.”

”Oh.” Recognition flickered in her eyes, and she gave me a wink.

I will never live down my outburst during our first dinner. The whole town was aware of it, I was sure. Serves me right, I guess.

”Hi, Maddox,” I said.

He glanced at my pumpkins, and his eyes bulged. ”You”ve bought all these?”

”Hey, don”t judge me,” I said as Ms. Hendricks went to the next stall to get some change for me.

”I wasn”t. I”m just surprised.”

”Some are for home and some for the park. And yes, I might have overdone it slightly.”

He started to laugh. ”How are you getting those in your car?”

”I’ll carry them myself.”

”I”ll help,” he said. “And if you want, I can come to the park as well and unload them.”

My eyes widened. ”Wow. Thank you. But there”s no need to come to the park. My employees can take care of that. You’ll crumple up your suit.”

”I can handle that.”

He bent down and picked up the biggest pumpkin. After Ms. Hendricks gave me the change, I put several of the small pumpkins in a bag and carried them, purposefully walking a step behind him so I could see that gorgeous body move. He put the heavy pumpkin in my trunk before going back for another one. I got a whiff of his cologne and instantly remembered our kiss.

It took five minutes to bring all the pumpkins to the car. I talked his ear off about all the places I intended to put them.

After I closed my trunk, I turned to face him. ”Thanks for the help, Maddox.”

”You”re welcome.” He looked down at me, a smile playing on his lips.

”What?” I asked.

”I don”t think I”ve ever heard anyone sound so excited about pumpkins.”

I smiled sheepishly. ”I love the splash of color they bring. I’m a fan of autumn, and this one is even colder and moodier than usual. So, you know, the more pumpkins, the merrier.”

”You’re something.”

”I think they bring luck.” I had an idea. I opened the trunk and took out one of the smaller pumpkins, handing it to him. ”This is for you. To bring you luck with your new venture.”

He grinned. ”I can just buy a pumpkin.”

”I know, but it”s luckier if someone gives it to you. At least, that”s what my mom always said.”

His eyes went soft. ”Thanks. You know what else they say brings luck?”

”What?”

”A kiss.”

I sucked in a breath, looking straight at his mouth. That was tempting. So, so tempting.

Cami, why would you complicate everything?

But then Dad”s voice broke through the moment. ”Cami! Maddox, you”re here too. Oh, I see my daughter is already drawing you into her pumpkin craze.”

Maddox straightened up, looking at him. ”Yes, she is.” He looked at me intently as he took a step back, his nostrils flared. ”Thank you. Have a great day, Samuel. And you, Cami.”

”You too,” I whispered.

After Maddox left, I turned to Dad.

”Can I ride with you to the park? My car broke down this morning. I asked Mike to give me a lift here,” he said.

”Sure. Come on, let”s go.”

I whistled as I got into the driver”s seat. Hmm, I was usually in a good mood after buying pumpkins, but I had to admit, my current excitement also had something to do with Maddox.

He wants to kiss me again, huh?I sort of felt like the last one had been an impulsive moment, but what if it was more than that? I smiled to myself, delighted at the thought.

Dad yawned as I drove off.

”You”re tired?” I asked him.

He nodded. ”Yeah, I didn’t sleep too well last night.”

”I”m sorry to hear that. Hey, want to stop and grab a hot chocolate? It is the season, after all.”

He shook his head. ”No, I”m good. It”s just so cold.”

”It is,” I said wistfully, and a weight started pressing on my chest. Cold weather usually equaled fewer customers and more cancellations, but I was determined to stay positive.

”You know, I was chatting with Carmen last week,” he said. Carmen had been Mom’s best friend. ”And she had an interesting idea.”

”I”m listening.”

”She wants to spend December and January in Miami and has found some sort of AirBB.”

”Airbnb,” I corrected automatically.

”Yes, that. But it”s a bit big for her, so she suggested I go, too, and we split the cost.”

I smiled at him. ”Dad, I think that”s a fantastic idea. Honestly, December and January are slower months for us anyway. I can totally man the place without you.”

”Are you sure?”

”Of course.”

”I”ll think about it. She was also talking about cruises a lot, but those happen during other times of the year.”

”Dad, you can always take time off.”

He sighed. ”Cami, girl, I”ll be honest with you, I don”t really want to take time off. I want to retire. I know you think I’m only considering selling because the Whitleys are offering a very good price, but the truth is, I”ve been thinking about it for a long time. We just never had any offers for the place.”

I felt like someone had thrown a bucket of ice at me. Oh my God, I”d been so selfish, going on and on about wanting to preserve the forest and so on.

”You”ve never told me that,” I said quietly.

”I know how much the park means to you. And there was never an opportunity to sell—unless you count Bill’s atrocious offer.” He seemed to hesitate.

”What?” I asked.

”I”ve also been thinking about looking for someone to simply buy out my part.”

I sucked in a breath. Oh my goodness, I”d been utterly and completely selfish. I genuinely hadn”t believed that Dad wanted to retire.

I bit the inside of my cheek. ”I could crunch numbers and see if I could buy you out,” I said, but deep down, I knew I couldn’t afford it.

”Baby girl, we both know that”s not possible. And I wouldn”t feel right taking your money.”

”It is your side of the business,” I countered.

”Still, if I could afford it, I’d just leave it all to you and retire, but... well, we both know that”s not feasible.”

I drew back my shoulders as I pulled in front of the main building. I slowed the car, then looked at him.

”Dad, I”m really sorry.” I grimaced. ”I didn”t realize you actually wanted to retire.”

”I know, because I”ve always just joked about it. Honestly, for the longest time, I didn”t think it was possible.”

”You”ll get your retirement, I promise.”

”Don’t do anything you don”t feel comfortable with,” Dad said.

I smiled at him even though I felt a bit of apprehension in my chest.

”Don”t worry, it”ll all work out. Come on, let”s get the pumpkins inside,” I said as we both got out of the car.

My mind was spinning the whole rest of the day. Even though I had back-to-back groups at the zip-line and tree-climbing stations, I couldn’t get the conversation with Dad out of my mind.

I could only focus on the pumpkins in the afternoon. I didn”t actually like carving them because they didn”t last as long and usually painted them exactly like Ms. Hendricks had done. I decided to do a smiley pumpkin as the centerpiece—the biggest one was always right next to the entrance door.

It took me all of fifteen minutes, and after I finished, I checked my phone. It had beeped once, but I didn’t want to interrupt my painting process. I had a message from Maddox.

Maddox: You looked so happy carving that pumpkin.

There was a picture of me bent over, ass up in the air. I laughed.

Cami: Are you spying on me?

Maddox: Far from it. Saw a glimpse of that gorgeous ass and couldn”t help but stop and take a picture.

I proudly snapped a selfie with the pumpkin, matching its grin, and sent it to Maddox.

Cami: Didn”t carve it, I painted it. What do you think?

He replied immediately.

Maddox: You look stunning.

I sucked in a breath.

Cami: About the pumpkin, I mean.

Maddox: It”s great. Going to do something similar to mine. I took it home with me.

I frowned, but then two minutes later, he sent me a picture. I groaned. He”d made two circles and a smile with a pen.

Cami: Maddox, that”s sacrilege.

Maddox: That”s the best I can do. Now, if a certain master pumpkin decorator wanted to give me lessons, I wouldn”t say no.

I licked my lips, my stomach somersaulting a bit. This man was so damn smooth.

My fingers started to type of their own accord.

Cami: I can do that.

I had no idea where this was coming from, but I didn”t want to question it.

He called me right away.

”So, when are you free?” Maddox asked as soon as I answered.

I laughed nervously. I hadn”t expected him to call to plan a meeting so quickly.

”I”m flexible, although I have to say, we’re fully booked this week if the weather holds. Maybe we can get together next week if you”re in Essex.”

”I”m coming twice a week, at least.”

”Then I guess we”ll just play it by ear, huh?”

”Sure. Your dad okay? He seemed a bit off.”

I wondered how much to tell him.

”Yes. Well, he said he didn”t sleep well. He”s actually considering taking a vacation.” And then I added, ”You were right.”

”About what exactly?”

”That he does want to retire. I honestly figured that he was just... I”m not even sure what I figured.”

”Cami, what”s stopping you from selling? Aside from not liking me.”

I grinned.

”Although, I think lately that part is debatable,” he went on.

Now I was downright laughing. God, this man.

”I wouldn”t even know what to do next. That”s the problem. The park is my whole life. It would be a huge change. But I”m considering it for Dad”s sake.”

There was a split second of silence, and then Maddox asked, ”Have you thought about buying him out?”

”I did, but that wouldn”t really work. In order to properly compensate him, I”d have to take out a huge loan, and that would wipe out any profits for fifteen years or so. I couldn’t reinvest or anything. I calculated it once with my bank adviser.”

The fact that he”d even asked me about that option instead of using this moment as a bargaining chip was warming my heart. How had I misjudged Maddox so badly in the beginning? Or had I projected what I wanted to see in him? I truly had no idea.

”I have to go. My next group just arrived.”

”Sure. Have a great day, Cami. And if you want to send me more pictures of you with the pumpkins, I won”t mind.”

That warmth turned to heat, and it spread throughout my entire body.

”Hmm, I wouldn”t have thought that you’d have such an interest in pumpkins,” I teased.

”No, not pumpkins. You. Only you.”

”Glad we settled that.” My cheeks were on fire.

”I can’t wait to see you next time I’m in Essex.”

”Back at you.”