Chapter 14
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Fletch
My mind is going a million miles a minute as we drive out of the city.
I have thousands of questions about Camryn’s roommate, her neighbors, and her.
She was definitely crying when I arrived.
I felt such an overwhelming need to comfort her.
I have no idea why and I can’t think about that right now. I need to focus.
Glancing over, I study Camryn. She’s looking out the window. Her eyes aren’t glazed over like before but she looks deep in thought.
“Everything alright?” I ask again. I tell myself that I’m asking because I need her to make our company look good in this competition. But that’s a lie, a lie I’m not willing to explore.
Fuck, what the hell is wrong with me?
She looks back over at me, her eyes searching mine. “I’m fine. Just…mentally preparing,” she says as she gives me a small smile, but it doesn’t reach her eyes and I know she’s lying.
I nod. The driver pulls off the main road onto a long treelined drive.
I’ve been to events out at this estate before but it’s been years.
As the manor house comes into view, I’m reminded of how impressive it is.
I glance over and see Camryn’s eyes widen.
I fight a smile at her innocent reaction to the size of the dwelling.
It was built by a wealthy family in the early nineteen hundreds.
There are gardens, a gatekeeper’s house, a groundskeeper’s cottage, stables, and a dozen other little outbuildings on fifty acres.
But it’s the main house that’s impressive as hell.
Built from reclaimed buildings abroad, it’s in the Tudor style of an English manor house.
Its steep roof pitches and stonework remind me of places I’ve stayed in the English countryside.
The competition itself will take place in climate-controlled tents in the back gardens of the property.
We come to a stop and the driver gets out and opens the car doors for us. Camryn stands perfectly still as I walk around the car. There’s a bustle of activity around us as staff take luggage and offer us drinks. Camryn takes a flute of champagne with only a simple “thank you.”
I’m about to ask her again if she’s alright but an older woman approaches us.
“Camryn Tanner?” she asks.
Camryn nods.
The woman holds out her hand. “I’m Felicity Centric, the producer for the show. I’m going to get you settled.” Felicity looks around. “Where’s Amber?”
“Oh, she said she needed to check in on her mother and she’d drive separately,” Camryn explains.
“OK. Well, we’ll get you two set up now and I’ll meet Amber later, then,” Felicity says as she claps her hands and motions for us to follow her.
We walk inside into the grand foyer. “We’ve put your team in the Lexington Suite upstairs. I hope that’s fine,” she says as we follow her up the staircase and down a hall.
“Sure,” Camryn says as we approach large double doors. Felicity takes out a key card and opens them. They have clearly been added more recently. The hallway continues past them with a couple of bedrooms with en suites and a large living area at the end of the hall.
“This is all your suite. I put you and Amber in here,” she says as she motions to a door, and Camryn peeks inside.
It’s a large suite with two queen beds and a sitting area.
“And you’re over here, Mr. McDowell.” She motions across the hall to a large king-bed suite.
“The Wi-Fi passwords and information about the competition with times and locations are in your welcome packets. We have a reception in the great hall tonight at seven after dinner. Dinner will be served at six in the formal dining room. Any questions?”
“Nope,” Camryn says as she takes her suite key from Felicity.
“I think we’re good. Thank you, Felicity,” I say as I accept a key.
“Wonderful. I’ll see you both at dinner,” she says as she leaves us standing in the hallway. I look past Camryn to see her luggage has already been set out in her room.
“Well, I…uh…I guess we should get settled,” I suggest because staring at the bed behind her has my mind concocting impossible situations that it should not.
My gaze goes back to her, but instead of looking directly into her eyes, I note that her sweater has slipped to one side, exposing the black strap of her bra.
Fuck. I need to get my mind out of the gutter.
I clear my throat and force myself to look into her eyes. She’s watching me with a mild smirk on her lips. Damn it. I’ve been caught ogling her.
I look down at the packet I snatched off my bed while she was talking to Felicity and I pull out the papers. The top one is the agenda for this weekend.
“It’s business casual for dinner this evening,” is all I manage to say as I turn to go into my bedroom. I don’t look back as I close the door and lean back against it. This is going to be the most trying three weeks of my life.
I decide to spend most of the next hour catching up on work. I have change orders to approve and a quick video chat with our general contractor. By the time I finish, it’s five twenty. I hear a shower turn off and then a blood-curdling scream.
I jump out of my seat and run across the hallway, throwing open Camryn’s bedroom door and looking around wildly.
“Camryn!” I call out as I scan my surroundings.
I run toward the bathroom when I don’t see her in the bedroom.
Flinging the door open, I come face to face with a half-naked Camryn.
A towel is wrapped around her body but barely.
Her hair is wet and she’s standing on the toilet making her taller than me by a few inches.
“What in the…” I trail off as I try to figure out what the hell is going on in here.
“S-spider,” she stammers as she points to a small spider in the corner of the room.
I look back at her with a raised eyebrow and point to it. “That is the reason for…this,” I say as I motion to her on the toilet.
She nods. Her eyes are wide and her face is flushed. She’s legitimately scared.
I suddenly envision dumping hundreds of spiders in her café. I didn’t think getting rid of it would be so easy. I shake my head at the ridiculous thought.
“How do you function in the real world?” I ask her as I bend down and scoop the spider on my hand.
“Oh, God! Get it away!” she screeches as she tries to crawl anywhere, which ends up being on the counter of the sink.
I groan in frustration at her reaction. I take the spider to the small balcony off her room and let it go into some ivy that’s growing along the bricks.
“There you go. Wouldn’t want you scaring our star contestant, now would we?” I say to it with a roll of my eyes.
I walk back inside to find Camryn still crouched on the sink. Her shapely legs are exposed and her breasts are almost popping out of the top of the towel.
“I-is it gone?” she asks as she clutches at the towel.
“Yes,” I answer, standing in front of her.
Her phone begins to ring and her gaze darts to the bed.
“Can you…” She trails off and points to the bed, clearly wanting me to get her phone for her.
“You can’t be serious?” I give her a pointed look.
“I’m dead serious,” she says, her fiery anger starting to take over now that the fear is subsiding.
“Camryn, don’t be ridiculous. The spider is gone. You’re fine,” I state dryly as I step to the side to allow her to get down. She looks around and I know she can’t figure out how to get off the sink.
I hold out a hand to help her down.
“Cover your eyes,” she insists.
I sigh and close my eyes.
“Are your eyes closed all the way?” she asks.
“Yes,” I grumble.
I feel her hand slide into mine and a moment later her body weight tugs at my arm as she jumps down. She falters slightly and I pull her against me to steady her.
It’s at the moment of contact that I realize her towel has slipped loose because I feel her naked breasts pressed against my thin button-down shirt.
Holy hell! I feel my body begin to react and I don’t want her to know that she affects me like that.
I move my hips back slightly so I’m not pressing my hardening dick against her abdomen.
“Shit,” she squeaks, and her hands start moving, probably to get the towel, but if anything, I’m true to my word, and against every desire I have, I don’t peek.
She steps away. “You can open your eyes now,” she says, and I open them to find her standing a foot away, the towel wrapped around her once again.
"Are we better now?” I ask, masking my desire with sarcasm.
This time, it’s Camryn rolling her eyes. “Yes,” she huffs. Her cheeks are pink and her chest is flushed in the same color. Part of me wonders if I have any effect on her or if it’s just me who has inappropriate thoughts.
“Good. I’m going to send a few more emails before dinner,” I state as I walk past her, getting a whiff of honeysuckle. I need to get out of here before I do something stupid.
“Thanks,” she calls out meekly as I leave her room. I wave my hand in the air and leave without another word or look because I don’t trust myself around her, especially not when she’s nearly naked. How I’m going to survive the next three weeks, I have no idea.