14. Chapter 14
Chapter 14
Camila Flores
Y esterday was surreal. From the moment I woke up and heard a male voice in my house, I thought I was dreaming. And when I saw Vicente Godoy sitting on my sofa, I thought I had completely lost it.
Nothing could have prepared me for the conversation we had. It’s so easy to talk to him. Besides Mrs. Evans, I’ve never told anyone how I met Konstantine—or what my parents said to me.
I know our relationship at work has been improving—we’ve been more civil since he came back from Chile—but spending a full day with him, completely at ease, was something I would have never dreamed of.
“Mummy, we’re going to be late,” Ava calls from the living room.
I take one last look in the mirror. Even though Vicente saw me in leggings—even my pajamas—yesterday, I want to look cute at work today. Just in case I didn’t imagine the pull between us.
“I’m coming sweetie,” I say as I wink at myself and shimmy my shoulders. I haven’t felt this playful in ages.
“Wow, Mummy. You look pretty,” Ava says as we make our way out of the flat.
I can’t help the grin that appears on my face. “Thank you, baby,” I say, grabbing her hand and we head to her school. I thought I looked cute in this black-and-white dress, but the fact that my daughter also thinks so? That’s a great ego booster.
“Mummy, do you think Boss Man would want to have dinner with us again soon?” Ava voices what I’ve been thinking non-stop.
Did he enjoy last night as much as we did?
Yes, Ava and I have a great relationship and love spending time together, but Vicente added something different. For once, I didn’t have to be in mum mode the entire time. There were moments I could just be Camila—the woman.
And for Ava, having a male adult to interact with must have been a big change. It’s usually just Mrs. Evans and me around her.
“I don’t know, mi amor . But I hope he had as much fun as we did,” I tell her honestly, as I press a kiss to forehead before she heads into school.
I wave as I walk back and head to the Tube.
A shot of excitement courses through me as I think about how Vicente will treat me this morning. Are we going back to the boss-employee dynamic? Or are we going to share longing looks?
Ahhh! I’m making up too much stuff in my head.
Vicente Godoy is my hot, hot boss. Nothing else.
“Good morning, Camila. How are you feeling today?” Samantha asks from her desk as I step into the office.
“I’m good, thank you for asking,” I say, not wanting to share more details.
“I was so worried about you.”
I stop in my tracks, confused as to why she would be worried.
“Mr. Godoy was so flustered when he noticed you weren’t here. Then he asked for your address, and I thought he had gone to fire you,” she says the last words in a whisper.
I chuckle because if I hadn’t experienced yesterday myself, I would have thought he was going to fire me too. But there’s no way a man who cooked breakfast for me and my daughter, then spent the entire day watching movies with us, was planning to let me go.
“Actually, no. He just went to check on me,” I say, avoiding her gaze. The memory of him sitting next to me on the sofa replays in my mind, and I have to fight the urge not to smile too wide.
When I don’t hear a peep out of her, I finally glance up—and find her staring at me, eyes wide.
I mirror her reaction just as the lift doors slide open.
And in walks my boss.
The hottest man I’ve ever laid eyes on.
“Good morning, Ms. Smith. Camila,” he says in his gravelly tone, looking at Samantha first, then me.
His gaze lingers on me for a beat before he strides toward his office.
Today, he’s wearing another gray three-piece suit, a black briefcase in one hand while the other rests in his pocket—he looks like a runway model. And that strong whiskey and leather scent fills the air.
He’s a force to be reckoned with.
Samantha and I remain frozen in place.
Once he’s out of earshot, she leans in with a smirk. “Wow. Whatever happened yesterday, I’m glad it was a change in the right direction,” she says, throwing a wink.
I don’t confirm or deny a thing—just head straight to my office, keeping a straight face.
When I step inside, Vicente is already there, waiting for me.
He’s standing with one leg crossed over the other, leaning back against my desk, a disarming smirk playing on his lips.
“Mr. Godoy, good morning. I’ll be back with your coffee and cookies in no time.”
He clears his throat as he raises a brow, and I chuckle.
“Vicente.”
The moment I say his name, a slow sexy smile graces his lips.
“I’ll be just a minute."
“Camila, wait.”
He steps toward me—slow, deliberate—and my insides catch fire. Right now, I feel like a little lamb about to be devoured by the big bad wolf.
“How’s Ava this morning? Did you both have a good night?” he asks, worry evident in his eyes.
This man—how can he stake a claim on my core and my heart at the same time?
“Umm, good. She’s definitely much better this morning. Thank you for asking,” I stammer, unsure how to react to his attention. “I’ll be right back.”
He gives me the slightest nod, and I power walk to the break room, praying no one is there to ask me anything about yesterday.
As I start preparing his coffee and plating a fresh batch of cookies, I wonder if the pull between us is still there—and if he’ll do something about it.
We won’t have wandering eyes on us, that’s for sure.
But even if he does do something today… would I want him to?
Gosh, I haven’t kissed a man in so long, let alone dated.
I would be the biggest liar on the planet if I didn’t admit to myself how many feelings he has awakened in me.
I guess I’ll just wait and see what he does—before panicking about something that hasn’t happened yet.
“Camila, I was hoping you could cancel all my appointments regarding new ventures and new investments,” he says after taking the first sip of his coffee.
I keep my face neutral as I type on my tablet, but for the life of me, I can’t figure out what’s going on. It’s like he did a 180 from one day to the next.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Godoy.” I clear my throat when I catch my mistake. “Vicente.”
I smile, and he watches me intently as takes a bite of his cookie.
“I know it’s not my place to question your decisions, but the last twenty-four hours have me very confused,” I admit.
He studies me for a beat, then grabs a napkin and cleans a few stray crumbs from his face—and damn, the man has me wanting to be a napkin for crying out loud.
“It’s fine to be curious, Camila. Actually, your input helped me open my eyes while I was in Chile.”
This time I can’t help the way my eyebrows shoot up, and he rewards me with a deep chuckle. The sound hits me square in the chest like a shot of adrenaline, waking up a side of me that hasn’t felt alive in forever.
“How so?” I ask, shifting in my seat trying to help ease the ache in my core.
“Well, I heard the voicemail you sent me, and it was just what I needed to hear.” He takes another sip of his coffee as he looks at me.
His gaze has me enraptured. He’s a mystery I want to discover.
“Let’s just say I had a very enlightening conversation with the employees at the vineyard. I finally saw a plan take shape—one that will take Hacienda Carmen to the next level.”
His excitement is contagious.
He leans closer to me, and a tingling sensation travels down my spine.
Is he going to kiss me?
Instead, he tucks a piece of hair behind my ear.
To avoid looking awkward, I brush a cookie crumb from his lip—they’re smooth, soft, and I can’t help but wish I had the nerve to kiss him right now.
We stare at each other for a few beats before I shake my head and clear my throat.
“Well, I’m glad I was of service,” I say, double-tapping my tablet to wake it up. “So, I guess all this talk about not having meetings with new investors has to do with the fact that you’re moving to Chile?”
Even though I’m glad I was able to help him find the right path for his future, I can’t help but feel the dread of losing my job when he moves back home. Because if one thing is clear, my life is here, and there are plenty of employees at the hacienda to become his assistant.
“Yes, that’s my plan. But actually, there’s something I would like to talk about with you. Any chance you can come with me for lunch?”
I stop typing the moment I realize he’s asking me out.
“Please, Camila?” The way his eyes light up—filled with hope and something I can’t quite describe—does me in.
“Yes, of course. I’ll make reservations for noon.”
He smiles, and I find myself smiling back.
I take his coffee mug and cookie plate to the kitchenette and get to work canceling and readjusting his schedule for the rest of the week.
Just as I’m about to head to the loo before meeting Vicente for lunch, the phone rings.
I sigh and pick up the receiver.
“Good afternoon, this is Camila, Mr. Godoy’s assistant. How may I help you?”
“Camila, it’s Durán. How are you, mija ?”
“Oh, Mr. Durán! I’m doing well, thank you for asking. How can I help you?”
“Well, I was wondering if you could arrange an appointment with your boss? I would like to invite him to tour the farms where we’ll be producing the cocoa beans he’s planning to use in his new venture in Alamo Peaks.”
Oh, wow. That sounds amazing. I’m so jealous that Vicente will get to go to Colombia. I haven’t been in years.
“Oh, of course. I’ll pass your message along and will get back to you with a date,” I inform him.
“Thank you, I’ll be waiting.”
The line clicks off just as Vicente walks out of his office, adjusting his jacket.
“Ready?”
I glance at my reflection in my computer screen, regretting I didn’t have a chance to touch up my makeup. Pushing the thought aside, I stand from my chair and meet his gaze.
“Yes, of course,” I say as I make my way to stand in front of him.
“This way.” He shows me to the lift as he places his hand on the low of my back.
Everyone watches us, mouths wide open as we make our way out of the building.
It’s safe to say he’s never done this with any of his assistants before. I chuckle at the thought—to be fair, his only assistant before me was Mrs. Evans.
“Oh, Vicente, before we left, I got a call from Mr. Durán. He wants to invite you to tour the farms in Colombia,” I say.
Vicente’s eyes sparkle with intrigue as I continue, telling him about my conversation with Mr. Durán and how amazing Colombia's landscape is.