Chapter Fourteen
Sue
His smile softened, warming his whole face. “I hope you know how incredible you are.”
I arched a brow. “Not really. But you’re welcome to keep reminding me.”
We both laughed, the tension from Brittany’s scene slowly dissolving back into something light and playful. If I’d had holy water in my purse, I would have spritzed it all around us to exorcise the last toxic fumes of her presence.
“Any man who survived her is pretty incredible, too.” I glanced discretely across the room at Britt’s table.
“I can see where she’s sitting. How about we give Enid a little indigestion?
Since we’re apparently basking in the glow of undying love tonight, let’s make it a production.
We should ask Emilio to take some photos of us. I’ll need them for my family.”
Cam raised my hand to his lips in a blatant display of passion. “I like you more every second, Susanne.”
A flash in the distance made me blink. It looked like other people were taking pictures too, although I hoped theirs wouldn’t be as fake as ours.
I eased back in my chair. “We’ll need to sync our stories before my parents arrive. I’m leaning toward love at first sight. My mom eats that stuff up—probably because that’s how it happened for her and my dad. If she only knew what I looked like at first sight...”
He chuckled. “Mrs. H said you had a ‘lovely pink glow.’ I thought you were hot.”
“Is that why you ran away from my apartment?”
“I ran away because I didn’t trust myself to be next to you while you were wearing nothing but a thin robe.”
My cheeks flamed, and I reached for my water glass. No more wine. At this rate, I’d be dragging him home by his tie.
“I’m really sorry about tonight,” Cam said, cutting into his steak.
“Britt brings out the worst in me. I know I’m supposed to be the bigger person, forgive, forget, and move on, but the truth is, she didn’t just hurt me.
She burned everything in her path. She ruined my friendship with Charles.
We built Omega together, and she tore us apart.
She convinced him I’d bleed him dry and made him sell me his shares.
Since she’d screwed all of his brains out, he was willing to do whatever she wanted.
I had to buy him out at a time when the company was barely holding on. ”
“In the end, it looks like she did you a favor.” I reached for the lobster fork. “Let’s not let her spoil our evening This meal is amazing. And it deserves our full attention.”
He nodded, lifting his fork. “You’re right. You always seem to be.”
“Well, not always. I do have a very spotty track record when it comes to choosing ex-fiancés. But I’m working on it.”
His smile deepened. “You’re one of a kind, Sue. I really am glad we met.”
My stomach did a slow, complicated flip of pleasure.
Even so, I reminded myself to keep expectations at a low simmer.
I’d seen his expression when Britt first showed up.
Something had flickered there, something unresolved.
Whether it was guilt, resentment, or some remnant of desire, I couldn’t say.
Whatever it was, it hadn’t evaporated just because he said the right words now.
He had made it clear he wasn’t looking for long term commitment, and I couldn’t allow myself to forget that.
The lobster and steak were grilled to buttery perfection, and the sauvignon blanc had that bright, crisp kick that made everything taste like summer.
By the time dessert rolled around, I was a little tipsy and a lot smitten.
Every casual brush of Cam’s hand sent goosebumps racing up my arms—even if half of it was for Brittany’s benefit.
Still, now and then I’d catch a glimpse of her out of the corner of my eye, watching us like a hawk in heels.
Even when I wasn’t looking, I could feel her eyes on me, burning holes into the back of my skull, one vengeful glare at a time.
Either that woman was fueled by rage alone, or she’d replaced her bloodstream with tequila.
The waiter returned to clear our plates, then reappeared with a silver tray bearing a small spread of cheese, fruit, and two flutes of champagne.
“Compliments of the house,” he said with a sympathetic smile. “The owner asked me to apologize for Mrs. Howard’s behavior. She can be a difficult woman.”
I raised an eyebrow and reached for one of the flutes. “I’m sure she can. But she didn’t ruin anything.” I lifted the glass in a toast. “Tell the owner thank you.”
“We’ll definitely be back,” Cam added. “That’s a promise.”
Amen to that!
Later, as we were discussing the best neighborhoods to live in, Emilio returned with his ever-polite smile. “Would you like coffee?”
I waved a hand. “None for me, thanks. I’m not quite ready for caffeine to drag me back to reality.”
Cam nodded. “Same. We’ll just finish the champagne, then we’ll take the check.”
“Of course. There’s no rush,” Emilio said, collecting our plates with quiet efficiency.
Most of the other diners had cleared out, and Brittany’s table was finally empty. Thank the gods of good champagne.
“In case I forget to say it later, thank you,” I murmured. “I had a wonderful time tonight.”
“So did I,” Cam said softly. “And I’m hoping this is just the first of many dates.”
God, please let it be true.
He pulled out his phone and tapped in a number. “Hi, Ray. We’ll be ready to leave in twenty minutes. Thanks.”
Emilio reappeared to take a few photos of us.
To his credit, he posed us like a saint moonlighting as a photographer.
And for a couple of people on their first official date, Cam and I moved as though we’d done this a hundred times before.
The feel of his hands on my waist and his breath tickling the back of my neck made me drunker than all the wine in the restaurant.
After Cam settled the bill, Emilio returned with my coat and helped me into it. The chill hit me the second we stepped outside, and I shivered involuntarily.
“You’re cold.” Cam slipped an arm around me, drawing me closer. The warmth of him seeped straight through my coat and into my bones.
Ray held the door open, and I rushed into the backseat. Cam followed and pulled me into his arms again. I let myself lean into him—tipsy, full, and happier than I’d ever been. Everything would work itself out. The girls wanted me to take a leap? I was halfway to the frigging moon!
After a few blocks, I glanced up at him. “Why didn’t you tell me you owned Omega Software? I assumed you just worked there. I mean, how many CEOs do in-services with schoolteachers?”
He hesitated, just for a beat. “Does it matter?”
My brow furrowed. “Not really. But it’s not exactly a minor detail.”
He gave a small smile. “I wanted to spend more time with you. When you mentioned you were the liaison for the school, I figured I’d volunteer for the in-service. That way, we’d have an excuse to keep talking.”
I blinked. “You infiltrated the committee for me?”
He grinned. “Technically, it was a mutually beneficial software initiative.”
“You romantic saboteur.”
He chuckled. “What can I say? I like your glow.”
I laughed and curled closer. “Well, my brother will be very impressed. My dad will probably wish you were a winemaker or a mechanic. My mom… she’ll want you to relocate the company to Warwick and start planting babies.”
“I’ll keep the getaway car running. But no way am I leaving you to face Neil and your mother on your own.”
“You say the sweetest things.”
I laid my head on his shoulder and kept it there for the twenty-minute drive back, the city lights flickering past in a slow, lazy blur. When Ray pulled up in front of our building, Cam helped me out into the chilly night air, his hand steady around mine.
He tipped Ray, then we walked up the outside stairs hand in hand.
“Turn around,” he said as we reached the front door.
I did. The full moon had risen, pouring silver over the world like spilled stardust. For a second, I was in an old black-and-white movie—a young Audrey Hepburn gazing up at a handsome Cary Grant, suspended in that cinematic magic that never fades.
“Some say wishes made under a full moon are more likely to come true,” he said. “Do you want to wish with me, Susanne?”
“I do.”
I grinned and closed my eyes.
I wished that whatever we’d started tonight would keep going, and that somewhere down the road, love and sex would be part of it… and when Brittany finally met Karma, I wanted a front row seat.
“All done?” I asked, my eyes still closed.
“Not yet.”
When I opened my eyes, he was looking down at me, the sparkle in his gaze unmistakable. My breath hitched. What now? This was uncharted territory. I’d never had a fake boyfriend before, so I wasn’t entirely sure what the protocol was—especially when the fake felt very, very real.
He lifted my hand and brushed a kiss against my knuckles. “I had a great time tonight.”
I bit my lower lip. “Me too.”
“How about breakfast tomorrow? There’s a great bagel place nearby. After that, we’ll hunt for ridiculous hats.”
I laughed. “Seriously, you don’t actually have to come hat shopping.”
“Oh, I do. You promised swans and nests and flamingos. I live for this now.”
“Fine.”
We stood for a moment, facing each other. The amusement faded slowly, and something deeper stretched out between us—charged and warm and terrifying in its intensity. Then he cupped my cheek and bent his head until I felt his warm breath over my skin.
First kisses are usually awkward—two people who don’t really know each other and need time to match, to learn their mutual rhythm and style, to figure out the right angles, to refine the pressure until it’s just right.
Not for us. That first kiss was perfect even before our lips met.
The way we angled our heads, the way we leaned closer to each other, the way he slid his tongue inside my mouth and I opened to him, sliding my tongue over his in a soft, evocative exploration.
Our lips met lightly at first, and then he claimed my mouth with a mastery that turned my knees to rubber. His tongue teased mine, tasting me slow and deep, and I lost myself into the most perfect kiss I’d ever had.
A moan was trapped inside my chest as my hands fisted the front of his coat, drawing him closer.
His warm hands slid under my coat, along the curve of my back, pressing me tighter against the solid heat of his body.
I melted into him, feeling the raw strength in him—and the restraint too, tight and trembling between us.
My blood boiled and I felt dizzy, greedy, stunned by the sudden want clawing up inside me. I’d never wanted a man the way I wanted him.
When he finally pulled away, his breath was uneven. His eyes, usually milk chocolate, turned dark coffee—black, deep, powerful, with a kick that jolted me to my core.
“Well, there’s my first wish come true,” he murmured, his voice low and rough.
My lips tingled. My brain had left the building. “Was that a fake boyfriend kiss?”
The corner of his mouth twitched as he brushed his thumb across my bottom lip. “Figure it out. Come on, it’s freezing out here.”
He guided me up the stairs, stopping at my door. One hand lifted to brush a knuckle across my cheek. “Goodnight, Sue. I’ll see you in the morning.”
I nodded, wordless. I watched him walk past me and disappear into Sebastian’s apartment. Only then did I let out a long, shaky sigh.
I raised my fingers to my lips, which were still tingling from his kiss.
Time to come back to Earth, Cinderella.
In a daze, I fumbled through my clutch, found my keys, and let myself into the apartment. God, this man… he was unreal. If one kiss could turn me into a melting puddle, I could only imagine what having him naked in my bed would do.
And that’s where the fantasy screeched to a halt, because my brain decided to bring Brittany into it.
What he’d had with her was real. Judging by the way he’d looked at her at first, he wasn’t exactly immune. I couldn’t believe he’d once been engaged to someone like her. As awful as she’d been as a teenager, she’d somehow upgraded to full-blown villain.
Cam said she used to be sweet. I knew better. I’d seen through her long before she became “the ex-fiancée.” There wasn’t a sweet bone in that surgically enhanced body. She probably faked her way into his bed, his heart—and, let’s be honest, likely screwed his brains out while she was at it.
My cheeks flushed at the memory of her smug little dig: he likes it hot in bed.
Ugh. I didn’t want to imagine her in bed at all, let alone with Cam. But now it was lodged in my brain like a cursed pop song.
What could she do that I couldn’t? Well, for one, I didn’t come with a stripper’s body in designer clothes. She was as close to physical perfection as humanly possible. If that’s what Cam wanted, then whatever this was between us would only ever be pretend.
But he’d been the one to ask me out. That had nothing to do with Brittany, or my parents, or this whole fake relationship plan. He’d wanted me.
I just didn’t know why.