Chapter 8

"I see you have become familiar with the kitchen." He came behind her as she poured the beans into the filter. He had awakened to find the space beside him empty.

"Nothing complicated. Just coffee. I still hate the kitchen." She leaned back against him and closed her eyes, savoring the feel of his lean, muscular body pressing up on hers. She was already dressed to go but did not care about being late.

She wanted to linger over coffee and pretend they were a normal couple. Perhaps just this morning. After last night, the talks about what happened in the past and her tears, followed by the subsequent cleansing of his tender lovemaking, she was starting to feel at peace.

"I need to greet you properly." Turning her around, he gazed at her with glowering eyes, his sensuous sweeping of her face sending tingles all over her body. "Hi." Cupping her face, he brushed his lips over hers before plunging his tongue into her mouth.

She had time to draw a deep breath before the passion was spiraling between them. She clung to him; her body fused to his as she melted in his hot embrace. Tearing his lips from hers, he trailed melting kisses down her neck and then back to her lips, where he devoured her.

Ending the kiss, he put her away from him, his body a churning mass of desire so profound, it took his breath.

"Coffee," he rasped, stepping back. "I would suggest we call off work and spend the entire day together, but I think I know what that answer would be."

Pressing a hand over her galloping heart, Camelia leaned against the counter weakly and took several deep breaths. "You have crucial meetings, and I made an appointment with Sylvia Cross."

"The up-and-coming designer."

"Yes. She is in demand now and I want to get the scoop before she is inundated by eager reporters. Hayes–"

"I want to see you tonight." He brushed past her to pour the coffee into the two cups she had laid out. "I have several meetings lined up, and I have to end things with Simone."

"Hayes–"

"If you are planning on pissing me off by telling me not to end things with her, please don't," he warned as he handed her the cup. "I will not have it."

"Still arrogant and entitled, I see."

"I was never entitled," he told her with a smug smile.

"Arrogant then." She sighed as she took a seat around the counter. "What will you tell her?"

"That I am still in love with you."

"She could go to the press and start what I am trying to avoid."

"I doubt she would do that. Her family and mine have been close for years." Taking his coffee with him, he sat across from her. "The charitable arm of the company is the biggest contributor to the museums she and her dad run. They will want to keep it that way."

"Don't you feel any remorse about hurting her?"

He gazed at her steadily as he sipped the coffee. She looked fresh and beautiful. The thin silk sweater was the color of ripe plums, and it suited her complexion. Her hair was styled elegantly into a chignon at the nape of her neck, and he imagined the dark brown strands spread out on the pillows as he made love to her.

"Hayes."

"What?"

"Stop looking at me like that."

"I cannot help it, and yes, I will regret hurting her, but it cannot be helped."

"You must have felt something for her to be with her for what? Six months?"

"I liked her wit, and I was attracted to her. I thought we could build something from that," he admitted.

"And if I hadn't come back?" she asked casually, feeling the burning inside her chest at the thought of him with someone else. "Would you have married her?"

"I was leading up to it," he said with a shrug. Wintergreen eyes studied her face, and a smile touched his sensuous lips. "No need for jealousy. You are the only woman who has ever held my heart, and come to think of it, everything else."

"I am not jealous."

"You are also a terrible liar." Finishing the coffee, he came around. Turning her to face him, he stepped between her thighs. "You are honest to a fault, and that is one of your greatest assets, among others. Now kiss me goodbye and tell me what time we will meet up later."

"I never said anything about meeting you later," she murmured, sliding her hands over his chest.

"It was implied." Tilting her chin up, he bent his head to kiss her. With a sigh of surrender, she wrapped her hands around his neck and returned his kiss with a fervor that had his heart hammering and his knees going weak.

"Cammy." Saying her name steadied him somewhat, but he had to end the kiss to try and get some control. Resting his forehead, he took deep breaths to regain control. "Cammy."

Her hands tightened around his neck as she leaned against him.

"I have to go, he told her hoarsely.

"Why do I have the feeling that as soon as you walk out that door, I will discover I had been dreaming?" she whispered. "For years I dreamed that you were with me in bed, only to wake up to find the place empty and cold. I was so cold, Hayes.

The sheets could not warm me and no matter the heat inside the room, it was never enough. It was not like that last night because you were next to me."

His head lifted, his face taut with passion. "You will never be cold again," he swore. "I will keep you warm. You will never have to go through anything like that again, do you hear me? Never."

"I hear you." She smiled tremulously. "I know."

"I am telling her today."

"Hayes–"

"No." He shook his head. "I have to get it out of the way."

"I was just going to say: I love you."

His eyes darkened. "Good, because I love you too."

*****

He had offered to meet her at the museum, somewhere public where he would not be subjected to a scene. The fact that he was not looking forward to it should have warned him of what was coming.

On top of that, his mother had met him as he was going upstairs to get ready and insisted on having a conversation.

"I don't have time."

"I would appreciate it if you would." She led the way into her private sitting room. "I might have done something terrible in your opinion, but I am still your mother. I take it you were with Camelia last night?"

"Yes," he responded shortly, refusing to sit on one of the plush blue and white chairs.

"I see." Taking a seat around her Louis IV desk, she clasped her hands and stared at him. "So, it's official. You are together?"

"It's unofficial for the moment. She wants time."

"And you don't."

"No, Mother, I want to shout it to the world that I am with the woman I love. But I agreed to give her the time she needs."

"Have you considered the implications, the repercussions?" she demanded. "You have a company to run–"

"And I have to think about my personal life."

"What of children, Hayes? Don't tell me you will be satisfied with a woman who cannot produce an heir."

His eyes darkened. "I cannot think about that. I will do everything in my power to see if the situation can be rectified."

"And if it can't be? If she will never be able to give you children?"

"Then we damn well adopt!" he bit out. "I am not doing this with you, Mother. I love her."

"She clouds your judgment! Always has. you are obsessed–"

"I am." He smiled grimly. "And I feel no shame about it. I love her completely and am willing to be with her, no matter the cost."

"Hayes–"

"Enough! Accept her or don't, but it does not matter."

"And poor Simone? She called here last night, you know, trying to find you."

"And what did you tell her?"

"I had to lie. I told her you were probably at the club."

"I never asked you to." He turned toward the doors and stopped. "You never approved of her, did you? She said something of that nature to me, and I brushed it away. Her parents were not our social equals, and you didn't like that." He turned to look at her.

"And I was right," she admitted angrily. "Look what that awful man did to his wife? And she was a tramp–"

"Mother–"

"I will have my say! She came onto your father, tried to seduce him, and he refused. He saw her for what she was—an opportunist who would open her legs to any man as long as it got her what she wanted."

"I don't care about that."

"What if her daughter is the same?"

She drew back in her seat as he advanced slowly, a menacing look on his face. "You are speaking about the woman who will be my wife. Be very careful mother, in saying something you cannot come back from. Am I clear?"

"You are my son–"

"So, don't make me choose, or you are going to lose." Without another word, he turned and slammed out of the room.

*****

"Darling!" Simone cried, running toward him with outstretched arms. "It seems like ages since I last saw you. Now that you are here, I am inclined to forgive you." Tucking her hand through his arm, she led him through the large space where the displays were.

"I must show you something. I know you said you wanted to talk, but this will only take a few minutes. The new shipment just came in, and this sculpture came from Italy.

It's a fascinating piece that's rumored to have been around for centuries. I have been rhapsodizing over it since it arrived this morning. What do you think?"

He wanted to end the conversation, and the delay drove him crazy. The conversation with his mother this morning had unsettled him so much that he had to call Camelia as soon as he reached the office just to hear her voice.

"It's lovely."

"Lovely." Turning to face him, she eyed him curiously. "You are distracted. Is it that troublesome negotiation?"

"No. Can we go to your office?"

"Of course," Simone said lightly, but the premonition was growing. He had been out of touch and not answering her calls for a week now.

"Daddy went to a meeting at the bank—"Opening the office door, she went to the coffee pot to pour some into a cup. "I have a feeling I am going to need something stronger," she murmured as she walked back to her desk.

"I am sorry, Simone."

"For what you are about to say or the fact that you have been avoiding me?"

"Both. And I have not been avoiding you." He did not sit but wandered over to the window to stare out at the stunning display of fall, the trees with their myriads of colors depicting the season.

"You have been with her."

"Yes." He turned to face her. "I love her."

"You said you would never forgive her for what she did to you."

"Things were revealed that I did not know."

"Such as?" The coffee was getting cold, but she had poured it to give herself something to do.

"She did not leave of her own free will, and she had a miscarriage." He shook his head. "I am in love with her and always will be."

"And the promises you made to me—the fact that I was expecting to receive an offer from you, does not matter to you."

"I apologize." He ran a hand around the back of his neck. "The last thing I ever wanted to do was hurt you."

"And yet here we are," she said bitterly. "Well at least you had the decency to come and tell me to my face. We have been going around together for several months. We have been called a couple. Now what?"

"She does not want us to go public just yet."

She looked at him in surprise. "Why on earth not?"

"Because of what she went through with her parents. Being seen with me will start the scandal up again and she is not ready for that yet."

"But you are," she surmised.

"I don't care," he admitted grimly. "She is the only woman I have ever loved and will ever love, and I need her in my life." he shook his head at the look on her face. "I apologize–"

"Why? You are just being honest." Sitting down, she folded her hands on the desk. "I always knew you never loved me, and I never asked for anything you could not give. But I was prepared to accept half of the commitment. I told myself it did not matter, and it didn't–" Taking a deep breath, she lifted her chin.

"Get out of my office, Hayes. If you came here expecting me to be amenable to the breakup, you are in for a disappointment. Just go."

Staring at her for a moment, he turned and walked out, closing the door behind him.

Picking up the cup, she heaved it against the wall, relishing the sound of the fine China crashing. Tears brightened her eyes, and she felt her heart pounding inside her chest. She had lost. To that oversized bitch. She had waltzed back here, and he had gone running to her. Well, it was not over, not by a long shot!

*****

"Will you meet me? Just for a few minutes. I need to see you."

"Is something wrong?"

"No. I just need to see you. There is an empty lot a few miles from where you are. It belongs to the company. Please."

"On my way."

Hayes arrived before she did and sat behind the wheel, staring at the rolling hills and the verdant and lush landscape. They had acquired the land to build condos but were still contemplating that.

He felt drained. He had hurt a lovely woman who had been there for him, and it pained him.

Lifting his head at the sound of the car engine, he exited the vehicle and waited until the car came to a stop. The sight of her brightened him instantly. Moving toward her, he pulled her into his arms and inhaled her scent, his heart steadying.

"That bad?" she whispered, her hands rubbing his back soothingly.

"I couldn't wait until later." Raising his head, he cupped her face and kissed her hungrily.

"You told her."

"Yes." Taking her hand, he led her to his vehicle and opened the passenger side for her to get in.

"And?" She waited until he had climbed behind the wheel and turned toward her.

"She did not take it well."

"What did you expect? That she would thank you and ask to be friends?" she uttered softly. "She is a woman scorned, after all," Reaching for his hands, she linked their fingers. "It had to be done."

He nodded, green eyes hooded.

"What?"

"I love you," he murmured. "And I would do anything for you."

"I know."

He hesitated, and she watched as he seemed to struggle with what he was about to say.

"My mother thinks I am obsessed."

"Aren't you?" she teased him lightly. "I already told you that when we were teenagers. And possessive. You wanted to punch Billy Grant for stealing a kiss."

"And you let him." His eyes glowered at her. "You wanted to make me jealous."

Letting go of his hand; she turned it over and slid her fingers slowly over his palm. "Perhaps I wanted to pay you back for having lunch with the very blonde and very dumb Carissa Gibbons." Her head lifted to give him a challenging look. "And to remind you that two can play the same game."

He gave her a wry look. "You knew very well that Carissa and I have been friends since we were children. Her parents and mine were friends."

"Still..." She drew circles in his palm, sending heat rushing through his body. The woman was lethal, he thought, his body hardening. "I had to teach you a lesson."

"And that lesson was that I belonged to you?" he queried.

"Something like that. What else did she say?"

"Who? Carissa?"

"No, you idiot. Your mother." She smiled at the dazed look on his handsome face.

"I don't- stop that." He bit off a groan when she lifted his hand and placed an open mouth kiss on the skin. "You witch." Hauling her into his arms, he took her lips in a ravenous kiss that had her reeling.

*****

Camelia's euphoria lasted throughout the day. She had spent almost an hour with Hayes and missed lunch, but it had been worth it. A smile touched her lips as she recalled the frenzied lovemaking in the back seat of his BMW. It was a good thing she always had wipes and toilet paper in her glove compartment and deodorant.

Even so, she wondered if she smelled of sex. Certainly, his expensive cologne was still clinging to her sweater, and she could not get the taste of him out of her mouth.

It had been that way when they were younger. The inability to stay away from each other for long periods of time had always confounded them and had certainly frightened her.

She would be with her friends, strolling through the mall or grabbing coffee at their favorite spot when the urge would hit her. She would leave in the middle of being with them to go and find him, only to discover that he was doing the same thing.

She jolted at the knock on the door to see her assistant standing there. "Yes?"

"There is a Simone Bledsoe here to see you. She does not have an appointment."

Camelia felt a sudden prick of apprehension as she recognized the name of Hayes' ex. She had expected some kind of confrontation, but not this quickly.

"Tell her I will meet her in the parking lot."

"Of course." The woman gave her a curious look which was ignored. She would handle this with grace and extreme care. She could not blame the woman for coming to see her or for being angry.

She had been with Hayes, and Camelia knew firsthand what that was like. Not to mention the fact that Simone Bledsoe had lost an extremely wealthy suitor. She was bound to be pissed.

She found her seated on one of the benches near a rose bush. The sight of the sleek blonde wearing a very expensive and clingy red wool dress with a white cashmere jacket draped over her svelte figure had Camelia's step faltering a little.

Squaring her shoulders, she made a few steps toward the woman and sat down. "I would have asked you into my office, but I have a feeling this conversation is more suited out here." She turned to face Simone.

"How did you do it?"

"I am not sure I know what you mean."

"You roped him back in." Simone's light blue eyes were glittering. "After you left him without a word and broke him into pieces, he still chose you. What do you have on him?"

Camelia stared at her for a few seconds before pulling the jacket around her. It was heading into December and the weather gave every indication that the winter was going to be rough.

"We have a bond," She looked at the woman. "A connection from the very first day we met, and it only got stronger. I am sorry for the hurt and pain we have caused you–"

"You came back with the intention of worming your way back into his life. Admit it." she demanded.

Camelia's eyes flashed. "I came back with the intention of picking up the pieces of my life. I had no intention of ever being with Hayes again."

"And yet you are together. He told me things about you. Awful things. Like how you were a selfish bitch who went away to get rid of his baby." Simone's expression turned gleeful at the surprised look on her face.

"You didn't know that, did you? He confided in me. We had a bond as well. He sought comfort from me and told me things about you. He loved me–"

"I am sure in his own way he did." Camelia hid her fury behind a smile. "I am sure he did, but Hayes and I knew a long time ago that as long as one or both of us were alive, we would never love another the way we feel for each other.

Like I said, I did not plan this. The last thing I wanted was to get involved with him again. It just happened. I am afraid this is all the time I have to spare." She rose and started to walk away.

"It's not over," Simone called after her. "You might think you have him, but you don't."