He took a step back. "Think about everything I"ve said and if you"re interested, I"ll see you on the beach at noon."
As Vanessa watched him walk away she knew she had to get a grip. Over the past three years the man had tilted her world, and now he was proposing to rock it in a way it had never been rocked before. She inhaled deeply, then let the breath out slowly. No, she told herself, the thought of a meaningless fling with Cameron was too much. She wouldn"t even think about it.
She thought about it all morning. Pacing the confines of her sister"s living room, she went through the pros and cons of Cameron"s proposal, and it seemed the pros were tilting the scale.
If he had suggested such a thing five years ago, she would have told him just where he could go. But that would have been her pre-Harlan days, a time when she wanted to believe in romance and a forever kind of love.
She had grown up believing that two people could meet, fall in love and stay together for the rest of their lives, until death did them part. Her parents had done it, and so had her aunt and uncle. And when she had been looking at things through rose-colored gla.s.ses, she had wanted that same special love for herself.
But Harlan had taught her one vital lesson in life, something she wouldn"t ever forget: All that glittered wasn"t gold. She was older and smarter now and didn"t look through those rose-colored gla.s.ses anymore. After she"d thoroughly a.n.a.lyzed that summer in Europe, the one thing that stood out was how each day Harlan wanted to change her, mold her into the person he wanted by suggesting certain outfits for her to wear, foods that he preferred she eat and activities he"d rather they did. It was always what he wanted, without any consideration for what she wanted. It had always been about Harlan. He had controlled everything.
Even their lovemaking.
That night he hadn"t asked for any suggestions or ideas. He"d done things his way, mainly for his own satisfaction. And if he thought she had failed in pleasing him, well, if the truth were known, he hadn"t pleased her, either. But at the time she had fancied herself too much in love to care.
Now she did care.
After not having been intimate with a man since Harlan, the thought of a relationship with one just for s.e.x should be a turnoff. But knowing the man involved was Cameron was quite the opposite. He turned her on. Besides, the dynamics of a man-woman relationship weren"t what they used to be. Men, she told herself, no longer courted you. They seduced you.
So what was wrong with seducing them back?
There would be no misunderstandings in their relationship. There would be a beginning and an end. And most importantly, it would be a way finally to get Cameron to leave her alone and a way finally to get the one thing her body needed. A man.
But not just any man.
It needed the man who"d so ruthlessly invaded her dreams, the man who could stare at her from across a room and make heat swell within her. The man who could start her pulse-her pleasure points-to beating in a way that sent blood racing through her veins.
And she would be the one in control.
That was the one thing that appealed to her. How would Cameron react once stripped of control? Once unable to call the shots? He would have a hard time of it, no doubt, but she would enjoy every single minute. was the one thing that appealed to her. How would Cameron react once stripped of control? Once unable to call the shots? He would have a hard time of it, no doubt, but she would enjoy every single minute.
Every single inch of him.
She sighed deeply. Was she crazy to consider such a thing? Or was she crazy not to? She would be going into the affair with both eyes open, with no unrealistic expectations. There would be no future in the brief relationship they shared but at least her celibate days would come to an end. For the rest of her stay on this island, she would put out of her mind that Cameron Cody had to be the most insufferably irritating man she"d ever met and instead concentrate on how he was also the handsomest and s.e.xiest. Being around him, looking into the darkness of his eyes, studying those intriguing lips and knowing what it would feel like being touched by those big, strong hands, being made love to with an intensity that took her breath away, was worth the risk.
For a short while she wouldn"t feel guilty about being so incredibly attracted to him. She would take Sienna"s advice and finally take her "edge off." And what better person to do it with than a man who was so utterly male? She and Cameron were spontaneous combustion just waiting to explode, just as Sienna claimed.
Besides, it was about time someone taught Cameron a lesson in humility. Not everything in life got played by his terms, his wants and his desires. People weren"t like corporations; he couldn"t just come in and take over their lives because they caught his eye for the moment.
A smile touched the corners of her lips. For the second time in his life Cameron Cody was about to get outdone by a Steele. The first time her family had effectively shown him that family devotion was worth a lot more than his money. Now, with single-minded determination, she intended to show him that there were some things you just couldn"t control. He was about to discover that all his management theories couldn"t be applied to a personal relationship, not even a short-term one.
Whether Cameron realized it, he had met his match.
Chapter 6.
It was high noon.
For Vanessa, the path leading from Cheyenne"s home down to the beach had never seemed so long. She had changed from the sundress she"d been wearing earlier to a pair of shorts and matching top that were meant to capture Cameron"s full attention, not that she didn"t think she"d had it earlier when he had been standing on her doorstep.
She had seen the way his eyes had roamed over her. She had felt the heat in the gaze that had touched different parts of her body. At the time she"d been so taken aback by his proposal she had dismissed the intensity of his look.
In the future, when it came to him she wouldn"t dismiss anything. She would keep her eyes and ears open, and, more than anything, she would keep her heart intact. She would not make the same mistake with him that she had with Harlan.
As soon as her bare feet touched the heated sand, another kind of heat quickly spread through her. Cameron had laid out a towel on the beach a safe distance from the water, and he had brought the basket she"d given him yesterday. But what caught her eye was the man himself.
He was shirtless, wearing only a pair of khaki shorts. Probably he had on his swimming trunks under the shorts, just like she was wearing her two-piece bathing suit under her outfit.
Regardless of the smell of the ocean water, she discovered the closer she got to him that his scent enveloped her. He was standing, looking out over the ocean with his back to her, but not for one minute did she think he wasn"t aware of her approach. Her gaze traveled over him, appreciating the corded muscles of his back.
When she got within five feet of him, he slowly turned and her gaze automatically latched on to the bare, muscular contours of his chest and the spa.r.s.e dark hairs covering it. Bringing her gaze back to his face, she watched the corners of his lips tilt in a slow, devastatingly handsome smile, the impact of which she could feel all the way to her womb. It was an intense tug that made her inner muscles clench.
"Thanks for coming," he said in a low, s.e.xy voice that made her heart begin thumping and made goose b.u.mps rise on her arm. "I"m going to make sure you don"t regret your decision."
She came to a stop beside him. "We"ll see, Cameron, but first we need to talk, to get a few things straight upfront. I want to make sure we understand each other completely."
He nodded. "All right. And after we talk I suggest we eat since it"s lunchtime. Do you want to sit here to talk or do you want to walk along the beach?"
The thought of the two of them strolling along the beach together set up a romantic picture in her mind, and she didn"t want to think romance. "We can sit and talk right here."
He nodded before taking her hand to a.s.sist her down on the huge towel. The moment their hands touched, she felt an electric current charge through her body and knew he felt it, as well. He sat down beside her. When one of his bare legs brushed against hers, her heartbeat quickened. The s.e.xual chemistry between them was overpowering. Even if she had had on layers and layers of clothing, she still would have felt his touch. Every fiber of her body was attuned to him, but she was determined to dispel some of that high-voltage s.e.xual tension that gripped them, made her forget about talking and want only to lie on this towel with him, naked, instead.
"So what are your rules?"
His words interrupted her thoughts and she glanced over at him. Even sitting there as casual as he wanted to be, he still looked dominating, far more powerful and commanding than she liked.
The sooner she told him just how things would be between them, the better. Then he could take her proposal or leave it. She was inclined to think he would leave it, because a part of her refused to believe he could put total control in her hands.
The next few minutes would tell.
"I want to share an affair with you, Cameron, for the remainder of the time I have left on the island. Twelve days to be exact. During that time I will forget my dislike of you, and I want you to forget your dislike of me."
"I don"t dislike you. In fact I like you. A lot."
His words gave her pause, and it took a few moments to regroup her thoughts. "Okay, maybe your feelings for me are not as intense as my feelings for you, but even you would admit we really don"t get along."
"That was your choice. You turned me down each and every time I asked you out. You refused to get within ten feet of me."
Glancing down, Vanessa rubbed the bridge of her nose, wondering how they had strayed off the subject. She decided to use the opportunity to make him see that, unlike in the past, she wouldn"t be putting distance between them now...not as long as she was in control.
"Forget about the past, Cameron, because I"m within ten feet of you now, aren"t I? I"m sitting so close to you, I"m practically in your lap."
A naughty smile touched his lips when he said in a low voice, "If you want to ease over into my lap, I won"t have a problem with it."
She rolled her eyes. "I"m sure you won"t, but I need us to finish our discussion."
"All right."
"Like I said, we will put the past and our feelings behind us and start on that adventure you alluded to. But at the end of the twelve days, whatever we"ve shared will come to an end. No future. No promises. You will go your way and I will go mine, and if our paths cross again, which I"m sure they eventually will, given your close relationship with other members of my family, we will act as though nothing ever happened between us. There won"t be any repeat or any suggestion of such a thing. When this affair ends, it"s over. Totally and completely. Understood?"
He stared at her for a long moment but she refused to back down or wither under his gaze. She remained quiet and still while he considered her proposal.
Finally he spoke. "Yes, I understand but what happens if-"
When he stopped in midsentence she arched a brow and asked, "If what?"
"If we become addicted to each other. What if the intimacy is so good and we get so embodied into each other"s systems that we don"t want things to end? What if-"
Not wanting to hear any more, Vanessa reached out and pressed her fingers to his lips to silence his next words. She wished she hadn"t when the tip of his tongue lightly flicked across her fingers.
The action made her gasp, nearly took her breath away. But for some reason she couldn"t pull her hand back. She stared at him, felt those same inner muscles clench again at the heated l.u.s.t forming in his eyes. Then she wondered if such a thing was possible. Could she possibly become s.e.xually addicted to him? Or was he thinking too much of himself? There was no doubt in her mind that he probably could whip up some delicious s.e.xual fantasies, but...an addiction? She shook her head. That couldn"t and wouldn"t happen.
She moistened her lips as she pulled her fingers away from his mouth, but not before his tongue flicked out for one more quick taste. She watched as he took that same tongue and licked his lips as if he had enjoyed the taste of her.
"It won"t happen," she finally said, barely getting the words out. "I"ve never gotten addicted to anything in my life."
"Maybe the reason you"ve never gotten addicted is because you"ve never overindulged. For the next twelve days, with me, you will."
She saw something flicker in his eyes and for some reason she suddenly felt on her guard. "It doesn"t matter. I won"t get addicted."
She watched as his gaze dropped to her mouth and he said. "But if, when our affair is over you find you still want me, just let me know and I will make myself available. Anytime, anyplace and any position."
A wave of heated desire, larger than one of the waves forming out in the ocean, shot through her. Any position? Just what kind of fantasies had he conjured up for the next twelve days?
Vanessa had to struggle against the excitement that tried grabbing her in its clutches. He had painted one h.e.l.l of a picture; the imagery was too sensual even for a graphic artist to try his hand at it. Someday, when this affair was over, she would wonder just how she got through it with all her senses intact.
Had she perhaps bitten off more than she could chew? But then she remembered that she would be the one in control. He couldn"t do any more than she let him. She had the last word.
Struggling to regain power of her senses, she said, "Thanks for the offer but I don"t intend to use it."
"That will be your choice, Vanessa, but it"s out there if you change your mind."
"I won"t."
He gave her a look that said, "we"ll see." "And another thing, Vanessa, just so you don"t accuse me of having an ulterior motive later, I might as well tell you that I"ve decided to make Charlotte my primary home."
His words shocked the h.e.l.l out of her and she was grateful she was sitting down. It had been bad enough to endure his occasional trips to the city, but the thought of him setting up permanent residence in her hometown was too much.
"Why?" she snapped. "Why are you moving to Charlotte?"
"I happen to like the town. I own several homes, most of them in the areas where I have extensive business interests-Atlanta, Austin and Los Angeles-and of course, now this place here. But the home I recently purchased in Charlotte is where I intend to stay most of the time."
"Exactly where in Charlotte? What side of town?" she asked, clearly annoyed.
"The same subdivision where Morgan lives. I like the area and the homes there."
She nodded. So did she. It was a very beautiful area and the homes, all in the million-dollar range, were simply breathtaking. At least he would be living on the opposite side of town, quite a distance from her, so the chances of their paths crossing too many times were low enough not to worry about now.
"Well, I"m trusting you to stay on your side of town and I"ll stay on mine," she said.
He smiled. "Don"t worry. Charlotte is big enough for both of us," he said, standing.
She gazed up at him, hoping that it was.
"Now that we"ve come to an understanding about a number of things, do you want to go for a walk before we have lunch? Of course, the decision is yours," he said smoothly.
Walk? Vanessa thought, smiling humorlessly. Vanessa thought, smiling humorlessly. He wants to go for a walk? He wants to go for a walk? She would have thought that a man like Cameron would immediately initiate his role as her s.e.x mate by suggesting that they go to one of the houses and get it on. Was he trying to throw her off by using a different strategy? She would have thought that a man like Cameron would immediately initiate his role as her s.e.x mate by suggesting that they go to one of the houses and get it on. Was he trying to throw her off by using a different strategy?
She regarded him for a moment and was about to pull herself to her feet when he reached out his hand to her. His fingertips grazed her knuckles before his hand tightened around hers, effortlessly tugging her up. Trying to downplay the stirrings she felt between her thighs, she said in a tight voice, "A walk sounds like a good idea. It"s a nice day out."
"Yes, it is."
He surprised her even more when he kept her hand tucked in his as they began strolling along the sh.o.r.eline. She glanced up at him, and he looked at her and slanted a crooked smile before asking, "Is anything wrong?"
Nothing other than that I can actually feel my heart leaping in my chest, she thought. But instead she said, "No, nothing"s wrong. But I would like to know something." she thought. But instead she said, "No, nothing"s wrong. But I would like to know something."
"What?"
"Who told you that I was coming here? Although I have an idea."
"Do you?"
"Yes."
"Umm, how would you like to go to dinner?"
She shook her head, knowing what he was trying to do. "You"re trying to avoid my question."
"Am I?
"Yes."
He glanced sideways at her and gave her an easy grin. She had seen more smiles from him in the past few hours than she"d thought possible. "You"re right. I am avoiding your question. But I won"t reveal my sources."
"I think I know who it was."
He chuckled. "But you"re not sure so leave it alone."
"I can"t. I want to know who told you I was coming here."