"Why?"
"So I can deal with him."
Cameron chuckled. "Are you sure it"s a he?"
She glanced over at him. "Pretty much."
"You"re only guessing, Vanessa, and I"m not telling you. Now back to my earlier question of how you want to spend dinner?"
She wondered why he was asking. Did he have an idea? She decided to play her hunch. "I don"t know. Any suggestions?"
"Yes. There"s a concert tonight on the beach of the Half Moon Royal Villas. I think you might like it since I understand you enjoy reggae music."
Irritation stiffened her spine. Someone had again given him information about her. He evidently felt her displeasure and glanced down at her. "Why does it bother you that someone mentioned that to me?"
She stopped walking and turned to him. "Because that meant I was the topic of your conversation, and I"m not sure I like that."
Cameron stared at Vanessa, resisting the urge to pull her into his arms and kiss her. He wanted to indulge in the taste he"d sampled. Instead he said, "I think we need to clear the air about something. I"ve wanted you from the first moment I saw you, but I"m sure you know that already. And because I wanted you, I became fixated on knowing all there was about you, so I asked questions. Trust me, if my sources thought I was asking for the wrong reasons, they would not have told me anything."
"And you think wanting to know everything about me for the mere reason of sleeping with me is the right reason?"
Cameron smiled blandly. He had decided after talking to Morgan on the phone yesterday that he would modify his sneak-attack plan. When possible, he intended to be as honest as he could with her. Because of that, it would only be fair that she knew how much he"d wanted her initially.
"Yes, I think so. I"m a private person. I don"t bring a lot of people into my life and I have established a certain standard for the women I date."
He saw the frown that appeared on Vanessa"s face. Evidently she didn"t like the thought of being grouped with the other women he dated. In the past he had always enjoyed a pretty healthy s.e.x life, making sure no woman got close. But with Vanessa he had wanted more than a toss between the sheets. He had wanted a whole h.e.l.l of a lot more and he still did.
"I saw my relationship with you as different," he said honestly. "With someone else it might not have mattered what was her favorite food, her taste in music or her favorite sports, but when it came to you, it mattered."
"Why?"
"Because, like I said earlier, and I"ve been saying now, I wanted you, and the depth of that want went beyond anything I"ve ever known. I"ve never been attracted to a woman this much before."
Vanessa shrugged. "It was probably the challenge. You didn"t get the Steele Corporation so you decided to go after a Steele."
Cameron shook his head. "First you accuse me of seeking revenge. Now it"s the thrill of a challenge. It"s neither of the two. You"re a very desirable woman, Vanessa. Why is it so hard for you to believe that?"
Morgan had mentioned something about the possibility of a man s.c.r.e.w.i.n.g up her life one summer a few years ago and since that time she hadn"t dated much. Had the man done or said something to make her question her appeal, her femininity? If that was the case, he would make sure in the coming days that he did the opposite. The last thing Vanessa Steele needed to worry about was whether a man actually found her desirable.
"It"s hard for me to believe because I know how men are. I have four older male cousins, remember."
"Yes, but three of them are happily married, so what"s your point?"
She evidently took offense at his question. Her frown deepened. "My point is that while they"re happy now, there was a time they dated frequently with no thought of settling down."
"And are you saying that women don"t date frequently? I know some women who are just as bad as men when it comes to getting what they want, using whatever means possible."
She glared at him. "We aren"t talking about women. We"re talking about men."
Cameron raised a brow. "Are we? And why is that?"
Vanessa inclined her head to get a better look into Cameron"s face and to keep the glare of the sun out of her eyes. "I don"t know why that is and I would appreciate it if you didn"t confuse me."
In that instant Cameron knew only one thing for sure: He had to kiss her. The way she had tilted her head back made her lips too accessible and he had a deep, compelling need to ravish them, kiss her crazy. Every nerve in his body was pushing him to do just that, so he leaned closer.
Evidently she picked up on his intent but didn"t take a step back. Instead their gazes held, locked. She tried clearing her throat lightly and said, "You never finished telling me about the plans for dinner."
"Dinner?"
"Yes. I think that"s what we should be concentrating on."
His gaze moved from her eyes back onto her mouth. If she thought she could get him thinking about anything other than kissing her, she was wrong. Leaning closer, he said huskily, "The only thing I want to concentrate on, Vanessa, is your mouth."
"Cameron..." When his lips touched hers, his name became a shuddering breath from her mouth.
The last time they kissed he had tried zapping her of her senses, but this time he wanted to take things slow and tender. She parted her mouth beneath his and the moment she did so, he drank of her greedily but in a leisurely and unhurried way. He wanted every dip, swipe and lick of his tongue to solicit a reaction from her, a sensuous response. And if for one minute she thought she wouldn"t get addicted to this, then he intended to prove otherwise. He had gotten addicted to her even before their first kiss. Her scent had been his downfall, but he could admit that her taste was doing a close second.
The kiss was incredible. It was heated and it made a tortured groan escape his throat when she began returning it, tangling her tongue with his, making an already heated situation even hotter.
He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer to fit into him. He felt her bare legs rub against his, felt the hardened tips of her b.r.e.a.s.t.s press against his bare chest, and he felt the hardness of his erection settle between her thighs. And when he heard her moan, blood rushed through his veins.
Cameron knew that if they didn"t stop soon he would be tempted to lay her down on the beach, right here, and make love to her, to claim her as he wanted. He wanted to say to h.e.l.l with a sneak attack. He wanted to operate on the got-to-have-you-now strategy but knew that he couldn"t. Contrary to what she thought, he was fighting for long-term here and he intended to get it.
With that thought in mind, he drew back and heard her soft, breathless protest when he did so. He gazed down at her swollen lips, and the eyes that met his looked drugged in the most pa.s.sionate way.
He knew he should say something, anything, or else he would be devouring her mouth once again. "I think the Tapas restaurant would be nice."
It took a second for her to comprehend that he had spoken. "For what?" she asked softly.
He smiled and wondered if she realized her arms were still wrapped around his neck and she was inching her lips closer to his.
"For dinner," he said throatily, deciding to inch his lips closer to hers, as well. "We can do dinner there and then do the concert. What do you think?"
Instead of answering him, she released a whimper the moment her lips touched his, reconnecting with his mouth again. As far as he was concerned, if they kept this up they could forgo dinner and just feast on each other; especially when he felt her taking the lead by wrapping her tongue around his.
He might work hard at making her addicted to this, but for him, things were even worse. For the past three years, Vanessa had been a fascination to him. Now she was fast becoming an obsession.
Chapter 7.
It was a beautiful evening, Vanessa thought, as she leaned back against the headrest, feeling the wind off the ocean gently caress her face. She was in Cameron"s convertible sports car as they made their way down the narrow beach road toward the restaurant where they would be having dinner.
She had to admit that her noontime meeting on the beach with him had gone well. After their walk they had returned to the towel and shared lunch. Their conversation had mostly been about the new addition to the Steele family, a beautiful little boy named Alden who had been born to Chance and Kylie, who had joined his teenage son and her teenage daughter together into an amazing blended family. They also talked about Morgan"s bid for political office and how Cameron intended to be a part of Morgan"s campaign staff. After they had finished eating, Cameron had walked her back to her place and, with nothing more than a peck on the cheek, he"d left.
"I never did thank you for the roses. They"re beautiful," she said, finally breaking the silence surrounding them in the two-seater vehicle. "And the wine was a nice touch."
He gave a quick glance over at her. "You"re more than welcome for both."
When silence settled between them again she decided to ask, "Is this car yours or is it a rental?"
"It"s mine. I purchased it the first day I arrived, and I plan to keep it here on the island to use whenever I"m here. Do you like it?"
She smiled. "Yes, actually I do. Morgan bought a sports car for Lena as a wedding gift, but I"m sure you know that."
He chuckled. "Yes, I know. It"s a nice set of wheels."
Vanessa nodded in agreement. "Lena said she"d always wanted one, but had always stuck to purchasing something practical. Morgan decided to indulge her and she loves it."
"And he loves her."
Vanessa glanced over at Cameron. He sounded so sure of that, but then everyone was aware of how Morgan felt about his wife. He wasn"t ashamed to wear his heart on his sleeve. Neither were Chance and Sebastian. They had been fortunate enough to meet women who were worth every ounce of their love, and since getting to know them and seeing what beautiful people Kylie, Lena and Jocelyn were, both inside and out, Vanessa understood why.
Deciding to keep the focus of the conversation on anyone but them, she said, "At what point do you think he fell in love with her?"
She had heard the story of how Morgan had been swept off his feet the moment Lena had walked into the ballroom at some charity function, but since Cameron and Morgan were close friends she wanted to hear his thoughts.
"According to Morgan, he fell for her the first time he saw her. Instant love. I understand it can happen that way sometimes."
"Do you really believe that?"
They had arrived at the restaurant and Cameron noticed he was behind a few other cars waiting for valet parking. He turned to Vanessa, thinking that she had asked a good question and he wanted her to see the similarities between their situation and Morgan and Lena"s.
"Yes. I believe a man can meet a woman and fall in love the moment he sets eyes on her." He could tell by the gentle lift of her brow that she was surprised by his response.
"That"s interesting to hear you say that. Please elaborate."
He smiled. He"d figured she would want him to. "There"s really nothing to elaborate on, Vanessa. Contrary to what some women think, all men aren"t horrid."
"Women don"t think all all men are horrid." men are horrid."
"Maybe not all of you, but enough of you do to give some of us a bad rap. All it takes is for one man to mess up, and the ma.s.ses of your gender a.s.sume the next one will do the same."
She straightened in her seat, her body going on the defensive as she frowned at him. "Are you saying if the roles were reversed that a man wouldn"t be just as cautious? That a man wouldn"t protect his heart from further pain?"
Cameron smiled weakly, remembering that he was currently at that stage in his own life. Stacy McCann had definitely done a job on him when she"d claimed that although she loved him, she had to obey her father and marry a man who"d been born into wealth instead of considering marriage to Cameron-a man her father referred to as a "young punk with pipe dreams."
"No," he said. "All I"m saying is that at some point you have to move on and take another chance, risk all." At least to a certain degree.
He didn"t utter those last words but he definitely believed them. He was certain he could not totally and completely give his heart to another woman ever again. But what he could do for Vanessa was to pledge her his undying devotion. While he hadn"t felt love the moment he"d seen her, he"d felt an instant attraction, the kind he"d never before experienced. Vanessa might not have his love but she would have the next best thing.
"Dinner was wonderful, Cameron," Vanessa said as they sat in what she thought had to be one of the most exquisite restaurants on the island. In addition to the exceptional food and service, they"d been seated at a table with a breathtaking view of the ocean.
"I"m glad you enjoyed it," Cameron said, taking a sip of his wine. "It came highly recommended."
She didn"t have to ask by whom since Chance and Kylie had come here on their honeymoon, and had raved about what a fantastic time they"d had. They had stayed at the Half Moon Royal Villas, where she and Cameron would be going later for the concert on the beach.
Feeling Cameron"s eyes on her, she glanced across the table. The moment their gazes connected, a shimmering heat flowed all through her, pooling in the lower part of her body. Earlier, while they were eating and exchanging polite conversation, she had allowed herself to relax a little and let her guard down. Now, seeing the intense look in his eyes, she quickly pulled her guard back up.
His look was more than just intense, it was purposeful. The lighting of the restaurant played along his features, highlighting his angular jaw, cleft chin and s.e.xy lower lip. Then there was something about the slickness of his bald head that gave him such a manly appeal. He looked so good in the tailored trousers and a white shirt that when she"d opened the door to him earlier, he had momentarily taken her breath away.
She continued to study his lower lip while she gently traced the stem of her winegla.s.s, thinking just what she would like to do with those lips. She"d never been a woman who felt comfortable making the first move, but she felt like doing so now. Besides, he was her s.e.x mate and she was in full control and calling the shots. The big question was whether she was going to use that control. Could she ask him to make love to her as if it was nothing more than asking him to pa.s.s the b.u.t.ter?
She swallowed tightly, feeling the intense heat and awareness of the unbroken eye contact they were sharing. Why was she just now noticing things about him, things she hadn"t taken time to notice before? Like the long lashes that covered his dark eyes, the pearly white teeth that seemed so perfect and straight, or the way he could never keep his fingers still for long. They were either holding something or drumming restlessly on the table.
"Ready to go?" he asked, his voice seemingly gentle.
"To the concert?"
"Yes. But if you prefer to call it an early night-"
"No," she said quickly, calling herself a coward. "I"m looking forward to the concert."
"All right."
She took another sip of her wine. Why couldn"t she have told the truth? Yes, I prefer calling it an early night, so we can go back to my place or yours and tumble between the sheets. Yes, I prefer calling it an early night, so we can go back to my place or yours and tumble between the sheets. But she hadn"t, and it wasn"t a good idea for her to even think it. But she hadn"t, and it wasn"t a good idea for her to even think it.
Moments later, while they waited for their check, she decided to ask, "Have you moved into your place in Charlotte yet?"
The corners of his lips tipped into a smile. "No. That"s the reason I was coming to Charlotte, to spend a few days getting settled."
"And you changed your plans to follow me here?"
"Yes."
Vanessa shook her head, still not sure what to make of that. "You"ll have a lot to do when you get back."
"I"ll manage."
Probably with hired help, she thought. Before she could think of another topic to keep the conversation going, the waiter returned with their check. She watched as Cameron signed off on the bill while thinking just how little she knew about him other than what she"d read in the newspaper or, more recently, in that magazine.
He was a high-school dropout who had gotten himself together to end up graduating c.u.m laude from Harvard Business School. A self-made millionaire, he was one of the most successful men in the country.
She hadn"t noticed that the waiter had gone, and she was still sitting there staring at Cameron. When she did realize it, she saw that he was staring back at her. For a moment she couldn"t breathe and it felt as if her heart was pounding in her chest.
"Are you ready to leave now, Vanessa?"
Her gaze dropped to his mouth, and she saw it move, but for the life of her she had no idea what he"d said. Her mind, her thoughts, her entire body were centered on him and on how, just by looking at her, he could make a compelling need thicken inside of her.
"Vanessa?"