“Colton—”
“I had no idea Skylar was in my room this morning,” he admitted, his words tight. “And if I had, I would have made her leave. The only one who should have been in my bed this morning is you. I wanted it to be you.”
I was shaking by the time he touched my cheek, so much honesty in his words, how he really felt about what he said. But the thing was, he didn’t know what he was asking for.
Neither people did before it was too late.
I couldn’t have a repeat of that, do that to myself again, but I especially couldn’t put Colton through the trials and tribulations of a professional relationship turned more.
I couldn’t because I cared about him.
His fingers brushed over my cheek, and when they slid, I knew I was crying.
“Cami…”
“I can’t, Colton,” I said shaking my head. “I can’t. We can’t. I work for you.”
“Then don’t work for me. We can make this work—”
“I won’t get in a relationship with my boss!”
The words made any pursuit he’d been about to make stop, and unable to look at him, I faced away.
“I’ll call Tommy to get you,” I said to him, then chose to walk away from all this, him.
I felt I had to.
Chapter Twelve
Colton
“I can’t get in a relationship with my boss.”
She hadn’t said she wouldn’t get in a relationship with me, but she—couldn’t, as if she was physically unable, and as we traveled along the tarmac toward the start of the first leg of my media tour, I watched her. Sitting with Tommy on the opposite side of our moving limo, Cami had been wrapped up with her assistant all morning. At least, pretending to be. She showed up to my house with him in tow this morning.
Because she moved out of my house.
I discovered that quickly after an Uber got me home that night at the bar. I refused to call Tommy despite Cami advising it. I wasn’t incapable of taking care of myself, regardless of what she may think.
Why did she say she can’t?
I figured that had ninety percent to do with me and less with her. I hadn’t been portraying my best self lately when it came to her. Hell, I hadn’t been to myself either. It was drastically clear people in my life were noticing the positions I continued to place myself in, one of impulse and carelessness. My brother had been more than obvious when he came down to see me, then later that night with Cami…
I refused to believe her denial was all me. I mean, I’d done some fucked-up crap recently, but I owned it, and I had a feeling she was doing the opposite. She avoided my gaze since the bar, avoided me. I couldn’t even get a word in with her today, her assistant, Tommy, a body between us. He kept her talking, engaging with her on other things having to do with business and the tour.
I caught her gaze around Tommy’s head, and before I could get any words to her, I lost her sight. Cami’s head dipped, and her attention veered again, going over schedules and timelines. She was basically in charge of this tour I was about to go on, in charge of me, which only further let me know my power in position to hers. She had all of it.
Just like she had in other ways.
All of this was crystal clear to me as we pulled up to our private charter, the jet beautiful and shining. The staff came down the stairs to greet us, and Cami and Tommy got out before my security could open their doors for them. They didn’t wait for me, and once again, Cami avoided any type of interaction. She pushed sunglasses over her eyes, and taking her direction, I did the same. I had my aviators over my face when Jerry, my head of security, stood by the door for me. After I got out, he closed the door behind me, and I scaled the stairs behind Cami and Tommy. I had to stop for a few autographs by the staff. I got that unusually a lot despite the fact that I was sure they had all kinds of celebrities bigger than me on these things. It held me up, but I was always happy to deliver. Jerry had my bag, and I went ahead and took it from him on my way inside. I had enough fawning over me today.
I dragged the thing down the aisle and immediately spotted Cami.
She was putting her own bag in the overhead compartment, her pert little navel exposed below her top. On her tiptoes, she attempted to jam in her bag, and I abandoned mine to help her.
“Let me,” I said. It was easy, of course. It was just a little bag.
Cami straightened her shirt at my awareness of her, covering that cute, little belly button above her miniskirt.
“Thank you,” she said, averting her gaze as she removed some of those big curls from her eyes. I loved when she wore them wild and free like that. They filled the air with a sweet smell, and I could nearly taste her. Maybe she saw that in my eyes because, as soon as I was done with her bag, she left me. Sliding past, she plopped down next to Tommy in the jet’s plush leather seats. This didn’t surprise me, considering her avoidance.
That didn’t mean I’d make it easy for her.
I got my bag up above, then proceeded to sit across from her and Tommy. This made both their eyes widen. I normally never sat with them, but not really by choice. They usually left me my space and did their own thing. Cami chewed on the side of her lip the moment I took up occupancy, and looking at her, I spoke to Tommy.
“How about you get us some Cokes,” I requested of him. “For the flight? We’ll need something to drink. Cami, that’s your favorite, right?”
Her eyes widened more.
“It’s not yours,” she said, adjusting in her seat. “Why don’t you order something you like?”
“But it’s what you like,” I told her, sitting back. I faced Tommy again. “Tommy, Cokes, please. I’m sure the flight attendants would be happy to assist you.”
This would get him away for a second, and I needed a second. I wasn’t sure when I’d have another so I was taking this chance.
Tommy’s eyes were basically playing a game of ping pong between Cami and me. Despite more than looking confused, he did get up in the end. He left Cami and me alone, and immediately, I took his seat.
“Hey,” I said to her, my voice quiet. It was almost like I didn’t want to scare her. I kept… scaring her, and I hated it. I hated what I seemed to be doing to her. What was worse was, each one of her drawbacks ripped away at my heart, and I wished I could fix this.
I have to fix this.
A wince hit her face, like the actual sound of my voice rattled her.
“Hi,” she said, choosing to look at me. She had this restless curl that kissed her cheek, and I fought so fucking hard not to touch it.
“You moved out,” I told her, getting into it right away. She’d been gone over a week, but I’d never gotten to talk to her about it. “You didn’t have to, you know.”
Despite what happened, she didn’t. She could have stayed as long as she wanted.
Her body sighed when she pushed her head back into the seat.
“You know I did, Colton.” Her jaw worked. “I never should have been there in the first place.”
Maybe she shouldn’t have, but it did happen, and moving closer, I wanted to remind her why she should have stayed. Why she never should have left, but my opportunity passed the moment a second car came up on the tarmac.
Panning, Cami could see the new arrivals from her seat, and at the appearance of my best friend Jesse and the woman he escorted, I knew the time for talk was over.
Madison… the other woman I’d been seeing outside of Skylar, made her appearance. She looked the epitome of the typical woman I usually found myself around too. She was all legs, breasts, and Victoria’s Secret-length extensions. Her cloak of jet-black hair ran down her back, her curves tight and more than welcomed by Jesse, who helped her with her bags. They’d both be coming along with us today. Jesse was coming because he had some of the same promotional appearances scheduled alongside mine, but Madison had other reasons.
“She only wanted a ride,” I said to Cami, knowing I’d already lost her attention when she reached dow
n and grabbed her MacBook from under her seat. Opening it up, she ignored me. I swallowed. “She has family in New York, our first stop.”
But I should have said no when she asked, and I knew the moment my explanation couldn’t be heard over Camille’s suddenly typing fingers. She had her campaign up, my sister-in-law Roxie’s project. She got several keystrokes in before she turned with a frown.
“Then you better go to her,” she said to me, and I slid my hand under those fingers before she could type again.
I looped our fingers.
“I broke up with them, Cami,” I said, her touch warm as I shook my head. “Both of them, and Madison knows what this is today. It’s just a ride.”
“A ride that doesn’t bother me.” She pulled her hand away. “Because why would it bother your assistant?”
I knew it did just as clearly as her eyes left mine. Her attention traveled to Tommy who had our Cokes. He tried to hand me one as my friend and Madison got on the plane behind him.
“It’s for her,” I said to him, getting up. “Please, have at it.” I mean, what else could I have said?
She made her position clear.
Cami
Focusing on work and the keystrokes on my laptop was easier. It was simpler to place all my energy there instead of the one place it shouldn’t have been, Colton and everything that had to do with him. Currently, those things consisted of his social activities, Jesse and… Madison. Colton’s friend sat to his right and his former girlfriend to his left—and I used that title loosely. She sat quite close to Colton, using absolutely any excuse to touch him or tilt her head back at a joke he said, which really wasn’t all that funny. I knew because I heard.
I heard when I was supposed to be working.
He may have broken things off, but they clearly remained friendly. Even Jesse teased him about it sometimes, shaking Colton’s head. After that, Jesse threw his hands back behind his head and slept the majority of the flight to NYC. That action left Colton and Madison to themselves. They chatted together then, and most of the conversation, Colton remained silent, listening while Madison went on about whatever she did. She was quite beautiful and essentially perfect for him and the world he found himself in. She fit right in, and as the flight started to descend, he took her hand, guiding her to bend her head of lengthy dark hair. He spoke to her in her ear, and whatever he said made her smile. I unfastened my attention just as he brought her in for a hug because I had to. What they were saying was none of my business.
I made sure of that.
I couldn’t provide any answers to Colton during the flight. I couldn’t tell him why this couldn’t work because I didn’t have anything for him. I couldn’t get into a relationship with him because that was my choice. The decision was something he also should take stake in, as he should be focusing on himself and the purpose of these next few days. This trip was about him and his career, and it definitely wasn’t about me. We grounded, and the man of the hour got up from his seat. His friends joined him, and while they did, I figured it was important to start getting down to business as to what this trip was about.
“We should probably go over your first feature in the car,” I tossed to Colton, gaining his attention. He and his friends had all been trying to get their bags from above, and I reached up and got mine too. “Just so you’re prepared,” I stated. “We never got to do that during the flight.”
I didn’t dare go over to him while he was in the middle of a conversation with his former girlfriend—again, I used that term loosely. They were close now, even standing.
And he had his arm around her.
I mean, he had his arm around Jesse too, I supposed, slapping his friend’s back before allowing him to stride down the aisle. In response to what I said, Colton simply said one word, “Cool,” before tipping his chin and placing his hand to the small of Madison’s back. She grabbed him too, leaning her head in and laughing at another joke he said or something.
The sigh shouldn’t have been in my breath, but it was as I got my stuff together. I got my rolling bag to the ground.
“You need help, Cam?” Tommy asked me, and I shook my head. I didn’t need help.
At least not in this way.
Once inside the tiny airport, Colton’s party sectioned off. Jesse got in line to get airport coffee while Colton and Madison lingered closer in my vicinity. I could see them well as they snuck off to their little corner. They hugged again, and when Colton went to pull away, Madison didn’t. There was a hesitation in her arms, like she didn’t want to let go.
Squeezing her, Colton gave into the embrace, tiling his head to whisper something to her. He seemed as if he actually was ending it. Especially when he pulled back and framed her face. He spoke right to her, straight on so there was no confusion, before pulling her back in to give her one final hug. Breaking away, he lifted his hand to wave. He waved to her while she pulled her own bag toward the exit doors, and I didn’t understand all this.
In fact, it actually made me angry.
I didn’t want him to break things off. Especially for my benefit if that’s what he was doing. He only made things more complicated when they shouldn’t have been. We wouldn’t make whatever thing that had happened between us work, and I stood by that.
That was until I saw him.
Coming down the escalator, a man of a familiar height and build took my attention, handsome and cut in all the ways a man should be and easily distracting. He distracted me with his sultry hazel eyes and deep, black hair styled in the fashion of a business man. In a fine suit, he wore the business side of him well and actually was one of the top marketing execs in his field. I knew because he was my mentor directly out of college.
I knew because I dated him.
Stepping back, my heart raced in the fashion of a baby bird, rapid and intense. Especially, when those steps I made to flee did the exact opposite of what they’d been supposed to do. I caught Taylor’s attention the moment I moved, and when he raised his hand…
“Cami?” he called, starting to head my way, and seeing Colton, I grabbed him.
Colton hung back. “What—”
“Pretend you're with me,” I rushed, my eyes only on Taylor. He was moving right toward us, right toward me.
Colton eyed me. “What are you talking about?”
“I said just pretend you’re with me. Pretend we’re together, please. I need you to.”
Colton couldn’t have looked more confused, and considering Taylor was almost here, he didn’t have the time to stand around and figure it out.
I squeezed his arm. “Do you get it? Understand what I said?”
“I do, but you said…”
I knew what I said. I did, but that was moments ago. It was moments before now and Taylor, my ex, was right upon us. He came closer with his dashing smile and smoldering good looks that had taken me easily back then. I’d been naive and, like I said, fresh out of college. If I hadn’t been, I might have seen him for who he was.
Someone who could potentially ruin my life.
Taylor arrived with a widened grin. “Cami?”
“Hi, Taylor,” I stated, the brick wall beside me still firm. Colton wasn’t making any moves, and I worried he wouldn’t. He’d just leave me standing there, frozen like a deer in headlights in front of the guy I used to date. The bastard actually had the nerve to reach over to me once he got to us.
He reached over to give me a hug.
The nausea consumed me as I was forced to give in to it out of politeness, arms around me that never did feel quite right. I should have known that then. I should have known. Even from the beginning, Taylor had never been all that giving with himself, and that went from something as simple as his time to other far more intimate things. He kept me tied in a relationship that was literally going nowhere, but I’d been too starstruck by who he was and that he’d chosen me as his protégé. He plucked me right out of college to work at his business firm, and in that time, he led me to believe he actua
lly cared about me.
That he even loved me.
But there had never been love, and my awareness of that resurfaced the moment his arms went around me for that “friendly” embrace. It was affection I wanted to flee from and, eventually, was gratefully saved from it.
Colton’s hand, his warm and inviting touch, came to rest gently on my back. He stood there, close and almost as if he acted as a reminder. His touch told me he was there and would remain until I came back, until I came home. There he was when I got out of the hug, standing above me with his hand in his pocket. Guiding me back, he let me come to him.
He pushed a hand over my shoulder. “Cami, who’s your friend?”
Who. Was. My. Friend? Such a simple question, but then again, it wasn’t. Yes, I knew this man, hugged him, but he wasn’t my friend. In fact, he was the exact opposite.
Because he was the reason I ultimately had to leave New York City.
I left hurt, defeated, and this man had been the reason why, this man and his arrogance. He couldn’t accept that I didn’t want to be with him, that there was no spark between us, regardless of what he’d done for me. He’d been selfish, and for a man of his caliber, it hadn’t been surprising. Taylor Reed was a businessman, successful, and once upon a time, he had been my mentor. This man taught me everything I needed to know outside of business school, and his tutelage had been the reason I easily found work when I chose to come to LA in the end. I truly valued him for that, and he was a gifted teacher.
But that didn’t mean he owned me, and some of me truly thought he still believed he did. His audacity to reach in and give me a hug after all that happened between us… told me that.
I moved in closer to Colton. “This is Taylor,” I said, not breaking my eye contact with my ex. “We used to see each other.”
That was putting it mildly. He ruled my life for almost an entire year because I’d been too young and naive to notice he’d been actually doing it. I believed I loved him once upon a time, which was foolish. Love wasn’t having to completely abide by someone else’s schedule or turning a blind eye to whenever that person chose to look at another woman—which he frequently did. He walked all over me, and I honestly had been too scared to leave. When I ultimately had to leave New York because of him, he showed me I had a reason to be.
Colton (Found by You Book 7) Page 10