by A. C. Arthur
Camille snatched the packet from his hand and opened it. Keeping her eyes on his she sheathed him. Adam hissed through clenched teeth, her hand on his erection sending waves of heat throughout his already aroused body. Unable to think of anything else Adam lifted her legs, positioning her ankles on his shoulders and thrust deep.
“Adam,” she whispered and he kissed her lips.
“Yes, baby.” He rotated his hips, pushing deeper into her until he could go no farther.
She moved her hips and he thought he would lose it. Finding a pleasant rhythm Adam stroked her and stroked her until he was sure nothing in life had ever been this sweet. He would marry this woman, there was no doubt about that in his mind. He would make her his forever and then he’d deal with the reporters and this game they insisted on playing with people’s lives.
Her legs quivered against him and he kissed her, capturing her screams of ecstasy. Grasping her ankles and spreading her legs wider he thrust into her once and felt his entire body shake.
He pulled back and thrust again. His world tilted.
And again, his heart plummeted. His body shook and release came in long glorious spasms.
Chapter 13
Although delayed by their lovemaking Adam and Camille still managed to tour the house, discussing designs and color schemes. By the time they boarded the Donovan jet late Wednesday night they had finally agreed on what the finished house would look like. And the designer could have it finished in the next two weeks.
Accordingly, Camille thought of what would happen when the house was finally finished. The house had brought her and Adam together. So while she would always love that house for the memories of her father, now she had a new appreciation for it.
It was after midnight when the limo stopped in front of Adam’s apartment building. The door opened and she stepped out, stretching her tight muscles as she did. She was tired, both physically and emotionally. Today had been a very enlightening day.
Adam clasped her hand in his and led her through the door while the driver carried her bags in behind them. They were inside the apartment, walking into Adam’s bedroom before he finally spoke.
“I think your stepmother has something to do with the articles,” he said while taking off his clothes.
Camille had opened her suitcase on the bed and was looking through it to find her nightgown when she paused and looked up at him. “What?”
“I couldn’t figure out why there was a sudden interest in you and me,” he began. “I mean, the article after the fashion show was normal. Even the article about my past affair with the congressman’s daughter wasn’t totally out of the ordinary since whenever I’m not seeing anyone they tend to dig up old dirt.”
He wore only his boxers now and the sight caused fresh spikes of desire to course through Camille. But now was not the time. She needed to hear where he was going with this. Closing her suitcase and setting it on the floor she began unbuttoning her own blouse. “I see.”
“But the articles weren’t just about me. They were stabs at you, as well. Very personal stabs that knew just where to hit and when. Nobody else criticizes your appearance more than your stepmother. Am I correct?”
Camille hated to admit it. In fact, she hated to think of Moreen when she’d been having such a pleasant time with Adam. “Yes, you’re right,” she said finally.
He came to her then, helping her out of her shoes and jeans then slipping her nightgown over her head. His hands, as they seemed to do often, rested at her waist. “I know she doesn’t like you. I picked up on that the first day we all met in my office. I’m inclined to believe it’s jealousy but I know you don’t see it that way.”
“She’s always hated me,” Camille said quietly. “I don’t know why. When Daddy first married her I tried to be extra good, to follow all her directions and to keep my room clean. But nothing I did was ever enough. She was always complaining.”
Adam held her close. “The fault isn’t with you, baby. It’s with her and she knows that so she tries extra hard to make you as miserable as she is. You flipped the script when you offered your own deal then told her she could sell her share in the house then and there if she didn’t like the deal. You finally stood up for yourself and she didn’t like it. And at the fashion show you did it again.”
Camille began to understand what he was saying. “So she wanted to get back at me. And what better way than to harass me the way she’d done all my life. That day in your office she told me I was silly for thinking that a man like you would be interested in me.”
Adam ran his hands through her hair, then his fingers grazed her cheek. “She could tell that I was more than interested in you at that point. I think it was pretty obvious.”
Camille chuckled. “To everyone but me, huh?”
He smiled. “You took a minute to come around. But now I think you’re pretty confident in my feelings for you.”
Camille wrapped her arms around him and rested her cheek against his chest. “I’m confident in our feelings for each other.”
Adam kissed the top of her head and said, “Then we need to nip the wicked stepmother and her antics in the bud.”
“Then let’s do it,” Camille said with conviction.
“It’s Thanksgiving morning,” Moreen complained the minute she entered the conference room of Donovan Investments. “Why I was summoned for this early meeting is beyond me. And unless you have a check with my name on it I’m going to be quite angry.”
Max pulled out a chair for her. “Have a seat, Mrs. Davis. This meeting was a necessity and I apologize for any inconvenience it may have caused you.”
Moreen harrumphed. “Lucky for you I was already here in Las Vegas.”
Trent entered the room at those words and smiled at the woman. “Yes, very lucky indeed,” he said menacingly.
With a wave of her hand and very little tolerance Moreen asked, “Who is he?”
“He’s my brother, Trenton Donovan,” Adam said when he came in holding Camille’s hand. “I asked him here because he has information pertinent to this meeting.”
Moreen frowned as Camille walked past her. Adam held out a chair for Camille and then they were all seated.
“Fine. Where’s my check?” Moreen began.
Adam nodded toward Trent.
Trent cleared his throat then opened the folder he’d brought into the conference room with him. “Mrs. Davis, it is customary for Donovan Investments to do a preliminary background check on persons that it does business with.”
“Please, get to the point. I have plans for the holiday,” Moreen said.
“I wonder with whom,” Camille mumbled.
Moreen shot her a seething glare.
“I found some pretty interesting things,” Trent interrupted. “It seems your marriage to Randolph Davis was pretty hasty. You’d only known him for two months before you were married in a quiet ceremony at the Los Angeles courthouse.”
“Is that a crime? Love at first sight works rather quickly,” Moreen commented while surveying her nails.
“I’m not a believer in love at first sight,” Trent said adamantly. “However, in further searching I found something that may have been the reason for the hasty nuptials. It seems you were seen at Cedar Sinai Hospital almost three weeks after the wedding. Old newspaper clippings reported a miscarriage while the hospital records reported food poisoning. Isn’t that a strange discrepancy?”
“The records are wrong,” Moreen said simply.
“Oh, the records are wrong but the press is correct. Okay. Since you take so much pride in the press always presenting the absolute truth, the reports of your many indiscretions during the years you were married to Randolph Davis are true, as well.”
Camille gasped and Adam held tightly to her hand.
Moreen rolled her eyes. “Gracious, Camille, I really wish you would grow up. Randolph is dead. What I did while I was married to him is of no consequence to what is going on now.”
“Oh, but it do
es,” Trent said. “You signed a prenuptial agreement before marrying Randolph—he seemed to be a very smart man. In that agreement it specifically stated that if it could be proved that at any time during the marriage you were unfaithful you would receive nothing.”
“That agreement was void the day he died.”
“Maybe so, but Mr. Davis’s attorney also had a letter from Mr. Davis dated two weeks before he succumbed to illness stating that he suspected you of cheating and that if it were true he was removing you from the will.”
Moreen stood, slamming her palms down on the table. “This is insane! Like I said, Randolph is dead. Agreements and letters before that time have no bearing on the here and now.”
“Except that there is now proof that you were cheating on your husband before he died.”
The door to the conference room opened and in walked a very attractive young man. Camille could only stare because the man didn’t look to be much older than her or Adam. She was momentarily confused. Adam had told her last night that Trent investigated Moreen and he’d told her that Trent had called just as they were leaving her father’s house to go to the airport stating that he’d found everything he needed and they were meeting this morning. But Camille hadn’t asked for any more details. She didn’t want anything else to mar her time with Adam. Now she almost wished she’d known everything beforehand.
Moreen looked towards the door and gasped. “What are you doing here?”
Trent stood, walking to the door and shaking the man’s hand before closing it again. “I’d like to introduce the world-renowned singer, Dante Dominion.”
The name sounded familiar but Camille still couldn’t place him.
“Mrs. Davis, surely you already know Mr. Dominion since you were having an affair with him for the last two years. In fact, your affair was what ended his marriage to one Kimberly Alvarez.”
That’s why his name was familiar. Camille remembered the article she’d seen yesterday morning and gasped, “What?”
“You can finish the story if you’d like, Mrs. Davis,” Trent offered.
“This is ridiculous. I’m leaving.” Moreen moved toward the door but Max stood blocking her exit.
“Fine. I’ll finish it for you. About two months ago Kim Alvarez’s divorce became final and she was going to collect half of everything Mr. Dominion owned. Mr. Dominion was very stressed by that. So Mrs. Davis, being so madly in love with her young beau, wanted to save her man from this misfortune. So she began selling any and everything Randolph Davis had left with her name on it to pay Ms. Alvarez off. She was almost finished with the payments when it came to the sale of the house.
“Camille foiled those plans when she suggested this new plan. That’s when Mrs. Davis decided she needed to make Camille suffer. Mostly by coincidence she found out that Adam and Kim had been involved and came up with a perfect revenge. She offered Kim double the money to break Adam and Camille up. And to further secure this would happen, she planted those articles in the newspapers and made sure Camille would see them.”
“How could you?” Camille said in a low tone. “Did you really hate me that much?”
Moreen looked at Camille. “You are so pathetic. You and your father both lived your lives with blinders on. I didn’t love him any more than I liked being cooped up in that house with his whining daughter. I tried to convince him to send you away to school. Maybe I wouldn’t have strayed so much if he’d done that. But he refused. So I figured to hell with both of you.” She took a deep breath and stood up straight. “Again, I’ll say that none of this changes the facts. I own half that house so when it sells I get a check.”
“You don’t deserve a dime of Randolph Davis’s money,” Adam said venomously.
Moreen gave him an impatient look. “That’s your opinion. And personally I think your opinion and your choice of women sucks. Why you would pass up Kim for this I’ll never understand.”
Adam stood leaning over the table to glare at her. “Because Camille has more class in her fingernail than you and Kim combined. You’re both opportunistic and calculating, something a man finds neither attractive nor alluring.” Then he glanced at Dominion. “Unless the man is the same way himself.”
Dominion jumped at Adam but was quickly put in his place by Trent’s large hands shoving him back into the chair.
Moreen threw her head back and laughed. “You are just as pitiful as she is. Fine. If you two want to be together I don’t care. I just want my money.”
“You won’t get a dime,” Adam said.
“Then I’ll sue you and Donovan Investments and get triple the money,” she argued.
It was Camille who stopped the exchange. Standing to walk around the table she stood in front of Moreen. “You didn’t deserve my father and you don’t deserve his money.” She picked up her purse and retrieved her checkbook. “I’m buying you out of the house for half the price it was last quoted at and I’d suggest you take this check,” she said as she scribbled, “and get as far away from me as you possibly can. Because if I see you again I won’t be responsible for what I might do to you.”
Moreen frowned. “Should I be afraid of the awkward little girl who’s destined to get her heart broken again?”
“No,” Camille said in a voice that was dangerously calm. “You should be afraid of the strong, self-assured woman who will kick your ass for all the pain and suffering you’ve caused her.”
The room was totally silent, Moreen and Camille in a standoff as all eyes remained fixed on them.
“Don’t underestimate me, Moreen,” she said through clenched teeth, then dropped the check on the table in front of her stepmother and walked out of the room.
Camille was outside pacing, letting all the revelations that had just come to light travel through her system. The lies and the betrayal stung but the victory of standing up to Moreen outweighed that pain so that she felt liberated.
Then she paused.
She didn’t know when Adam had come out into the hall and she didn’t see him now. But she felt him. She felt his presence, his support and knew a greater love than she’d ever imagined.
Beverly Donovan set an amazing table. Camille had wandered into the dining room before the rest of the family. She looked down at the twelve-foot-long table covered in white linen and smiled. China and crystal dishes sparkled and candles were lit around the huge harvest-themed centerpiece.
The sideboard held several different wines and crystal pitchers of water and iced tea. Garland matching the table centerpiece was draped along the side adding to the holiday ambiance.
In the other room the Donovan family were having drinks and talking as families do. There was Mr. and Mrs. Donovan, Trent, Linc and Jade and Noelle. Max was there and his parents Everette and Alma, who she’d learned were related through Adam’s father. And Ben had arrived home earlier than everyone had expected, which created an even more loving feeling throughout the house.
She’d longed for this all her life, to belong to a family, to be loved and to love in return. A small part of her felt sick about the fact that on Sunday she’d be returning to her lonely apartment in Los Angeles.
“There you are. Adam was wondering where you’d gone off to.” Beverly Donovan entered the dining room coming up quietly behind Camille.
“Oh,” she said, turning to face the matriarch of this family. “I just needed a moment alone.”
Beverly wrapped her in a warm hug. “It’s all right, dear. Losing your father was hard and then learning about all that treachery surrounding him had to be even harder. But it’s over now. You’re welcome here and I promise we’ll do everything we can to make this the best Thanksgiving you’ve ever had.”
Tears filled Camille’s eyes and she dabbed at them before they could fall. “Thank you, Mrs. Donovan.”
“Don’t mention it. Now come along and get your seat right here next to me. Adam will sit on the other side of you.”
Camille followed the woman and took her seat. The rest of the
family filed in talking and taking their seats as well.
Adam kissed her briefly before sitting beside her.
Henry Donovan gave the blessing and the covered dishes on the table were opened. There was an abundance of food and a nice homey feel as Camille stacked her plate. Both Jade and Adam gave an approving nod as she did.
When everyone’s plate was filled Adam tapped his fork to his glass and stood. “I’d like to make an announcement before everybody gets down to eating this wonderful feast.”
Max groaned. “Why can’t this announcement wait until after we’ve eaten this wonderful feast?”
Noelle nudged him. “I think he’s serious.”
“Thank you, Noelle.” Adam nodded to her, then smiled down at Camille. “This is very important.”
“A month or so ago Max and I thought we were venturing into another routine business deal. Then out of the blue a monkey wrench was thrown into that plan. A very beautiful and intelligent monkey wrench,” he said gazing at Camille.
She blushed and fidgeted with her napkin.
“Up until that moment I’d sworn never to fall in love again. I never wanted to give another woman my heart or my soul. But I can’t help it. Loving you is too easy,” he said then pushed his chair back and got down on one knee.
Jade and Alma gasped. Linc and Henry smiled. And Beverly used her napkin to dab at her tears.
“With all my heart, my soul, my everlasting love I ask you, Camille Katherine Davis to be my wife.”
Camille’s heart pounded so loud she was certain everyone else in the room could hear it. The napkin she’d been fidgeting with had fallen to the floor. Her eyes remained fixed on Adam’s so that she wasn’t totally aware when he pulled the little black box out of his jacket pocket and opened it in front of her.
But through her tears she spotted the glistening diamond and choked out a sob. “I…I don’t know what to say.”
“Say, yes, you’ll marry me,” Adam prompted and slipped the ring onto her finger.
Camille shook her head negatively and everybody looked at her as if she had just stolen something. “That just doesn’t seem like enough,” she said swiping her tears away with the back of her free hand.