“Why are you thanking me? I didn’t do anything.” Her voice was small and despite the dialogue going on right now, her body and eyes were having their own conversation with him. She hoped he was paying attention.
“You didn’t have to agree to the party, but you did. I think it’ll be a good thing,” Remi said and snaked his hand under the hem of her dress. He kept talking as if his hand wasn’t roaming her curves underneath the dress. But she heard none of what he said.
“I want...I want to include everyone who wants to be involved. You’re right, it should be...” Her words trailed off and her head lightly thudded against the wall behind her when his hand slid into her white thong and ripped it free.
* * *
“Should be what, baby?” He liked this. This pretending that they weren’t in the stairwell about to have sex. He liked that she still tried to play along and continue the conversation even though it was getting harder and harder for her to speak through her arousal.
Remi took their game one step further and pressed his thumb firmly onto her nub and simultaneously plunged two fingers into her.
“It should be fun, Remi! Ohhhh...” she uttered over and over in a loud whisper that was cute as well as filled with desire. He got pleasure from the feel of her tightening around his fingers and the gentle suction sound of her wetness echoing in the space.
No longer wanting to play the game or keep up conversation about anything other than what he was about to do to her, Remi whispered, “You do understand that I am about to take you right here against this wall, right?” No real response came. Only a gasp that he swallowed whole. “Arms around my neck. Legs around my waist, Ladybug.” His orders were clear and concise and she obeyed without hesitation. It was some sort of record that he was able to free the erection that had been cursing him for waiting for so long to have her.
They both released a sigh when he slid into her. It was a moment they always seemed to relish, when their bodies first joined. Once the moment passed, Remi began moving, slowly at first, then more quickly. The increase in speed must’ve done something to Camille because her back arched off the wall and her nails dug into his shoulders as her body shuddered. She convulsed around his invasion, triggering his release deep into her womb.
As an afterthought Camille noticed they were in a very public stairwell and cursed their lack of control, but Remi knew she was only half-serious since the smile never left her face.
After their quickie on the stairwell, Remi and Camille were finally able to fit lunch into their day. They ate in his office and flirted and talked about their time apart until Remi’s next meeting. He instructed Camille to keep the car he’d let her use for the rest of the day and to return to get him so they could have dinner and he’d leave the car he’d driven behind. What he didn’t tell her was that he was taking her to the country club to tell his grandfather about their engagement. There was a good chance the man already knew, but telling him in person was the proper thing to do if Remi were going to have any chance of getting the old man’s approval. Not that he needed it, but it would be nice to have support from the only family he had left.
* * *
Camille had no idea what to do with herself for the hours till she picked up Remi. She felt slightly uncomfortable riding around in his car so she decided to go by the house and check on her father. He’d been fine and had basically returned to doing what he’d done before the trouble with his heart.
Pulling up in the driveway, Camille saw an unfamiliar car. Upon closer inspection she saw that the vehicle had a sticker on the back from a well-known rental car company. However, as soon as the door to Remi’s Mercedes closed, the door to the house flew open and a half-black, half-Armenian woman pranced out looking as expensive and put-together as the last time Camille had laid eyes on her.
“Wow...look at you. Getting rid of your v-card certainly agrees with you, doesn’t it?” the fast-talking Anna quipped when they were about a foot from one another. The pair hugged as if they had not seen each other only a week ago.
“What are you doing here? Not that I mind, but I thought you had some business to take care of first.” They walked to the house as they talked. “If you had called me, you wouldn’t have had to wait here for me.”
Anna, being her usual crazy self, uttered, “I didn’t mind waiting here for you. You didn’t tell me your father was sexy as sin. Goodness, Camille, now I know why he’s so popular with the local old bats. I may have to give them a run for their money. Never been into older guys, but there’s a first time for everything.”
“First of all...eww! And secondly...why would the words my father is sexy as sin ever leave my mouth? And lastly...I don’t put anything past you, but I don’t know how I’d handle you being my stepmom. That would be weird.” They both laughed. They both felt that Anna was a sort of surrogate aunt to Camille. She was seven years older than Camille but had the heart and disposition of an eighteen-year-old. There was no doubt that if her agent thought Camille’s father would return her affections, she’d try her hand at getting him. It was disturbing and funny at the same time.
Once they were inside they chatted for a while, until Camille’s father emerged from the backyard with his hands covered in some sort of black substance.
“Oh, hey, Bug. I was just starting the grill. Your friend here said she’s never had pork steaks. You know it’s my specialty on the grill so I thought I’d throw a few on,” her father said, smiling as if he’d just opened a new toy or was about to open one. That smile had surely been induced by Anna’s flirting and when Camille looked to her for confirmation, Anna shrugged and then winked. Camille had to roll her eyes.
“Hmm...that’s interesting since I don’t think I have ever seen her eat anything other than chicken or fish. I guess she wants to try something new, Daddy,” Camille said to her father’s back as he went heading upstairs to shower while the food cooked.
Once she thought her father was out of earshot, Camille fell out laughing and Anna joined her. “What did you do to him? I’ve never seen him this happy to grill pork.”
“Nothing. I just talked to him. You know, like an equal, not like the father of one of my clients.”
“Clients? Bug, what is she talking about?” Reese Ryan asked from the staircase. “What does Anna do for you?”
“Daddy... I thought you were going to shower?” Camille said, not answering the question.
“Camille Elise Ryan, I have taught you better than to lie to me.”
Anna chuckled at her being chastised like a toddler and Camille winced at her whole name being called out. “Okay, Daddy. Camille is my agent. She manages my writing career,” she announced abruptly. Camille felt small as she sat on the worn couch in her living room. Her father loomed above her as he stood on the first step of the staircase. But when she’d expected to see confusion laced in his features, there was...understanding.
“I haven’t worked at a school in years. I have been writing for some time now and have done well with it. I am actually kind of big deal, although no one knows who I am. I write...I write stuff that you and the people in this town may see as offensive or dirty. That’s why I didn’t tell you. That’s why I didn’t tell anyone. I wanted you to be able to live a life free of the stigma that came with my writing. I didn’t want you to lose business because of what I did for a living so I let you believe I was still teaching. No one knows about my writing. No one knows my face. They only know my pseudonym. I’d planned to tell you all this once I figured out how. There are some things changing and...” Camille then turned to Anna, “and some people may already know.”
“Is that why your ‘friend’ Anna is here? To help you with the fallout from revealing that you are Reese Elaine?”
Wait! What did he just say? Did I mention that during my rant? “Did you just call me Reese Elaine? How... You knew?”
Her
father nodded and then smiled.. “Yes, I know, Bug. I’ve known for a while and was just waiting until you felt comfortable enough to tell me.” He seemed to forget all about the shower he was about to take as he leaned back on the step he sat on. “It’s hard not to pick up a book that has your and your deceased wife’s name on the cover in big bold letters. I saw the book when I had to have some tests done in Atlanta. I stopped to get coffee in a bookstore and saw your book as I waited in line. I wasn’t positive it was you until I read the back cover. It said something along the lines of you being raised in a small town by your single father. It said you were a girly girl with tomboy tendencies and I immediately knew it was you. That was what Remi always said about you—the part about you being a girly tomboy. I think I cried right then and there I was so proud of you. But I also understood why you had not told me and it made me even prouder that you’d sacrifice the recognition to protect me, to protect Remi, to protect the town you were raised in. But no more. My daughter is a famous author and I want everyone to know it. I don’t care what these hypocrites around here say. You got me and Remi and Charlie and Anna on your side. Ain’t that right, Anna?”
“Damn right. Reese and I are here to make sure this coming-out party goes smooth as silk. Speaking of which...who are these people who already know about Reese Elaine?”
Camille went on to tell her how Sonya Brandt had somehow found out and had tried to blackmail Remi. Anna and Reese both cursed a few times when they heard what Sonya had done. Given how popular Camille’s books were, it would create a firestorm in the press if this wasn’t revealed properly. Media would descend on the town, the townspeople would blame Camille for the disruption and Sonya would get a sick satisfaction out of it all. Camille would have no choice but to give Remi up if that happened and she really wasn’t ready to do that. She’d never be ready to give him up again. But if it meant protecting him once again... Camille shook away the morbid thought. She couldn’t entertain the negative. It was too late for that now.
“Okay...I have an idea and I hope you like it,” Anna proclaimed, and when she was done explaining the idea, Camille was completely on board. Hadn’t she just agreed to something similar earlier? Maybe she could get Anna and David together since he knew the people of Fairdell and she knew how to plan a great party.
Chapter 17
“Are you sure you’re going to be okay staying here? Remi has plenty of room at his place and—”
“Nonsense,” Anna exclaimed. “I’d never think of coming in between your constant ‘celebrating.’” She wiggled her eyebrows at the word. “Girl, you have been a virgin for too long and you need to be getting some morning, noon and night to make up for lost time. Plus, why would I pass up staying with a man who cooks for me? Never in my thirty-five years has a man cooked for me. I plan to enjoy every minute. By the time you come back around, I’ll be your new stepmom,” Anna said with a flourish and pushed Camille toward Remi’s car.
“Okay. But don’t— Never mind. He’s a grown man and he can take care of himself. Just don’t tell me about it if you...you know.”
“You know me, Camille. I always kiss and tell so don’t push your luck thinking I’ll hold out because your father is the one who sexed me up.”
“Thanks for that visual.” She shook her head as if to dispel the image. “I’m going now. Behave. I’ll call after dinner and we’ll start planning.”
“By the time you get back I’ll have this thing planned and the invitations mailed. But thanks for that guy’s number. Some local help will be appreciated,” Anna yelled from the doorway as Camille opened the car door.
Camille didn’t worry about Anna or her father. The woman was grown and so was her father. If he went there, that was his business. And if Anna let him then that was hers. Camille never stopped her father from being a man just because he was a single father. Anna was sweet and funny and a great woman who sort of reminded her of the way people had described her mother. A free spirit. They’d said Elaine Ryan wasn’t afraid to speak her mind and she wasn’t afraid to go after the man her family had said wasn’t good enough for her.
She called Remi when she reached his office building. “Hey, Remi, I’m here. Did you want me to come up?”
He declined, telling her to park in his grandfather’s reserved space and that he’d meet her there. Camille sat in the car and waited patiently. She decided to check her makeup in the mirror as she wondered where Remi could possibly be taking her for dinner. Her outfit was not one for the drive-through and there were only a few places in Fairdell that warranted such attire. She figured that maybe there had been some new establishments built that she had yet to see, so she relaxed and waited.
A few minutes later there was a knock on the window. She turned and smiled, but then her smile fell away when she realized it was Sonya standing there. Instead of rolling down the window, Camille opened the door and stepped out. She was sure there’d be a confrontation and she needed to be on somewhat equal footing.
“What can I help you with, Sonya? I’m pretty sure we have nothing else to say to one another.”
“That’s where you’re wrong, Ladybug.” The term of endearment came out like an insult. “But since you want to be mean to me, I’ll let you find out on your own. Oh, who am I kidding? I’d love to see you squirm,” Sonya said and smiled. “Don’t you think Remington Krane would make a great mayor of our little town? I think so.” Sonya started to walk off. “Oh, and nice ring.” She chuckled as if she knew something Camille didn’t.
What was that all about? Camille assumed it was just the woman’s jealous nature. As Remi had said before, it was just Sonya being Sonya. And whatever she was talking about didn’t make sense anyway. What did her thoughts about who should be Fairdell’s next mayor have to do with Remi? Surely if he still had those aspirations, he’d have mentioned them to her before he’d asked her to marry him. Him running for office was something important—something they’d discussed as teens. It was also something he couldn’t do if Camille was his wife. There was no way he could be mayor of Fairdell—the city where going to church on Sunday was nearly a requirement—and be married to a woman who wrote erotica. He knew her reasoning for leaving town the first time and wouldn’t do something as deceitful as keeping things from her just so he could trap her into staying.
No, Sonya was just jealous, Camille told herself and tried to purge the doubts from her mind before Remi arrived. She decided to keep their little encounter to herself since she had no reason to doubt Remi. He’d been nothing but good to her.
“Hey, baby, you look deep in thought,” Remi crooned, snatching her away from her inner musings. She’d been so lost in thought she hadn’t heard him approach. His arms found their way around her waist and he leaned into her back and kissed her ear.
“Just thinking. I had to tell my father,” Camille said, hoping that statement would cover up her being off balance. She didn’t want to admit that Sonya had gotten to her. Camille then robotically pulled away from Remi but he wasn’t having any part of that.
“Hold on there, Ladybug. I thought we were going to tell him together.” Remi’s hands moved to her hips to stop her from backing away. He bent down and searched her face for something, but she had no idea what.
“When I say I told him, I use those words loosely. He actually overheard me and Anna talking about it, but when I thought I’d have to explain and get him to understand, I found out I didn’t have to. He already knew and had been waiting for me to tell him.” She went on to recall the story her father had told her.
“Well, that’s good, isn’t it? So why don’t you look like you feel better?”
“I do feel better. I think I’m still a little thrown off from the whole conversation, that’s all.” It was the truth, but she had not told him which conversation had thrown her off. It wasn’t the one with her father, which had gone well. She was talking about the ver
y brief confrontation she’d just had with Sonya.
“Maybe there is something I can do to make you forget and focus on having a fantastic dinner.”
Remi’s constant interest in her was flattering to say the least. But it was so much more than that. When he was around, she needed to be touched by him and if they couldn’t touch, she needed him near. It was crazy for her to feel that way after spending ten years happily alone. Maybe that said something about her view of happiness. She probably had not been happy—not completely anyway. Now she was on the way to having everything she wanted. Camille decided to push the doubt away and revel in the indisputable euphoria over the changes occurring in her life.
“What did you have in mind?” Camille finally relaxed and decided to just let things happen. The wheels had already been set in motion for a marriage, a move and a coming out and she didn’t think she’d go back if she could. She was on this course and she’d ride it out and see where it led.
“Hmm...I’m thinking,” Remi said and kissed Camille on her forehead, not moving his lips until it was time to speak again. Camille leaned into his hard chest and sought comfort there. The deeply ridged muscles of his abs clenched when she hooked her fingers into the waistband of his belted designer slacks. “I like the way you think, baby, but I’m the one that’s supposed to be coming up with the ideas here so don’t you dare move another muscle or so help me I will take you right here, right now up against my Mercedes.”
Could mere words make a woman come? Camille had no idea that it was possible, but just the sound of his voice had turned her core to mush and she now felt as if she’d fallen over a cliff bound for ecstasy.
Camille closed her eyes and waited for whatever he intended to do. She felt the shadow of his much larger body descending, taking the light filtering through her closed eyelids away as he got closer. Camille shivered with anticipation when she felt his warm, minty breath graze her ear. “Mission accomplished,” he whispered and then stood back to his full height as if he wasn’t just as ready to jump her as she was him. She was slightly disoriented as she tried to figure what those two words could’ve meant; then it dawned on her.
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