by Rita Sawyer
He looked down, happy to see her plate of tuna was now empty. A trip into town for food for both her and him was in order. He snapped a couple of pictures of the kittens nuzzling their mother’s belly. He hoped if he showed her he wasn’t a threat, eventually she’d let him move her and her babies inside. Not that he’d keep them. For a person with a career like his, pets weren’t an option. Neither was a steady female company. He wasn’t around enough to nurture things the way they needed to be.
He was well aware of the fact since both of his sisters were constantly harassing at him about it. They weren’t going to be happy until he stopped traipsing around the world and settled down. Cameron wasn’t sure he was ready to do that yet. Even if he admitted all the traveling he’d been doing lately was getting to him, he wouldn’t know what to do about it. In a way, these next few months were going to be some sort of experiment on his part. He had work to do, but also plenty of free time to think about things. Hopefully, he’d find the answer to one of the questions that had been rolling through his mind lately.
What the hell would I do if I retired?
He’d spent so much time building up his career he had no idea what else he wanted to do. His agent had given him some great ideas, and one of his publishers had proposed a new book. Cameron needed to consider all the possibilities before committing himself to anything. He heard the car turn onto the little rutted lane that led to his cabin. Without even really thinking about it, he lifted the camera to his eye and zoomed in. He focused in on her face and snapped a few shots. Even frowning the way she was, she still had something that drew him in.
She pulled the car to a stop and climbed out. He lowered the camera and blatantly watched her, knowing that from where he was standing she couldn’t see him. Dressed in a slick gray suit that hugged her curves, she looked every ounce the professional he’d been guaranteed, but she was damn eye-catching, too. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail that swung as she moved. He’d love to see her hair hanging down loose around her shoulders. She leaned into the car and came back out with a wicker picnic basket. He waited until she reached the porch before moving up behind her.
“Hey there.” He smiled, wanting to keep this a friendly meeting.
“Good morning.” She pointed to the camera hanging around his neck. “Were you working?”
“Nope. I was just fooling around.” He climbed the stairs and reached around her to open the door.
“Good. I don’t want to interfere, but we should get right to work.” She walked inside, and he followed.
Probably a little closer than she was comfortable with, if he was reading her body language right. She seemed to stiffen right up. The big step she took forward and the way she tucked her arms closer to her sides had to mean something. Still, the way she walked, tall and straight, with just enough swing to her hips to make a man look, but he got the message loud and clear not to touch. She stopped at the little table bought and put the basket on it.
“I don’t remember this place being so big.”
“It’s funny how big a place looks with minimal furnishings.” He didn’t bother telling her that he never bothered to decorate since he rarely stayed in one place for too long.
The cabin was the first piece of property he owned. It had two rooms downstairs and a loft above that was open so he could look down into the living room. It was plenty big enough for a bachelor like him. He had everything he needed, a twenty-seven inch TV, couch, and a king size bed. The small table and chairs in the kitchen came with the place.
If he decided, he could use the place to hide out every now and then. The thing was with each passing day he felt more relaxed and started wondering if he could stay. The cabin came with about five acres, which meant he could build something bigger if he wanted to. He was already considering building himself a studio/workshop instead of using the little shed out back to work in. Alec would probably be able to hook him up with a contractor in the area to get it built, or depending on how things moved along between him and Joey, he could ask her.
She looked around the room and nodded. “Why don’t you show me where you’re keeping your records?”
He led her to the tiny pantry off the kitchen that he’d converted into a workspace for them. “If this is too small, we could work at the kitchen table.”
She stepped inside and stared at the two stacks of boxes that were against the wall. Cameron had just finished putting the desk together when she’d called earlier. He waited for her to turn to him or say something. She looked so out of place standing there. The longer he waited the more he wanted to reach out and muss her up just a little.
He knew one thing for sure. Working together in the cramped quarters, they were either going to become friends or want to kill each other pretty damn quick. Either way, they’d get to know each other real well. Cameron looked forward to finding out what made Josephine Brazen tick. He was dying to know if she was as uptight as she looked.
“This will do.” She blew the dust off the top box before lifting off the cover.
“We’ve got a lot of work ahead of us. Where do you want to start?” He hoped she had a plan in mind because he didn’t have a fucking clue.
“With the basics.” She picked a stack of papers out of the box and shuffled them around, then dropped them back into the box. “Look, I’ll only expect a few things from you. I’ll need totally honesty from you. Also, while we’re working, we can’t have any outside distractions. But, most importantly, you need to agree that I’m in charge.”
He didn’t see a problem with any of that. “Okay, since you’re in charge, tell me what you want me to do.”
“Go pour us some coffee to have with the muffins I brought.” She followed him into the kitchen.
Joey sat down at the table reached into her bag and pulled out a thick folder. He poured the coffee as he listened to her go on about having to use her system because she didn’t have the time to work one up for him. He liked that she compromised by telling him once they had everything organized she would try to work up something specific for him. Since the software she used was already installed on her laptop, she’d bring it with her. He looked over the forms and asked a few questions, but in the end he knew he was just stalling so he could spend more time with her.
Too soon, they finished their coffee and muffins. She handed him a copy of the contract they’d both signed and got to her feet. He tried to think of something to say that would keep her there, but his mind went blank. She slid the file back in her bag and slipped it onto her shoulder.
“Okay, so that about does it for today. I’ll see you tomorrow bright and early.” She headed for the door.
Cameron followed, trying to think of something to say that would keep her there a little bit longer. Everything that came to mind sounded lame, so he kept his mouth shut and opened the door. She stepped outside and a ball of fur bolted between them. Joey squealed, teetering on her heels as she jumped back. Cameron reached out to grasp her upper arms. He just meant to steady her, but she tried to turn, and he missed. He ended up with one hand on her back the other on her breast.
Joey sucked in a deep breath, which pressed her boob further into his palm. He knew he should let go. A voice in the back of his head was screaming for him to get his hands off her. She moved, and her thigh brushed across his cock, making it spring to life. If she’d kept the small distance between them, he may have been able to keep himself under control, but she leaned into him slightly. Unable to stop himself, his hands tightened on her, molding to her breast and back. It was enough to make him want way more than he thought she was willing to give at the moment.
She yanked herself out of his embrace and took a huge step away from him. “I think that’s enough for today.”
He stood there in awe of the fierce creature who stormed away from him. He felt something rub against his legs and looked down to see the cat, his cat now, winding around his legs. He left the door open and headed inside to grab one of the empty boxes to put her kittens
in.
“I guess this means we’re friends now.” He looked down at her as she trotted along beside him.
Chapter Three
Exactly a week had passed since what Cameron affectionately thought of as the booby incident. He knew it’d been a week because he’d spent every night having the most vivid dreams starring Joey. If he hadn’t touched her, maybe he would have been able to keep her from invading his thoughts. Instead, he was imagining all the ways he could strip her naked. Each day they spent together, the more intense his dreams got. Thankfully, he hadn’t acted on any of his racy thoughts.
When he apologized for his unintentional, but unforgettable groping, Joey had accepted with a refined dignity not many women had. He had no idea how she was able to just push the whole episode out of her mind and get down to work. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t forget how the plump weight of her breast felt in his palm. If she noticed that his gaze dropped to her breasts every now and then, she was really good at hiding it.
While her attitude toward him was totally professional, she was downright hostile with Mrs. Whiskers. The feeling was mutual. The two of them hissed and stiffened like they were waiting for the other to attack. If it hadn’t been the only thing bringing any amusement to his boring day, he may have interceded. The little dance they did whenever they entered the same room made him laugh. Their gazes would meet and stay on each other until one of them left the room. Heads held high, they would give the other plenty of room as they went about their business.
Luckily, Mrs. Whiskers stayed out of the office and Joey didn’t find it necessary to spend much time in the living room. Cameron was fine with Joey staying in the five foot wide, eight foot long room, though more and more he found himself wishing she was in his bedroom. For now, he played gopher, getting her coffee and anything else she asked for. This morning, he’d even gone so far as to offer to cook her breakfast. She refused—politely, of course. The problem for him was her polite, business-only attitude was really starting to piss him off. If he asked her a direct question about her family or her private life, she deflected it.
All he wanted to do was get to know her, but she had drawn a line and wasn’t letting him cross it. It wasn’t like he was going to steal her identity or anything malicious. Hell, he could find the answers to his questions with a simple phone call if he wanted to. Now that would be invading her privacy. Even though it would serve her right, he wasn’t going to do it. Nope, he was going to get her to talk to him.
Maybe he was egotistical, but he assumed she’d want to learn a little more about him, too. He had no problem answering any of the questions she asked him. Okay, so they were all related to his records, and there weren’t many. Still, it didn’t matter because he was willing to tell her anything she wanted to know. Somehow, he needed to get her to open up to him. Since being nice wasn’t working, he was going to have to try something else.
“So, is there anything to do around here at night?” He hoped she would give him more than the one word answers she’d been giving him all morning.
Her fingers continued to click away across the keyboard. “I’m sure Alec can give you some ideas.”
“He has, but I’m looking for a woman’s point of view.” He couldn’t hold back the smile when she looked up at him.
For a second something flashed in her eyes. The light green shade darkened just enough for him to notice. Maybe she didn’t know how expressive her eyes were, but after years of watching people and animals, he knew the signs to look for. She wasn’t afraid of him, and she sure in hell wasn’t intimidated either. Joey was hiding something, though. He could feel it. She was too damn good at it for his liking.
“Well, I guess it would depend.” She shrugged her shoulders and reached for another stack of papers.
Had she meant for that to sound as cryptic as it did? “On what?”
“Well, if you’re looking to find some female companionship, there’s a few places a guy like you is sure to score. You could even find someone willing to keep things quiet like you want. But if you’re just looking for some fun, there’s a couple places I’d suggest you avoid. So which is it?”
“I was thinking a movie or something along those lines.”
“Sitting in a dark room full of strangers who have no idea who you are doesn’t sound like fun to me. Not when you could probably find a dozen movies to choose from with that dish they installed yesterday.”
“True, but I think I’m getting cabin fever.” He wished he knew what was running through her head.
Did she think he was angling for her to invite him somewhere? Or that he was leading up to asking her out? He knew the risk of getting too close to her, but he also wanted them to be friends of a sort. Not friends with benefits. That would get out of hand too easily. It could be a lot fun, but it was a very bad idea. One he had to get out of his head again and find a way to keep it out.
The best thing he could do was let her off the hook, for now anyway. “Alec invited me up to play some poker with him and his cousins. Guess it couldn’t hurt to sit in for a few hands.”
* * * *
Joey ducked her head to hide her smile. It wasn’t the only thing she was hiding from him. He had no idea how those looks of his were getting to her. The energy that was arcing between them was bound to get out of control if one of them didn’t get a handle on it. Not that she’d risk acting on it, but it was getting harder and harder to deny. Every time she looked over at him he was either staring at her breasts—which felt heavier each time—or he sat there wearing a dopey grin that had her wondering what the hell he was thinking.
Luckily, he hadn’t looked back and caught her watching him walk away when he’d gone into the kitchen to refill their glasses. Maybe Georgie was right about her not being able to stay objective and keep things professional around a guy with an ass like that. Hopefully, she’d find a way to deal with her body’s reactions before he noticed. She turned back to the pile of documents she’d been sorting through.
It was pretty obvious Cameron had no idea just how competitive the Mitchell cousins got when they were playing. Friend or foe, they played to win no matter what, but at the end the five of them were all still friends. They’d fleece him for sure. He’d be lucky to get out of there with just a few bruises, but hopefully they might knock some sense into him. For just a second, she thought about warning him, but since he was looking for some excitement, she may as well let him find it.
He might get by for a while if he placated them like he’d been doing with her for the past few days. His niceness and all the questions he was asking irritated her. She spent too much time trying to figure out why he was acting that way, and it pissed her off. He could be asking the questions to get to know her better, but when he doted on her, it made her wonder why. Was he trying to get on her good side? Or he maybe he was just trying to show her he was grateful for her helping him. No matter what his reasons were she didn’t like it. Joey had a really strong feeling the Mitchells wouldn’t like it either.
For now, she had to focus on business, and she wished he would, too. Together they’d already managed to go through one box of records and make a big dent in another. There were still some really big holes she needed to fill in before she had an accurate idea of just how bad things were. She was hoping to find everything she needed in the other six boxes. If not, Cameron was going to be spending some time on the phone trying to track it all down.
“Maybe I’ll just head up to the lodge for dinner. I heard the food is amazing.”
Joey stopped typing. The keys beneath her fingers looked a little fuzzy. It wasn’t that she didn’t want him going to the lodge or anywhere near her sisters. Well, she didn’t, but only because she already knew what they were going to see. Especially since Georgie had already pointed out that he was a handsome guy, who, yeah, happened to be single.
His somewhat famous stature wouldn’t faze them in the least, but that sexy smile he liked to flash so often would. Even if Geo
rgie and Bobbie weren’t interested, her sisters, especially Bobbie, all had plenty of single friends who would be interested. She figured trying to dissuade him from going would just encourage him. Men were like children in that aspect. Tell them they couldn’t do something and they’d try to do it just to prove you wrong.
She looked up at him and smiled. “The food is wonderful. My sister Sam is a great cook. Since word got out that she was adding different choices to the dinner menu for the next few weeks to try them out, we’ve had triple the business. Everyone wants to sample her new creations.”
“Really?” There wasn’t a hint of surprise in his tone, but he did sound disappointed.
“Yeah.” She put her elbow on the table and rested her chin on her fist, pretending a calm she sure in hell didn’t feel. “The breakfast and lunch crowds haven’t changed that much yet, but there’s been a slight increase. Once we’re done with the remodel project we’re about to get underway, I expect them to get busier, too.”
“Your family owns the lodge?” His question took her by surprise.
Joey wanted to drop her head to the desk. The son of a bitch had gotten her to talk after all. He was slick. She had assumed Alec would have told him that they owned it. There was no taking it back now that she threw it out there.
“Yeah, my sisters and I each own a sixth of it.” Curse her loose tongue. It seemed to have a mind of its own.
“No brothers, huh?” His smile gave her the impression he liked the idea.
She reached for the next document, hoping he’d take the hint. “Nope, just a couple of really overprotective brothers-in-law.”
“So where do you rank in the sibling ladder?” He pushed back, leaning the chair on its back legs and clasped his hands behind his head.
“I’m kind of in the middle.” She shrugged as she typed the info into the computer.
“Kind of.” His deep, rough chuckle filled the air. She fought with herself not to look at him.