Truly Yours

by Deborah Fletcher Mello

  Her husband shrugged, not bothering to respond as he and Darryl locked eyes, the motion almost conspiratorial. Not missing the gesture, Katherine changed the subject.

  “Darryl, do you want a cup of tea, Son-shine?”

  “No, thanks, Mom. Camryn and I really have to be going,” he said as Camryn moved back to his side.

  “Well, definitely come back for dinner sometime soon,” Katherine said. “You bring her back, Darryl,” his mother admonished.

  Darryl met Camryn’s gaze. “Maybe, but she’s going to have to start acting right first,” he said.

  Camryn’s eyes widened. “I don’t believe you,” she gushed.

  “I mean it,” Darryl said. “You’re too moody and when you get in one of your moods you’re like a girl-zilla!”

  “I am not!”

  “Your mother gets that way, too,” Senior said matter-of-factly. He twirled his index finger in the air.

  Katherine looped her arm through Camryn’s. “Don’t pay either one of them an ounce of attention.” She gave her husband a look. “You know you like it when I’m in one of my moods.”

  “Yes, I do, baby,” Senior chuckled. “Yes, I do.”

  Then Katherine whispered into Camryn’s ear. “Be moody if you want, honey. Keep ’em guessing. They like it when they don’t know what’s coming their way.”

  Camryn giggled. “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Be nice to this girl, Darryl. I like her,” Katherine chided as she escorted them to the front door. “You hear me?”

  “Yes, ma’am!” Darryl said as Camryn stuck her tongue out at him. His mouth flew open as he pointed a finger in her direction but no one seemed to catch her gesture.

  Extending her goodbyes, Camryn headed back to the car as Darryl hugged both of his parents. The couple waved from the porch. Darryl eased his way to her side, reaching to unlock the passenger-side door. He then opened it to let Camryn inside.

  “I can’t believe you did that to me,” she said, spinning around to face him.

  “Did what?”

  She shook her head. “I can just imagine what your parents are thinking about me.”

  “They liked you.”

  “They were being nice.”

  “Yes, they were. Because they liked you. So what are you complaining about?”

  He took a step toward her, standing so close that the sweet scent of his cologne teased her nostrils. Nerves suddenly had her quivering in her high heels. “I wasn’t complaining,” she murmured, fighting not to meet his gaze.

  “Sounded like a complaint to me,” Darryl said softly.

  “Well, you’re—” Camryn started.

  Before she could finish, Darryl slipped a large hand around her waist, snaking it to the small of her back. Camryn’s eyes widened, her stare lifting to meet his. Her words caught deep in her chest, the air sucked out of her lungs. His touch was heated, his fingertips scorching her skin. It was almost too much for her to handle.

  As Darryl held her tight, he stood in awe at just how beautiful she was. He couldn’t even begin to deny how much he wanted her. Even when she was being quarrelsome, he still found her attractive. There was no denying that the friendship between them had grown into something much more. And in that moment, standing there with his arm around her, all he wanted was to kiss her, to feel his lips pressed tight to hers.

  His father’s voice calling from the front porch of the family home pulled him from the trance he’d fallen into.

  “Darryl! Hey, son!”

  Closing his eyes, Darryl took a deep inhale of air. He opened his eyes and met Camryn’s stare. Her lips were slightly parted in anticipation. He took another breath and gently caressed her back, his fingers teasing the curve of her buttocks.

  “Darryl!”

  He took a step back, his hand moving from her back to the car door. He pushed it open as wide as it could go. His gaze moved from her face to where his father stood waving. “Yes, sir?”

  “Remember what I said, son,” Senior called out. “Be careful!”

  Darryl chuckled under his breath, his head waving from side to side. “Yes, sir, Senior!” He dropped his gaze back to Camryn, the two staring at each momentarily.

  Smiling brightly, Camryn suddenly drew the back of her fingers down the side of his face. He smiled with her. When she leaned up to press a damp kiss against Darryl’s cheek, he felt his heart skip a beat and then two. Mindful of his parents still watching from the porch, Camryn lifted her hand in an easy wave before easing into the car. She pulled the seat belt around her slight frame and latched it as Darryl stood watching her.

  “So it’s like that?” he said.

  Camryn laughed and he couldn’t stop himself from laughing with her.

  Chapter 9

  “He was a great guy but he wanted a pregnant, stay-at-home wife.”

  “And that wasn’t you?” Darryl asked.

  Camryn shrugged. “No, not back then. My career has always come before my personal life.” She pulled a hand through her hair. “What about you? How long did your thing with Pauline Satterwhite last?”

  Darryl laughed. “Just long enough for her to take my virginity and leave me wanting. The girl was cold.”

  “Oh, no, she didn’t!”

  “Yes, she did,” he said.

  “And your father remembered her name?”

  “Apparently my little secret wasn’t so secret,” Darryl said, chuckling.

  “So, did you think Asia was the one?”

  Darryl shifted his eyes from the road to Camryn’s face and back again. “Asia thought she was the one. I cared about her but I probably knew early on that it wasn’t going to work out. My mother didn’t care for her at all and my sisters detested her with a passion. It’s hard to be in love with a woman your mother doesn’t like.”

  “I can’t imagine your mother not liking someone.”

  “Exactly.”

  Camryn laughed. “So, help me out here—you have four sisters, right?”

  “Yes, and five brothers.”

  “Where do you fall in the lineup?”

  “Smack dab in the middle. I’m the fifth child and the third oldest son.”

  “Wow! Tell me about them.”

  “We’re a family of successful overachievers. Mason is the oldest. He made billions in the hotel industry. Then there’s my sister Maitlyn. She freelances as a talent agent but spends most of her time managing all of our lives. My brother Donovan is next and he’s a mathematician. If you need the numbers crunched, he’s your go-to man.

  “Then comes my sister Katrina. She’s a district court judge in Texas. And, of course, me, engineer extraordinaire. The twins came after me, Kendrick and Kamaya. I’m not sure what Kendrick does is legal. I just know he’s good at it and makes a lot of money. And Kamaya works wonders with roots.”

  Camryn laughed. “Roots?”

  “We’re all still trying to figure that out.” He laughed. “Then there’s my brother Guy, the actor. You would probably recognize him from the James Bond movie.”

  “The Guy Boudreaux? That’s your brother?”

  “My baby brother! And last but not least, there’s my baby sister, Tarah. She’s in medical school, soon to be a heart surgeon.”

  Camryn shifted in her seat, twisting more toward him. “Your parents must be exceptionally proud of you all.”

  “They are,” Darryl said with a quick nod. “But then, Senior is retired military. He set very high standards for us. But what about you? I know you have a twin brother, right?”

  “Yes. He’s older by exactly two minutes. Daddy always hoped Carson would work the business with him but after spending a year in France, Carson went to culinary school and opened a chain of restaurants instead.”

  “Was he
disappointed?” He looked at her. “Your father, I mean.”

  Camryn tossed him an easy smile. “No, not at all. Daddy has always wanted us both to just be happy. Besides, he got me and I’m a better architect than Carson would ever have been.” Camryn smiled again.

  The two had been talking and driving for a few hours, a slow sojourn into the countryside outside of New Orleans. They’d been heading upriver, following the River Road and the plantation homes that lined the banks of the Mississippi. They’d stopped a few times: two restroom breaks, a late-afternoon lunch and quick excursions into a few antiques shops that had caught Camryn’s eye. Before either realized it, they were in the heart of Cajun Country.

  “So, where are we going?” Camryn finally asked.

  Darryl eased the car through downtown St. Martinville. Maneuvering into a parking space near the city park, he shut off the engine.

  “I felt like walking along the Bayou Teche,” he said casually as he moved to her side of the car and opened the door.

  The waterway meandered through the town, shimmering beneath the late-afternoon sunlight. The sun was beating down hard and a thick patch of humidity had rolled in, making the air murky and sticky, sapping energy from even the most enthusiastic. The streets were shaded by century-old mossy oaks. The views could easily be from a postcard.

  Together Camryn and Darryl strolled the concrete walkways, eyeing the birds that waded among cattails, an old man fishing in the stream, a family enjoying a picnic meal in the park. Conversation continued to flow easily between them. Spying an empty bench, Camryn grabbed Darryl’s hand and pulled him along beside her, dropping down onto the wooden seat.

  “My body is exhausted,” she said, blowing a gust of breath. She stretched the length of her limbs out in front of her.

  “I know. That’s why you needed to take a break. You’ve been burning the candle at both ends, Ms. Charles.”

  “Hard work reaps generous rewards, Mr. Boudreaux.”

  “It does. But all work and no play makes you a royal pain.”

  Camryn laughed. “I guess I have been a bit difficult lately.”

  “A bit?” Darryl chuckled. “That’s putting it mildly.”

  “I have not been that bad.”

  Darryl cut his eyes at her, his eyebrows raised. “If you say so.”

  “I do,” she said, grinning broadly. She took a deep breath and allowed the silence to swell between them. The moment was comfortable, the quiet just shy of being perfection. As Darryl stared out over the landscape, Camryn couldn’t help but ask the question she’d been building up her nerves for since they’d left his family home.

  “So, do you really talk about me all the time?” she finally inquired.

  He smiled, turning to stare at her. Camryn looked off toward the water, feigning disinterest.

  “Yeah,” he said finally. “I do.”

  “Why?”

  Darryl paused as he considered his response. “Probably because I think about you all the time,” he answered.

  She tossed him a quick glance. “Really?”

  “I think about what a pain in the ass you are!”

  Camryn gave him a playful punch. After stretching a second time she leaned her body into the curve of his arm, resting her head against his broad chest as she lifted her legs onto the bench, crossing them at the ankles. There was brief pause before she spoke. “I think about you all the time, too,” she said softly.

  Darryl was only slightly stunned by her confession. He wrapped both his arms around her torso and shifted closer to her.

  She continued. “We shouldn’t be thinking about each other at all. It’s very unprofessional, Darryl Boudreaux.”

  His laugh was amiable and teasing and she enjoyed the warmth of his body next to hers, his chest rising and falling against her back as he chuckled. He drew the length of his fingers against her bare arms. The gentle caress caused her nipples to press taut against the fabric of her lace bra. She crossed her arms over her chest, hoping against all odds that Darryl would not notice.

  “You won’t get any argument from me,” Darryl said casually. “I agree with you wholeheartedly. You should not be thinking about me, Camryn Charles.”

  “We’re friends and that’s a good thing because we work so well together,” Camryn reasoned. “We wouldn’t want to do anything that might ruin our working relationship. Right?”

  Darryl nodded. He pressed his face into her hair, inhaling the fresh scent of mandarin and orchids against the strands. She smelled divine, the sweet aroma teasing his senses. Currents of electricity tingled through his body. A rise of nature strained heavily through his crotch. He moved his body to cross his legs, hoping to stall the rush of arousal.

  He pressed a kiss against the top of Camryn’s head, then nuzzled his nose into the curve of her neck. “We definitely wouldn’t want to do that,” he muttered against her skin as his fingertips trailed lightly over her neck and shoulders.

  She leaned into his hand, enjoying the sensation of his touch. Before she realized it, a low moan managed to escape past her lips. Her eyes flew open from the infraction. Darryl smiled down at her, and his eyes softened, desire shimmering in the dark orbs. Staring into them, Camryn felt herself falling, all control lost. She fought to regain some footing. “We have to keep our relationship strictly professional,” she whispered, her tone hardly convincing.

  Darryl whispered into her ear. “If you say so,” he said just before sliding his tongue along the edge of Camryn’s earlobe.

  Camryn gasped loudly, feeling herself shiver with expectation. “Ohhh! Darryl, you have to stop!”

  Suddenly Darryl tapped her lightly against the curve of her hip. “I’m sorry. We should be going,” he said as he pushed her gently from him and stood up. “Before I do something we’ll both regret.”

  Moving to her feet, Camryn wrapped her arms tightly around her torso. She took in a deep breath, closing her eyes briefly as she struggled to regain her composure. Darryl had her feeling some kind of way and it was almost too much for her to handle. She lifted her face to the bright sun, allowing the heated rays to gently soothe the unrest brewing inside of her. When she finally opened her eyes, Darryl was staring at her, a pained expression wrinkling his brow. He reached a large hand out to gently stroke the side of her face. Without him having to say a word, Camryn felt exactly what he was feeling and she took a step toward him, moving her body easily against his.

  The look she gave him was enchanting, her stare an overflowing fountain of emotion. “I won’t regret it,” she whispered as she slid her arms around his waist, the soft curves of her body pressing tightly to the hard lines of his. “I won’t have any regrets at all,” she repeated.

  And so he kissed her, his lips connecting with hers ever so sweetly. The world stood still. Their mouths were pressed tightly together, flesh gliding like silk against satin.

  He tasted sweet, like chocolate and mint. His hands closed around her head, his fingers entwined in the curls of her hair. His lips were eager, anxiously searching her lips. He licked her mouth lightly, seeking permission to go further. Her mouth opened and her breath was honeyed, her tongue warm and darting. The kiss was long and deep and the moment was intoxicating, both completely lost in it. When they finally pulled away from each other, both panting heavily, Darryl knew that he had no regrets, either. Not a single one.

  Chapter 10

  Darryl reached for Camryn’s hand as they headed back to his car, palms pressed together, arms swinging easily between them. The woman pointed with her free hand and as Darryl turned to look where she indicated, he laughed heartily.

  From where Asia sat watching, they looked quite comfortable with each other. She couldn’t remember Darryl ever looking that at ease or that happy when they were together. She took a deep breath, wholly unnerved by the reality of her
situation.

  She’d been following Darryl for almost a week, excited at the prospect of being reunited with him. She’d watched him run from office to office, office to work site, and it was obvious that he’d been committedly focused on business. Today had been the first day that he’d deviated from his normal routine, pleasure seeming to be the agenda for the afternoon.

  Since arriving in Louisiana Asia had learned about the partnership between the Boudreaux and Charles families. She knew of the talented architect Camryn Charles. They’d once competed for a project and Camryn had bested her. But Asia’s father had eased that sting by giving her another project to work on. Having a parent with a global architectural firm had its perks. As she sat watching Darryl and Camryn together, she couldn’t begin to fathom how her father could ever fix the hurt she was feeling.

  Sinking down in the driver’s seat of her rental car, Asia ducked her head as Darryl pulled out of his parking space and eased his car into the afternoon traffic. Her eyes followed the couple in the rearview mirror, watching how Camryn was leaning her body against his. There was no mistaking that there was something more than business going on between Darryl and Camryn.

  Picking up her cell phone, Asia searched through her recent contacts. Within seconds her father answered on the other end.

  “What’s wrong, Asia?”

  “Hey, Daddy! Why does something have to be wrong?”

  “I know you, Asia.”

  “Well, there is nothing wrong. I just wanted to say hello.”

  “I’m on a tight schedule, honey, so you need to make it quick. Have you seen Darryl?”

  Asia swiped at a tear that had pushed past her lashes. “Darryl is good, Daddy. He’s been very sweet to me.”

  “Well, I’m glad things are working out.”

  “Daddy, did you hear about his partnership with Charles & Charles Architecture?”

  “It’s a big project. Of course I heard about it. I wish I’d had an opportunity to bid on it but I heard Darryl’s brother wanted to work with a local firm. He’s hired one of the best, so I’m sure he’ll be pleased with the outcome. The official groundbreaking is tomorrow, right?”