Case of Desire

by Jacquelin Thomas

  She released a soft, cleansing breath and said, “It’s nice to finally meet you in person.”

  Camille took in his powerful presence and drank in the sensuality of his physique. The man was fine. And those sexy warm brown eyes of his…they could make a woman melt just from the heat of his gaze.

  She affected an ease she did not feel, but Camille was not about to give Maxwell any hint of how much he affected her.

  Maxwell smiled as he shook her hand. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Camille.” Her natural beauty had taken him by surprise.

  Smiling, Camille gestured toward one of the visitor chairs in her office and said, “Please have a seat.”

  Maxwell sat down in the leather chair. He could not resist admiring her slender frame and soft curves. Although he preferred women with long hair, he liked the way her light brown, naturally wavy hair framed her face. Camille wore it in a cute short cut that complimented her café-au-lait skin color and green eyes.

  Unaware that he was observing her, Camille strolled around her desk and sat down. “I didn’t expect you here so soon, Mr. Wade. I was told that you wouldn’t be settling in until Monday.”

  “I decided to come in a few days earlier so I can be here for Thomas’s wedding reception,” he responded. “Please call me Maxwell.”

  She had forgotten that Maxwell, Ray and Thomas had all been friends since college. Camille felt the heat of his gaze on her and shifted uncomfortably in her chair.

  “I wanted to meet with you to discuss Dr. Matthews and his lawsuit,” Maxwell announced.

  “Because of the hospital’s relationship with the Matthews family, we had hoped the matter with Terrence could be handled in a discreet manner,” she responded. “We never expected a lawsuit to come out of the situation.”

  “No one ever expects a lawsuit, Camille,” Maxwell stated bluntly. “In this case, I would have been more surprised if Dr. Matthews had gone away quietly.”

  His tone rubbed her the wrong way. “What I meant is that Terrence was caught red-handed with the drugs. How can he defend himself against the truth?”

  “He can’t,” Maxwell responded. “An employee who wishes to sue for wrongful termination must either show that his employment contract expressly or implicitly stated that he would not be fired without cause or that the employer fired him for a reason that violates a fundamental policy expressed in Virginia’s statutes. He could also sue if the employer committed some type of tort, like defamation, invasion of privacy or intentional infliction of emotional distress. But Dr. Matthews can’t prove any of these things.”

  “Yet he’s filed anyway,” Camille commented.

  Maxwell smiled. “Well, this is where I come in. From this point forward, all queries will be directed to me. No one here at the hospital is to talk to the media or anybody else.”

  “I’ll forward a couple emails from reporters to you,” Camille said.

  “Great. I want you to know that I really appreciate your assistance, Camille.”

  His words warmed her. “Thank you.”

  “I will let you get back to work.” Maxwell rose to his feet and headed to the door.

  Up until recently, he and Camille had only exchanged a couple of pointed emails. He never expected to meet such a beautiful woman with a sinful voice and cute laugh. In her office, Maxwell had to concentrate hard just to keep his mind on business. Camille had made his temperature rise more than a little.

  When Maxwell left her office, Camille leaned back in her chair and released a short sigh.

  Maxwell Wade was gorgeous up close. She had to agree with Isabelle and the others. He did look even better in person. When he was in her office, Camille could barely concentrate and struggled to keep from staring at him.

  There was a soft knock on her door, taking her attention off her thoughts of Maxwell Wade.

  It was Jaclyn Campbell, the intern who had blown the whistle on Dr. Terrence Matthews.

  “I just saw Maxwell Wade leaving your office,” she said.

  “Are you okay?” Camille inquired, noting that her friend looked upset about something.

  “I still can’t believe that Terrence and his family are suing the hospital,” Jaclyn said as she sat down in one of the visitor chairs. “How can he claim he was wrongfully terminated?”

  “I know how you feel,” Camille responded. “I can’t believe it either, Jaclyn.”

  “I just wish we could find a way to lay this lawsuit to rest. I overheard a couple of patients discussing it.”

  Camille shook her head. “I’ve been doing everything I can to keep the hospital out of the news, but Terrence and his parents calling that press conference didn’t help matters at all.”

  “I feel terrible that it’s come to this,” Jaclyn murmured.

  “It’s not your fault,” Camille stated. “Terrence did this. And his claim that his termination was extreme is certainly not true.”

  “His family is one of the richest families in all of Virginia.”

  “And the hospital’s most generous benefactor,” Camille interjected. “The fact remains that there was sufficient grounds to terminate Terrence, and with Maxwell Wade representing the hospital, I’m sure he’ll sort out the whole mess.”

  Camille got up to walk Jaclyn out of her office.

  “So what do you think of Maxwell Wade?” Jaclyn inquired.

  Camille met her friend’s gaze. “I think he’s arrogant, but maybe this is why he’s so good at his job.”

  “He’s nice-looking, don’t you think?”

  “Jaclyn, why are you asking me about him? The one you should be talking to is your former roommate. She’s already put her claim on him.”

  “He’s not Isabelle’s type,” Jaclyn responded.

  “I’m pretty sure she’d disagree with you,” Camille stated. “Anyway, your focus should be on Dr. Lucien De Winter.”

  Jaclyn smiled. “He has all of my attention, I assure you.”

  Camille was happy that her friend had found a wonderful man who loved her as much as she loved him. As for herself, she enjoyed her life as a single woman, but she was willing to settle down if and when the right man came along.

  Chapter 2

  Dr. Thomas Bradshaw and his new wife, Lia, mingled with their guests during the reception held in their honor. The couple had eloped, surprising everyone, including Camille. Lia radiated happiness as her husband embraced her lovingly.

  Camille moved around the room, pausing to chat with friends and coworkers.

  She walked over to where Lucien and his fiancée Jaclyn stood. “How come you two aren’t out there dancing?”

  “Every time we head out there, Lucien gets sidetracked by one of the board members,” Jaclyn stated.

  Lucien embraced her. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. When the next song plays, I’m all yours.”

  “What about you, Camille?” Jaclyn asked. “Why aren’t you out there dancing?”

  “My imaginary date is shy,” she responded with a laugh.

  They were soon joined by Tamara St. John and her fiancé, Victor Aguilar; both were interns at Hopewell General. Camille talked with them for a moment before moving on.

  She caught sight of Maxwell standing with Ray a few feet away. Her breath caught in her throat at the sight of him in the black suit that looked as if it had been designed just for him. It was obvious why he had so many women fawning over him. Camille couldn’t deny that Maxwell was a very handsome man.

  Her eyes traveled across the room to where Isabelle stood with a couple of her friends. Camille noted that she had been watching Maxwell along with half of the other women at the reception.

  “Camille, why are you over here in this corner?” Jerome asked, approaching her. “Wallflower definitely does not look good on you.”

  His words cut into her thoughts of Maxwell.

  She laughed. “Jerome, I’m not trying to be a wallflower.”

  He set his drink on a nearby table and grabbed her by the hand. “C’mon, let’s dan
ce then.”

  “What about your date?” Camille inquired. “You know that I don’t do drama.”

  “She’ll be all right. I told Julie that you were like a little sister to me. Besides, she’s not the jealous type.”

  Camille loved to dance, so as soon as she heard the music, her body began to sway.

  She and Jerome danced to two songs before his date joined them. Camille stayed on the floor for one more song, and then said, “Okay, I need to get something to drink.”

  “You’re leaving?” Jerome asked. “I was about to drop it like it’s hot.”

  She laughed. “I’ll leave that to you and Julie.”

  Camille made her way over to the bar.

  Someone walked up behind her.

  “Hello, Camille.”

  She turned around. “Maxwell, it’s nice to see you,” she managed casually. Camille could hear her heart pounding loudly over the music. His nearness had an arousing effect on her. “I hope you’re having a good time.”

  “I am,” he responded in a deep baritone voice.

  A new and unexpected warmth surged through her as he looked at her. The richness of his tone made Camille weak at the knees. She supported her weight by placing a hand on the edge of the bar.

  She could feel Maxwell’s eyes still observing her. His gaze was intense and penetrating, almost as if he could see right through her. Camille chewed nervously on her bottom lip.

  Jerome walked by and uttered, “Stop biting your lip.”

  Embarrassed, Camille gave him a playful jab in the ribs. She prayed that Maxwell hadn’t heard him.

  Her prayer went unanswered when Maxwell smiled at her, and then asked, “Do I make you nervous, Camille?”

  “No,” she responded quickly. “Why would you think that?”

  Camille couldn’t stand his arrogance. Did he actually believe that her actions were because of him?

  “Most people bite their lips when anxious or nervous.”

  Camille gestured to the dance floor. “Why aren’t you out there?” She wanted to take the attention off of herself.

  “That’s one of the reasons I walked over here,” Maxwell responded. “I came over to ask you to dance with me.”

  She caught sight of Isabelle standing a few yards away and was about to refuse, but he said, “I saw you out there with your coworker. You have some really nice moves. I thought maybe you could teach me a few.”

  She folded her arms across her chest. “Okay, now you’re just teasing me.”

  He gave her a beautiful smile. “I’m serious. Come, let’s have some fun.”

  Why not? “Sure.”

  They slowly made their way to the middle of the dance floor.

  She wasn’t surprised to find that Maxwell was a wonderful dancer. Camille smiled as she showed off her best moves, wanting to prove that he wasn’t the only one with skills.

  “You enjoy dancing, don’t you?”

  Smiling, she nodded. “You look like you love it as well.”

  “I’m going to tell you a secret.” He leaned forward and whispered in her ear. His words made her grin.

  Later when they walked off the dance floor, Camille couldn’t resist asking, “Were you serious about wanting to dance professionally?”

  Maxwell nodded. “It used to be a dream of mine, but my parents insisted that I find a real profession. They didn’t believe that dancing would pay the bills.”

  “Is that why you became a lawyer?”

  He nodded. “My parents and grandfather are all lawyers, so I felt that I should carry on the family tradition.”

  “Being a lawyer has served you well, wouldn’t you say?” Camille questioned. Maxwell was one of the top litigation attorneys in the country. He was licensed to practice in California, New York, D.C., Virginia and Georgia.

  He smiled. “I can’t complain.”

  She spotted Isabelle walking toward them and said, “Thanks for the dance, Maxwell.”

  He smiled at her. “You’re quite welcome, Camille.”

  “Mr. Wade,” Isabelle said, joining them. “Let’s dance. Camille, you don’t mind if I take him off your hands, do you?”

  He shot a glance in Camille’s direction.

  “Have fun,” she mouthed before weaving through the sea of people in attendance.

  Camille watched as Maxwell allowed Isabelle to take him by the hand, leading him to the dance floor. She had mixed emotions as she watched the two of them dancing.

  Even in a crowd, Maxwell’s presence was compelling. Camille stood there eyeing the numerous women vying for his attention.

  “Isabelle’s really trying to latch on to him,” a woman standing beside her commented in a low voice.

  Camille did not respond. She liked Isabelle, although she felt that Isabelle was all wrong for a man like Maxwell Wade. Not that she knew what type of woman was perfect for the millionaire attorney. Besides, he had been linked to a flamboyant supermodel for years, a woman who was rumored to be self-centered, hard to work with, and ill-tempered. She had earned a reputation for gaining attention through public tantrums, including an attack on her assistant, during her on-and-off relationship with Maxwell.

  Camille allowed her eyes to linger on Maxwell, appreciating the strong lines of his well-formed cheek and jaw. But it was those beautiful brown eyes of his that arrested her—intelligent eyes that seemed to peer through to her very soul. She surveyed Maxwell with an artist’s sensitivity, taking in his naturally arched brows, the faint lines above his forehead and those sexy lips of his.

  “What do you think about Isabelle and Maxwell Wade, Camille?”

  She gave a slight shrug. “I think that Isabelle’s a big girl and she can take care of herself,” Camille responded. “Hey, I’m going to get something to drink. Want to join me?”

  “My boyfriend just went to get drinks for us,” the woman replied. “Thanks though.”

  Camille nodded, and then said, “I’ll talk to you later.” She was grateful for a moment alone. She struggled with figuring out what was drawing her to Maxwell. There was some type of invisible thread drawing them together.

  I don’t know this man, she kept telling herself over and over. I’m not sure I even like him, so why should I care who he dates?

  Camille shook off her thoughts.

  She ordered and paid the bartender for a soda.

  Just as she turned to leave, Camille bumped into the chief of staff’s wife. “Mrs. Dudley, I’m sorry. I didn’t know that you were standing behind me.”

  “You’re fine, dear.” She placed a hand to her forehead. “I have such a terrible headache and this music isn’t helping. I can barely see straight, so I’m going home.”

  She was genuinely concerned. “I’m sorry to hear that, Mrs. Dudley. Would you like for me to call you a taxi or something?”

  “Germaine’s already taken care of it, dear.”

  Dr. Dudley was in heavy conversation with another doctor, so Camille made sure that the woman made it safely to the waiting taxi.

  Just before she reached the doors of the ballroom where the reception was being held, Dr. Dudley stepped into her path. “D-did my w-wife leave?” he asked. The dazed look in his eyes and the slur in his voice indicated that he had had plenty to drink.

  “Yes,” Camille responded. “I walked her out to the cab myself.”

  He reached over and grabbed her hand. “Thank you for being so kind to my wife.” Dr. Dudley was close enough for Camille to smell the alcohol on his breath—much too close as far as she was concerned.

  Camille took a step backward and tried to remove her hand from Dudley’s viselike grip.

  He stared at her a moment before saying, “I really love those green eyes of yours. It gives you an exotic look.”

  She didn’t like the way he was caressing her with his eyes.

  “Dr. Dudley,” Camille began. “Why don’t we go inside?”

  “I’m actually en-enjoying myself out here,” he said in response. “There are too many
people inside the party. I’ve wanted to just sit down and talk to you for a while, Camille. I like getting to know my employees.”

  “I believe we know each other as well as we need to,” she stated firmly. “Dr. Dudley, we don’t want people walking out here and making assumptions. The hospital is under enough scrutiny, don’t you think?”

  Camille tried a second time unsuccessfully to pull her hand away, but Dudley only held on tighter. A wave of apprehension washed over her. “Please let my hand go, Doctor.”

  He continued to leer at her. “Hey, I’m just trying to get to know you—with your fine self.”

  Camille had heard rumors that Dudley had an eye for the ladies, and on more than one occasion she had caught him staring at her, but she never thought he would be so blatant with it. Dr. Dudley was not only married, but a father of three and well-respected in the medical field.

  “Why don’t we go get you some coffee?” Camille suggested. “You have been drinking all night and the alcohol’s making you do things I’m sure you will regret.”

  He pulled her into his arms and tried to kiss her.

  “No!”

  Cringing, Camille struggled violently in his arms, and was relieved when he abruptly let her go. She opened her eyes and met Maxwell’s hard gaze.

  Mortified, she looked away and straightened her dress.

  “Dudley, I think Camille’s right. You’ve had enough to drink,” Maxwell stated coldly.

  “I’m…I’m f-fine,” Germaine slurred. “Now…if you would excuse us, I’m try…t-trying to have a conversation with Camille.”

  “I’m perfectly aware of what you are trying to do,” he countered. “It’s time for you to go home, so I’m going to call you a taxi.” Maxwell pulled out his cell phone. He gestured to a passing waiter and said, “Could you please bring this man a cup of black coffee?”

  He glanced back at Camille. “Are you okay?”

  “I just need to get out of here,” she murmured.

  Maxwell nodded in understanding. He could tell that she was really shaken by what had just transpired. “I’ll see you to your car once I get Dudley settled.”