Case of Desire

by Jacquelin Thomas

  Breaking their kiss, she buried her face against his throat; her trembling limbs clung to him helplessly. She was extremely conscious of where his warm flesh touched hers.

  Maxwell touched a finger to her chin, lifting her face to his view. His eyes were bright with an emotion she had not often seen but could identify.

  Lust.

  From his expression, Camille knew her own eyes reflected the same.

  His mouth curved up at the corners. His finger brushed against her skin, moving back and forth, making it difficult to think.

  Desire ignited in her belly, causing her to pull away reluctantly. She didn’t want Maxwell to think that she was easy.

  “What’s wrong, sweetheart?”

  “Nothing. I just don’t think it’s a good idea for us to get carried away,” she murmured.

  Her gaze locked with his and she could see her passion mirrored in his eyes. She was so swept up in the moment that when Maxwell pulled her back into his arms, she could not refuse. He kissed her again, lingering, savoring every moment. Camille’s emotions whirled. Blood pounded in her brain, leapt from her heart and made her knees tremble.

  “I have always been drawn to you, sweetheart,” Maxwell said. “From the moment I laid eyes on you.” He touched his lips to hers again.

  Camille kissed him with a hunger that belied her outward calm. She was consumed by him, powerless to resist him. Shocked by her own eager response, she realized resisting Maxwell was the last thing on her mind.

  Chapter 8

  Maxwell couldn’t believe it.

  He’d had Camille in his arms, all soft and willing, and he’d walked away. He didn’t want to leave Camille’s townhome, but he could tell that she wasn’t ready for them to become intimate. Although his body told him otherwise, Maxwell thought it was too soon as well. He wasn’t expecting a one-night stand—just a nice dinner with a beautiful woman and pleasant conversation. Recalling the feel of Camille’s lips against his, Maxwell decided he’d gotten much more.

  When he entered his hotel room he undressed and immediately jumped into the shower. He needed one. A cold one. Something to cool his ardor.

  After slipping on a pair of pajama bottoms and a T-shirt, he settled down on the sofa and turned on the television.

  Kendra stepping out of a sleek, black limo amidst of a sea of hungry photographers and reporters stilled his hand.

  Maxwell had never watched her reality show and was about to change the channel until he heard her mention his name. He turned the volume up.

  “I just got off the phone with Maxwell,” she was telling her BFF, Candy, who was also on the show. “I told him that I was getting tired of waiting on him to pop the question. I’m ready to get married and have a baby.”

  He frowned. They had never had that discussion. Maxwell had brought up the subject of marriage only once and that was almost six years ago. Kendra had refused him. At the time he was disappointed, but now he was relieved. A marriage between the two of them would surely have ended in divorce.

  Maxwell hated how she enjoyed bringing up his name on her reality series. The show was in its second season and wildly popular. Apparently viewers enjoyed the antics of Kendra and her supermodel gal pals.

  His mouth tightened as Kendra began discussing his sexual prowess in bed. “Shut up,” he whispered.

  Grinning, Kendra was posing for more photos along the red carpet. The camera crew followed her as she attended some Hollywood premiere.

  Maxwell turned off the television.

  He was not going to let Kendra ruin what had been a pleasant evening. Instead, he went to bed, settling back against the pillows and letting his thoughts wander to Camille.

  What he was feeling for her was more than infatuation. It was a desire that burned like embers inside him. In the short time that they’d spent getting to know one another, he knew his attraction to her was more than just a fleeting passion. It was a fondness, a kinship.

  It defied an explanation.

  Camille’s lips were still tender from Maxwell’s passion-filled kisses. Her body temperature hadn’t cooled yet, so she decided to take a bubble bath, hoping to ease some of the pent-up tension she felt.

  No man had ever made her feel the way Maxwell made her feel. His experienced touch left her burning with desire.

  Camille was still a virgin.

  She had seen what happened to her friends who had decided to jump into physical relationships that eventually ended badly. Camille was determined that she would remain celibate until the right man came along.

  The way Maxwell had been able to stir her emotions, she wondered if he was the one for her.

  Don’t get ahead of yourself, she cautioned her heart.

  Camille didn’t want to set herself up for heartbreak. Besides, she didn’t know how he would respond once he found out that she was inexperienced.

  What if he was turned off? After all, he was used to more sophisticated and experienced women.

  Suddenly chilled, she got out of the bath and slipped on a pair of old sweats and a sweatshirt. She crawled into bed and turned on the television. As if to taunt her, Kendra’s reality show came on. Camille watched it, until the model began talking about how good Maxwell was in bed.

  Then she changed the channel.

  “I’d rather find out for myself,” she whispered to no one but herself.

  An image of Maxwell formed in her mind, bringing a smile to her lips. He was all she thought about until she fell asleep.

  When next Camille opened her eyes, she sat up in bed and glanced over at the clock. It was five minutes after six—almost time for her to get up. She shut down the alarm clock to keep it from going off, and then eased out of bed.

  She had spent most of the night dreaming about Maxwell.

  Strange, she thought, how a man could dominate her waking and sleeping hours as he did. As she brushed her teeth, realization dawned on her.

  I’m falling in love with Maxwell.

  Her heart skipped a beat at the mere thought of his name. Camille prayed that she wasn’t getting too ahead of herself.

  I’m just going to enjoy the time I have with Maxwell. She didn’t want to forget that he would be returning to New York once the lawsuit was over.

  The thought saddened her, but it was a fact she could not ignore.

  Maxwell’s day brightened the moment he saw Camille in the hospital lobby. She had been on his mind since last night. He wanted to kiss her, but since they were in the hospital, they had to maintain professional boundaries.

  “Good morning,” she greeted.

  “Good morning,” he said in return. Lowering his voice, he whispered, “I enjoyed our evening last night.”

  She broke into a grin. “So did I.”

  Dr. Dudley spied them as he walked in and paused, as if looking for a way to avoid them. With no escape route in sight, he walked up to them. “Good morning.”

  He eyed Maxwell a moment before turning to Camille. “I trust everything is going well with the planning of the hospital fundraiser.”

  “It is,” she confirmed. “Everything is also set for the Christmas party for the pediatric wing. Will you be playing Santa Claus again this year?”

  Over the last few days Dr. Dudley had kept his word and his distance, but there was still an air of tension that existed between them. She could feel it now.

  He nodded. “I have the suit all pressed and ready.”

  She gave him a tiny smile. “It sounds great.”

  When a team of surgeons entered the front door, Dr. Dudley excused himself and continued down the hallway with them.

  “I don’t think he likes you much,” Camille observed aloud.

  “He doesn’t,” Maxwell confirmed with a shrug. “But I’m okay with that.”

  They took the elevator to the second floor.

  Isabelle was standing outside of Maxwell’s office. Her eyes registered her shock when she saw the two of them get off the elevator together.

  �
�Good morning, Isabelle,” Camille said quietly. She could feel the tension in the air.

  Before Isabelle could respond, Maxwell asked, “Did you need something?”

  “Actually, no,” she answered. “I came up here to see Angie, but she’s not at her desk. I thought maybe she was the one getting off the elevator.”

  Camille could tell that Isabelle was lying. She had come up to see Maxwell, but was too embarrassed now to admit it.

  She turned to Maxwell and said, “I’ll talk to you later.”

  He nodded. “I’d like to meet with you at some point to discuss the suit.”

  Camille stole a glance at Isabelle and said, “Send me an email with a list of times you’re available.”

  She rushed off to her office.

  A few minutes later, Isabelle showed up in her doorway. “Do you have a moment?” she asked.

  Camille took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “Sure. What is it?”

  “Are you going out with Maxwell?”

  “Not that it’s any of your business, but we had dinner last night.”

  “And lunch yesterday,” Isabelle interjected. “Sounds to me like you two are an item.”

  “I don’t know if I would go that far,” Camille responded. The truth was that she didn’t know exactly how to define their relationship. It was much too soon to tell.

  “You knew that I was interested in him.”

  “I didn’t go after Maxwell, if that’s what you’re thinking, Isabelle. I would think that you’d know me better than that.”

  After a moment, during which numerous emotions showed on Isabelle’s face, she nodded her head. “I know that. It’s just hard to accept that Maxwell Wade didn’t want me. I need some time, but I’ll get over it.” She awarded Camille a huge smile. “Congrats, girl.”

  Camille didn’t like seeing her friend so upset. “I wouldn’t do anything to hurt you, Isabelle.”

  “I know. Hey, it’s not like I ever dated the man. He wouldn’t even give me a chance.”

  Her pager went off.

  “Oh, I need to go. My patient is coding.” Isabelle rushed off.

  Camille released a small sigh of relief. She didn’t want anything, including Maxwell, to come between her and Isabelle.

  When she checked her email, she found that Maxwell had already requested to meet with her at eleven. Camille checked her schedule, and then replied that she was free at that time.

  She thought about Jaclyn and the patient they had discussed. Camille got up from her desk and went looking for her friend. She wanted to find out how things were going with the family.

  Camille found Jaclyn working on some paperwork at the nurse’s station on the fourth floor.

  “Hey, how is your patient?” she asked.

  “He’s still on the ventilator,” Jaclyn replied. “Mrs. Waterford never leaves his side. I think she’s afraid that one of the children will pull the plug on her husband. She has given strict orders that they are not supposed to be alone with him.”

  “What does Dr. Dudley say?”

  “We can’t do anything without the DNR,” Jaclyn stated. “Mrs. Waterford is the patient’s wife and we have to abide by her wishes.”

  A woman walked to the doorway of the hospital room across from the nurse’s station. “Dr. Campbell, come quick,” she said. “The patient just moved his fingers.”

  ‘I’ll talk to you later,” Camille told her.

  When Jaclyn went to check on her patient, one of the nurses said, “It’s a shame the way those kids are acting. They were arguing so loudly last night that Mrs. Waterford had security come and escort them out of the hospital.”

  The situation certainly was sad, but all Camille could do was be there for her friend. Right now she had work to do.

  Back in her office, she made several phone calls to follow up with the holiday fundraiser. She checked in with the vendors, she confirmed the menu with the hotel, and she ordered the Christmas tree for the hospital.

  Camille met with her staff to get updates on current projects. Afterward, she sat down to prepare for her meeting with Maxwell.

  He arrived promptly at eleven.

  “How has your morning been?” he asked her.

  “Busy,” Camille replied. “How about yours?”

  “Same.” Maxwell sat down in one of the visitor chairs. “Now, about the Matthews case…I’m meeting with his attorney later in the week. I’m hoping we can get something settled quickly.”

  “That would be nice,” she responded. “I’d like to shift the focus off of the lawsuit and onto the charity ball and the annual children’s Christmas party.”

  As she spoke she noticed Maxwell’s eyes travel from her eyes to her lips.

  She felt her temperature rise and shifted nervously in her chair. “We…” She shook her head, and then tried again. “I’m sorry. I lost my train of thought.” He laughed.

  “I can’t believe that you’re having this effect on me.”

  “I glad that I’m not the only one who can’t concentrate.”

  She met his gaze. “What are we doing, Maxwell?”

  “Getting to know one another,” he said smoothly. “We are exploring where this is going to take us.”

  “I needed to hear that,” she told him. “I wanted to make sure we’re on the same page.”

  Maxwell reached across the table and covered her hand with his. “We are.”

  Camille smiled. She wished they were anywhere but at the hospital, where they had to maintain an appropriate facade. But since they were, she forced herself to get it together and returned her attention to the reason for their meeting.

  She listened closely while Maxwell detailed the legal implications of the scandals plaguing the hospital, and then went on to discuss the work Thomas’s wife, Lia, had done for the hospital.

  When Lia’s son was ill, she was determined to learn the identity of the sperm donor who fathered her child, even when it meant breaking the law by hacking into the hospital’s database. It turned out that Grady Bradshaw was the father. He donated bone marrow to save his son, and fell in love with Lia. After their wedding, the FBI systems analyst was hired to keep other hackers from accessing medical files and other personal information. She created and installed impenetrable security systems.

  “Why don’t I send out a press release detailing the state-of-the-art protocols?” Camille suggested. “I could also launch an awareness campaign on the issue. We can improve Hopewell’s image in this area at least.”

  Despite her earlier resolve, it was a struggle for Camille to keep her attention on business. She hungered for the touch of his lips against hers. It was as if she was addicted to his kisses. It was an addiction she did not want to give up.

  But there was one more case she needed to bring up with Maxwell.

  “We have a right-to-die issue that might actually end up in court,” she told him. “The patient is in a coma and his children want to pull the plug, but his wife—their stepmother—wants to keep him alive.”

  “I take it the kids stand to inherit all of his wealth when he dies.”

  She nodded. “That’s my understanding.”

  “Is there a living will or advance directive on file?”

  “We don’t have one on file. His children are adamant that he would not want to remain on life support, but his wife disagrees.” She shook her head. “And there’s one more problem. Terrence Matthews was the patient’s doctor.”

  “Do the kids think that he signed one and it’s been misplaced?” Maxwell asked.

  “I don’t know, but it could come up.”

  He gave a slight shrug. “If no signed DNR is on file or was handed to medical personnel, then the hospital has to do everything possible to save the patient’s life.”

  “It’s really sad to see the family fighting over something like this,” Camille murmured. “This is a time when they really need each other.”

  Maxwell nodded in agreement. “I’ll do some research on my end on t
his type of case. It’s best to be prepared.”

  Camille couldn’t agree more.

  Maxwell left Camille’s office and went to see the chief of staff.

  It was clear that Dr. Dudley wasn’t pleased to see him. His whole demeanor changed when Maxwell strode into his prestigious corner office.

  “What can I do to help you, Maxwell?”

  Maxwell wasted no time with formalities and small talk. “I think you should consider drafting new wording on the ‘no fraternizing’ policy.”

  “Why are you so interested? Is it because of Camille?”

  “I don’t work for you, so your policy doesn’t affect me,” Maxwell responded. “With a policy like this in place, you force your staff to keep secrets. They work long hours together, and it’s natural with as much time as they spend together that people fall in love. If you don’t change things, the current policy will increasingly become a problem.”

  Dudley’s eyes revealed his frustration, but Maxwell didn’t back down. He continued to argue his point.

  He did not leave Dudley’s office until the man agreed to consider his suggestion. Satisfied, Maxwell went back to his office where he recounted his conversation with the chief to Ray.

  “I’m pretty sure Dudley will be thrilled when I return to New York,” Maxwell stated.

  Ray laughed. “You’re probably right.”

  Maxwell finished his work day and headed to the hotel. He had hoped to spend time with Camille, but she was meeting with the event coordinator to go over some items for the charity ball.

  He changed into a pair of sweats and settled down on the sofa with a stack of case files and a sandwich from room service.

  While he worked and ate, Maxwell’s thoughts skittered to Camille. She was such a sweet and caring woman, she deserved a man who would treat her like a queen. Was he that man?

  Maxwell knew that Camille had gotten under his skin. But what would happen between them when he returned to New York?

  He would never consider living in Alexandria. It was completely out of the question. Before they became too involved, Maxwell wanted to find out how Camille felt about long-distance relationships.