Case of Desire

by Jacquelin Thomas

  They returned to Maxwell’s penthouse shortly after eleven and spent the rest of the evening enjoying each other.

  Maxwell watched her sleep, his heart overflowing with love. He resisted the urge to pinch himself. Camille almost seemed too good to be true.

  I am a lucky man.

  His cell phone began to vibrate on his nightstand.

  Maxwell saw Kendra’s name on the caller ID. He didn’t answer.

  He was not going to let her ruin his weekend. Hopefully, she had no idea about his being home. Maxwell did not want Kendra showing up and causing a scene. He definitely did not want to end up on her reality TV show.

  Camille stirred but did not wake up.

  He decided to turn the phone off, and then crawled back beneath the covers. Maxwell closed his eyes, but didn’t fall asleep right away.

  Kendra’s phone call had disrupted what had been a blissful evening.

  On Sunday morning, Maxwell woke up early and went downstairs to prepare something for Camille. He planned to surprise Camille with a delicious breakfast in bed.

  “Did you cook all this?” she asked, when he brought the tray up an hour later.

  Maxwell nodded. “I did. I told you that I knew how to cook. This is my chance to really impress you.”

  She lifted the sterling silver cover and surveyed the food. “You made the Belgian waffles this time? They didn’t come from the restaurant?”

  “Honey, I’m telling you the truth,” Maxwell insisted as he sat down beside her on the bed. “I made them this morning. Wait until you see the kitchen.”

  They finished up breakfast, and then showered together.

  He had really enjoyed having Camille with him in New York. Their relationship had gone to another level and their bond was solid. She had come to own his heart.

  “I’m so glad I came to New York,” Camille was saying. “I had a wonderful time being here with you.”

  Maxwell turned around to face her. “I’m really happy that you decided to come, Camille. I think we needed this time away from Virginia and the hospital.”

  She agreed.

  That night while lying in bed with Camille asleep in his arms, Maxwell tried to recall if he’d ever been as happy as he was now. He had been happy with Kendra for the first year or so of their relationship, but after that, it had become fleeting.

  She turned in his arms.

  His body responded to the silky feel of her skin against his.

  Maxwell planted tiny kisses along her cheek and her neck to wake her up.

  Camille moaned softly.

  He continued his slow seduction until she opened her eyes.

  They soon connected in a sensual dance that lovers do, the union igniting fireworks that they both experienced.

  Afterward, Maxwell continued to hold her close as they slept, satiated from the fulfillment of desire.

  Eight hours later, they were up and ready to board Maxwell’s private jet to Virginia.

  “I wish we had one more day to stay in New York,” Camille told him after they’d gotten settled on the jet.

  “How about we come back next weekend?” he suggested. “We can spend our weekends in New York, if that’s what you want to do.”

  “Really?” she asked with a smile.

  “Provided the weather works in our favor.”

  “The idea sounds really wonderful, but with the charity ball so close, I will need to stay in Virginia. Once the fundraiser is over, my weekends will be free.”

  Maxwell smiled. “I love you, baby.”

  She reached over and took his hand in hers. “I love you, too.”

  Camille was absolutely giddy with happiness.

  Maxwell loved her just as much as she loved him. It was truly a dream come true. She owed Jerome a special gift because the decision to go to New York had been the right choice. She never would’ve made it if it hadn’t been for the persistence of her best friend.

  Smiling, she stared out of the window while Maxwell reviewed some information from his briefcase.

  “What are you thinking about, sweetheart?” he asked, intruding on her thoughts.

  “I’m really happy,” she responded.

  He kissed her cheek. “So am I.”

  “How much more time before we land?” she inquired as she pulled her book out of her tote.

  “Twenty minutes.” He reached over and took her hand.

  As soon as the jet landed, he and Camille were escorted to a waiting car. They headed straight to the hospital.

  The moment they strolled into the hospital, Maxwell and Camille seemed to draw everyone’s attention to them.

  Camille’s voice drifted into a hushed whisper. “I never realized just how nosy my coworkers are.”

  He chuckled.

  When the elevator arrived and doors opened, Maxwell and Camille stepped inside.

  “You know we really could’ve given them something to talk about,” Maxwell suggested as he planted a sensual kiss on her lips. “Something that would’ve had them talking for many more years to come. You could’ve come in with your hair messed up and my tie could’ve been askew…?.”

  Camille gave a short laugh. “You’re so bad.”

  They rode to the second floor and got off.

  “I’ll see you around noon for lunch,” Maxwell told her.

  “Okay,” she responded with a smile.

  Camille spent most of her morning in her office on a conference call with a prospective donor.

  Fifteen minutes before she was scheduled to meet Maxwell for lunch, Jerome stopped by her office.

  He dropped down on the sofa, saying, “So how was your weekend, Camille? Or is it Ms. Hunter now?”

  She laughed. “I’m still me, Jerome. As for my weekend in New York, it was wonderful. To be honest, I didn’t want to come back home so soon.”

  “Loving New York or loving that man?” Jerome asked.

  Camille grinned. “Both.”

  “Look at you,” he said with a chuckle. “My baby is a grown woman now.”

  She threw a pencil at him. “Hush.”

  “Don’t be ashamed,” he teased. “Hey, you’re out there doing grown-folk things. Be grown, girl.”

  “Go back to work, Jerome, before you get in trouble with Nurse Tsang.”

  He shrugged. “What is she going to do to me? I’ve been here longer than she has.”

  “She’s still your supervisor,” Camille pointed out.

  “That’s only because she’s got the chief in her bed,” Jerome retorted.

  Camille shook her head. “You and that hospital grapevine. You have to know that half of what you hear probably isn’t true.”

  Jerome rose to his feet. “Well, you know it’s buzzing about you and Maxwell.”

  “I’m too happy to care what anybody has to say about us,” Camille stated with a shrug. “Let them talk.”

  He smiled. “That’s my girl. Go Cami… Go Cami…”

  She burst into laughter. “You are so crazy. Hey, how are things between you and Julie?”

  “Good,” he responded. “We’re still hanging out. I have to tell you, I really like this girl. She doesn’t demand a lot of my time and she’s secure.”

  “Just what you’ve been looking for,” Camille said.

  He nodded with a grin. “You know I need my space.”

  Camille leaned back in her chair. “I like Julie. She’s perfect for you from what I can see.”

  He agreed.

  Jerome checked his watch. “I guess I need to get moving. Hey, I’m happy for you, girl.”

  “Thanks,” she responded. “I’m happy for us both.”

  “Now that you have a man, don’t think you can just forget about your best friend.”

  Camille met his gaze. “Jerome, you know that I would never do that. Besides, you would never let me get away with something like that.”

  He chuckled. “You’re right about that.”

  They could hear Dr. Dudley’s voice in the hallway.
/>
  Jerome made a face. “Watch this. In about five minutes, you will see Miss Thang come down the hall.”

  Camille sent him a sharp look. Before she could voice her thoughts, Nurse Tsang walked by, her steps determined.

  “What did I tell you?” Jerome asked.

  Her mouth dropped open in shock.

  Jerome rose to his feet and strode to the door. “I’ll see you later.”

  “Bye,” Camille responded. She had heard from Maxwell that Dr. Dudley and Nurse Tsang were having an affair, but Camille hadn’t wanted to believe it.

  “Oh well,” she whispered. “It’s really none of my business.”

  She turned on her computer monitor and decided to focus on her work.

  Shortly after twelve noon, Camille checked her watch, and then touched up her sheer lip gloss. She was about to have lunch with the man she loved.

  When they returned, Jaclyn ran over to them, saying, “Camille, you are never going to believe what happened. We got our Christmas miracle.”

  Momentarily confused, Camille glanced up at Maxwell. She didn’t have any idea what Jaclyn was talking about.

  “My patient, Robert Waterford—” Jaclyn began.

  “Oh, the man who was in a coma,” Camille interjected. “Did he come out of it?”

  Jaclyn nodded. “His wife decided to give in to the son and daughter. We turned off the ventilator and Mr. Waterford began to breathe on his own. He opened his eyes about fifteen minutes ago.”

  “That’s wonderful,” Camille said. “The controversy actually resolved itself.” She was thrilled for the hospital and for the patient.

  “That’s good news,” Maxwell chimed in.

  Camille and Jaclyn embraced.

  “That’s one less issue the hospital has to worry about,” Camille said when she and Maxwell were in the elevator.

  “Unless the signed DNR is missing,” Maxwell reminded her. “If Terrence or someone else misplaced the document, there could still be legal ramifications.”

  “Let’s hope not,” she said.

  Maxwell escorted her to her office, then left to go to the one he was using.

  “I spoke with the event coordinator this afternoon,” her assistant announced. “The Beacon Lighting Company is confirmed.”

  “Great,” Camille said with a smile. She was relieved that everything was going well with the planning for the charity ball. It was an important night for Hopewell General.

  The telephone rang, interrupting their conversation.

  “Why don’t you get some lunch?” Camille suggested to her assistant before she picked up the phone. “We’ll finish up this afternoon.”

  Lori replied, “Thanks. I won’t be gone long.”

  Camille walked into her office and answered her phone on the fourth ring. “Camille Hunter speaking.”

  Hearing Maxwell’s voice on the other end of the phone brought a smile to her lips. “I was just thinking about you.”

  “I didn’t get a chance to tell you how much I love you,” he said.

  “I really don’t think I’ll ever get tired of hearing it,” she responded. “I love you, too.”

  “This weekend meant a whole lot to me, Camille,” Maxwell stated. “I want you to know that.”

  She smiled. “It holds a lot of meaning for me as well.”

  “So you don’t have any regrets?” Maxwell asked.

  “I don’t,” she replied. “I gave myself to the man I love. I can’t regret something so special. No man has ever made me feel the way you make me feel,” Camille confessed. “It’s like we have this special connection. I don’t think anyone understands me the way that you do.” She switched the phone from one ear to the other.

  “You’re right,” Maxwell interjected. “We do have a connection. You and I…we’re tied to each other emotionally.”

  She smiled. “I love talking to you and, as much as I don’t want this conversation to end, I’d better get off this phone so that I can get some work done.”

  “I have to go over some documents before tomorrow,” he responded. “But I’d rather continue our conversation.”

  “I hope that we will always have times like this,” Camille stated. “Where we just talk. Communication is very important to me.”

  “Camille, I promise you that we will. We’ll always have moments like this. I love you more than I can put into words. As you know, I am rarely without something to say.”

  She laughed.

  They said their goodbyes and ended the call.

  Camille remained seated for a moment, her eyes closed as she imagined Maxwell in the room with her, silent declarations of love shining brightly in his eyes.

  Chapter 13

  There were times when Camille didn’t quite know what to make of Maxwell Wade. He just seemed too good to be true. But then again, she really didn’t have a lot of experience to go on, since she had never really been involved in a serious relationship.

  He had flowers delivered to her shortly after lunch. She inhaled the sweet scent of the roses and smiled all afternoon.

  It was almost five-thirty when the man himself came looking for her.

  Camille’s blood coursed through her veins like an awakened river when Maxwell took her by the hand and said, “Time to go home.”

  When they were in the car, Camille turned to him, asking, “Why are being so good to me, Maxwell?”

  He laughed. “Why not? You’re the woman I love and I think you deserve to be pampered.”

  “I’m not complaining,” Camille said. “Don’t get me wrong. It’s all new to me, but I’m loving it.”

  Maxwell smiled. “Good. I like spoiling you.”

  “But every now and then, you’re going to have to let me spoil you, too.”

  He glanced over at her. “Really?”

  No woman ever wanted to spoil him—they were too busy on the receiving end. Camille was genuine and very caring. He had witnessed her in the hospital, talking to the patients or playing with children. She loved people in general, a quality that was a complement to her job.

  Maxwell drove to her townhome and parked the rental car.

  Camille looped her arm through his. “So who’s doing the cooking tonight?”

  He cocked his head to the side, thinking for a moment. “I think we should both do it.”

  She looked up at him and grinned. “Honey, I’m just messing with you. I will do the cooking. You sit down and relax.”

  They walked inside, hand in hand.

  Camille went upstairs and changed clothes. When she came down, Maxwell was coming out of the guest bathroom. He had changed as well.

  “You’re sure you don’t want me to help cook dinner?”

  Camille shook her head. “I’ll be fine. I’m just going to make something quick and easy.”

  While he watched TV, she cooked a pot of angel hair pasta. Camille pulled out a freezer bag containing leftover grilled chicken, and another with shrimp. She heated them in a skillet, leaving them to prepare an Alfredo sauce.

  Twenty minutes later, dinner was ready and they sat down to eat.

  “My mom told me to tell you hello,” Maxwell stated. “I talked to her right before we left the hospital.”

  “Your parents are very sweet,” she said. “I really liked them.”

  “They liked you, too. Especially my mother.” Maxwell gave a short chuckle. “This is a big deal because she has never once liked anyone I’ve dated.”

  Camille smiled. “I’m honored.”

  While they ate, they discussed their day at the hospital.

  “How are things going with the lawsuit?” Camille asked. “We’ve gotten a few requests to confirm or deny some of the allegations made by Terrence and his family.”

  “What are you telling them?” he asked.

  “We haven’t responded to their calls.”

  “Good,” Maxwell stated. “At this point, that is probably the best course of action. Hopewell General does not need to comment.”

&nb
sp; “I really liked Terrence,” Camille said. “I’ve been tempted to call him just to say hello, but I don’t think I should at this point.”

  “Right now it may be best to keep your distance,” Maxwell warned. “You don’t want to be dragged into the middle of this, sweetheart.”

  Camille nodded in agreement.

  After dinner they sat down in the living room to watch a movie.

  Exhausted, Camille was grateful to finally sit down and relax. She fell asleep with her head on Maxwell’s chest.

  He wrapped his arms around her, holding her close to his heart.

  Camille slept soundly for an hour.

  Maxwell was still watching television with the volume turned down low when she woke up. “Hey, beautiful.”

  Heat rushed to her face. “I’m so sorry, Maxwell. I didn’t mean to fall asleep on you like that. I had no idea I was so tired.”

  “I hope you feel rested.”

  “I do,” Camille confirmed, running her fingers through her hair. “I really needed that nap. I was tired.”

  She stood up and stretched.

  Maxwell turned off the television. “Now that you’ve gotten your nap out of the way, why don’t we go out for dessert?” he suggested.

  “Do you really want to go out?” she asked.

  He could tell from her expression that Camille preferred to stay home. “We don’t have to go out if you’re not up for it.”

  “I’d rather not.”

  “So what would you like to do?” he asked her.

  Camille pulled out two controllers.

  Maxwell was surprised. “You actually want to play video games?”

  Grinning, she nodded. “I saw your video game consoles in your media room. Why didn’t you tell me you liked playing?”

  He shrugged. “It was just something I would do to pass the time. Kendra hated them. She would tell me that video games were for kids.”

  “She’s wrong,” Camille stated bluntly. “I love playing—it’s a way to relieve stress for me. I’m glad that you play.”

  “Okay. Well, I hope you’re not a sore loser,” he told her.

  She tossed him a controller. “Show me what you got.”

  They sat down in competition mode.

  Maxwell won the first game, much to Camille’s dismay. She wasn’t a sore loser, but she would’ve preferred getting the first win. Camille had a feeling that Maxwell was not going to ever let her forget it.