Case of Desire

by Jacquelin Thomas

  During his last trip to New York, Maxwell found the perfect engagement ring for Camille. He was planning on asking her to marry him and decided that Christmas would be the perfect day to do so. She was the woman for him and Maxwell wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.

  They finished eating and sat down on the sofa to watch a movie.

  Throughout the movie, she and Maxwell shot furtive glances at each other. Camille knew what he was thinking because it echoed her very own thoughts.

  When the movie ended, Maxwell and Camille rose to their feet.

  Camille’s heart fluttered at his touch. “Why don’t we take this into the bedroom?” she suggested seductively.

  In response, Maxwell led the way.

  Maxwell woke up with a start. He initially thought he had been dreaming, but then he heard it again.

  Someone was knocking on his door.

  Maxwell glanced over at Camille, who was still sleeping. Apparently, the sound hadn’t disturbed her.

  He eased out of bed so that he wouldn’t awaken Camille and padded barefoot across the floor, wincing at the feel of the cold floor.

  “So who is she?” Kendra questioned when he opened his door. She stood there with her hands on her hips and her eyes revealing her anger and jealousy.

  “I thought you were gone,” Maxwell responded coldly. He didn’t even bother to hide his irritation at being disturbed this late at night.

  Kendra gave him a little smile. “Baby, I’m not giving up on you that easily. You should know that by now. Now who was the tramp that came to see you? I heard her talking to you on her cell phone. I would’ve confronted her, but I had to meet someone in D.C.”

  “Why didn’t you stay in D.C.?”

  “Because I wanted to be near you, even in this little hotel, Maxwell,” she responded. “We have some things we need to iron out, don’t you think?”

  “We’re talking in circles,” Maxwell stated. “I’m done.”

  “C’mon, baby,” she pleaded. “Please let me in.”

  He sighed impatiently. “I have long day tomorrow, so please, Kendra, leave.”

  “Why won’t you let me in?” she asked. “Is…is that tramp still in there? Maxwell, are you sleeping with her?”

  “Goodbye, Kendra.” Maxwell closed the door, putting an end to her rant.

  Maxwell half expected Kendra to knock on the door or cause a scene in the hallway, but was relieved when she didn’t. He was also thankful that she didn’t have her camera crew with her.

  He went back into the bedroom and climbed into bed.

  “Who was that?” Camille asked. She sat up, pulling the covers up to cover her nude body. “Whoever she was she wasn’t trying to keep her voice down.”

  She wouldn’t look at him and it bothered Maxwell. He wasn’t going to lie to Camille, so he decided that it was best to break his silence.

  “That was Kendra,” Maxwell told her. “She showed up her earlier tonight, and I thought she’d taken my suggestion to go back to New York, but clearly she decided to stay.”

  “How long has she been in town?” Camille questioned.

  He shrugged. “I don’t know. She came here uninvited. I want you to know that I had nothing to do with her showing up.”

  “I believe you,” Camille said. “What I don’t understand is why you didn’t tell me that she was here.”

  “I didn’t want to upset you and I didn’t want to put a damper on our evening,” he said truthfully.

  “Well, one thing’s for sure, Maxwell, it didn’t sound like she’s over you,” Camille stated.

  Maxwell shrugged. “I’ve been honest with Kendra. Our relationship is over and it has been for months.” He placed a hand to Camille’s face. “I’m in love with someone else.”

  She smiled.

  “I love you, baby.”

  “I love you too,” she murmured.

  He pulled her down into the bed. “Show me…”

  “You’re all aglow,” Jerome teased Camille the very next day when she arrived to work.

  “I thought you were off today,” Camille commented. “What are you doing here?”

  “I’m helping to wrap the Christmas presents for the peds wing.”

  She smiled. “I don’t know why you won’t just settle down and have a family of your own as much as you love children. Jerome, you would make a wonderful father.”

  “I have to find my children a wonderful mother—especially since you are no longer on the market.”

  Camille laughed. “Jerome, you need to quit playing. We’re more like brother and sister.”

  He nodded. “Yeah, because you are too high-maintenance for me.”

  “Whatever,” she uttered.

  “I called you last night.”

  “Did you call my cell?” she asked.

  “I called both numbers. I figured you were with Maxwell doing the horizontal tango.”

  She flushed with embarrassment. “I was with him. Jerome, you wouldn’t believe what happened.”

  “What?” Jerome asked.

  “He had a visitor while I was there.”

  Jerome’s eyes widened in his surprise. “Who? Were y’all up there making too much noise?”

  Camille folded her arms across her chest. “Jerome, not everything is about sex.”

  “It isn’t? Hey, nobody told me.”

  “Jerome…”

  He laughed. “Okay, sweetie. Who came to see your man?”

  “His ex-girlfriend,” Camille announced. “Shortly after midnight.”

  Jerome sat up straight. “Kendra Dixon? That ex-girlfriend?”

  Camille nodded.

  “Hey, you should’ve called me,” Jerome responded. “I would have gladly taken her off Maxwell’s hands. We could’ve had a party, you know—”

  “Focus, Jerome.”

  “Okay, I’m sorry.” He surveyed Camille’s face. “How did things go between you all?”

  “Maxwell didn’t let her inside the suite, but I could hear them talking. Kendra isn’t ready to let go of their relationship yet. That much is clear.”

  “So what does Mr. Wade have to say?”

  “He wants to be with me,” Camille responded. “I believe him, but I don’t think Kendra is going to just disappear out of our lives. They have way too much history for that.”

  “Well, as long as he’s not trying to play you two against each other.”

  “Maxwell is way too mature for that,” she told Jerome. “It’s one of the qualities I love about him. He likes to put all of his cards on the table.”

  “Then what bothers you about this?”

  “I don’t do drama,” Camille said. “You’ve seen Kendra on the news. She loves attention and it doesn’t matter how she gets it. For all I know, she may try and stage a catfight just for her reality show.”

  “Then you know what to do,” Jerome said. “Just whoop that tail on national TV.”

  Her assistant interrupted them. “You have a message from the caterers,” she told Camille. “They want you to call them right away.”

  Camille released a long sigh. “Please don’t let anything be wrong this close to the ball.”

  Jerome headed to the door. “I’ll check in with you later. As for Kendra Dixon, don’t lose a minute of sleep over her.”

  She nodded as she picked up the phone and dialed.

  Camille sent up a silent prayer of thanks when she got off the telephone. There was nothing wrong with the menu. The caterer just wanted the final count. Everything was going to be fine.

  Life couldn’t be more perfect.

  Chapter 17

  Maxwell and Camille had just returned from lunch when Kendra walked out of one of the hospital rooms with Dr. Dudley.

  “I don’t believe her,” Maxwell muttered. His mouth tightened when Kendra glanced in his direction. She gave him a smug smile, and then leaned over and whispered something in Dudley’s ear.

  “What is she doing here?” Camille asked Jaclyn, who was st
anding near the nurse’s station, reading a medical chart.

  “She’s visiting some of the patients.”

  Maxwell noted the flash of anger in Camille’s eyes when she said, “This wasn’t cleared through me.” He should have anticipated Kendra doing something like this. She would do anything to try and get to him.

  “Knowing Kendra, she went straight to Dudley,” he told Camille. “I’m sorry. I should have expected something like this.”

  “She has a camera crew with her,” Camille complained. “These patients don’t need to be subjected to this type of exposure. Kendra should have coordinated a visit through me so that the proper releases could be signed.”

  “She won’t be able to air any of the footage without signed releases from the patients,” Maxwell said. “I’ll make sure of that.”

  Kendra ran her fingers through her curls as she sashayed toward them.

  Maxwell held back his temper as he watched Kendra size up Camille from head to toe, instantly viewing her as the competition.

  Camille glanced over at him as if waiting for him to say something.

  “Why are you doing this?” he asked her in a low voice.

  “The patients have all been happy to see me, Maxwell,” she replied, a fake smile on her face. “Regardless of what you may think, my visit is good publicity for the hospital. From what I’ve been reading about Hopewell General, they can use some positive publicity.” She glanced over at Camille and said, “Aren’t you going to introduce me?”

  “Camille, this is Kendra Dixon,” Maxwell said. “Camille Hunter is the director of public relations here at the hospital. She’s the one you should have spoken to regarding this hospital visit.”

  Kendra shrugged in response. “Why? Especially when I spoke directly with the chief of staff.”

  She glanced over at Camille once more. “Are you two just returning from a lunch meeting?”

  Maxwell shook his head. “Camille and I are involved.”

  Kendra sent him a sharp glare. “If you’re expecting me to break down, it’s not going to happen. We’ve been down this road before and we have always gotten back together. This is no different.”

  She turned to Camille. “Don’t fall too deeply for Maxwell because he is going to come back to me.”

  Dudley signaled for her to join him.

  Kendra smiled, then said, “Smooches, lover.”

  Maxwell took Camille by the hand. “Please don’t let her get to you.”

  “I won’t,” she responded quietly.

  He noted that Camille wasn’t in a very talkative mood as they took the elevator to the second floor. Maxwell followed her into her office.

  “Sweetheart, are you okay?” he inquired.

  “I’m fine,” she replied. “I’m just trying to resist the urge to kick Kendra out of this hospital.” Maxwell laughed.

  “I don’t see how you’ve been able to put up with her for all of these years.” Camille glanced over at him. “I’m sorry. I really shouldn’t have said that.”

  Maxwell shrugged. “It’s something I’ve told myself over and over again.”

  The night of the Hopewell General charity ball had finally arrived.

  The annual event was attended by politicians, prominent businesspeople and anybody on the Alexandria social register.

  Maxwell picked up Camille in a stretch limo.

  “You look gorgeous,” Maxwell complimented as his eyes traveled from her head to her feet, looking her over seductively.

  “Mr. Wade, I must say that you look very handsome tonight.”

  His gaze fell to the smooth expanse of her neck. “That necklace must have set you back a pretty penny.”

  Camille grinned. “Actually, I have this very generous boyfriend and he thought it went with perfectly with this particular gown.”

  “That’s some gift,” Maxwell commented with a smile. “He must love you a whole lot.”

  Looping her arm through his, Camille responded, “He does.”

  Twenty minutes later, they made their grand entrance into the Emerald Ballroom at the Ritz-Carlton.

  Camille could hardly contain her excitement. She and her staff had worked hard to make the event a success. Everything looked beautiful.

  Her eyes bounced around, making sure that everything was in place and nothing had been overlooked.

  Camille’s lips turned upward when she spotted several of the board members having a conversation. “I’d better go over and say hello,” she told Maxwell.

  “Okay. I’ll be over here sitting all by myself.”

  Camille gave a short laugh. “Maxwell, I have a feeling you won’t be alone for much longer. Don’t believe for one minute that I haven’t noticed all of the women here watching you. You’d better be glad I’m not really the jealous type.”

  “Oh, so now you’re going to pawn me off on someone else?” he teased. “I’m heartbroken.”

  “It won’t be for long,” Camille promised. “I just want to make sure that I haven’t missed anything important. This night really has to be perfect. We need to keep the hospital running.”

  He gazed at her lovingly. “I understand.”

  Camille checked in with her assistant, and together they walked over to the board members to say hello.

  A few minutes later, Camille stole a peek at Maxwell. He was in what looked to be a deep conversation with Thomas and Lia. She smiled and waved when he glanced in her direction.

  “I can tell that he really makes you happy,” her assistant whispered.

  “He does,” Camille confirmed.

  As Dr. Dudley and his wife entered the ballroom, she went to greet them. She still felt a little uneasy where he was concerned, but Dudley hadn’t approached her outside of business.

  When she had a free moment, Camille joined Maxwell at the table.

  “Did you miss me?” she asked him.

  He gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “I did.”

  She settled back in her chair. “I can relax for a moment. Everything seems to be going well and we’re on schedule.”

  “What would you like to drink?” he asked her.

  “Nothing right now,” she responded. “Thanks, baby.”

  Maxwell gave her a look of concern.

  Camille was touched to see how much he cared about her well-being. She stroked his cheek. “Don’t look so worried. I’m fine.”

  “When was the last time you ate something?”

  Camille considered his question. “Hmm…I guess it was breakfast. I worked through lunch.” It had been a crazy day for her, trying to tie up all of the last-minute details for the event.

  Maxwell stood up and said, “C’mon.”

  He led her by the hand over to the buffet table.

  Camille struck up a conversation with the woman in front of her. When she turned to Maxwell, she discovered his attention was elsewhere. She followed his gaze.

  “I can’t believe her,” Maxwell uttered.

  “Isn’t that Kendra?”

  He nodded. “I can’t believe she has the camera crew here. But then again, it might turn out to be a good thing. The charity ball will get worldwide exposure.”

  “I’m sure Dr. Dudley is behind her being here,” Camille said. She was not pleased with this turn of events. The chief never once mentioned that Kendra would be in attendance. She was sure that he’d done this on purpose. It was his way of getting back at her and Maxwell.

  Camille considered walking over to his table and confronting him, but she would not give Dudley the satisfaction of knowing that he had accomplished his mission.

  “This is probably Dudley’s way of getting back at me for threatening to go to the board and his wife if he didn’t stop harassing his employees,” Maxwell stated.

  Camille’s eyes grew wide in her surprise. “You never told me what transpired between the two of you. I didn’t know you blackmailed him.”

  “I wouldn’t call it blackmail. I simply gave him a choice to do the right thing for the g
ood of the hospital.”

  Camille stole a peek at the tall, leggy supermodel. Kendra looked stunning in the curve-hugging gown she was wearing. The turquoise, strapless beaded dress framed her body perfectly.

  Maxwell had surprised Camille with a gorgeous emerald-green gown for the ball, not to mention the diamond necklace. The gown was the same one she’d seen while they were shopping in New York, but would’ve cost her at least three or four months’ salary. The dress had needed no alterations and was a perfect fit.

  “Did I tell you how beautiful you look tonight?” he asked her.

  Camille looked up at him, smiling. “You did, but I never tire of hearing it.” Maxwell had a way of making her feel like she was the most beautiful woman in the world. He made her feel as if she was the only one who mattered. She could understand why Kendra had such a hard time letting go.

  She reached up to straighten Maxwell’s emerald-green bowtie. “Honey, are you okay?”

  “Yeah,” he muttered. “I just wish Kendra hadn’t decided to crash the ball.”

  “She’s here,” Camille stated. “Don’t let her ruin the evening for you. I know I’m not. Let Dr. Dudley and the board members keep her entertained.” She was a celebrity and they were fawning over her, much to Camille’s disappointment. She had worked extremely hard on the fundraiser and didn’t want Kendra’s appearance to upstage the real reason for the event.

  “I suppose I should be grateful,” she told Maxwell. “Kendra made a generous donation to the hospital.”

  “That’s good. I’m glad to hear it.”

  Kendra suddenly appeared out of nowhere, ripping them both out of their good moods.

  “Maxwell, I’ve been looking for you, darling. The photographer wants to take some pictures of us for the newspaper.”

  Camille kept her expression blank and her temper in check. She glanced across the room and saw Jerome. He gave her a thumbs-up, which she assumed was for her choice in gowns. She hadn’t had a chance to tell him that Maxwell deserved all of the credit.

  She could feel Maxwell’s eyes on her so she looked up, meeting his gaze. “Go ahead. I’ll be right here when you get back.”

  She silently fumed as she watched Kendra practically drape her body over Maxwell’s. They took several photographs.