“Look at yourself, Alexandra. Well, maybe not at this very moment … but you are so far out of my league, you’re in a separate hemisphere.”
She gawked at him open-mouthed. “That’s ridiculous.”
“You seriously don’t know, do you? Had he never even told you how beautiful you are?”
She looked down at her hands. “No.”
Cameron brushed her hair off her shoulder. “Alexandra, you are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever laid eyes on. You should be a model for heaven’s sakes. You’ve been with that man for six years, and he has done nothing but take advantage of you and hasn’t even bothered to tell you how gorgeous you are. I’ll never understand women.”
Alexandra didn’t know whether to feel flattered or offended. One thing was for sure; Cameron certainly spoke his mind. Did that mean she could trust that he really wanted her to move in with him? No, she couldn’t.
She reached for his hand. “Cameron, there’s no doubt that I could fall hopelessly in love with you, but I don’t want our relationship to begin like this. If I can just get through this sickness time of the pregnancy, I’ll be okay. If you really want to help me, maybe you could just help with this month’s bills since I’m going to have a difficult time catching up. But I swear I’ll pay you back.”
He rolled his eyes. “You don’t have to pay me back. As I said, this is my responsibility too. God gave me what I wanted.”
She huffed, irritated, and not understanding his comment, and definitely not wanting to be anyone’s obligation. “It may not be your baby.”
“We’ll cross that bridge when we get there. You’ll keep the baby then … if I help?”
She nodded. Uncertain how she would manage, but knowing that given the opportunity to keep her child, she would accept whatever help he offered. Other than moving in with him, that is.
Cameron cupped her cheek and kissed her on the forehead. “Do you want to try to eat something?”
“Not yet. Could you just hold me?” He wrapped his arms around her tighter and pulled her onto his lap, and she felt completely loved. She nuzzled into his neck. “Cameron, I think you are very good looking, by the way. And gentle and honest.”
He sighed. “Thanks. I know this may sound strange under the circumstances, but I’m the happiest I’ve ever been. You make me very happy, Alexandra. And I don’t think it’s because I’m a co-dependent. I don’t want to take care of just anyone. Only you.”
She sighed too. She wanted so badly to admit that she was in love with him, but she couldn’t. Next thing he’d be proposing to her. She didn’t want to be a hard-luck case. She wanted someone to love her for who she was, who she wanted to be, who she could be if given the opportunity.
Eventually they made it to the table, and she nibbled on a chicken breast and salad. He was so incredibly thoughtful. And he’d brought tulips … the color of sunshine, her favorite. How had he known? How had some woman not latched onto this magnificent man? He’d said he didn’t date, but certainly women noticed him. He was good looking despite what he thought.
After dinner they simply hung around and watched TV. Cameron seemed completely content sitting in her little one-bedroom apartment with its kitchen-dinette combo and handkerchief-sized living quarters. Jonathan had never been content sitting home. He always wanted to go somewhere. On her nights off, she simply wanted to sit and relax, and she definitely didn’t want to go clubbing. But it was all Jonathan had ever wanted. Maybe she could make it on her own. He tended to bum close to twenty dollars a day from her. That amount alone could cover her rent. How had she never added that up before?
Cameron turned to look at her, obviously noticing she was deep in thought. She smiled, happy just to be in his arms. But she wondered …
“Cameron, can I ask you a question?”
“You just did.”
“Have you always been such a smart-aleck?”
“Yes.” He grinned. “Sorry, what’s your question?”
“It’s okay … I was just wondering. Why don’t you want to sleep with me again?”
“Promise you won’t laugh.” She nodded. “I made a deal with God several years ago. I told Him if He would bring a wonderful woman into my life — unlike all the previous problems I’d had with women — I would abstain until I married. Then, it felt as though He’d sent you as a challenge, and I failed miserably. So, the next morning I went to church, begged Him to reconsider our deal and specifically requested that if He made you mine, I would never have sex with a woman who was not my wife, including you. I felt something, a very convicting feeling that if I reneged, something horrible would happen.”
“So you never plan on sleeping with me again?”
“Oh, I plan on making love to you all right, just not right now.”
Cameron didn’t elaborate, and she decided it was best not to inquire further on his answer. Her stomach suddenly did little flips, and she wondered if she was going to get sick or if this was a different kind of uneasiness.
He smiled that sideways grin again, revealing his dimple and then turned back to the television. Content, it seemed, that she didn’t question his emphatic statement.
After the movie was over, Cameron flicked off the television and pulled her down on the sofa. He brushed the hair off her shoulder and trailed little kisses along her collarbone. His hands worked their way through her hair, and she moaned with pleasure. He continued caressing her hair, recognizing that she enjoyed the feeling. She had never felt this before. Never had Jonathan wanted to caress her if they weren’t going to go further. Matter of fact, if they weren’t in bed, he rarely even kissed her.
“Cameron, you are wonderful.”
He moved his mouth to hers and kissed her so fervently she forgot they wouldn’t be going further. Her hands trailed over his shoulders and down his back, remembering the strength in his muscles. The power she’d felt when he’d made love to her and held her in the ocean.
After a few minutes, he pulled back. “I should go.”
She wanted to argue, but it wouldn’t be proper. It would be unfair to tempt him, as much as she wanted to.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Cameron drove toward his home as happy as he’d been in forever. He should be terrified. He should be praying that the baby wasn’t his. Instead, he was praying that it was. He had asked God for his heart’s desire and a second chance, and He had provided.
Now what?
He couldn’t tell his mother. She’d be planning a wedding and a baby shower before he could even get Alexandra to agree. He had all but proposed to her. She wasn’t stupid. She knew what he had insinuated. He had told her he loved her on two occasions, and she had told him that he was sweet, gentle, honest, and then wonderful. She had also insinuated that he was the only thing positive in her life. That would have to do. For now.
As he crossed over the final bridge heading toward Cape Canaveral, he looked out over the port, to where the cruise ships docked. He was so ready to move on with his life. He wanted a wife, he realized. He had money, plenty of money. But what good was money without someone to share it with? What fun was going on cruises if there was no one to go with you?
If he was like the typical male with raging hormones, he could enjoy a one-night stand. But he wasn’t; he’d learned his lesson years ago. He simply wanted a wife, a friend, a lover, a reason to return home at night. Yeah, he had the intense needs … wants. But he’d learned to control those desires. Well, almost always. Look what one night’s lapse of self-control had caused. At least it was with someone he could envision spending the rest of his life with.
He hoped Alexandra would begin to feel better. He had so many ideas, so many adventures he wanted to share with her. For the past several years, all he’d done was work. But there were many activities he enjoyed. He just needed someone to enjoy them with.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
The next morning, Alexandra remembered to eat crackers and took her time getting out of bed. She gulped down the me
dicine the doctor had prescribed when she called back and informed the nurse how deathly ill she still was.
The medicine was amazing … she had been on it only an hour before Cameron arrived yesterday, and it had definitely seemed to help. The doctor had warned her, however, that she had to make it last. The insurance company was extremely stingy when it came to prescribing medications they didn’t deem a necessity. The physician suggested taking a pill in the morning, and then after a few weeks, attempt to lower her dosage to every other morning until the morning sickness went away completely, which he assured her would be in a few months.
Work was another matter entirely. First, she had run out on a Saturday night, her arrest, and now this. It was a good thing Gary liked her. Hopefully he still liked her. She needed to retain her job as long as possible. If the prescription staved off the nausea, she really needed to work tonight. Thursday was one of the busiest nights of the week. It seemed people became restless and couldn’t make it until Friday … which of course was the busiest.
So far so good. The medication had definitely started to work. If she could have just made it one more evening, she wouldn’t have had to tell Cameron. No, that was wrong. It was wrong for her to have wanted to keep it from him. He deserved to know. She never would have guessed his reaction. If she didn’t know any better, she would think he was actually excited. If the baby was his, that is.
The phone rang at nine-thirty on the nose. She looked at the caller ID, then picked it up with a smile. “Hello, Cameron.”
“Good morning, sunshine. How are we feeling this morning?”
So cute. “I’m feeling a little better.”
“So … can I come by or take you out to dinner this evening?”
“I’m going to try to work if I feel okay.”
“Oh … okay.” He sounded disappointed.
“Cameron, I make great money. And I do have bills. You didn’t think I was going to allow you to pay for everything, did you?”
“No. I didn’t think you would.” He paused for only a second. “So … if you’re working full-time nights and I’m working full-time days, when exactly will we see each other? Just Sundays?”
She hadn’t thought about that. “I only picked up extra shifts because I needed the money to move out. But if you are really willing to help … if I need it … I may not, I can take off an extra day. Truly, the only good nights are Thursday through Saturday. What if I took off Mondays too?”
“Mondays are bad for me. The dealership usually won’t allow them. How ’bout Wednesday?”
“Wednesdays work,” she said optimistically, hoping to cheer him up.
“Cool. But, I’d really like to see you before Sunday.” His tone had turned poignant again.
“Tell you what. Let me call my manager, get dressed, see how I feel, and then we’ll talk later. Maybe you can attempt to sell a car early every day, and then you can see me before work. Is that positive motivation?”
“Better than a cash-in-hand spiff. I’ll bet if my sales manager put that up as a bonus, the entire sales force would bust out a sale daily.” He chuckled. “Okay, then. There’s a live one. I’m going to make this sale, and I’ll see you soon!” he assured her.
She giggled. “I’m glad I could be positive motivation.”
“You definitely are. Bye, love you.”
He hung up quickly, not allowing her an opportunity to concur or object to his comment. Her heart jumped through her throat at how casually he’d said the words. How could he possibly love her? What had she done for him but upset his life? From the first night, she’d been trouble for him. And yet … she felt something. She wasn’t ready to dissect what she felt. She had enough trouble. As in, keeping her job and preparing for a baby. Oh, my God. I’m really gonna be a mother. It was too early for all this. She just needed to concentrate on one thing: securing her job. The rest would have to fall into place.
She pushed everything from her mind and called Gary’s mobile, hoping he’d answer. Hoping he hadn’t fired her. She had never done anything remotely similar to these last few weeks since she’d started a year earlier, and she was one of his best cocktail waitresses.
Breathing a sigh of relief, Alexandra hung up after speaking with Gary. He understood and hadn’t insisted on details. “Just don’t let it happen again,” he’d teased.
She only had a few months … four at best, and then she’d have to find work elsewhere before she started showing. Nobody would hire a pregnant woman, and there was no way she could continue to cocktail while pregnant. Besides, no one would want to look at a pregnant woman in short-shorts and a tight top. It would be tacky, uncouth. She’d definitely look trashy.
After securing her position, she decided to strengthen her new relationship. She nibbled on a few more crackers before moving, then carefully made her way to the shower. Feeling better than she had felt in days, she dressed in the sexiest, but decent looking sundress she owned. She would surprise Cameron at work, she decided. He had mentioned that she could have shown up at his house the next day after their initial evening together. She realized she could have also shown up at his work. There were only a few dealerships on Merritt Island. She could have visited every one of them. Now she didn’t have to. Cameron had said he worked for Toyota. Thankfully, there was only one Toyota dealership, and it was less than ten minutes away.
Stopping at Subway, she purchased two footlongs, Doritos, and sodas. If he’d already taken his break or was in the middle of a sale, they would keep.
Within seconds of pulling into the dealership, salesmen converged on her Malibu like vultures.
One man specifically stood out among the rest: Brad. Tall, good-looking, and arrogant. He sauntered over as if he were king of the pride. “Hey …” he wagged his finger in her direction, “you’re that chick from —”
“I’ll take this one,” Cameron interrupted, placing a hand on Brad’s shoulder and stepping around him. She hadn’t realized how much larger Cameron was than the other guys. And if she weren’t mistaken, his chest looked larger than normal.
“Hey,” Brad protested. “You weren’t even outside, Cam.”
Ignoring the brute, Cameron approached her, motioning for her to get back inside the car as he entered the passenger side.
She hopped back into her car. “Did I do something wrong?”
“No. Just drive, please. I’d rather not allow those guys to ogle you. Trust me, there’s nothing worse than car salesmen for gossiping, and I am one … so I can speak with authority.”
Alexandra pulled the shifter into reverse, then backed out of the parking space, heading toward S.R. 520. “I brought you lunch. Are you hungry?”
“Starving! Head west. There’s a park directly up the road. Kiwanis Island Park. I enjoy going there sometimes to eat, just to get away from the dealership.”
Only a few minutes down the road, he pointed to the turn. Alexandra pulled off to the right into the park that she’d never known existed.
Cameron directed her to a pavilion with picnic tables and helped her with the lunch spread. “Thanks, this is wonderful. You didn’t have to do this.”
“I wanted to. You’ve been so gracious to me, and I’ve done nothing but cause you trouble.”
He threw back his head and laughed heartily, surprising her. “You think you’ve caused me trouble. Believe me, it’s nothing compared to what I’m in for when I return to work.”
She cocked an eyebrow and tilted her head. “What did I do?”
“I was hoping to keep you a secret.”
Instantly, her blood boiled. He was embarrassed of her. He did think she was rubbish. “You’re embarrassed of me … I knew —”
“Oh, God, no,” he roared. “The complete opposite. I’d love to parade you around … just not to them. They’ll harass me for details. Make crude remarks.”
“Oh,” she said, blushing.
He reached up and brushed the side of her face. “Incidentally, you look wonderful. You’re feeli
ng better, I take it?”
She smiled. Would she ever get used to how sweet he was? “I feel much better. The doctor prescribed some medication, and it’s working wonders. Hopefully it lasts. So, did you make the sale?”
Cameron’s hazel eyes brightened. She loved how they would change from a golden color to almost green. The tiny flecks of gold always twinkling, especially when he was happy. “I did. The customers are getting a cashier’s check from their bank, and they’ll be back by one o’clock. So you got here at the perfect time. And then I should be out by two-ish. I was hoping to take you to dinner.”
Alexandra crumbled up her sub wrapper and stuffed it into the plastic bag. “I have to be at work by five o’clock for happy hour. So, why don’t we just hang out at my place until I have to leave? Then you can eat afterward; I won’t be hungry again.”
He followed her lead, stashing everything in the bag and then tossed the bag over her shoulder as if it were a basketball. “Sounds like a plan.”
“Two points,” she joked. “Did you play?”
He flashed something resembling a smile, but not quite. She wondered why. “Yeah. I played a lot in high school.” He pulled her up off the bench.
They walked hand in hand along the river, and then he stopped at the children’s swings. “Swing with me, Alexandra.”
“Really?”
“Sure. Why not? I guess we’ll need practice, huh?”
She sighed. “Yeah … and there goes my idea of finishing college.”
He jumped off the swing and then stood in front of her. “Why? You can do anything you want to.”
“It’s not that easy, Cameron. I got a Pell Grant, but just trying to keep up with my classes and work enough to pay the bills … It just gets overwhelming. And now a baby.” She shook her head. “I just don’t know.”
He nodded, as though he understood.
“Hey,” she asked. “Did you go to college?”
“Yeah. Appalachian State. I received a B.A. in Business, but honestly, with my sales job and stock market ventures, I don’t know what I’ll ever do with it.”
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