And he didn’t want to talk about it. Not when it still cut deeply. He enjoyed those kisses. In fact, he’d kiss her again right now if he thought she might change her mind. If he thought he had a chance that she could love him back.
But she didn’t love him.
Kissing her wasn’t going to magically make her feel what he was feeling. She didn’t want to explore a relationship, and he needed to control himself. He really needed to talk about something else. “You didn’t. Are you going to be okay flying back tomorrow?”
She swallowed. “About that. . .”
“We can take things slow, just like we did coming here.”
“I was thinking we could go a little slower?”
He narrowed his eyes at her. “How much slower?”
“Seventy-five miles per hour?” She smiled, looking at him through lowered lashes.
“You want to drive back?” He wanted to laugh, but held it in. She was serious.
“Please?”
He wanted to say no. Wanted to tell her he had meetings and phone calls and really needed to get back to work, but, looking at her sweet face, he couldn’t do it. “Alright.” Boy, he was a sucker.
Her grin widened to fill her whole face. “Thank you!” She threw her arms around his neck and pulled him close. He closed his eyes, careful not to breathe in the smell of her. He didn’t want to be thinking about pulling her closer.
Luckily, the hug didn’t last long, and she let him go. “Can we return the rental car back in Virginia?”
“I’m sure that will be fine. I’ll make the arrangements.”
“Okay. Good.” Her gaze once again went down to the blanket she was twisting between her fingers. “Can I ask you a question?”
He wasn’t sure where this was headed, but he nodded. “Go ahead.”
“Do you think I’m silly?”
No. He thought she was lovely and caring. She was passionate and thoughtful. She was everything—except for his. He blinked, pushing the thought away. “No.”
“I wasn’t trying to be silly when I married Mason,” she said, her voice almost a whisper. “I thought we were in love.”
The thought of Kenzie loving another man nearly tore his heart into two.
“We were going to build a family together.”
“He used you.”
She nodded, blinking fast, but a tear escaped. “We were in Tijuana, on our honeymoon, when he cheated on me.”
“That’s terrible.”
Her gaze fell to her lap. “He wanted me to stay and enjoy the rest of the honeymoon with him. Can you believe it? He thought I’d pretend nothing had happened.”
“What did you do?”
“I packed my suitcase and used my credit card to get home. He stayed in Tijuana for the rest of the week.” She broke down and sobbed.
“He’s not worth your tears.” Before he could stop himself, he reached around her and pulled her close to his chest. She laid her head on his t-shirt.
“I know.” She sniffed. “It just hurts so bad.”
Her voice broke and his heart shattered. He had no words of healing for her. He couldn’t kiss away her tears. The most he could do was gently press his lips to the top of her head and hope she didn’t notice. He rubbed her back and let his fingers trail up her arm. “Forget him.”
He knew that was easier said than done. Kenzie had put her trust in someone, given her all to him, and he treated her like worthless trash.
A knock came on the door. Kenzie wiped at her cheeks. “I’m a mess.”
“Don’t worry. I’m sure someone’s at the wrong door. I’ll tell them to go away.” He stood and crossed the room. When he opened the door, Mason stood on the other side.
“Is Kenzie here?” he asked, his smile wide. “I want to thank her. She did awesome! She was such a flake, my mother no longer cares if I’m married or not.”
Camden didn’t think. He punched the jerk in the face. Mason’s head snapped back and his hands flew to his nose. He pulled a hand away to see blood. “What was that for?”
“Go away.” Camden shut the door before he hit Mason again and got himself sued.
Kenzie stared at him. “Did you just. . .”
“Yep.” He clicked the lock and came back to the couch.
A loud laugh came out of Kenzie, and she clapped her hand over her mouth. “You’re going to be in trouble.”
“I don’t care. That felt really good.” He smiled and Kenzie laughed again. He studied her face. “You okay?”
“Yes. Thanks for letting me blubber on you.”
He took her hand, refraining from pulling her close again. She looked at him, and he got lost in her eyes. They were sea green. Full of life and love. She leaned toward him, and for a split second he thought she was going to kiss him, but he backed away. What a ludicrous thought.
“Anytime,” he said, meaning it.
***
Kenzie lay in bed, listening to Camden’s slow breathing. The clock said it was almost five in the morning. She’d fallen right to sleep after talking to Camden, but something had woken her and she couldn’t get back to sleep.
She couldn’t believe he’d punched Mason in the face. How she wished she’d been sitting at a better angle so she could have seen it. She could only imagine how Mason reacted to both the right-hook and the door being slammed in his face.
Camden deserved sainthood for it. Okay, that was extreme, but what a knight in shining armor he’d turned out to be. He not only came to her rescue at the wedding, he’d come to her rescue several times since.
Just thinking about Camden sent her heart into overdrive. She almost broke down and kissed him when they were sitting on the couch. How stupid would that have been? She saw how he moved back to avoid it. He probably thought she was crazy, just like Mason’s mother did.
She took in a deep breath, letting it out slowly. She was crazy. What was she doing? Falling in love with another guy she barely knew. The thought of spending the next few days with Camden . . . riding in the car and talking like they were buddies . . . the thought made her heart ache. She’d end up falling for him more. And maybe doing something stupid again.
Why couldn’t she be normal? Like Tessa? Date a guy for a year and fall in love slowly. Fall for a guy who would be safe. Rich guys weren’t safe; she’d found that out. She glanced at the couch. All she could make out was Camden’s outline in the moonlight.
She couldn’t tell him she was in love with him. She couldn’t make the same mistake again. And she couldn’t allow herself to be with him for several days, knowing she would probably not be able to resist his charm.
Her heart squeezed, and she knew what she had to do. She slipped out of bed and dressed in the darkness. She picked up the hotel pen and wrote a quick note on the back of the room receipt. Then she set it in the middle of the desk before stuffing her things in her suitcase.
She slipped out before the sun rose.
Chapter 25
Camden woke and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. The couch hadn’t been that bad; he’d slept well. He stood, stretching his back. He eyed the bed, but Kenzie wasn’t there. The bathroom door was open, the light off. Maybe she’d gone down to get breakfast without him. He had slept a little late. The clock said eight-thirty.
He picked up his suitcase and went into the bathroom. If she were at breakfast, he could take a long shower and not disturb her. He turned on the water and undressed. The hot spray felt wonderful on his back.
After his shower, he shaved and got ready for the long car ride. When he opened the bathroom door to find the hotel suite still empty, a prickling feeling started on the back of his neck. Where was Kenzie? He went to get his key card so he could check the breakfast area himself, when suddenly he saw her note.
Camden,
Thank you for everything. I feel bad asking you to drive back with me. I know you’re busy, and I’m sure you want to get back to your life after spending so much time saving mine. Go ahead and take your jet
. I’m renting my own car to take back.
Thanks again for everything.
Kenzie
Below the note sat four hundred-dollar bills. His throat tightened, and a hole opened up in his chest. Kenzie had left. He pulled out his phone and called her. The line rang, and he waited for her to pick up. She didn’t answer. He called again, but still, no one picked up.
He crumpled the note and threw it back on the desk, raking his hand through his hair. When had she left? Why wasn’t she picking up her phone? Had something happened to her?
And then he realized that she’d done it on purpose. She didn’t want to be contacted. If she had, she would have picked up. She was running away like she always did. But this time, she was running from him.
He exhaled and sat in the hotel chair. He wasn’t ever going to see her again. The thought made him sick to his stomach. Finally, he’d fallen in love with the perfect girl, and she didn’t want him. Couldn’t even stand to spend one more minute with him. She wanted to be out of his life so badly, she’d snuck out of the hotel in the middle of the night.
Perfect.
He touched the hundred-dollar bills. The money she’d promised him the first day they’d met. A lump formed in his throat. She was finalizing their contract. Making it so she didn’t owe him anything. She didn’t want to see him again.
Finally accepting it, he called his assistant. “I need to fly home today. Can you make the arrangements?”
“Of course, sir.”
“Thanks.” He hung up and stuffed his cell in his pocket. Eating breakfast didn’t appeal to him anymore. He just wanted to go home and get back to work. He packed up his things and returned the rental car at the airport.
When he was on his jet, he leaned his seat back and closed his eyes. The smell of almond and coco butter made his pulse race. Her smell was still clinging to the seat. He was in trouble. Never had he felt this way about a woman before.
And she was gone.
***
Kenzie clutched the steering wheel, driving as fast as she dared down the interstate. This was the third day of solid driving, but she didn’t care. Staring at the road seemed to get her mind off Camden. At least, sometimes it worked.
When he’d called her that first day, she’d panicked and turned her phone off. She hadn’t wanted to talk to him. What was she going to say? I’ve fallen in love with you, but that’s not smart, so I need to get away from you? Arg. Why was she always the one to get herself into these messes?
She pushed the radio button and tuned in some pop music. She bobbed her head along to the beat. The song ended and “Cake by the Ocean” came on, and it reminded her of when she and Camden took off their shoes and walked along the beach at night.
The feel of the water rushing over her feet, and Camden’s hand around hers . . . she’d felt safe with him. She felt like she could trust him. The memory of that kiss in the moonlight brought tears to her eyes. Why had she told him she hadn’t wanted a relationship? She was so confused. The look on his face had made her heart ache.
She turned the radio off, but the memory of the beach remained. She wondered if he’d been upset when he’d read the note she left. Camden? Upset? Probably not. He was always so laid back. She couldn’t imagine him getting mad over that.
She tried to ignore the hollow feeling in her chest when thoughts of Camden plagued her, but it felt like it would consume her. She was in love with him. She’d tried to not fall for him, but it didn’t work. After only a week, she was madly in love.
The tears she didn’t realize she was crying ran down her cheeks. Maybe she would go home and pack. Virginia suddenly seemed too small a place to hold both of them. She couldn’t stand it if she ran into him in the store. She’d break down and cling to him and embarrass them both.
The thought of never seeing Camden again made it difficult to breathe. She was in trouble. She had to get out of Virginia before she did something stupid, like run to his office and beg him to give her a chance.
Chapter 26
Camden stared at Kenzie’s contact information on his phone. Two months. That’s how long it had been since he’d last seen her. Since she’d disappeared into the night. He’d called her off and on, but she never answered. Why was he still holding on to the hope that maybe one of these times she would pick up?
He tossed his phone on his desk, not having the courage to call again. She’d probably changed her number. Why couldn’t he take a hint? She didn’t want to see him, didn’t want to talk to him, and definitely didn’t want a relationship with him.
He felt like growling in frustration. He needed to work off some of his pent-up energy. He stabbed a button on his desk phone and used the intercom. “I’m going to visit the Chandler construction site.”
“I’ll hold your calls, Mr. James.”
He stood and crossed the room, slipping on his suit jacket. He couldn’t go all dressed up. He’d have to stop by his apartment and change. Twenty minutes later, he was leaving his apartment in his jeans, feeling better already.
His truck roared to life and he pulled out of his parking stall. He was ready to go get dirty. When he showed up on the site, Dave, the manager, approached him. He had a steadily receding hairline. Soon he’d have to give up and shave it bald. “You didn’t tell me you’d be here today,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck. “Anything wrong?”
“Nope. Just wanted to come lend a hand. Put me to work.”
Dave smiled and motioned toward the site. “I know how you like to get your hands dirty. We’re pouring cement today. You’re welcome to go join the men.”
Camden patted his shoulder. “Thanks.”
He made his way over to the workers. The rest of the afternoon was spent hauling heavy bags of cement, tying rebar, and smoothing out the wet concrete. His muscles burned after they were done.
He went home, covered in dirt and cement. As he entered his bedroom, ready to get into the shower, his cell phone chimed. He looked at the text and froze. Kenzie’s name was on the screen.
Can we talk?
Three words, but he couldn’t process them.
After two months of not answering his calls, she was texting him. She hadn’t changed her number. There it was, the same one he’d been calling. He’d left countless messages, hoping she’d call back. Nothing. For two months.
And now she wanted to talk. His first instinct was to ignore her text. He was angry at her for ignoring his calls. Angry that she’d left him. And suddenly, he felt used. She’d left once before and only came back when she’d needed him again.
What was it this time? His stomach clenched as he texted her back.
What do you need?
Her answer came back immediately.
To talk to you.
To apologize.
He didn’t answer her, and his phone chimed again.
To let you know how stupid I am.
And to tell you I made a mistake.
He didn’t know what to say to her. She was frustrating. But he missed her laugh. He missed the way she put her whole heart into things. The way she jumped feet-first into whatever she did. He missed her impulsiveness. Her heart.
I’m sorry. Please answer me.
His fingers trembled as he texted her back.
We can talk. Where are you?
Was he really going to let her back into his life? He wasn’t sure that was a good idea. Her answer came fast.
In your parking garage.
What? He stared at her answer for a full five seconds before responding.
Get in my elevator. I’ll bring you up.
He walked into the living room and watched the view screen. When Kenzie appeared in the elevator, he pushed the button to bring her up.
A minute later the doors opened and Kenzie was standing there. His heart leapt into his throat. He stepped back and motioned for her to enter. He had no idea what he was going to say to her. He loved her, but he couldn’t stand to be rejected a third time. He couldn’t
take it.
Kenzie walked in wearing an oversized t-shirt and leggings. She clutched her tie-dye bag in her hands. He pointed to the couch. “Have a seat.”
“No. I don’t want to put you out. I’ll say what I have to say, and then I’ll leave.”
He was afraid of that, but he felt the sting anyway. She wanted to get something off her chest, and then she would once again leave him.
He waited for her to continue, but she just stood there, fidgeting with her bag strap. He ran a hand through his hair. “If you don’t start talking, I’m going to go into the kitchen and pour myself a drink.”
“Sorry. I guess I had all this stuff planned out in my head, but now that I’m here, it won’t come out.”
Thor entered the room and strutted over to Kenzie. He proceeded to rub against her legs and purr. Kenzie crouched down and scratched his head.
“Go ahead and speak your mind.” He didn’t know what she was going to say, and mentally steeled himself for whatever it was.
She stood back up and cringed. “I don’t know how to start.”
“Start at the beginning.”
“Okay. I love you.”
Camden blinked at her. “What?”
“Sorry, that was the end. The beginning part didn’t make sense . . . because you were there and you weren’t the male escort that I thought you were, but it turned out you were the knight in shining armor that I had wanted, even when I didn’t know I wanted one. And—”
“Kenzie,” he interrupted. Had he heard her right? She said she loved him?
Kenzie shuffled her feet. “I messed everything up. I know I did. And I’m sorry. I should never have left you.”
Camden stared at her, confused. “What do you want from me?”
She bit her lip, tears welling up in her eyes. “I don’t know. Nothing, I guess.”
“Why are you here?”
“Because I can’t stop thinking about you.”
Her gaze lifted, and he looked into her large green eyes. “I can’t stop thinking about you, either,” he admitted.
“Really?”
Her Big Fat Fake Billionaire Boyfriend (Billionaire Series Book 1) Page 16