Chapter Five
Having an affair with Cameron Price would break every dating rule Lauren had ever tried to live by. And yet, as she bustled down the busy sidewalk toward the restaurant, she couldn’t get the idea out of her mind. Cameron fit the mold of what she wanted in a man in every way but one. He’d stated a relationship didn’t interest him.
Maybe she was drawn to emotionally unavailable men. In between building her business, keeping up with her friends, logging time on the treadmill at the gym, keeping up on her latest book club read, reality television craze, celebrity scandal and fad diet, she had little time to search out the perfect man.
The conservative, educated, successful men she’d dated all claimed to want an equal partner, until they realized just how many hours it took to run your own business. They expected her to understand about their busy schedules and demanding clients, but that understanding had never been reciprocated. Since opening Come For Dinner she hadn’t been able to find someone willing to accept the time she had left when her workday ended.
But Cameron didn’t want a full-time relationship. Perhaps that created the urge propelling her naughty thoughts. At most, he wanted a part-time dalliance. And that’s all Lauren had energy for. It could be the perfect solution to the confusing predicament they found themselves in.
It sounded simple in her head, but Lauren had no idea how to approach the topic with Cameron. They were attracted to each other. He’d proven that with the kiss that had her running scared before she did something truly humiliating, like strip him naked and take him on the kitchen floor. Tonight he’d want to get their stories straight about the break-up. How could she convince him to let the game play out a while longer?
Lauren found herself in front of the restaurant, with no time left to formulate a plan. Probably best not to get her hopes up and to play it by ear anyway. Catching her reflection in the glass, she ran a hand through the loose waves of her hair and straightened the ankle-length knit duster. And then spied Cameron already inside.
As if he could feel the weight of her stare, he turned in his seat. His gaze burned into hers, searing the moment in her memory. The smile on his lips went beyond charismatic. It showed his power, magnetism, ability to make her abandon everything she’d ever known to be right in favor of a chance to indulge her stifled wild side.
He rose from his seat and she quickly made her way inside the warm restaurant, walking directly to his table. The comforting scents of baking bread and fresh garlic protected her from his pheromones as she stood before him, drinking in the appreciative gleam in his eye as his gaze dripped over her body.
When she’d dressed this morning, the low-rise boot cut brown slacks and long sleeved fitted brown sweater had been nothing but practical. A frame for the fun touches of the coppery macramé sash tied low on her hips, the pointy toe, high heel brown leather boots, and the fantastic crochet trimmed bronze duster. Her love of fashion came in handy for the impromptu dinner date.
Cameron must have a similar appreciation for appearances. He looked magnificent in his olive worsted wool trousers and French-blue dress shirt, which brought out the striking blue of his eyes. The handkerchief in his suit coat pocket matched his shirt perfectly, the patterned tie picking up both the green of his suit and the blue of his shirt. The man could pose for a catalog.
Though she always went for conservative types, dress casual ruled the land. Shame more men didn’t realize the appeal of a well-tailored suit. Cameron in such a package made her heart lurch and her pulse throb. With every second in his presence, indulging in an affair became a better and better idea.
Cameron stepped to the side, pulling out her chair from the small table. The expression on his chiseled face was tranquil, almost cold, but she knew heat simmered beneath the planes of muscle and full mouth. As collected as he pretended to be, he must be as tempted as she was to take this from fake to real.
“You’re tall,” he said with a half smile.
Lauren blinked, realizing how much she’d read into his look. Ridiculous, hopeful notions. “I’m wearing heels.”
After she sat, he pushed her chair in and took his own. Steepling his fingers, Cameron sat back in his chair and let out a long, slow breath. His stare set her nerves ablaze with such ease it was a miracle she didn’t spontaneously combust. Damn. She needed to get some perspective. He came for a business meeting; she was the one turning it into a date.
Grabbing her menu off the table, Lauren opened it to shield herself from his piercing stare. She needed to ask him what he wanted so she’d know what argument to make when convincing him to give their charade a chance. But first she needed to collect herself. The man affected her in a way no one ever had, making her wonder if the attraction she thought she saw in his gaze was just her fascination for him resonating back to her.
“I had a talk with Bob Anders today.” Cameron cleared his throat, but Lauren pretended to study the menu. “Your abhorrence of prenuptial agreements surprised him. He thought your family would insist you’d be protected.”
“Did he?” Lauren laid her menu aside and pursed her lips together. Talking about her mother wasn’t on the table for a business meeting.
“I think I covered well, but it was a bit of surprise. I’m wondering how many more you have for me.” His eyes crinkled at the corners as he smiled.
Now that had to be flirting. “I’m full of surprises.”
“You certainly are. Thanks to the way you directed conversation at the party you know a lot about me, but I know next to nothing about you. You’re a fantastic caterer, have a flair for decorating, and since you sent lilies to my office I guess you like them better than roses. Beyond that, I know nothing.”
Lauren set her forearms on the table and leaned forward. “Did you like them?”
“The flowers?” He shook his head and laughed under his breath. “I don’t like the way they got the whole office talking.”
“I should have gone with the neon carnations.” Lauren gave an exaggerated shrug. “Next time.”
“Oh no. No next time.” The waiter arrived with ice waters, halting Cameron’s protest. Before he could get another word in Lauren ordered for them both and sent the waiter on his way. “Did you just order for me?”
“Don’t get macho. Since you’ve gone through life with culinary blinders on, I decided I would do you another favor and give you an awe-inspiring trip into the flavor zone.”
He didn’t bother to hide his laugh. “About these favors you’ve been doing for me. I need to apologize for the way I repaid you on Saturday. I’d been drinking and my behavior was out of line.”
Lauren grabbed for her water and took a sip. She wanted to tell him she’d been in line right behind him, but didn’t know if what he’d felt for her was alcohol induced.
“Being with me for a while could be very good for you.”
Lauren choked on her water, sputtering into her napkin. “Excuse me?”
“I know I said it would only be for the night, and I intended to use your break-up suggestion today with Anders. But I tried the pre-nup angle, and he stunned me by saying he thought your family would push for one. Before I could recover, he started talking about needing to see me balance work and a personal life before he passed the reins to me. So I’m hoping I can convince you to play along for a while longer.”
“Play the fake girlfriend.”
“Exactly. I’m prepared to do what it takes to show my appreciation.”
“Are you?” Lauren’s cheeks tightened in a smile thinking of all the ways she’d love for him to appreciate her properly.
“Is it too warm in here for you?” Cameron’s expression showed genuine concern. “You could take off your coat.”
What Lauren guessed had been a faint blush tinting her cheeks turned into a full on flush. She swallowed hard, cursing fair skin and her dirty mind in equal parts. Standing, she took off the duster and folded it over the back of the chair. When she turned around to take her seat she stopped, realizing Cameron was staring, at her.
“You should play poker. You really had me going.” Lauren took her seat and finally began to relax. His interest wasn’t a mere echo of hers. He wanted her, and for a split second she’d seen it in his gaze.
“What are you talking about?” Cameron shrugged out of his blazer and loosened his tie.
“You like me. I bet that’s why you chose red roses.”
“I chose red roses because you decorated with them. I assumed you liked them.” His gaze hardened, as if the wall around him became visible for a second. She’d stepped too close, and he pulled up the drawbridge.
“I do. They’re my favorite. But when a man has red roses delivered to a woman, it sends a message. Were you trying to put on a show, or tell me something?” She wanted those flowers, his efforts, this meeting, to mean something.
“Men aren’t that complicated, Lauren. I wanted you to come to dinner so we could work things out. Next time I’ll send tulips so no one is confused.”
“Tulips in November?” She tried to hide her grin. Off-season flowers were pricey. Those lilies had been darned expensive. “That will cost you.”
“I can afford it. What I can’t afford is for things between you and I to get cloudy. If you’re not up for this, I completely understand.”
“What is it I need to be up for, exactly?”
“I have events scheduled most weeks this month and next at the house, and there are other parties and meetings to attend at various locations. You’ll be showcasing your business at every dinner you host for me, checking out your competition when we attend dinners together, and gaining valuable business contacts while you are socializing. You’re guaranteed the Anders & Norton account for the duration of our agreement, however long it lasts.”
“Gee, what’s in it for you?” Lauren shook her head, growing more disappointed with every word he spoke. Even though he made a terrific argument for this as a smart business move for her, she wanted there to be more to him than business. But he didn’t seem interested in sharing that part of himself with her anymore.
“You’ll be helping me more than I can help you, I know. Since you have money, you don’t need the business—”
“My mother has money, I don’t.” Lauren borrowed the start up capital from her mother, but paid it back. With interest.
“Is there a problem between you and your family?” Cameron quirked an eyebrow.
“Careful Cameron, asking personal questions might constitute a date, and you seem intent on having a meeting.” Lauren reached for her water and took a sip, hoping the ice would chill the anger she had no right to feel. He’d warned her he didn’t want more. She couldn’t blame him for her expectations.
Cameron took a deep breath and let it out with precise slowness as he narrowed his gaze. “Lauren, I—”
“You kissed me, really well. And you spent all day sending me roses. Why?” Seeing the turmoil in his stare, she wondered if he even knew.
“I wanted to. On both counts.”
Before Lauren could respond, the waiter arrived with a plate of bruschetta and a steaming platter of spinach artichoke dip surrounded by crostini and wedges of colored peppers.
“Would you like a bottle of wine with dinner?” Lauren asked, watching Cameron wrinkle his nose at the offerings.
“It looks like I’m going to need one. Or two. Should we look at the list?”
Lauren shook her head and addressed the waiter. “A 2012 Oregon Pinot, whatever you think is best.” With a nod and a smile the waiter retreated.
“He’ll just choose the most expensive one,” Cameron muttered, adjusting the gold watch on his hair dusted wrist that probably cost more than her car.
“Have a little faith in people. Besides, you can’t go wrong with Pinot that year.”
“Do you have to know about wines for the parties you cater?”
“A little. But it’s not hard. Two weekends a year the local wineries open up for tastings. It’s a perk I get to call working.” Bolstered by his admission he’d kissed her because he wanted to, Lauren decided to be daring. “The next one is Thanksgiving weekend. You should come with me.”
“I’ll be in New York.” He dropped his gaze to the food, pulling out a crostini chip unscathed by the dip. No doubt so he wouldn’t have to pay attention to what he ate. Well, not tonight.
“With your family? Do they condone your annoying eating habits?”
“I annoy you?”
“The restaurant you suggested is very French. You wouldn’t have eaten a thing on the menu.” Lauren scooped up a helping of the gooey dip in a pepper wedge and hummed her enjoyment as she ate the delectable morsel.
“I’m not sure I’ll eat anything here, either.” He absently rubbed the back of his neck.
“Isn’t it hard to be a picky eater at business meetings?”
Cameron shook his head. “I’m not picky, I just don’t want to have to watch what I am doing, or worry that something is stuck in my teeth or has given me bad breath.”
“Isn’t that tough? Limiting your choices like that?” Opting to try the bruschetta, Lauren was careful to keep the diced tomatoes and basil atop the toasted slice of bread as she took a heavenly bite.
“Better to have something you know you can stomach than something that might make you sick.”
“Oh.” Lauren nibbled at the inside of her lip. She hadn’t considered he might have good reason to be so picky. “Do you have a sensitive stomach? Is that it?”
“No. It’s just best to go with a sure thing than take a risk.”
“But isn’t that what you do? Take risks on new companies?” Lauren had an amazing urge to free him from his rigid confines, to show him how much he missed by only looking forward instead of taking in the scenery all around him.
Cameron thought for a moment. “My investments are never risky. I only back companies that I know will succeed.”
“And do they?” She flashed her best smile.
“I’m proud of my record, yes.” The speculative gleam in his eyes shot through her like adrenaline.
“And what about me? Am I a good investment or a boring necessity?” Lauren fished a chunk of artichoke out of the dip with a pepper wedge, shoving the dip in her mouth to keep her from going too far, as if she hadn’t already.
“You’re not boring.” Cameron hunted for another crostini. “I never invest in a company I don’t know as much about as possible. That’s one of the reasons at Anders & Norton we prefer to entertain at homes rather than restaurants. People are more relaxed in that environment, and you can mix people together to make sure the right questions get asked.”
Cameron leaned forward, his gaze as animated as his voice. “Take Saturday’s party. I’m looking for a company developing technology about renewable fuels. This company makes biodiesel from used cooking oil to power diesel engines. A great concept, but before I can sign on I need to know as much as I can.”
Cameron gripped his water glass, tracing the condensation with his thumb. “So at the dinner will be an attorney and her husband, who just happens to be a professor in the field. A former CEO of a major vehicle manufacturer, a marketing expert for environmental issues, two of the potential investors in the portfolio who have expressed interest in mentoring the company, and the entrepreneurs who’ve designed the project. Because everyone comes from different backgrounds, they’ll ask different questions over the course of the evening and I’ll get a more complete picture than I would in a grill session.”
“Grill session?” Lauren set another bruschetta on her appetizer plate. She always ate when she got nervous, but she needed to pace herself.
“Firing questions at them across a table. Kind of like this.” Cameron’s businesslike expression softened as a slow smile lifted his lips.
“Ah. So you have decided I am too risky for you to invest your time in?” Her heart beat hard against her ribs as she waited for his response.
“I don’t have the whole picture of you or what you want from me.” The salacious insinuation in his rich baritone warmed her blood.
“I want you to try the dip.” She didn’t dare tell him what she really wanted.
“Come on.” He scowled, looking annoyed, a little petulant even.
“No, really. It’s fantastic. And loaded with garlic.”
“It looks like it.” His lip curled as he eyed the plate. “I’ll pass.”
“You can’t.”
“I just did.”
“Then you won’t be able to kiss me tonight. If we both have garlic breath, it cancels out. But if it’s just me, well, I don’t want to make that kind of impression. So, eat up.”
Cameron had never been so tempted to eat something in his life. But he could use any help he could get to keep his hands and mouth off her, so he shook his head and set his jaw. This was a nice woman, one who probably thought if she flirted hard enough he’d change his mind about having a relationship. And he liked her well enough not to get her hopes up.
She met his stare and held it, her petulant expression surely mirroring his own. Fighting the urge to smile, Cameron studied her face. Lauren possessed a beauty few women held, an intrinsic quality that lit her from the inside out. Her clear, pale skin radiated health, her narrow, small-featured face utterly feminine. Her pouty pink lips morphed into an impish grin and he knew he’d won this round.
“You’re going to be so sorry.” Her smile gleamed as the waiter arrived, pouring the wine and exchanging one set of inedible dishes for another.
The waiter stepped away and Cameron surveyed the two platters on the table. A bowl of pasta tossed with a dark orange sauce that looked nothing like cheese and a plate of dark green spinach, topped with slices of browned garlic, glistening as it mocked him.
“Accounting will be calling you tomorrow to set up an account to cater our lunch meetings. Don’t even think about messing with my lunches.”
“Cameron, you don’t have to use us for all your lunches.” Lauren scooped the pasta onto her plate. “I sent you the flyer to be funny. You weren’t calling, just passing notes like a fifth grader, so I stooped to your level.”
“What were you trying to say? You’d rather have my business than gifts?”
“I was trying to offend you and get you to call me. Didn’t work.”
He shifted in his seat. “No, mission accomplished.”
“Don’t do that.”
“What am I doing?”
“Making me feel guilty. I needed to set a precedent. I want you to talk to me, rather than telling me not to worry my pretty little head about it and shower me with roses. Send me roses because you’re thinking of me, not as a bargaining chip.”
“I didn’t know what you might say after the way I acted.” He studied her response to his admission, seeing only the attraction he’d misread that night. Maybe he hadn’t misread her at all.
“You know”—Lauren held her fork in the air, a piece of pasta speared in the tines—“as I remember it, there were two people in that kitchen.”
“And one of them ran away.”
“We needed to talk, and if I would have stayed, there wouldn’t have been any conversation going on. Besides, I don’t do regrets, and I didn’t know you well enough to be sure I wouldn’t regret it later.” She seemed to notice the pasta on her fork for the first time. “You need to eat something.”
His stomach growled in agreement. “Have you considered my proposal? Continuing the arrangement until I’m more firmly established here?”
“That is your proper proposal, Cameron?” She set her fork down with an exaggerated grown. “Fine. I’ll play along on two conditions. One, you at least try to eat better. And two, we play this out and see where it goes.”
“Play what out?” His pulse thudded in his ears. Did he dare?
“This sizzle in the air, that kiss from the other night, the way I shiver when you look at me. You like me, I like you. We enjoy each other. Let’s see where it goes.”
Cameron swallowed hard. Finding his mouth had gone dry, he grabbed his wine glass and gulped half the mellow red. Attraction had been an implicit factor between them since he first saw her. Silent, building itself up with every touch, glance, fact he learned about her. And now that his desire for her threatened to break through the walls he needed to keep his life safe, she had to give him an ultimatum.
He wanted nothing more than to do as she asked, play things out and see where they went. Looking into her gold-flecked green gaze he didn’t see a choice. His passions had been stirred, the game started. The only way to ever know for sure if he’d learned anything at all from his mistakes would be to try with someone as worthy as Lauren seemed to be.
“I’d need an exclusive agreement.”
“Of course. Honestly, Cameron, I don’t have much time for relationships, either. It seems like the perfect solution for us both, combining work and play.”
“I agree. If you decide you want to be with someone else, I need you to tell me. I don’t want to deal with someone else’s jealousy.” Scenes flashed through his mind, fast and furious. He liked Lauren, but not enough to go through that again. Ever since he’d walked in to find his fiancée and his roommate together, he kept it casual so not to relive that moment.
“Same goes for me. Since our relationship is public, it would be too embarrassing to know the people I work for are whispering about me.”
“Okay then.” Cameron reached under his seat and pulled out the itinerary of the next month he’d mocked up. “Here’s the dinners and parties I have to attend. I’d like for you to make as many of them as possible.”
She took the folder, but didn’t look at it. “Not so fast. You have to eat something, remember.”
“You can’t be serious.”
“Oh, but I am. Butternut squash penne with sage and pine nuts or sautéed spinach with garlic chips. Your choice.”
Part challenge, part game. She thought he didn’t like to eat. She had no idea he could eat everything on the table, only leaving dribbles on his shirt. With deliberate slowness he lifted the plate of spinach and slid some onto his plate. The earthy aroma made his mouth water. The first bite was perfect, rich spinach, deep roasted garlic, warm olive oil, and they’d brightened the dish with a hint of lemon. He finished the serving before he looked up.
With a shake of her head, Lauren opened the folder. Her eyes widened as she perused the long list of dinners, cocktail parties, benefits, and holiday gatherings. Her tongue flicked out, wetting her lips as she flipped the pages. Cameron closed his eyes and stifled a groan.
So used to shutting his responses off completely, cracking the door to his libido seemed to open the floodgates to a torrent of wanting. The strange feelings made him want to run. Straight to a bedroom with a door that locked and soundproof walls. Ah hell, he’d reverted back to a horny teenager after knowing her for just two days.
“How can you say yes to all these people, and I can’t even get you to taste pasta?” Cameron opened his eyes to see her playful pout, an orange-coated pasta tube on the end of the fork she held out to him.
“I need to establish myself, get them to trust me, respect me. Learn who they are so I can discover how to get what I want from them.” He winced, realizing how cold and calculating he sounded.
“But you want something from me, need to establish a trust. Try the damn penne.”
“I tried the spinach.”
“Now try this.” She waved the fork, dancing it closer to him.
“I think you’ll like it.”
He shook his head, trying not to laugh at her antics. She thought she was goading him into something. In two seconds he expected her to call him chicken.
“Do we need to resort to playground trade-offs?”
He quirked an eyebrow, wondering what she had in mind.
“You eat the penne, I’ll try something you suggest.”
Cameron cleared his throat, coughing at where his mind took that suggestion.
“Fine. We’ll do that. If you give it a chance.”
“You have no idea what I’m thinking.”
“Call me hopeful.” She smiled, offering him the fork again.
Refusing her would be grounds to have his man-card revoked. Grasping her slim wrist, he steered the bite into his mouth. Buttery and almost sweet, a bit nutty and quite cheesy, he swallowed the bite, and releasing Lauren, scooped more onto his plate. He felt only slightly guilty she hadn’t realized he’d eat just about anything.
“Now you want to eat?”
“You were right. I do like it.” And as much as he would love to take her up on her offer to fulfill her end of the bargain, he needed to be sure she knew what she was suggesting. In the beginning women always said they understood his commitment to work above all else, but as things progressed they expected that to change. It never did, and they took it personally. He knew better than to compromise a woman who had every right to want more than sex, laughs, and nothing else.
With a sigh she returned to her meal, disappointment obvious on her face. Suspicion niggled at him.
“Why are you doing this?” Cameron sipped his wine as if the answer didn’t matter, when really, her response could change the way his world rotated.
“Playing along as your girlfriend or offering to be an orgasm donor?”
Cameron barely managed to grab his napkin as he choked on his wine. Once he contained his sputtering he looked at her through his watering eyes. “You did that on purpose.”
“Of course.” The feline quality to her grin set his blood on simmer.
“I need to know why.”
Lauren sipped her own wine before answering. “I agreed to play along because it sounded fun, and you are very handsome.”
“And now?”
She pushed her half-eaten plate aside and leaned forward. “I’m getting lapped in the dating pool by my friends. Following the dating regulations has burned me, and thought it best to be more direct. Neither of us has the time nor desire to dance around the subject. You want me, I want you, and everyone thinks we’re together anyway. Why not give it a shot?”
“Because you know I don’t have the time to invest in a relationship.” He’d been honest with her from the beginning. He needed to know not just the truth, but what motivated her actions to be sure he could trust her. “If you won’t settle for less than a committed partnered relationship before, why settle for a temporary intimate arrangement that would keep you from looking for what you want?”
“Because life is short, Cameron.” Setting her wine on the table she leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms across her chest, drumming her fingers against her upper arms. “Maybe I’m admitting I can’t have the career I want and the relationship I want at the same time, so I’m hoping for a satisfying compromise. Besides, it makes your charade much more enjoyable for us both.”
He wanted to ask who’d told her she couldn’t have everything she desired, who’d made her think she had to give something up to succeed. But her body language read full stop. And thinking about her situation made him wonder if he hadn’t made the same exchange.