“It’s too early in our relationship, and we should both wait until we’ve dated for a while.”

Camilla exited WTZB, repeating the statement Corinne had come up with the day before. Hunter was picking her up from work today, they would have dinner then head home, but during their meal Camilla planned to tell him that meeting his parents would have to come at a later date. She had a mind to ask if all the women he dated met his parents. If so she could breathe easy that meeting them wasn’t a big deal. But somehow, Camilla knew that not to be true, and the last thing she wanted was to insult him.

She was wrapped in her musing so tightly that she padded down the steps without watching her surroundings. It was when a tall figure cut her path short by standing in front of her that Camilla froze, and the blood in her face drained like she’d seen a ghost.

“So, you plan to just keep ignoring my calls?”

Her shock turned into anger so quick Camilla didn’t recognize herself.

“What the hell, Steven!”

Steven lingered over her in a double-breasted beige coat with shades strewn across his eyes.

“What are you doing here!?” Camilla glanced around then grabbed Steven’s hand and pulled him to the side of the building.

“I wouldn’t have popped up on you like this if you had taken one of my calls.”

Frustrated, Camilla massaged her temples.

“How could you just up and leave everything we had behind and move to Chicago? I had to find out from a clip on CNN that you’re working for this news station.”

“Steven, I don’t give a damn how you found out. There is nothing to hold on to back in Florida. No me, and no you. I can’t believe you just showed up like this.”

“What is a desperate man to do when his wife won’t answer the phone.”

Camilla waved her hand in the air. “Oh, Steven, just stop it!”

Steven let out a frustrated breath. “Baby, you know me. Every now and then, I need to be put in check, but you know I’m not going anywhere.” He stepped closer to her. “I love you.”

Camilla thought she was going to be sick. Steven thought love was breaking off their engagement whenever he supposedly needed to be put in check, and even worse, he actually expected Camilla to deal with it.

Camilla reined in her sanity and spoke with a clear concise voice, “Look, I really don’t want to argue with you about this, especially not here.”

Camilla glanced back at WTZB to see if anyone lingered at the entrance, but no one did.

“Then let’s go back home. I have a flight with both of our names on it.” Steven glanced down at his watch. “If we leave now, we can make it. If not, we’ll have to take anoth—”

“Stop it! Just!” Camilla let out a deep breath. She couldn’t deal with him. Steven would just keep acting like everything was okay. “You don’t get it,” she said, feeling defeated.

Steven stepped even closer to her; so close she could smell his Old Spice cologne. He grabbed her by the waist and leaned closer to her face. But Steven wasn’t expecting her rejection, and when she pushed off his chest, his calm nature turned cold.

“Get your ass over here,” he said, reaching again to grab hold of her.

In a blur, Camilla scurried around Steven, but was yanked back when he grabbed her arm.

“Get off me, Steven!” Camilla jerked her arm free and stared at him in disbelief. “What the hell is wrong with you!?”

“You are what’s wrong with me, and if I have to tell you again—” Steven’s words were cut short, and he glared at something over Camilla’s shoulder. “What the hell are you looking at?”

Camilla rotated on her heels and was confronted by a menacing, brooding Hunter Valentine that sent daggers with his gaze over at Steven. Camilla opened her mouth for an explanation of why Steven was there, and what was going on, but the death stare Hunter fixed on Steven was so ominous it made Camilla think of retreating. When his eyes traveled to hers, instantly his gaze thawed, and the warmth that she’d always recognized returned.

“Are you okay,” he asked.

Camilla swallowed thickly since her tongue felt like sandpaper.

“Yes.” She paused. “I can explain.” Her voice was just beyond a whisper, but at the moment, Hunter wasn’t interested in her explanation. He lifted her arm and looked it over, then with effortless ease, removed her from his front to hide her behind his back.

His gaze darkened again, and Camilla tugged at his bicep. “Please, Hunter, don’t.”

“Who do you think you are?” Steven asked.

“Steven, is it?” Hunter said. “The only reason you walk away today with your face intact is because my Camilla works here. So, consider yourself lucky. The stars are aligned in your favor. But understand something. If you ever put your hands on her again, I’ll rip your motherfucking shoulder off. Am I clear?”

Steven was partly pissed, but mostly anxious trying to figure out if Hunter was serious. He made a bad decision to test out the theory.

“Your Camilla?” Steven stepped to Hunter. “That’s where you’re mistaken, my man. Camilla is my wife, she belongs to me!” Steven attempted to reach around Hunter in an effort to get hands on Camilla. Hunter sent one fast blow to Steven’s chest, and Steven flew back a foot and tilted on his heels as he fought to recover the oxygen that had just been bullied from his body.

“Oh my God!” Camilla shouted.

Hunter stepped to Steven again, but smartly, Steven recoiled while still taking a massive effort to refill his lungs with air.

“Please, Hunter, let’s go!”

Camilla tugged at his arm again, and Hunter thought better of killing the man in the parking lot. He turned toward Camilla, and without another word started toward his Maserati Quattro Porte. With Camilla at his side, the two hustled to get into his vehicle, and when Hunter slipped into the driver’s seat the madness he felt radiated from him.

Hunter checked his rearview mirror then sent a glare back across the parking lot. He didn’t say a word, and in the next instance, they were riding down the boulevard. Camilla shut her eyes. What a disaster that had been. But it could’ve been worse, and she was grateful that Hunter could control himself. Peering over at him, Hunter drove stoically, with no expression to reveal how he currently felt. But Camilla didn’t need a psychic to know, if the way he avoided eye contact with her was any indication.

“I can explain,” Camilla began.

“Is he your husband?”

Hunter’s voice matched his expression, posing the question with no emotion.

“No!” she huffed. “Of course not, what kind of woman do you think I am?”

Hunter chose not to answer that question.

“Steven’s my ex.”

“Ex-husband?”

“No!”

“Then why did he say it? Is he delusional? Did he escape from an insane asylum?”

“Is that a joke?”

“I’m not laughing,” Hunter said. “A man comes out of nowhere and calls you his wife with no rebuttal on your part.”

“How much did you hear?”

“Does it matter?”

Hunter made eye contact with her. Some of that iciness she’d seen back at WTZB was there, but it was fighting with another emotion; one that Camilla was certain she misread. Despair. But why would Hunter feel such a thing unless he loved her, and the thought of her being Steven’s wife distressed him.

He pulled to the side of the road but didn’t cut the engine.

“Look, I know our relationship is young, but you trust me at least, don’t you?” She asked.

Hunter bit down on his jaw then blew out a deep breath.

“Tell me about him,” he said, sitting against the seat.

Camilla gave Hunter a rundown about being engaged to Steven twice and the shenanigans he’d pulled.

“But he doesn’t believe it’s over. That’s my fault. I shouldn’t have taken him back the first time.”

Hunter scoured her face. “Do you still love him?”

“In the sense that I don’t want him to have a fatal accident, yes.”

“That’s not what I meant.”

“Then no,” she said plainly.

The vehicle became quiet as they watched one another.

“Take out a restraining order on him. I’ll call Chief Fletcher and make sure it’s adequately implemented.”

“Let me talk to him first.”

Hunter frowned. “To say what?”

“Just to let him know I mean business, and if he ever comes around again, I’m putting an order of protection out on him.”

“That’s not going to fly.”

“Why not?”

“Do you think I care to sit back and wait for him to come around and manhandle you again? What happens if I’m not there, and he hurts you?”

There it was again. Despair. Camilla reached out and caressed his face.

“You really do care about me, don’t you?”

“More than it makes sense.”

Camilla’s heart rocked against her chest, and a smile covered her lips. Hunter reached for her chin, and without much effort lured Camilla in for an impromptu kiss. When they parted, both hovered before drawing away completely.

“I’ll make a deal with you,” Hunter said.

“Okay.”

“Take out the restraining order today, and I won’t murder him the next time he shows up.”

Camilla gasped. “Hunter!”

“What?”

“What kind of deal is that?”

“I thought it was a pretty good one.”

Camilla huffed.

“So, what do you say?”

Camilla’s stomach growled, and they both heard it. Hunter put the car in drive and pulled away from the corner. They headed in the direction of Louie’s Steakhouse and Grill with Camilla never agreeing to Hunter’s deal.