"Where are we going?"

I grinned at the beauty standing in the hotel lobby. She knocked my socks off. Just by showing up. Never mind that she looked like an ice cold glass of water on a hot day.

Though I'd never really had a doubt that she would.

"We're staying in."

"What?"

I took her elbow and guided her towards the elevators. I was a man, dammit. I didn't need to discuss every detail. I told her it was handled. End of story.

"Don't worry about a thing. It's all been taken care of."

She waited silently for the elevator but I could tell she was nervous. I probably would never admit it but I was a little nervous too. Being alone with Camille Rivers was always an adventure. I might end up shouting or kissing her. Or fucking. Or getting slapped.

There was no way to know what might happen.

I wanted this to go smooth and by the numbers.

1. get her up to my room

2. wine and dine her

3. break the bed

I pressed the button for my floor and leaned against the wall, watching her. She was staring up at the floor numbers. She looked so sweet and young and pretty standing there. Innocent even. I smirked. I knew that was a stretch.

Gorgeous rich girls like her were born knowing what they had and how to use it.

Camille was born to be worshipped.

By me. Tonight.

The elevator stopped and I guided her down the hallway. I used the key card to open the door and ushered her into my suite. If it were anyone else I would expect her to comment on the decor. It was a fancy ass hotel after all.

But in this case, her old man was the one paying for it.

Just inside the door she hesitated. The raw honesty in her voice nearly threw me off guard. But I was determined.

"Cade- I'm not sure this is a good idea."

I leaned over her neck and whispered in her ear. I only felt a tiny bit guilty about lying to her. I did plan on biting.

"Don't worry. I won't bite."

She swallowed and I turned her to face me. This time I did tell the truth. I wasn't going to hurt her or scare her. That wasn't my objective.

I wanted her purring and safe and happy.

"I'm not going to do anything you don't want Camille."

Her eyes were serious as she stared into mine. I realized in that moment that she'd been hurt before. I hated knowing that. It made me want to go out and punch every guy who'd hurt her in the face. A wave of fierce protectiveness washed over me.

At that moment I would have promised her anything.

Except that I would stay away. That I would keep my hands off her. Tonight or any other night.

That I would not promise her.

That I could not promise her.

Because I was more than just lusting after this girl. I was fucking smitten. A heavy feeling settled in my gut. I was a cooked goose and I knew it. My usual confidence was missing, rocked loose at its roots. I didn't just want this girl to be with me.

I needed her to be with me.

Better not let the lady know. Not yet. Not until I knew how she felt about me.

"Champagne? Or something stronger?"

She followed me towards the living room.

"Is it any good?"

I nodded, holding up a three hundred dollar bottle of champagne. She gave me a look and nodded, looking around the suite. Then she raised an eyebrow at me.

"You are pulling out all the stops tonight aren't you?"

I poured her a glass and led her out to the balcony.

"Nothing but the best for you, sweetheart."

She laughed and leaned over the edge, looking around.

"Can anyone- see us from here? From the team I mean?"

I shook my head.

"I'm the only one on this side of the hotel. Me being a last minute addition and all."

She sipped her bubbly and glanced at me.

"You did cause quite a commotion."

"That's the Dupree way."

I ran my hand over her hair, brushing it away from her neck. I let it rest on her back for a moment and then moved away. I was going to take this slow.

As slow as I could handle it.

"Are you hungry?"

She shrugged gracefully.

"I could eat something."

I went inside and brought out a room service menu and more champagne. I poured for her and held the menu over my forearm like a waiter. She was leaning back on one of the chaises. One on hand, she looked relaxed. On the other, it would be harder to get my hands on her delectable body with her all the way over there.

"Shall I order for you, Miss?"

She cocked an eyebrow at me.

"So formal Cade."

I grinned at her, ruining the effect.

"I thought you would approve."

She leaned back in her chaise and closed her eyes.

"I do. Yes, please order for me."

She cracked one eye open.

"I'd rather not have raw meat please."

I wrinkled my nose.

"No worries there. I like mine charred to a crisp."

She smiled, her eyes still closed.

"Stay away from the tartar."

"The what?"

"Exactly."

I left her there, sipping her second glass of champagne. I ordered and came back out, bringing the bucket of ice and bottle with me. I sipped my champs, sitting on the chaise next to hers.

We sat in companionable silence for a while. It was nice. That's a funny thing to say about a heart racing, trying to impress the heck out of the woman of your dreams first date. But it was true.

Of course I was a little distracted, doing my best to hide the raging hard on I'd had since I saw her in the lobby.

Hell, I'd been hard pretty much since I met her. It was like being a damn teenager again. She was natural born boner machine.

I was almost sorry when the food came, even though dinner got me closer to dessert. Dessert being the fine ass woman sitting beside me. But a man had to eat, and I needed my reserves if I was going to put on the kind of performance I intended.

An award-winning performance.

The fuck of a lifetime. A blue ribbon, apple pie on the Fourth of Fucking July kind of fuck. A lay to end all lays.

A Biblical, raining toads, knock the lady's socks straight to next Tuesday fuckathon.

So, yeah, I figured I better eat.

Camille followed me inside, sitting gracefully in the chair I held out for her. She was relaxed tonight. Comfortable even.

I wasn't used to this side of her, but it made me like her even more. I already wanted her. Craved her even. But liking her for her easygoing company hadn't been part of the deal.

It made me want this on the regular. I wanted her as a permanent fixture in my life and my bed.

Especially my bed.

I dealt with the food, grateful for the distraction. I wasn't ready to think about how I felt about Camille too much. I was in dangerous territory with that kind of thinking. I wanted sex. That was uncomplicated. That I could handle.

Everything else… well, I needed to scratch the itch and drink a busload of bourbon and branch before I went down that road.

I'd start with a lighter load, thank you very much.

I set the food on the table and lifted the cover from her plate.

"Lobster salad? Very nice."

I sat across from her, drinking in the way she looked in the candlelight.

"I got surf and turf. I figured you might want some of my meat."

She stared at me, her eyes wide. Then she started to laugh. I had to join in.

"Cade Dupree, you certainly have a way with words."

I grinned and started cutting my food.

"Trust me darlin'. You ain't seen nothing yet."