Though they’d seen each other again before their trip to Chicago, Vince didn’t bring up the issue of marriage. Cami’s thoughts seemed to zip between Mrs. Grady’s betrayal and his suggestion—which had been offered as casually as if he had been proposing they take a day-trip into Denver.
If Jonquil had heard Vince’s comment—Cami refused to think of it as a proposal— she hadn’t said anything about it, which suited Cami fine. It was bad enough the words kept popping back up into her mind; having it turn into a discussion topic among the sisters would be way too much.
The journey was uneventful but Cami found she enjoyed having Vince with her during the flight. It was nice to have interesting conversation and laughter handy, and despite not pulling out her laptop to work as she usually did on flights, she didn’t get antsy for something to do. Maybe, she thought, that was part of Vince’s charm.
After they settled into Cami’s condo, she checked her closet, but wasn’t happy with anything in it.
“Problems?” Vince asked, coming into the bedroom fifteen minutes after she’d disappeared into the closet.
“I know I have plenty of clothes, but nothing feels quite right for the party tonight.” She bit her lip, considered a demure peach dress with a flirty mid-calf skirt. “Would you mind terribly if I made a run to find something new?”
He turned her, pulling her into his arms. “Are you talking a four-hour shopping spree?”
“No way, I’ll leave that for Lana. A run to Ralph Lauren for a new dress, maybe pop into Nordstrom for shoes, and home again, an hour or so max. Well, plus travel time.”
He met her eyes and his lips quirked. “Will I have a chance to see you try on sexy dresses?”
She laughed. “Quite likely.”
He nuzzled her neck, raising goose bumps along her side. “Perhaps I should go along to give my opinion.”
“You want to go dress shopping with me?” No way was that reality. A guy like Vince didn’t sit quietly by while the woman shopped. She didn’t think the Y chromosome worked that way.
“Not for a full afternoon, no, but for an hour or so. And maybe while we’re out, we could get some of that famous Chicago pizza I’ve heard about.”
She grinned. “I see, it’s all about the pizza.”
“And seeing you in a sexy dress or three.” He wiggled his eyebrows.
“How can I argue?” She pulled from his embrace and grabbed her purse. “Let’s go.” Because her car was in Colorado now, they’d opted to walk, take the commuter train, or use taxis for the two-day visit. Since the station was close, they headed for the commuter train.
The run into Ralph Lauren was fairly quick and successful. She found something on the second try, a red silk sheath that ended above the knee. The neckline was more daring than her usual, but it fit her mood. She didn’t model it for Vince, opting to make it a surprise.
“I can’t believe you didn’t show it to me. That’s the only reason I came.” Vince complained as they walked into Nordstrom a few minutes later.
“Hush. It’ll be worth the suspense. I promise.” Cami patted him on the cheek and continued on to the shoe department. There was something about shoes and Nordstrom that she could never separate.
In no time she seized a pair of Manolo Blahnik gold metallic strappy sandals with a two-inch heel to go with her new dress, then indulged herself with a Phillip Lim multi T-strap pump in black and maroon, and nearly had contortions trying to prevent herself from buying the cutest pair of Isola brown suede boots. She lost the fight, but didn’t care anymore when she handed Vince the bags as they left the shop.
When Vince grumbled that she’d only brought him to be a pack animal, she smiled and gave him a quick kiss. “I’m carrying the dress.”
“Which you haven’t let me catch so much as a glimpse of, thank-you-very-much. And what is it with you and shoes?”
“Sorry, I can’t help myself. I have a weakness for great footwear. I have just the thing for the boots, but I’ll have to find an outfit to go with the pumps.”
“Hold on.” He stopped in the middle of the sidewalk and gave her an incredulous look. “You’re going to buy an outfit to match the shoes? Isn’t that backward?”
She laughed. “You’d think so, wouldn’t you? But no, not in this case. Lana will completely agree with me when she sees the shoes. It’s a good thing she has such tiny feet—or she might try to borrow them.”
“I had no idea you were such a slave to fashion. I thought you were just naturally put together.” Despite his comments, he wore a smile to match hers, and didn’t appear the least put out about his shoe burden. “Now, are we going to get pizza? I’m starving.”
“Almost there. You know, sometimes I think you have the appetite of a thirteen-year-old boy.”
He simply grinned.
Cami grinned back, hardly able to believe she’d found someone like Vince. Two months earlier she would have sworn guys like him didn’t exist. She wasn’t going to complain.
~*~
Vince’s eyes popped as Cami stepped into the living room where he’d been waiting for her. He set down the soda in his hand and turned off the baseball game, giving her his full attention.
Cami gave a little spin, pleased with his expression and felt like a sexy model. “Was it worth the wait?”
“Yeah, it was.” Vince walked over, taking her mouth in a long kiss. “You sure we have to go out?”
She laughed. “That was kind of the point of the trip.”
“Pity.” He took her hands and two stepped her around the room—it wasn’t a big space, so it didn’t take long. “I’d love to have you to myself all evening. But I can probably share you long enough to take care of business.”
She was out of breath when they came to a stop, though very little of it was from the exertion of the dance. “That’s good of you.”
“I know. I’m a real catch.”
She looked at his cocky grin and had to kiss him again. He was a catch, the kind of man any woman would be luck to call her own. She touched his freshly shaved cheek and pressed a chaste kiss to his mouth, a feeling of warmth building inside her every moment. This was love. Was it strong enough to last? She didn’t know.
He released her and tugged on his suit coat. “Do I pass muster?” He looked incredible in a suit, making Cami think she better keep him close so someone else didn’t try to snatch him up at the party.
“You look pretty wonderful too.” She leaned in, sniffed. “And you smell terrific.” He took her hand. “Let’s go wow them.”
~*~
“Would you like something to drink?” Vince asked Cami when they’d been circulating for nearly an hour.
Cami smiled, already wishing the night would end. “Thanks. I’m parched. No more alcohol, though, I need to stay alert in this crowd.” She watched him go, then turned to track the prince of Denmark’s cousin, whom she’d seen only ten feet away a moment before. Instead, Trent moved to greet her. The low burn of nerves in her stomach grew worse. This wasn’t going to be pretty.
She couldn’t help but compare her ex to Vince, though she knew it was bad form. Trent’s unnatural tan, bleached blonde hair, and artificially whitened teeth seemed false to her now she’d been around a man like Vince who didn’t worry about making the proper impression every moment of the day.
“Hello, Camellia, you’ve met Trina, haven’t you?” Trent introduced the brunette on his arm.
“Of course, how are you doing, Trina? How’s your mother?” Cami was relieved Trent had moved on, but wondered if Trina realized what a jerk he was.
“She’s well. We’ve both been busy getting the hospital benefit up and running. It sounds as though you’ve had your hands full with the hotel opening.” Trina Sanders was a sweet girl with impeccable manners and a friendly attitude. Cami had always liked her. She also came from a very wealthy family, and would certainly have the cash to settle Trent’s debts. Word through the grapevine was the couple had been dating since early July. More than one guest had made sure to inform Cami of that fact since her arrival at the party.
“Yes, it’s been quite an undertaking, but exciting too, seeing it all come together. I know my father would have been so happy with how things are going. The party is less than three weeks away.” Cami put on a smile and pretended she hadn’t a care in the world about media problems.
“I know you’ve had some troubles. It’s a shame about the Denmark royals canceling. Maybe they’ll rebook after you’ve had time to establish yourself and prove you’re capable of managing such a huge endeavor. Right now you’re six untried women,” Trent’s words were cloying and patronizing.
Anger burned in her. “Hardly untried. We’ve each been working in our various departments for years, and we’ve found excellent employees to help carry the load. Our head of security is capable of handling any emergency, and Delphi has every angle of this release planned to the millisecond. We’re going to succeed not because we’re lucky, but because we’re very good at what we do.”
“Have you seen their work? Do you know these women will step up and do what needs to be done?” he asked. “Your father pulled them from who knows what jobs—”
It was all Cami could do to keep her voice level as the anger burned through her. “My father may have had ulterior motives for bringing us all on board with the hotel launch, but he wouldn’t have risked his resort’s best interest. My sisters are among the best in the business. I’ve seen them in action, I’ve seen them in difficulty and they’re more than up to the task.”
Miffed, Trent pushed in a different area. “And what about your lawn boy? I thought I saw him with you earlier.” He smiled maliciously.
The rage cooled to ice as Cami realized he was jealous. “My lawn boy has a master’s degree in landscape architecture from Cornell University. He’s a successful businessman who employs nearly forty people, and his business is growing every year.”
Vince walked up behind Cami, slid his arm around her from the right, and offered her a glass of Perier—she’d decided one glass of champagne was her limit. “Here you are, honey.”
“Thanks.” She flashed him a smile, grateful for the interruption. “Vince Talmadge, I’d like you to meet Trina Sanders and Trent Doyle.”
The expression on Trent’s face turned slightly sour as he gave Vince the once over, but Trina met him with a pleasant smile and genuine interest.
“I can see what drew you to him, Cami—intelligent and handsome. Always a good combination. It’s good to meet you.” Trina took Vince’s hand in a warm shake, though not with the overt interest some of the female guests had shown. She was too classy to do that even if she had been interested.
“You flatter me,” Vince said. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.” His expression became speculative as he turned it on Trent, who stared at him through narrowed eyes. “And you. Have you known Cami long?”
“A while.” Trent’s voice was infused with innuendo, and there was an edge of mean in his eyes. “So what do you think about the run of bad publicity she and her sisters have had?”
Vince shrugged, though Cami sensed him stiffen beside her. “Someone’s got a vindictive streak, but they’re an amazing group of women. I wouldn’t count them out— they’re going to blow everyone’s socks off. If you don’t have other plans, perhaps you should come to the grand opening gala. See for yourself.”
“I’ll make our reservation in the morning. I could use some mountain air,” Trina said, threading her hand around Trent’s elbow. “Can you arrange to come with me?” she asked him.
“Of course, sweetheart.” He put his hand over hers and smiled at her.
The thought of Trent at the hotel made Cami grit her teeth, but she forced a smile. “I’ll see you there. I have a few more people I need to speak with, if you don’t mind.”
Trina nodded. “Of course. I’m sure you have a lot to take care of while you’re in town.”
Cami said her goodbyes, and she and Vince walked away.
“That was interesting,” Vince muttered to her. “Is Trent an ex-boyfriend? He acted a little jealous.”
“Something like that.” They only made it a few steps before she spotted the prince’s cousin nearby and turned Vince in his direction. “I’ll explain later.”
“Ah, Miss DiCarlo,” the man said when he spotted her. “I’ve heard so many fascinating rumors about your hotel.” His eyes were warm and friendly.
“I’d hoped to speak to you about that, actually. Do you have a minute?”
He took her hand and bowed over it, kissing her knuckles. “For you, always.” He introduced himself to Vince, then suggested they find a quiet corner.
“I’d love to.” Cami took Vince’s hand and they followed in his wake.
~*~
Vince watched Cami move around her apartment after they left the party that night. She kicked off her shoes and dug through her bags, chattering about the people they’d met.
She was like a lick of flame in her dress, sultry and eye-catching without trying. She’d worked her way through the groupings of people, chatting, kissing cheeks, laughing off reports of ridiculous rumors. Even now she was wound up from the party, not appearing the least worn down from the long evening after the cross-country flight and shopping trip.
He worked in hard, physical labor all day and he was ready to drop. How had she done it?
Cami turned to him, holding something silky with a generous helping of lace the color of champagne. “As parties go, I think it went well. Don’t you agree?”
His heart twisted in his chest. She only planned on staying in Colorado for a year. She loved Chicago—she hadn’t even sold her condo. “Yeah. You were amazing.” How was he going to convince her to stay in Juniper Ridge when she had a vibrant social life here?
“You’re no slouch yourself. And, seriously, that suit is a killer on you.” She ran one hand down his lapel, making the worry and yearning twist together in his gut.
“Not half as killer as this dress is on you.” Vince was definitely curious about the bit of fabric she still held in one hand, but decided he had other priorities. He slid his hands around her waist and pulled her close. She melted into his embrace and he felt home.