Page 53 of Among the Stars

“What do you need?” he asked, assuming this visit was about the wedding.

“I was hoping we could talk.”

Now she wanted to talk? Cam wasn’t in the mood.

“As we agreed, our performance is over. There’s nothing more to talk about.”

“I met a friend of yours upstairs.” She slowly crossed the room, hands still in her pockets. “I hope you won’t be too upset when I tell you what we talked about.”

Cam had no idea who upstairs could be considered his friend. Unless she meant Samantha. Would his former fiancée discuss what happened between them? He didn’t think so. Samantha was as private as he was. Unwilling to play a guessing game, he held silent.

“Your sister is. . .interesting.”

He’d taken Janie to meet Veronica on his last trip upstairs. When his date displayed a lack of concern over his absence, he’d changed his mind. The last he knew, his sister was on the second floor flirting with a drummer.

“She’s a kid. If she’s crashing the wedding, I’ll take care of it.” He wouldn’t put it past Janie to take advantage of the open bar.

“No, she’s fine. She’s welcome to stay.”

Easy for her to say. She wasn’t footing the bill. “I need to check on the other floors.” A lie, but not touching her was growing more difficult by the minute. “What do you want?”

“You,” she said. “I’m sorry about how I acted earlier. I just…” Her voice trailed off, and she tucked a loose curl behind her ear. “I saw how you looked at Samantha Walters, and it was Ash all over again. It was me giving my heart to a man who’d already given his to someone else. I panicked.”

His restraint wavered. “I’m not in love with Samantha, Veronica. I never was.” A fact he wasn’t proud of, but if she could be honest, so could he.

Taking another step toward the desk, she said, “You gave her a ring.”

“Yes.”

“But you didn’t love her?”

“I said I wasn’t in love with her. I thought we suited each other. We have. . . similar backgrounds.” Cam wouldn’t share Samantha’s secrets, but he needed Veronica to understand what he’d only recently discerned. “I thought she would understand why I’m the man that I am.”

Coming closer, she pressed her hands into the front edge of his desk. “Would you consider yourself generous?”

“No more than anyone else.”

“How about kind? Or gentle?”

Those were not words Cam associated with himself. “What is your point?”

She toyed with the chain on his desk lamp. “You talk about the man that you are. I’m suggesting that your opinion of yourself might not be accurate.”

They’d known each other for seven days. He believed he knew himself better than she did. “I’m a product of my past. Don’t let the fancy clothes fool you.”

Veronica sighed before rounding the desk. He turned his chair to face her, hands clenched at his sides to keep from reaching for her.

“You, Cameron Rhodes, are the kindest, gentlest, most generous man I’ve ever met. You’re brave and resilient, respected and accomplished, and utterly clueless about how amazing you truly are. But most of all, you’re the perfect man for me. I know that sounds crazy, and we barely know each other, but I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life. Now will you please come back upstairs so that I can end this year being kissed by the only man for me?”

Who was Cam to turn down an offer like that? He didn’t believe he was half the things she’d described, but the part about being the perfect man for her struck a chord. Because he felt the same way about her. They were clearly crazy, and this might burn out before the seasons changed, but this could also be his one chance to have all the things he thought he’d never have. For her, he could be a better man. For her, he would damn well try.

Cam pulled her into his lap and pressed his mouth to hers. They were both breathless and half undressed when the sound of fireworks filled the room.

Veronica pulled away and brushed a hand along his jaw. “I think I could love you, Cameron Rhodes.”

Pressing into her palm, he replied, “I sure as hell hope so.”

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