Page 81 of Enthrall
I’d found her stash once. Luckily she caught me right before taking my first lick of the stuff. At seven years old that wouldn’t have ended well.
I didn’t want to think about that old life now, not when the promise of love loomed on the horizon. Richard’s bossiness was so alluring, so protecting, and so addictive.
Every morning I couldn’t wait to get to work just to be near him.
Cameron strolled toward me, his dark sunglasses making him hard to read. I rose to greet him and he gestured he wanted me to sit.
“Lunch.” He lifted the brown paper bag and handed me the Perrier water. “Hope you like sparkling.”
“Thank you, Cameron.”
“You can thank Richard.” Cameron joined me on the bench and handed me the bag. “It’s a chicken salad wrap. It’s from a deli down the road. They make everything fresh. Richard drove out especially to get it for you.”
“Ooh, thank you.” I peeked inside.
For me.
We both stared at the pond and for the first time in my life the silence didn’t feel awkward.
He crossed a long leg over the other. “I really should come out here more often.”
That silence returned once more as though proving to itself as much as me that all its power had gone.
“Five hundred dollars for your thoughts,” said Cameron.
I giggled. “It’s a penny for your thoughts.”
He twisted his mouth. “In my estimation if the saying dates back to the middle ages and we take inflation into consideration—”
“That’s silly.”
“What can I tell you? I’m good with numbers.”
He had a knack for making those around him feel comfortable, that is of course when he felt inclined, and I forgave him for what he’d done to me in Chez Polidor, using me to arouse Senator Deluca’s penchant for punishment.
“How are you feeling?” asked Cameron.
“Do you think I need therapy?” I said.
“Do you think you need therapy?”
“I seem to have managed so far.”
He turned to better look at me. “I quite agree.”
“Do you always know what to say?”
“Pretty much.” Cameron peered over his sunglasses. “So you and Richard kissed last night.” He gave a nod. “I approve.”
“Nothing happened.”
He arched a quizzical brow. “Trust me, something happened.”
“No, we didn’t...you know.”
“I wasn’t sure if it was possible for anyone to reach into that heart. Evidently it is.”
“How do you know?”
