Page 6 of Midnight & Magic
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t. It’s, uh?” His voice was trailing. Typically, he wouldn’t be making an excuse for his attraction to a woman when he wanted someone; he did everything in his power to win her over. But this? All of this seemed somehow different now that he wanted her as his mate.
“It’s okay, Cam. I understand.” She said while straightening her skirt.
“Do you really?” His eyes searched her for an answer briefly before he glanced at the continued descent of the elevator. Thankfully, they took his private one. No one would interrupt them on their way down to the lobby.
“I won’t deny that I’m attracted to you. And judging by what we just did, the desire is obviously mutual.”
“That’s only part of it. Cass—”
She held out her palms in front of him.
“Wait! Please hear me out. It took me a long time to get over Eric. A long time. And when I went back to school to get another degree, I really sensed for the first time that I could be someone besides somebody’s wife. Sure, I had my career before Eric ever got in the picture, but all of that faded when he took the limelight away from me. Now? I really feel like I have something to prove. But not to the naysayers. I need to prove it to myself.”
He searched her eyes again.
“I get all of that, but—”
“I need to prove to myself that I can do this job. And I can’t very well do it properly if I’ve got the hots for the boss. Please? Can we pretend this kiss didn’t happen? It was a mistake. A very great mistake. I mean, it was a mind-blowing one. But? A mistake nonetheless.”
“Cass, please? May I speak now?”
She crossed her arms and pushed away from him slightly.
“Yes.”
“I applaud you for feeling how you do. I really do. But you, more than anyone, understand vampires. I can’t stop thinking that you are my mate. You have this hold on me that I can’t quite explain. And I don’t not for a second want to admit that the kiss we just shared was a mistake because, to me, it wasn’t.”
The door opened, breaking their conversation. And Cassidy crossed the threshold before Camden could speak any further.
“Is that the car?”
“Yes, it is.” He said as he opened the door to exit the building to head to the car. Camden’s driver opened the back of the limo for them.
“Good afternoon, sir.”
“Afternoon, Sam.”
“I heard I am driving you to Delmonico’s—correct?”
“That is correct,” Camden said as they piled into the car.
Sam buckled his belt and quickly raised the partition between him and the back of the limo.
Camden reached over at the bar in the back. His hand brushed Cassidy’s thigh lightly as he opened the door of the bar.
“Would you care for a drink? I have red and white wine. Or there’s scotch if you prefer.”
“Um, it’s a little early for scotch—at least for me—but I’ll have some white wine, please.”
He poured a glass for her. His knee pressed against hers as he handed the glass over.
“Thanks, Camden.”
He put a palm between them.
“Call me Cam. Please? I like how you say it.”
“Okay, Cam, listen. I didn’t mean to ignore what you said in the elevator. I figured it best to keep a low profile as we exited your building.”
