Page 47 of Prudence
“Of course,” one of them said. “Don’t forget about my dinner party next weekend. We’d love to see you there, Derek.”
“And my barbecue,” another added. “I make the best chicken wings in town.”
“I’ll try my best,” I said, no intention of attending either event as I hurried in the direction of the next classroom I needed to visit. Gigi’s history teacher, Mr Flynn, was an elderly man with balding grey hair and a stern expression. There were several other parents waiting to speak with him, so I took a seat to wait my turn. A little while later, Milly walked into the room, saw me and immediately took the seat next to mine.
“I was hoping to speak with you.”
“You couldn’t have approached me earlier when I was clearly begging to be rescued,” I responded archly, and her lips twitched in amusement.
“It didn’t look like you needed rescuing. It looked like you were having a wonderful time talking to all those lovely ladies.”
“I was having a terrible time, and you know it.”
Milly chuckled. “So, about this suite at the hotel. We really need to—”
“Mr Balfe,” the teacher called, indicating he was ready for me next.
“Sorry, got to go,” I told Milly happily, and her amusement swiftly turned to annoyance. She was cute when she scowled, and I enjoyed riling her. If she wasn’t going to rescue me from the vipers when I needed her, then I was going to do everything I could to avoid discussing the hotel suite with her.
When I was done speaking with Mr Flynn, I left the room before Milly could pull me aside. I could practically feel her silent irritation. It went that way over the next few meetings. I managed to dodge her at every turn, and it was rather amusing. Most of Gigi’s teachers noted a marked improvement in her participation in class over the last few weeks, and I knew it was all down to her friendship with Deirdre. Gigi had never been particularly studious, but she’d always managed to pass her classes. When her mother had left to go on tour, her grades had dropped dramatically, and she’d often been late with her homework or hadn’t bothered completing it at all. To hear that she was improving was an incredible relief, and it caused a niggle of guilt to seep in.
I’d been avoiding Milly all evening just to mess with her, but it was her and Deirdre’s arrival in town that had brought some happiness back into my daughter’s life. When I finished meeting with the last of Gigi’s teachers, I decided I’d go find Milly and allow her the opportunity to express her dissatisfaction about the hotel suite. I was wandering down a corridor in search of her when suddenly an adorably gentle shove came at me from behind. I knew instantly it was Milly as I let her push me into an empty storage room.
“What the—” I turned and found her slamming the door shut behind her before flicking on the light switch to illuminate thesmall space. Pure amusement had my lips curving into a rare smile.
“Did you just manhandle me into this room?” I asked, and her dark eyebrows narrowed as she frowned up at me, hands on hips.
“You left me no choice,” Milly griped, blowing a wayward strand of hair out of her pretty face as she folded her arms in agitation. “We need to talk about the suite, and you’ve been running away from me all evening.”
I studied her, for some reason unable to stop from drinking in her pink lips, pert nose and flushed cheeks. I’d pissed her off, and there was something irresistible about her when she was irate. It made me want to push her buttons even further. Without thinking, I stepped into her personal space before gazing down at her hotly. “Talk, then.”
“Wha—” she began, her words cutting off at my husky tone. Then I moved even closer, so close that my chest was an inch from her chin. I was aware of her smaller stature, her light, flowery perfume and the way a whoosh of air left her pretty lips as she held her chin high to meet my gaze. I’d always been impossibly attracted to this woman, and despite my best efforts to resist her draw, I found myself in her orbit anyway.
I placed my hands flat against the wall on either side of her head, caging her in and not dropping her eyes for a second, when I murmured, “Cat got your tongue, Camille?”
A visible tremble went through her when I said her name, and I fought the base instinct that was roaring at me to kiss her, hitch up her long skirt and ravish her against the wall. I didn’t care how inappropriate it was; all I knew in that moment was that I wanted her fiercely.
I hadn’t had sex in a more than a year, and it was showing.
“Derek,” she said at last, her breaths uneven.
“Yes, Camille?” I responded, using her name again like a weapon. It affected her, and though I wasn’t sure exactly what the effect was, I knew we both liked it.
“You’re not playing fair,” she whispered, her blue eyes lowering from mine and focusing somewhere near my jaw.
“Oh?”
Her throat bobbed as she swallowed, the delicate movement drawing my attention and making me want to lick her neck, kiss my way up to her seductive mouth. Her hand came to press against my chest, and on instinct, my hand closed over it. I hadn’t realised just how much I’d been craving her touch until exactly this moment.
I felt her trembling through her fingers, and something in me softened. She might’ve been the one to push me in here, but I had to admit to myself that I’d let her do it. If I hadn’t wanted to be manhandled into this room by a woman almost half my size, I wouldn’t have been. No, a part of me was entirely too curious to see what she had planned.
“I know someone else booked the suite,” she said then, distracting me from my thoughts. “I overheard the couple complaining to the receptionist about it.”
Her challenging look almost did me in. I was a sucker for when she called me on my bullshit. “Don’t waste your concern for the Longs. The last time they stayed at the hotel, they made one of our serving staff cry because she forgot to bring Mrs Long an extra portion of sauce with her fillet steak. They’re notoriously difficult guests, and my hope is that this might encourage them to bring their business elsewhere. Also, I wanted you and Deirdre to be comfortable. The standard rooms are too small.”
“Well, that’s a kind sentiment, and the Longs sound horrible, but it’s still not right to change their booking just for me. You’rein the hospitality business. Dealing with difficult guests is part and parcel of that.”
“They were well compensated for the inconvenience.”
