The Stubborn Suitor: Book 1 (The Stubborn Suitor #1) (5 page)

C
ami awoke
to what felt like someone drilling into her head. She opened her eyes, only to have the sensation intensify with the addition of the bright morning sun. Shutting her eyes immediately, she groaned and rolled over, burying her head beneath a pillow.

Unfortunately, Cami had completely forgotten that she was sharing a room—and the big, king-sized bed—with her best friend. The pillow she was now burrowed beneath must have belonged to Maggie, as it was quickly yanked away from her with an angry growl.

“I hate you. And I’m never drinking again,” Maggie whined from next to Cami on the bed.

“Champagne hangovers are the worst,” Cami agreed.

She tried her best to go back to sleep, but the events of the previous evening came crashing through her memory suddenly, and all thoughts of relaxation disappeared. After a few more frustrating moments, she slowly sat up and opened her eyes once again. Her head was still throbbing, but she knew it wouldn’t get any better without a lot of water and a few aspirin. Coffee and food probably wouldn’t hurt either.

At the thought of food, Cami’s stomach growled. As sick as she felt, she was also starving.

“I don’t think I ate anything yesterday,” Cami said aloud as she thought over the events of the previous day.

She’d been too stressed out in the morning by the prospect of having to leave Madison with Ken to have any sort of appetite. Then Maggie had shown up, and they’d started drinking in the town car. There had been food served later in the evening, but Cami had been too full of champagne to pay it much mind. She was sure paying for that now.

Cami slowly crawled out of bed and limped towards the bathroom to take a hot shower. She decided to forego washing her hair, as the curls from yesterday had settled into a soft, windswept look that was actually quite becoming. After drying off, she slipped into a pink sundress that complemented her complexion and headed back into the bedroom.

Maggie was still in bed, head now covered by blankets.

“Are you getting up?” Cami asked, somewhat hesitant to head downstairs without her best friend there.

“No!” Maggie replied, her voice muffled by the blankets. “I’m staying in bed at least until noon! Go on without me. I’m sure there’s a huge breakfast spread already prepared.”

Cami stood in the room, deliberating for a moment. She really didn’t want to go down there alone, especially not with the chance that she’d run into Drew. But her throbbing head and growling stomach made the final decision for her. She left the room and made her way hesitantly downstairs to the large dining area.

Maggie hadn’t been lying. There was an enormous breakfast spread laid out in the dining hall, where heated dishes kept eggs, pancakes, and waffles warm. There was also a wide array of what appeared to be fresh-baked pastries as well as fresh fruit.

Cami let out a pleased sound when she saw the coffee carafe. After helping herself to a large mug and a bottle of water, she grabbed a plate of eggs and croissants and headed towards the empty deck. She sucked down the water immediately and was sipping her coffee when she was startled by an empty champagne bottle, covered in sand, now placed beside her plate.

Drew was standing next to her, a self-satisfied smile on his face. The dimpled grin made her shudder a little, and she looked away from his gorgeous face. Instead, Cami stared at the bottle for a moment, finding it hard to believe that Drew had gotten up and gone in search of the bottle as promised this morning, even after she’d stopped things while they were practically in the middle of almost going all the way.

But there was the bottle, sitting right next to her coffee mug—and there was Drew, looking completely proud of himself.

“Thank you,” Cami said after a moment, offering him a warm smile. She didn’t really know what else to say.

“You’re welcome,” he said in reply, sitting next to her. “How are you feeling today?”

“Like someone drilled a hole in my head,” Cami answered, massaging her temple.

“Yeah—that’s how I felt too when I woke up this morning. You need more water,” he told her, looking at the empty bottle. He stood once again. “I’m going to get some food. I’ll grab you another.”

While Drew was gone, Cami stared out into the ocean contemplatively. She really
had
been wrong about Drew. He was sweet and understanding. He kept his word—even when he’d been denied an orgasm.

Drew quickly returned, not only sliding a water bottle towards her when he arrived, but also a few aspirin.

“Thank you!” Cami replied genuinely, grateful for so much more than just the water and pills. He really was a conscientious man.

“You’re welcome,” he said again as he sat down across from her and started on a large plate of eggs.

They were silent for a few moments, both caught up in their own thoughts as they ate. But it was a comfortable silence, companionable.

“Mind if I join you?” came a soft voice from behind her, and Cami turned to see woman she’d never met before. The woman was absolutely gorgeous—tall and thin with dark hair and high cheekbones.

“Sure,” came Drew’s reply.

Cami turned to see a big smile on Drew’s face as the beautiful stranger sat down next to him on the bench—a little too close to be polite, in Cami’s opinion. Drew didn’t seem bothered by it, though. He just stared at her for a moment with the wide grin on his face, almost as if he were in a daze, before turning to Cami.

“Cami, this is Analise. Analise, this is Cami—she works with Grant’s sister Maggie at Sacred Heart General.”

“You’re a nurse, too?” Analise asked in a condescending tone.

“Yep,” Cami replied, pursing her lips.

“Analise is a model,” Drew offered, seemingly oblivious to the tension between the two women.

“Yeah,” Analise replied smugly. “I just returned from Milan. That’s why I didn’t arrive until late last night.” She turned back towards Drew with a pouty look on her face that made Cami want to vomit. “I looked for you last night but I couldn’t find you anywhere.”

“Yeah…I…took a little walk.”

Drew didn’t even look over at Cami as he said this. It was almost like she didn’t exist. Cami was suddenly feeling like the third wheel. She sat for a few more minutes, trying to force herself to finish her breakfast. But the conversation between Drew and Analise remained insular. Their voices were hushed and they were turned in towards each other as he asked about Milan.

Eventually, Cami couldn’t stomach it anymore. She rose and took her dishes to the kitchen before heading out towards the beach. She just didn’t understand Drew.

When they were alone, he seemed like the sweetest, most genuine guy in the world. He’d gone back to retrieve their bottle from the beach as promised, even after she’d refused to have sex with him. And, speaking of sex, when she’d asked him to stop, he did—right away, with no questions asked.

But when he was around other people, he seemed like such an ass, bitching about the poor and drooling all over models. She really didn’t need that kind of hot and cold attention, she decided.

Cami was pulled from her thoughts by the ringing of her phone. She reached into her little bag and pulled out her cell, surprised to see that Ken was calling.

“Ken,” she acknowledged.

“Cami,” he said, his voice curt. “Sorry to bother you on your little vacation.”

He said the words with such a condescending tone that she considered hanging up on him. She’d already gotten enough condescension this weekend to last a lifetime. Cami was grateful that she didn’t hang up a second later, however, when Ken continued.

“Madison is sick and she wants to talk to you.”

Cami stopped in her tracks, heart racing.

“Sick? How sick?” she demanded. “What are her symptoms? I can be there in less than two hours.”

“There’s no need. It’s just a little fever. She’ll be fine. I wouldn’t have called at all except she is demanding to talk to you.”

Cami wasn’t convinced by Ken’s words and was already walking back towards the house, making plans to call a cab, when her daughter came on the line.

“Mommy!” the sweet little voice sang.

At three years old, Madison’s speech was not fully developed, but she was able to communicate well enough. Cami never had any trouble understanding her, at least.

“Hey, sweetheart. How are you feeling?”

“Daddy says fever.”

“How’s your tummy? Does your tummy hurt?”

“Hurts.” There were a few sniffles through the line, then, softly, “Miss you!”

“I miss you too, sweetie. Do you want me to come get you?”

“Yes,” Madison replied. “Come get me. Wanna go home.”

There was a sound as the phone was snatched from Madison’s hand, and she could hear her daughter whining as Ken spoke.

“You will not come and get her. She’s fine. We called the pediatrician and followed his directions. He said it’s just a stomach bug. The fever is already going down. This is my weekend, and you have no right to even offer.”

Cami bit her lip, almost ready to argue. But she didn’t want to press her luck right now—not with the custody battle about to begin. Ken must have been able to read her thoughts.

“Speaking of custody,” he began, “my lawyer still hasn’t heard from yours. You need to have your attorney call Gil by Monday, or we’ll begin the process without your representation present.”

“It’s the weekend, Ken,” Cami said angrily. “I’ll be sure to have someone contact you by Monday. Now put my daughter back on the phone. I want to say goodbye.”

“You better not offer to come pick her up again,” he warned before passing the phone to Madison.

“Mommy!” Madison shrieked happily once she was back on the phone. She really did sound better already, Cami had to admit. “You coming?”

“Nope, baby. I’m sorry. It’s your time with your daddy right now. And you’re feeling better.”

“No!” Madison shrieked angrily into the phone. “I wanna go home.”

There was another rustle, and once again Ken was on the phone.

“See what you started?” he demanded angrily. “Thanks for that.”

He then promptly hung up. Cami gritted her teeth, willing herself not to cry. Her head still hurting, she was confused over the hot-and-cold treatment by Drew, and now the custody battle was once again front and center in her mind. She took a few deep breaths, willing herself to calm down. She then flipped through her phone, praying that the number for her former lawyer’s office was still in her contacts.

She did still have the number, and, even though the lawyer himself wasn’t in the office on Saturdays, there was a polite secretary who took down her information and promised that he’d call her first thing on Monday morning.

Feeling slightly better, Cami made her way back towards the beach house, mentally preparing herself for the forthcoming custody battle.

“Cami…there you are.” She turned towards Drew, who was wandering along the deck. “I was just looking for you. You disappeared a little while ago.”

Cami was taken aback. He’d practically ignored her once
Analise
had shown up, but now he was acting like nothing had happened. His back-and-forth personality was making her head hurt. She didn’t have time for this.

“Yeah, well, you seemed a little indisposed,” Cami snapped before strolling back towards the house.

She didn’t turned around as she left Drew standing on the porch. She heard him call her name, but she was already on the stairs, heading back up to her room.

W
hen Cami made
it back to their room, Maggie had finally joined the land of the living—though only just barely. She was sitting up in bed, her black hair in complete disarray, a far-away look in her eyes.

“I think I might be dead,” she said as Cami entered the room and shut the door behind her.

“No dear, you’re just hung over,” Cami replied. “I doubt you’d be in this much pain if you were actually dead.”

“True,” Maggie agreed as she pulled herself up and out of bed. She passed by Cami on her way towards the bathroom and stopped. “Are you okay?” she asked.

Cami thought about telling Maggie everything—about admitting what had happened last night between her and Drew and detailing all of his confusing behavior. Maggie knew Drew, after all. Perhaps she could shed some light on the situation.

In the end, however, Cami decided to keep the information to herself. Maggie was a little too eager to see Cami dating again, and Cami wasn’t completely sure that Maggie wouldn’t push her towards Drew simply to get her some action. Unfortunately, Cami had absolutely no interest in action—not if it didn’t come along with commitment.

“I talked to Ken this morning,” she said instead, deciding on a partial truth. “Madison is sick.”

“Oh no,” Maggie gasped. “Do you need to leave? I can get you a car.”

“No,” Cami replied, distraught. “I want to be with her. But, when I mentioned it to Ken, he freaked out. He started talking about our custody agreement. He was bugging me again about my lawyer, so I went ahead and called the guy who helped with my divorce.”

“Doesn’t he suck?” Maggie asked.

“Yes,” Cami admitted. “But he’s all I can afford at the moment. And I don’t really have time right now to look for another lawyer anyway. Ken is set on meeting next week.”

Maggie opened her mouth like she wanted to argue, but quickly closed it again. Instead, she nodded.

“I’m really sorry, Cami,” she finally said after a moment, placing a comforting hand on her friend’s arm. “I’m sure everything will turn out fine. And I’ll still talk to my dad about it.”

“Sounds good,” Cami replied, though it was a blatant lie. She was becoming more and more worried about the impending custody battle as each day passed.

“Let’s spend the day lounging on the beach,” Maggie suggested suddenly. “I think it will cheer us both up. I’m going to go shower really quick, then I’ll be ready to go.”

While Maggie was in the shower, Cami dressed in her new swimsuit, a black one-piece with white polka dots, specifically designed for girls with curves. It hugged her hips and chest just right, while minimizing her waist. She pulled on a sheer swimsuit cover and a big hat and glasses to complete the ensemble.

“You, darling, look like a fifties movie star!” Maggie exclaimed as she exited the bathroom.

She was in a yellow two-piece with a high waist that also flattered her figure—purchased from the same website. Though Cami and Maggie had similar body types, Cami had never found the self-assurance for a two-piece bathing suit. She was a little envious of Maggie’s confidence.

“You too!” Cami replied.

“We can trade at some point,” Maggie offered. “We’re the same size.”

“I don’t know if I could pull that off,” Cami said skeptically.

“Of course, you can!” Maggie replied. “Next time we go swimming, we’re switching suits! Our housekeeper can wash them after today.”

“Deal,” Cami said, though she was still a little unsure. But she knew better than to argue with her best friend once Maggie had made her mind up about something.

Maggie grabbed a late breakfast, and the girls made their way to the beach. The temperature had risen quite a bit since Cami had been out on the beach earlier. The sand was hot against their feet as they carried beach chairs out near the ocean. They put their chairs in the surf, so that water lapped at their feet each time the tide came in.

Cami closed her eyes and angled her face up towards the sun. She let all of her problems from the last week melt away as she felt the warmth of the sun on her face and the cold tickle of the waves on her toes.

“This is perfect,” Cami sighed after a while. “You’re right. It’s exactly what we needed.”

“Do you know what would make this even more perfect?” Maggie asked.

“What?”

“Cocktails.”

“I thought you were never drinking again,” Cami replied. She couldn’t help but laugh.

“That was champagne. But I could go for a margarita. And I’m pretty sure there are some already premixed in the fridge.”

“Really?” Cami asked, though that didn’t really surprise her. It was as if the Emerson family had thought of everything for this party.

“Yeah. I can go grab us some.”

“No,” Cami said, rising from her chair. “I need to reapply my sunblock anyway—I’m a fair-skinned redhead after all. My body wasn’t made to tan, only burn.”

“Awesome,” Maggie responded, relaxing back down into her chair. “If you go into the kitchen, there will be someone there to help you get the cocktails in order.”

“Be right back,” Cami called as she headed towards the house.

The mansion was surprisingly empty. Maggie had mentioned that most of the men were on the golf course a few miles away, talking business. Cami couldn’t help but wonder where the women were, then. Wherever they where, she was thankful for the quiet atmosphere.

The house wasn’t as deserted as she thought it was going to be, however. As she stepped into the corridor, she heard a couple arguing in a small alcove near the dining room.

“You’re drunk,” a soft feminine voice declared. “And I saw you grab that woman’s ass. You can’t deny it. I saw it with my own eyes.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” a man snapped back at her.

“You have a problem, Robert.”

“Shut up, Elsie!” The man was shouting now. He was slurring his words, obviously drunk even though it was only early afternoon. “It’s not like you’re one to talk, with the way you’ve been stuffing your face all weekend.”

“How dare you,” the woman responded. “You know that’s not true.”

“You say that,” the man sneered, “but you’re gaining weight by the minute. I think you’re the one with the problem here, not me.”

“How can you say that?” sobbed the woman. “You’re drunk at one in the afternoon. You’re sexually harassing the staff—in front of your wife.”

Cami moved slightly further into a small corridor, so that she could see into the alcove while remaining hidden. The woman in question wasn’t fat at all, simply curvaceous like Cami and Maggie were. She had long dark hair and large doe eyes, which were filled with tears. She was beautiful, if one could ignore the look of hurt and humiliation on her face. The man in question, substantially larger and taller than her, was leaning over her menacingly.

Cami watched in horror as he reached out and grabbed hold of the woman’s arm. She struggled to get away but he wouldn’t let her go. Instead, he leaned forward even more, until his face was almost pressed against hers.

“You do not get to talk to me like that, woman,” he growled.

Cami was just about to step out of the corridor and intervene, when another masculine voice rang through the hall.

“Let go of her right this moment, Robert!” Drew demanded as he stalked into the room from the kitchen. He didn’t seem to notice Cami, standing just down the hall.

The drunken man—Robert—turned towards Drew, glowering, but didn’t let go of the woman.

“Don’t you dare tell me how to talk to my wife?”

“I can and will tell you how to treat my sister. You better let go of her right now and walk away, or you will find yourself extremely sorry.”

Drew wasn’t as tall as Robert, but he still seemed intimidating as he got right up in the drunken man’s face. The two men glared at each other for a moment before Robert pushed the woman away and stomped off.

“You better pack your bags and call a car, Robert. I don’t want to see you again this weekend,” Drew called after him. “Or I cannot be held responsible for my actions.”

“Calm down, D,” the woman said, reaching out to grab Drew’s arm.

“Are you okay, Els?” he asked, studying the woman with concern in his eyes.

“No,” she admitted, looking down.

“What are you doing Elsie? Why are you still with him?” Drew asked quietly.

“It’s not always like this,” Elsie replied.

“It should
never
be like this,” Drew said emphatically. “I thought you said he quit drinking.”

“He did,” she said, tears still streaming down her face. “But then he started again.”

“How long?” Drew demanded.

“About a month, this time,” Elsie admitted.

Drew growled angrily, but he pulled the woman into a tight hug.

“You have to leave him, Els,” he said against her hair.

“But what about Robby?” she asked, distraught.

“It’s better for him to grow up without a father than with one who’s an abusive alcoholic. Do you really want Robby to learn how to treat women from him?”

The woman closed her eyes and buried her face in Drew’s shoulder, but she shook her head.

“You’re a great big brother,” she said after a moment. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“Yes, you do,” Drew said with a smile. But his smile quickly turned into a frown. “And you deserve so much more than Robert.” Elsie didn’t respond, so Drew continued. “You’re an amazing woman, Elsie. You’re smart and funny and beautiful. You have so much going for you. You deserve someone who is going to love you the way you need to be loved—someone who is going to teach Robby to be the kind of person you want him to be.”

Elsie nodded against her brother’s chest.

Cami suddenly felt like she was eavesdropping on a very personal moment—which most definitely she was. She quietly slunk back the way she came, exiting the house then walking much louder back down the hall in an attempt to alert Drew and Elsie to her presence.

But the siblings either didn’t hear her or didn’t care whether or not they were seen, because they remained where they were, hugging each other in the alcove. Drew was patting Elsie’s hair as his sister sobbed.

Cami couldn’t help but feel a slight pang of envy as she regarded the siblings. Yes, Elsie was in a bad situation. Her husband reminded Cami of Ken in so many ways that it kind of terrified her. In fact, Cami was pretty sure that she and Ken had arguments almost identical to the one she’d just overheard.

But at least Elsie had her brother. Cami would have given anything to have someone like that in her corner while she was going through her divorce—someone to love her and stick up for her as unconditionally as Drew seemed to.

Cami’s mom had been there for her. And her mother really had meant well. But she had also been hypercritical and didn’t truly understand why Cami had chosen to leave Ken, despite the drinking and the partying and the possible cheating. When her mother looked at Cami’s ex-husband, all she saw were dollar signs. It was hard to convince someone who had worked herself to the bone for decades just to scrape by that money wasn’t the answer to every problem.

Shaking her head in an attempt to change her train of thought, Cami slipped past the siblings and moved towards the stairs. After grabbing the sunblock from the room she and Maggie were sharing, Cami headed towards the kitchen. She couldn’t help but notice that Elsie and Drew had disappeared.

“Can I help you?” asked a middle-aged woman in a black and white uniform.

Cami smiled at the woman. “Yeah, I think. Maggie told me that there was a ready-made stock of margaritas in here.”

“Yes, of course.” The woman gave her a kind smile. “How many do you need?”

“Oh, it’s just Maggie and I,” Cami replied as the woman reached into the fridge to pull out a large pitcher full of margarita mix.

“Are you out on the patio, dear?” the woman asked as she pulled out two delicate fishbowl glasses.

“No, actually. We’re on the beach.”

“Oh,” the woman said, frowning at the glasses. “Then these probably won’t do.”

Instead, she pulled two large, insulated cups out of the cabinet, filling them up with the icy mixture before affixing them with lids and straws. Cami’s eyes widened. The cups were huge, and Cami felt certain that she and Maggie were doomed to another batch of hangovers on the way home. She grabbed two large water bottles to make sure they stayed hydrated, then headed out the door.

In the main dining room, Cami came face to face with Drew. She remembered how she had left things between them that morning and opened her mouth to speak, but was quickly interrupted.

“Come on, Drew,” Grant called as he turned and headed into his office. Drew offered her a small smile before following behind Grant.

Cami walked back to the beach while replaying every interaction she’d had with Drew in the last twenty-four hours—as well as the one she’d witnessed between him and his sister. The man was so confusing.

“Took you long enough,” Maggie bitched as Cami handed her a cup and a bottle of water.

“Quit complaining!” Cami demanded with a smile.

Once again, Cami considered discussing Drew with Maggie. She really was mystified by his actions. At some moments, he seemed so sweet and genuine. At others, he came off as completely snobby and self-involved. Cami would chalk his constantly changing demeanor up to his trying to get into her pants—only he’d been so protective and supportive of his sister. He really did seem like a truly nice guy—except when he wasn’t, that is.

Cami spent the remainder of her afternoon sipping her margarita in the sun while contemplating the enigma that was Drew Sloane. By the time the girls made their way back towards the house, Cami was pretty sure that she
did
like Drew. After all, she’d witnessed him being open and kind more times than she’d seen him be snobby and rude.

That evening, she would give him another chance, she decided. Perhaps they could take another walk, get to know each other a little bit better. She even wondered whether or not he had been assigned his own room, though Cami kept telling herself that it was too early to think about sex.

Only, Cami couldn’t stop thinking about sex—sex with Drew. The memories of the previous night, though covered with the shiny haze of inebriation, were nothing short of amazing. It had been years since a man had touched her, and Drew seemed to know exactly how to push her buttons. She’d had a better orgasm on his fingers than Ken had given her…perhaps ever. Maybe, just maybe, Cami thought, if they really connected tonight, she’d be willing to finish what they started the night before.