Overnight Cinderella

She was slowly infiltrating his office after only one visit. She’d looked around and declared the place too sterile. Then she’d shown up at lunch with a box of pizza, Godiva chocolates and a framed motivational poster on goals to hang on his wall.

He’d decided to bring in some of the stuff he’d collected in Japan just to stop her. He didn’t know if he could handle one of those lace things she had on her credenza in his office.

He knew he could just refuse her gifts, but he didn’t want to hurt her feelings. Though he didn’t question it too closely because he knew he wouldn’t like the answer, her caring touched him in a way he hadn’t accepted from anyone in a long, long time.

She simply didn’t ask permission to clutter up his life. Barging right into his office, she then expected him to appreciate it. It intrigued him, wondering what she’d do next.

He let the valet park the car and followed her into the hotel. It was plush and elegant. First-class all the way, and for a moment he felt like the unkempt orphan he’d been for his formative years. The boy who’d have been shown the door before he’d even crossed the lobby. The boy who’d have given his eyeteeth to fit in.

He wasn’t that boy anymore. He was wealthy enough to live in a suite here if he desired. He was prominent enough to garner special attention from the maître d’, and his confidence allowed him to mingle with the born-with-a-golden-spoon crowd.

Cami grabbed his arm before they entered the reception. “Okay, want to hear my plan?”

Her touch went through him like wildfire across dry land. How could this plain woman keep him in a constant state of semi-arousal? Except she wasn’t plain. There was an animated charm to her pixie-like features and slim body. He wanted to see her out of the baggy suits she wore at the office and into nothing but those dark hose and garter belt he’d glimpsed at their first private meeting.

“What plan? You’re here to test the food and service. I’m here to check on security.”

“I know, but I thought you could kind of help me out.”

He liked that she asked for help. Not many people in her position would ask someone of his rank for help. The political games people played in the office wore on him and partnering with Cami was refreshing.

“Sure. It won’t take me long to check out the security setup.”

“Great. One of us can concentrate on the food, what was asked for and delivered by the caterer. The other can concentrate on the service.”

“Okay. You take the food. I can’t see you as being a troublesome guest. Besides, they invited you so you’ll receive red-carpet treatment.”

She smiled at him, and again he felt like a kid playing in a schoolyard trying to impress a girl. It was exhilarating and reminded him that his youth hadn’t always been bleak.

Dammit. She looked a bit like the hotel made him feel, like something he’d always wanted and couldn’t have. Almost as if she were too good for the man he really was. It was more than mere lust or attraction and went deeper. It was the aura of sweet innocence about her.

“I’ll expect a full report on my desk first thing tomorrow,” she said with a sly grin.

He wanted to smile back at her. Wanted to flirt in a way he never had before but wouldn’t. “Yes, boss.”

“Hmm. I like the sound of that.”

“I’ll bet you do.”

He wanted to smile, actually had to bite the inside of his cheek. When she grinned at him, he knew she was aware of the reaction she’d had on him. This lady was a firecracker beneath her prim exterior. As she winked at him and walked away, he vowed to break through to the woman underneath.

Duke worked the fringes of the crowd. While he asked questions about security and service, his mind wasn’t on the job. He watched Cami and discovered the rest of the world didn’t see the spunk and grit she showed him. She was quiet and demure. Despite her crazily patterned suit, she was a lady to the core.

Men treated her like a sister and women felt at ease with her because she was no threat to them. If only they could see her legs, he thought. Forty-five minutes a day in the gym couldn’t compete with a gift from nature.

Arousal shot through him, pooling at his center. He shifted his legs and gave thanks he was wearing a suit and not jeans. The room was filled with women more attractive and more available, and he wondered if he’d lost his ever-loving mind. Because he had eyes for only one woman.

And though he ached to have Cami in his bed, he didn’t want her in his life. She was a sweet lady. He should take what he needed from her and move on, but those actions were callous. Only a bastard behaved that way and he hated treating anyone the way he’d been treated all his life.

Dammit, why wasn’t she the average woman she tried to be? Why wasn’t her skin covered in acne instead of translucent and soft? Why couldn’t she stutter when she spoke and be a slow thinker instead of a woman with rare wit and keen intelligence? Even those horn-rims were beginning to grow on him.

Why don’t you get to work?

He caused a fuss over the lack of vegetarian items on the buffet and was soothed by the head chef then directed to another table across the room. He asked for imported beer and was told the company had only purchased kegs of domestic. They offered to send someone to the bar to get him what he wanted. All in all, he was pleased with Cami’s choice of caterer. They were eager and efficient.

When she joined him at the end of the evening, she looked tired, well-fed, and like a woman who needed a kiss. But he wasn’t the man to give her one. The evening had proved without a doubt that he lusted after Cami Jones. He reminded himself the things he wanted most in life he destroyed.

Life had shown him one pattern time and again. The pattern of betrayal and loss. At thirty-three he was old enough to know he didn’t want to repeat that cycle again.

Three

Duke thought the presentation to the board went well even though he’d been thinking about his partner. He couldn’t help it. If ever a lady needed his protection it was Cami Jones. She reacted to everything and everyone with the same nervous leg tapping that made her seem as though she’d burst into a thousand pieces if something went wrong. He’d tried to tease her, calling her Thumper and she’d relaxed. But he wondered if it would be enough. They still had four months of working together, and he hoped she’d get stronger.

And so many things could go wrong in the boardroom and in life. The board of directors was a shrewd group of men and women who’d each clawed their way to the top. One little temporary event coordinator was easy pickings as far as they were concerned. But they wouldn’t mess with him.

He wanted to shelter Cami and protect her, but the one thing he needed to protect this fragile little lady from was himself. As soon as Max adjourned the meeting, Cami stood and beat a hasty retreat. Duke took his time gathering his papers and then noticed Cami’s purse lying on her chair.

Damn, she wouldn’t be able to leave without her purse. He’d send one of his secretaries down with it. He didn’t have to see her again today.

She was waiting for the elevator when he got there.

“I thought you’d be back in your office by now,” he said. Dammit, did he sound huffy?

“Max asked me to schedule an appointment with his secretary for next week.”

He shrugged and handed her purse to her. “You left this behind.”

She reached for her bag and their hands brushed. She pulled back, the purse dropped to the floor. Cami bent to gather the spilled contents. Duke grabbed a handful of items.

“Thank you,” she said as the elevator doors opened.

“Still reading the same book?”

She blushed and nodded.

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