The Stubborn Suitor, Book 1 (The Stubborn Suitor #1)(10)

“And,” Grant continued, ushering her towards a man she’d never met before. “This is Drew Sloane. He’s another close friend of mine. Drew, this is Maggie’s best friend, Cami.”

Cami looked up into the face of the most breathtakingly attractive man she’d probably ever seen. He had big amber eyes and dark, messy hair. When he smiled at her, dimples appeared in either cheek, and his eyes crinkled in the most adorable way.

“Nice to meet you, Cami,” he said in a deep, buttery voice, putting his hand out to shake hers. His grip was warm and firm around her own, leaving her fingers tingling even after he’d pulled away. It was as if he sent tiny electric shocks up her hand and arm, and then down her spine.

“Nice to meet you, too,” she said after a minute, trying to will herself to stay calm and not become flustered.

“Cami works with me at the hospital,” Maggie said, coming up behind her. Her best friend had obviously noticed that she was nervous, and Cami appreciated the support. “Drew went to business school with Grant. He started his own company that’s now worth two-and-a-half billion dollars.”

Cami felt her eyes grow wide. It was overwhelming enough to be talking to such an attractive man—finding out that he was a billionaire just made it all the more difficult. She was so out of her league.

Drew seemed to notice her discomfort, as he stepped close to her and placed a hand on the bare spot on her back. Her skin was on fire beneath his touch, but she tried not to show any emotion.

“Don’t listen to her,” he whispered into her ear. “She exaggerates.”

Cami couldn’t help but smile. “So you’re not a ridiculously wealthy businessman?” She arched her eyebrow.

“I’ve had some success, but nothing too out of the ordinary. What about you? You’re a nurse?”

“Yeah, I work with Maggie in the emergency room at Sacred Heart General.”

“That’s so much more exciting than business,” he replied, his face still close enough to her ear for his voice to be heard over the crowd, though he wasn’t speaking loudly.

“Not as lucrative though, I’m guessing,” Cami responded.

“You save lives. That’s so much more meaningful. You can’t put a price tag on that.”

Cami couldn’t help but smile at that. She looked into his deep, whiskey-colored eyes. She could get lost in those eyes. It was as if the air around them had somehow thickened, even though they were outside. The word she was looking for in her head was chemistry. They talked about it in romance novels all the time, Cami thought, and here it was, completely palpable between her and this gorgeous stranger.

He smiled back and held her gaze for a moment until Cami noticed that they were alone. When had they left the group and moved to the side of the deck, facing the ocean? Cami hadn’t even noticed that familiar faces no longer surrounded her. And, at the moment, she really didn’t care.

The moment was shattered, however, when an older couple approached them.

“Drew,” the man said, putting out a hand.

Drew turned towards them in greeting. The woman, dressed impeccably in a tailored Chanel pantsuit, matching pearls included, looked judgmentally upon Cami.

“I’m gonna go refresh my drink,” Cami told Drew. “Do you need anything?”

“I’m fine, thanks,” Drew replied, offering her a warm smile before she turned to go.

Cami made her way through the crowd towards the bar, where she ordered another glass of champagne. She took a few sips before heading back in Drew’s direction, wanting to give him a moment to ditch the snotty older couple. She could feel a burst of excitement wash through her as she watched the gorgeous man. She hadn’t met anyone this promising since her divorce. Drew was excruciatingly hot, but also sweet and attentive. Cami could barely believe her luck as she reclaimed her spot by his side.


“Now all we need to do is deal with the tax problem,” the older man was saying to Drew.

“I’m just so sick of the poor always trying to make a claim on our hard-earned money,” his wife complained.

Cami felt a surge of anger at the woman’s statement. She just wanted him to tell these people off so that Drew and her could get back to their conversation. She looked at him imploringly, but he was just smiling sweetly at the horrible couple, seemingly agreeing with them.

“If they want more money, they just need to get out there and earn it,” the older man said. “Just like you did, right, son?”

“Yep,” Drew said, nodding his head in agreement.

Cami couldn’t believe it. The excitement she’d been feeling only minutes before was suddenly turning to nausea. How had she thought this guy was anything special? He was just another wealthy, entitled ass.

Turning away from Drew without another glance, she scanned the room, looking around for her friends. She saw Maggie’s bright purple dress across the deck, still standing with her brother and his friends. Cami quickly made her way over to them.

“There you are,” Maggie said as she approached. She then looked over Cami’s shoulder. “Where’s Drew?”

“I have no idea,” Cami lied.

Something in her voice must have betrayed her frustration, because Maggie raised her eyebrow questioningly. Thankfully, before she could interrogate Cami on the subject, Grant’s friend Declan stepped right up beside her and Maggie.