The Stubborn Suitor, Book 3 (The Stubborn Suitor #3)(6)

Catching herself, Cami shook her head, trying to rid her mind of such unrealistic and painful fantasies. She knew that she couldn’t afford to think about things like that. When Drew had promised that things were going to be different, she had really wanted to believe him. But Cami just didn’t know if she did—or could.

In all honesty, she didn’t know if she’d ever be able to fully trust him. Even if they did work things out, Cami was pretty sure that there would always be a part of her that was waiting for the other shoe to drop—waiting for Drew to lose interest or disappear again.

And with Madison involved, things became even more complicated. Madison obviously adored Drew, and he appeared to feel the same way about her. But what if he didn’t, really—not enough to stick around, at least. What would she tell her daughter then?

It was best to shut this down before it even had a chance to go downhill, Cami concluded—before Madison even had a chance to get hurt. Cami was already going to be hurt in the equation. She knew that fact undeniably. Just seeing Drew with her daughter had sent Cami over the edge. If she hadn’t been attached before, she was now. But she had to think about what was best for her daughter.

So, like a coward, she hid out in her daughter’s room until she was sure he was gone. She had heard the door open and close, then waited five more minutes just to be sure before heading out into the living room.

To her surprise—and a mixture of horror and relief—Drew was still there. He was relaxed on the sofa, typing something out on his phone. When he noticed she was there, he looked up and smiled at her. Cami looked away, too caught up in conflicting emotions to deal with that smile at the moment. Then she noticed the empty hallway and frowned.

“Where’s the car seat?” she asked.

“I left it in the BMW,” he replied.

“Oh…was it too hard to figure out? I guess I’m just used to dealing with it. Here…I’ll go get it out. Sorry I made you wait.”

“No,” Drew said, rising and walking towards her. He grabbed her hand and placed something in it. It took Cami a moment to realize that it was a pair of keys. “I’m leaving the car with you for now, so that you’ll have something to drive tomorrow. You have to get to work, after all.”

“I can’t let you do that,” she said sternly. She wasn’t going to let him leave his car with her.

“It’s already done,” he replied with confidence. “And I’ve arranged for a tow truck tomorrow morning before you head off to work. They’ll pick up your car and take it to the garage I always use. These guys are top notch. I’ll make sure you get the best maintenance.”

“No,” Cami replied, though she was now less sure of herself. She was also trying not to delight in the fact that he obviously knew her work schedule. “That’s too much. Really. I’m sure I can have somebody come look at it tomorrow.”

“Like I said, it’s already been done. I have a car on the way to pick me up already. It’s probably almost here.”

“Drew,” Cami replied, her voice barely more than a whisper. “I can’t let you do this. I can’t do this. Not with Madison. It’s not—”

Drew squeezed her fingers gently, and Cami was suddenly all too aware that he was clutching her hand in both of his.

“I know you don’t have any reason to trust me. Not yet. But I’m going to make it up to you. I’m committed to this—committed to you—I swear. And I’ll prove it. Like I said before, I’ve been going through some stuff. But it’s all over now. And I’ll explain everything to you. Tomorrow night. I’m going to come back over and cook you and Madison dinner. And I’ll tell you everything. Everything you want to know. And I’ll start making this right.”

Drew’s deep voice rang with sincerity, and his whiskey-colored eyes were full of passion and what almost looked like love. Cami didn’t want to believe that that was even a possibility, but she could feel her resolve slipping all the same. Drew must have noticed her hesitation, as his hands left her own and he slowly brought them up to cup her cheeks. His softly stroked her face with his thumbs, looking at her with an even more loving expression than he had only seconds before.

“Trust me. Please.” he whispered before leaning forward to press his lips to hers.

The kiss was soft at first, hesitant and gentle. But his lips were so warm and enticing against hers that Cami leaned into them against her own will, deepening the kiss. Drew took that as all the consent he needed, moaning as his lips pressed more firmly against hers and his tongue licked its way into her mouth. Cami moaned as well, savoring the taste and feel of him.

Drew pressed into her, pushing her back against the wall beside the door. She could feel his body responding, hardening inside his pants. Cami herself was now growing hot and hungry as the kiss intensified. She was reminded of their last time together—the last few times, to be exact—and she felt her body pulse with need at the memories.

Just when Cami expected things to escalate even more, Drew pulled back with a sigh.

“My ride is here,” he whispered against her lips before leaning in to kiss her one last time. “Goodnight, Cami. See you tomorrow.”

Cami didn’t even reply. She just nodded and slumped against the door once he’d shut it behind himself. She brought her fingers to her lips, touching the place where she could still feel the ghost of his mouth and the taste of his tongue against hers.