Overnight Cinderella

“You’re not convent material, either, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to assume you’re an atheist.”

She bit her lower lip, and he wanted to lean over and kiss her. To take her in his arms and protect her from the cruel world, but he wasn’t a good protector of innocence. And he knew that better than anyone. For the first time since Rebecca’s death he regretted that.

“Sorry. I’m just not myself today.”

“No problem.” He had more than his fair share of hot buttons so he couldn’t fault her. Now he knew more about her than he’d ever thought to. This woman with the naughty underwear was unsure of herself. This woman who had fought him to the wall over control of a million-dollar event didn’t trust herself on a basic man–woman level.

This woman with the average surface intrigued him in ways Rebecca never had because Rebecca had been a feminine version of himself. They’d shared everything from background to likes and dislikes. Rebecca had been a safe person to involve himself with because she’d understood about protective barriers and holding back emotion. She’d even been a cop, like him. They’d met at the police academy.

Get up, he told himself. Leave the table before this developing relationship goes any further. Sure, right now all they had was a business partnership, but he wanted more. He was nothing more than a scarred ex-cop who’d grown up in an orphanage and never been adopted because he’d never talked until he was seven. According to Janie O’Malley, his early development counselor, his parents’ death caused his silence. He knew nothing about building someone else’s self-image. He’d developed into the man he was through blood and sweat. No tears, never tears, because tears required emotion he didn’t have.

Being involved with Cami would require emotion. He sensed the tenderness she evoked when he’d watched her make her presentation was only the tip of the iceberg. Just being in the same room with her made him react—like a teenager with his first glimpse of a girlie magazine. He hadn’t spent so much time acutely aroused since he’d discovered why boys and girls were different.

He closed his to-go container and stood. “See you at three.”

He walked away without looking back. How was he going to work with the woman who’d made him remember why he’d stopped caring? She was intelligent and gutsy and should think of herself as attractive. She reminded him of himself in those early days, and he didn’t want anyone to ever feel that unloved.

Cami dreaded the Pryce Enterprises picnic because mingling wasn’t her thing. She shone behind the scenes, but onstage she froze. Stone Mountain was lovely and as she parked her car under the shade of an oak tree, she watched Pryce employees and their families head toward the picnic area set up for the company.

The mid-June sun warmed the back of her neck and the scent of magnolias filled the air. The gravel under her sandals crunched as she neared the registration tables.

The one really bad thing about living across the country from your family was attending events such as this one by yourself. She checked in and received her name tag. Maybe she should go back home.

“Cami?”

Duke. The scent of his aftershave washed over her like a warm breeze on a cold winter day. He made her uncomfortable. Not in the slimy way Jess in Sales did. In a way that was entirely too personal, and involved emotions she shouldn’t be having for him. Duke was way out of her league in the man–woman dating field.

“Hi,” she said, trying to sound normal. She wished she’d worn something trendy that would make her look glamorous but her simple cotton sundress was more her style.

Duke managed to look both sophisticated and comfortable in his designer shorts and polo shirt. She squinted up at him and found her own image staring back at her from the mirrored lenses of his sunglasses. She reached into her pocket and removed her own glasses. They were flaky and she knew it, but part of her loved the rhinestone star-shaped sunglasses.

“Checking up on security?” she asked him.

“No. Just here to enjoy the fun.”

Funny, he sounded the way she felt. As if there was more torture than enjoyment in this event.

Somehow—Cami wasn’t really sure how—Duke walked with her through the food line. Long rows of red-checked, cloth-covered tables and uncomfortable chairs were set under a large tent. Families filled most of the seats, but Cami followed Duke to a section at the back that was relatively quiet.

Cami realized how alone she was as she watched her co-workers interact with their families. She might stay that way if she didn’t take some action.

An awkward silence fell between them as they both ate their chicken. Cami searched for something to say but the small talk that always came so easy with strangers wasn’t easy with Duke.

“I love picnics. When I was growing up my family would go to Golden Gate Park at least once a month to fly kites and eat too much.”

Duke took a bite of his ribs. Cami watched him eat. He glanced up and caught her staring.

“Do you have a large family?” she blurted.

He swallowed. “No, do you?”

“I guess, aside from my parents and an older sister, I have about fifteen aunts and uncles and more cousins than I can count. Most of the time there’s a small crowd of us at a gathering.”

“You’re from California?”

“Yes.”

“Why’d you move to Atlanta?”

“The city appealed to me. You know this is Margaret Mitchell land. And I wanted to establish myself away from my family.”

“Is your family protective of you?”

“A little bit.”

“Is that why you’re not torrid love affair material?”

Oh, God. He remembered what she’d said the other day at lunch.

“Sorry I overreacted.” But she hated having a good-looking man catch her reading a romance novel. He would guess she spent every Friday and Saturday night at home living one lush adventure after another from the solitary safety of her front porch. He’d know she’d never have one-tenth of the excitement, passion and drama as the characters in the books, she thought. Duke made her wish she was different.

“No problem.” He removed his sunglasses, placing them on the checkered tablecloth. “I really want to know why there isn’t a man in your life.”

The sun burnt the back of her neck and an ant crawled over her big toe. She stared at the ant instead of answering Duke.

“Cami?”

She shrugged. “I work all the time. And well…”

“What?” His voice was low and husky and he leaned closer to her. Encouraging her to speak the truth to him. And the truth was something she always prided herself on.

All her life she’d lived in the shadow of her gorgeous, smart sister. Moving to the East Coast from San Francisco four years ago had allowed her to escape, but that distance had left her feeling empty. She’d filled her life with books and things. She’d also fallen on old practiced habits, still hiding in the shadows of her sister though Gabriella was far away.

It had taken a long time for her to realize that she actually liked being in the background and making things happen. Though she wanted to be equal to her sister, in her mind she’d always be that shy awkward girl despite her success in a large corporation. She longed for confidence and poise but had no idea how to achieve them.

“Men like women with flash and pizzazz.”

Duke stared at her and Cami regretted her words. His eyes narrowed and he traced one blunt finger down the side of her cheek. She shivered as desire coursed through her, pooling at the center of her body.

“I’ve never met anyone with more pizzazz than you.”

She smiled. It was the nicest thing a man had ever said to her. But the look in his eyes as they swept down her body set fire to her veins. Her nipples hardened against the lace of her bra, and she shifted in her seat. She wondered if he felt it, too. There was a tension in the air that made her want to lean closer to him, tilt her head back and tempt him into kissing her.

“That wasn’t pizzazz you saw.”

“Really, what was it?”

“My legs,” she said.