“I know.” He sounds diverse somehow from just a moment ago, relieved almost.

“How do you know?” Boggled up inside at how this man seems to know my every move.

“I told you. I’ve kept tabs on you, Luca.” He suddenly turns to face me. His eyes are full of so many emotions. Remorse. Hurt. Confusion. The one thing that’s not there is anger. Granted, he shouldn’t be angry with me. Humiliated yes. Angry No. What happened before he walked back into my life is none of his or anyone’s business.

“I don’t know what to say.” My heart is thrumming so hard it physically hurts as I take a step toward him.

“Say anything you want. Just spare me the details, please. It’s all I ask.”

I nod my head. “Of course.” I only have one question to ask him and then I would love for nothing more than to put that sordid life behind me and move forward with Camden. To move past the life that I thought I couldn’t live without before he came back. That is assuming he still wants me.

“Why didn’t you stop me if you knew?” My voice barely audible for my own ears.

“I didn’t know it was you at first, not until Heath said your name. I was furious at him. He of course, didn’t know the real reason why. He thought it was because I had been investigating your firm. The whole, do not mix pleasure with business, before it even got started.”

Guilt and shame rush through me. All of the pain I caused this man. I cannot lay emphasis on this. Not today, maybe not ever. I don’t owe him an apology, but I will still give him one and mean every word of it. I never again want to be the cause of any pain to him. All I want from this moment forward is to make him happy, to be the woman he wants, even if I don’t think I am her.

“I’m sorry,” I express truthfully.

“I’m sorry, too. I would have come for you and stopped it if I hadn’t been across the country. That’s why I called and made an appointment with your office right away. I’m also sorry you were so uncomfortable when Heath showed up. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you right away that I knew. I just… I wanted to know if you truly wanted me. If we could make this work between the two of us.”

He pauses and I take full advantage of it. I will say what he cannot. “You wanted to know if you could trust me. You wanted me to tell you first.”

“Yes,” he replies without hesitation. For the first time since I heard the word trust, I finally knew what the meaning behind it meant. To trust someone with your heart.

And I trust Camden Steel.

***

“Where in the hell is Heath?” Camden throws his phone down on the bed, where I’m resting up against the headboard. I just got done calling Mitch, letting him know the office is closed while the police investigate. In attempt to lighten the situation, Mitch jokes about the fact we cannot go to the office, which gives him days to spend fucking his wife. I swear, the man has no filter.

“He’s still not answering.” And eerie silence falls between us. Do I finally tell him about my suspicions of Heath? Throw everything out there all at once. Get it done and over with so we can move on with our personal life together.

“I called his restaurant and they haven’t heard from him since he left to come here days ago.”

“What?” I ask in shock, sitting up straight in bed.

“I’m worried. This isn’t like him. I mean what the hell? Where could he be?”

Hiding out, destroying my life is what I think and want to say. I don’t though. I tread carefully with my next choice of words.

“Come here.” I pat the spot next to me on the bed. He graciously accepts, plopping down with a weary thud. “Look, obviously you know Heath better than I do. Have you given any thought to the fact it could be Heath who’s behind all of this?” Seriousness cast a shadow over his gaze. I swallow hard, my own words stifling in the air, casting their own gloomy shadow.

“I have, but I’ve also suspected everyone else in your life and I will continue to do so until they find out who it is. But Heath? He has no reason to do this, Luca. What could he possibly gain by trying to demolish you? To taint your reputation.” His voice low and raw.

“I don’t know what anyone has to gain from this, Camden. What I do know is if someone has their own reasoning for doing this, I have no clue as to why. My co-workers are my family, they would never do anything like this. And I don’t let anyone else in.” I close my eyes to feel his presence and warmth before turning back to face him. His features are so torn, yet he’s still the most handsome man I’ve ever set my eyes on. He’s mine and I want him to stay that way. I want him to want to stay that way.

“Do the police know about your extra-curricular activities?”

I look away from him at the question, embarrassment flooding my face. Shame courses its way through the thickness of my blood in my veins for some of the things I have done. I shouldn’t feel this way; I enjoyed every second of it, even my time spent with Heath, yet here I sit ashamed of the things I’ve done. The only thing about me I never want my parents to find out about is this. And if this was to become public, they surely find out. I would never be able to forgive myself if I hurt them. They wouldn’t understand the lifestyle choices I’ve made in my past.

“No,” I say softly. They don’t even know your business partner threatened me or touched me, either. Too many questions will arise that I would much rather not answer. I would be financially ruined. And not only me, but those I care about would go down for my escorting.

“You need to tell them, sweetheart. It could be one of those men. This is something the police need to know.” His words play on repeat in my mind. I can’t tell them. I won’t.

“Those men, none of them know my real name, where I’m from, or anything else. Nothing. That’s a life that doesn’t exist to anyone outside of Carl and myself. The only way you found out was by following me that day after you recognized me on the plane.” I inhale deeply, trying to find my baring.

“I’m glad I did.” He brushes the wayward hair out of my face.

“Everything is buried so deep. The contracts, all of it. And Carl would die before he would leak any information to anyone. I can gamble my own life on that.”

I hear him sigh next to me. Unable to look at him yet, I stare out the window to the lake. The dark night seeps its way into my dark soul. “If you trust him then I do too, Luca.”

“I do.” A cold chill cradles me tightly as exhaustion overtakes me. I need to call Leo and Annie and let them know about the office. The urge to order a bottle of champagne and soak in the giant tub in this grand suite to wash away the dirty events from today outweighs the desire to make the call.

“Well, I trust Heath just as you do your friends and business partners.” Camden lifts my chin, turning and embracing me in his stare.

“Then I will, too.” If I expect him to trust those I trust, I need to offer the same to him, even though Heath doesn’t deserve my trust. The instant we come to an agreement, there is a huge weight lifted between the two of us.

“Let me order up some dinner,” he suggests

“Something light for me please. I’m not really hungry. I would much rather drink.” Sarcasm is good for the soul and all that, so I lace my words with it.

“Champagne or wine?” he asks, leaving me to decide.

“Champagne, please.”

“Done,” he says, as he places a light kiss to my lips.  Swinging his legs around the bed, he extricates his glorious body from beside me. I all but whimper at the loss of his warmth. My eyes stay glued to his tight ass and I jitter all over the place when he twists around, his arms flexing, his jaw ticking. His eyes are producing a sex filled stare that could make me come on the damn spot.

“Since I can’t fuck that tight ass up against your apartment window, be prepared for me to take you here, Luca. I’m claiming your ass, I’m claiming your mouth, and I’m claiming your pussy.” He winks at me before heading away to order dinner.