That Night in Texas

And dammit, every aspect of him was fascinating. He was rough and tough and acerbic and controlling, but underneath it all he was also kind and considerate and generous. She didn’t know what to make of him. On her best day—and today was very far from being that—she’d find him challenging. He was still in top physical shape, but he felt harder, stronger, more capable than three years ago, more solid, like his feet were firmly anchored to the earth.

So were hers, Vivi admitted. They’d both come a long way in three years. They’d both worked their tails off, and while she wasn’t as financially fluid as Cam—few people were—she was proud of how far she’d come.

She was also proud of her child’s dad for what he’d accomplished. If only he still wasn’t so damn sexy, if only he still didn’t affect her. One look from him and she melted, envisioning him undressing her, those big hands skimming her body, his talented fingers finding her secret, long-neglected places, his mouth devouring hers. She still wanted him.

She really didn’t want to want him.

Cam’s gentle touch, his fingers brushing her hand, pulled her back to the present, and she realized that she’d been staring at him. Vivi felt her cheeks heat. “Are you okay?” Cam asked, his rough voice full of concern. How many times had he asked her that today? Far too many.

She had a damn good excuse for her inattention and she’d use it. After all it wasn’t every day that one could claim to have cheated death. “It’s been a long, tough day.”

“That’s an understatement.”

And as much as she wanted to fall face-first into a bed, she had a child to look after, to feed and bathe, who needed love and attention. And she could do that someplace else. She couldn’t stay here with Cam. It was all too much. “Can you take me to a hotel, Cam?”

Cam turned in his seat, rested his wrist on the steering wheel and sighed. “If I make you feel that uncomfortable, I’ll drive you two blocks over and book you into one of the guest suites of the country club. At my cost.”

“I can pay—” Then Vivi realized that she couldn’t actually pay for a damn thing. Her purse containing her identification and her bank cards was long gone.

“Look, why not just stay with me? I have guest bedrooms. My housekeeper will be in in the morning and since she routinely moonlights as a nanny to some of the neighborhood kids, she’ll be more than happy to help me keep an eye on Clem if you want to sleep in or just take a break.” Cam turned his eyes from her face to look at his enormous house. “You’ll be safe here, and Clem will be safe here. Isn’t that the most important thing right now?”

He used the one argument she didn’t have a rebuttal for. Clem’s safety would always be her top priority. Vivi ran her fingers across her forehead. She wanted to tell him she was scared, that she felt uncomfortable being here with him. She was terrified he would be too good to them, that she would find herself falling under his spell, swept away by the fantasy of playing a happy family with the wealthy, sexy father of her child. Cam was magnetic and her desire for him hadn’t faded; she could easily imagine herself in this house, in his bed.

But Cam was a take-no-prisoners, my-way-or-the-highway type of guy, and she would never, ever allow him that amount of control over her or Clem. It was her life, and Clem was her daughter; she would sink or swim by her choices.

“I’m not asking you to marry me or to move in, Vivianne,” Cam said, sounding impatient. “It’ll just be for a few days, until you can return to your house.”

Vivi narrowed her eyes at him. “So you aren’t intending to seduce me, to find a place in my—Clem’s life?”

Cam flashed her a quick, rakish smile. “Of course, I am. Our chemistry is off the charts. And Clem is my daughter, so of course, I want to get to know her. But that doesn’t necessarily translate into marriage and moving in. Besides, I’m not cut out for family life in suburbia.”

Vivi looked from him to his big house with its elegant facade, sparkling windows and beautifully landscaped gardens. Raising both eyebrows, she said, “Then why the hell do you own this house in the trendiest suburb in Houston?”