“Roger.” Cameron nodded to the doorman.
“Mr. Richmond,” the doorman said back.
Wow, he knew his doorman by name. I was impressed.
Cameron led me to the elevator. I was nearly jumping out of my skin, I was so nervous. I was going back to Cameron Richmond’s apartment. It was like some kind of dirty fantasy.
Was I sure this was a good idea? I no longer cared. My arm brushed against his as we stood in the elevator and pure electricity jolted through me.
Cameron led me into his apartment and I was even more impressed than I expected to be. Sure, it was a bachelor pad done up in masculine colors with a glowing wood floor that didn’t have a single rug on it, but it was also clean. I’d been expecting dirty clothes flung about and empty pizza boxes left on the table. There was none of that here. The place was immaculate.
I wandered into the apartment and noticed that the leather couches didn’t have a single throw pillow on them. Okay, it was obvious that no woman lived here, but it was still a long way from the Dallas kid who prized his Ford truck. There was nothing of the obnoxious frat boy in this apartment.
Cameron really was all grown up. I’d been so busy hating him I’d forgotten to notice. I was mad at myself for having held that grudge for so long. I wasn’t the same person I’d been back in college. Why had I thought Cameron would be?
I wandered to the floor to ceiling windows that made up one wall of the apartment.
“This view is gorgeous,” I said. I could see the city laid out glittering in front of me. Cars inched by so far below they looked like toys I could reach down and pick up with one hand.
“It’s the reason I picked this apartment,” Cameron said. He handed me a glass of red wine.
I took a sip. Delicious. I decided to drink this one much slower than the ones at the restaurant.
“You’ve changed,” I said. “I never pictured you living in a place like this.”
Cameron nodded. “I’m not the boy I used to be. I want the chance to show you how much I’ve changed.”
I looked up into his dark eyes and my heart beat so hard I was sure he could hear it.
“I’d like that,” I whispered. “I want to know this new Cameron better. Tell me what you’ve been doing these last ten years.”
He took my hand and led me to the sofa. I sank into the plush seat. He sat facing me with our knees touching. The contact was a warm reminder of my attraction to him.
“It’s been what you’d expect. College, law school, working crazy hours at a big New York firm until I could get enough clients to make partner, then working even more hours.” He smiled and squeezed my hand. “I’m the youngest partner the firm has ever had. I like to think that means I’m good at my job.”
“You are good,” I said. He had earned my respect over that negotiating table. He didn’t care about playing games and bullshit. We were very much alike in that respect.
“What about you?” he asked. “How have your ten years been?”
I paused. He had to know some of this. I wasn’t oblivious to the fact that my family had been filling him in on my life, even though I had told them not to.
I wanted to tell him my version of the story. The world as seen through Dylan Butler’s eyes instead of through the eyes of her brother and prying mother.
“I thought I wanted out of Dallas back when I was in college. Okay, I was crazy to get out. I wanted to go to business school somewhere exciting, like New York City or California.” I laughed at myself. I was in New York City right now. Funny how that worked out. “It didn’t work out that way, though. Every time I tried to leave I always ended up homesick. Texas is my home. I don’t know how to live anywhere else.”
I caught my breath. He was watching me intently as he listened. Normally this was the point where the guy would look bored and I’d apologize for rambling on, but Cameron was different. He wanted to hear what I had to say.
I cleared my throat. “It was a good thing I got back home when I did. Mom was diagnosed with breast cancer not long after I got back. She went through a hell of a fight, and my company was amazing with letting me stay in Texas instead of shipping me off to one of their other offices like they usually do with new hires. I tried to pay them back by working as hard as I could, and it has paid off for me. Now that Mom is in remission I can travel and take on big projects. I’m almost… It’s getting better.” I almost told him about my promotion, but that would be bringing business into the night. On some level, he was still the other side and I didn’t want him to know how important this deal was for me for me.