“Sounds good, Spencer.”
He bid them good night and climbed into his truck and drove away.
In the parking lot, Quinten pulled her to a stop when she would’ve gone to her car, and she turned back to him with a smile. “Forget something?” She knew the look in his eyes.
Quinten smirked and pulled her to him. “Delayed, not forgotten.”
He slid his hand around her neck and cuddled her close as he stroked her cheek. He gave her a kiss so tender it made her heart palpitate and a lump grow in her throat. Those men had such a way with her, drawing emotions from her that felt so fresh and raw at times, and at others so comforting and reassuring. She stroked his biceps through his leather jacket and held on.
Ben cleared his throat, and when they finally broke their kiss, he said, “Quinten, why don’t you ride with her and I’ll follow you?”
“You got it.” Quinten grinned at her and held out his hand for the keys to the Camaro. “I’ve been looking forward to driving this bad boy all week.”
Camilla scoffed in amusement. “Nuh-uh, speed demon. You’re not driving my new car.” Quinten looked horrified, and Camilla snickered as she waved him to the passenger side of the car. “Yes, you, lead foot. Passenger side now. Scat.”
Looking sorely abused, he veered to the other side of the car. “I’m deeply offended.”
“And on a first-name basis with half the police in Divine.”
“That’s like how many? Five including Hank?” he asked as he climbed in and complied when she poked him to buckle his seat belt. “Their radar guns need recalibrating.”
“No, your lead foot needs recalibrating.”
Ben opened the car door for her and chuckled as she climbed in the driver’s seat, inhaling the new-leather smell with great enjoyment. Funny, she hadn’t even noticed it when she’d jumped in the car earlier. Her emotions and senses were all over the place tonight.
Ben asked, “Where to?”
“Back to Divine. Meet you at Rudy’s?”
Ben nodded as he closed her car door for her and she lowered the window. Quinten went on with his complaint. “I do not have a lead foot. I’m an assertive driver. There’s a difference.”
Ben squatted down so he was eye level with Camilla. “When we get to the restaurant, we’re discussing the rest of those rules and guidelines.” His voice held a threat, but there was a hint of mischief in his eyes.
Camilla’s heart thrilled, and she blew him an air-kiss. “Bring it on, big boy.”
* * * *
He beat his hand on the faded cracked steering wheel of the van. “Now I’m just pissed! Ow!” He rubbed his hand where he must’ve burst a blood vessel in the fit of temper. Sweat soaked his brow, despite the chill in the air, and he wiped it away with his dirty shirtsleeve. He’d barely managed to get away from the building before that gigantic son of a bitch had caught up to him. He hadn’t known that Cami had hired Spencer Ketchum to watch out for her. That made things problematic. Spencer knew him and could easily identify him.
He lifted the binoculars from the passenger seat and peered at the front door as the four of them left the building. “Shit!” The building was bound to be locked up tight now.
He’d managed to sneak in while the workmen were leaving at the end of the day and had hidden in the men’s room until he’d thought everyone was gone. One of the workmen had come back in, nearly catching him, and had turned off all the lights. That’d been great because he figured then that the place was deserted and he could search to his heart’s content but no light had been damned inconvenient with his fucking flashlight left back at the van.
He hammered his forehead with his fist. “Stupid! You deserve what’s coming to you if you don’t get your shit together.”
He hadn’t been home in a few days because he was afraid of Nat’s enforcers catching up to him again. He liked his dangling parts right where they were.
He watched the four converse in the parking lot, and grunted when Cami kissed the guy from the night he’d nearly gotten caught breaking into her house, and then she kissed the other guy she worked for.
“What the fuck? You slutty girl, Cami.”
He waited for her to kiss Ketchum, but the big motherfucker just climbed in his truck and drove away. He was going to have to be more careful if she had that many guys watching out for her. He’d have to go back later with the right tools for the job, and get a look inside her office. If that didn’t work then he was out of options. He’d just have to confront her directly and get his property back.