AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She shook her head at the thought as she pretended to work. The only fear she had was the fear of failure, and at this point, failure wasn’t an option for her. She couldn’t fail, because she had too much riding on it. She had to clear the Robertses out of her life and then she could look forward to a life with Cam.
The thought of that brought the beginnings of a smile to her lips as she checked her watch again. She needed this chance with Cam. Especially after last night.
He had slept with her. For the first time, he had slept with her. Okay, it might have been on the couch rather than in a bed, but she could live with that. Because the feeling of contentment, of complete satisfaction that filled her when she awoke, his arms snug and secure around her as he slept, had brought tears to her eyes.
She couldn’t lose that. She couldn’t let Richard and Annalee destroy it.
But would Cam really kill Richard? The question skittered through her mind as she moved from the desk and paced to the high window behind it.
Five years ago, that question would have resulted in a resounding yes. At that time, Cam would have easily killed Richard Roberts for the terror she had experienced from that night. At the very least, she thought now, he would have made Richard wish he was dead.
Wishing he was dead was okay.
She crossed her arms over her breasts and glared into the sunlit beauty of Courtney’s gardens. Jaci had spent so many years locked into the Cam that she had known seven years ago that she hadn’t made allowances for the man he was now.
He was controlled, sometimes more so. He was restrained and quiet. She had no doubt he would kill if he had to, but she was starting to realize that he wouldn’t kill on a whim, otherwise Richard would already be dead.
She pushed her fingers through her hair and breathed out roughly. God, she had been such a fool, and she hadn’t realized it. Because, as she grew closer to him, as the man he was now became apparent, she knew Cam would never lose himself to that extent.
She had told herself all these years that she was protecting him, when the truth was she had been protecting herself. Because she knew her own independence was too fragile, too shaky at the time. It would have been so easy to lean on him, to depend on him, and she couldn’t let herself do that then. He would have overwhelmed her at the time.
He didn’t overwhelm her now. Now, he made her want to curl up in his arms, made her want to be wrapped by him, held by him.
She would tell him the truth after this meeting. She still needed to do this herself. She needed to know she could take care of herself, that she could defend herself. Otherwise, she would never be certain that she could stand beside him rather than behind him.
Cam was a strong man. Not just physically, but psychologically. He was enduring, and he was a damned good man.
Good men were few and far between, and the best of them had held her through the night as he had never held another woman.
She licked her lips nervously, praying her luck held out for the rest of the afternoon. Cam and Chase were usually busy through the first part of the day investigating potential club members, and meeting with Ian and the head of security.
She had the keys to one of the estate cars, a sporty little BMW waiting beneath the parking awning. And the meeting was set and firm.
Five years. It had taken her five years to get here, to vindicate herself for one night of bad judgment, and maybe to find out why. Why her?
That question plagued her. The Robertses were exactingly particular about who they played their games with. They weren’t so stupid as to allow their dirty laundry wave in the public winds. So why decide to take a chance on an interior designer they barely knew?
That question kept her up at night, because it simply did not make sense.
She pushed her fingers through her hair, then rubbed at her arms, trying to chase the chills from her body. It was the normal reaction. A warning, or a premonition? There had always been a feeling that the unanswered questions were the most dangerous ones, where the Robertses were concerned.
Her cell phone chimed, drawing her out of her thoughts, and she pulled it from the clip at her side and checked the number.
“Is everything okay?” she asked.
Moriah was becoming more nervous by the hour.
“Everything’s set. ”
Jaci’s brows lifted at the quiet tone. Moriah had been freaking out since the night before; now, other than a slight nervous quiver to her voice, she was calm, steady.
“Have they called?”
“Annalee just called to make certain you’re going to be here. I’m to leave the apartment after you arrive. I’ll slip back in the back door and make certain everything’s going smoothly. ”
Jaci nodded slowly, checked h
er watch again. “I’m leaving early. I don’t want to give Cam a chance to get out of his meetings early. ”
