The Stubborn Suitor, Complete Series (An Alpha Billionaire In Love BBW Romance) (17 page)

I
t had been
a rough weekend for Cami. In truth, it had been a rough few months for Cami, but this particular weekend had been particularly hard. Since her ex-husband had petitioned for primary and then full custody of their three-year-old-daughter Madison, Cami’s life had been in upheaval.

The fact was, Ken wasn’t even capable of taking care of Madison for two weekends a month, but now that he was engaged again, he seemed to have it in his head that he needed a trophy child to go with his new trophy wife. And, although Ken was a completely unfit parent, he had the money and resources to get what he wanted, which is why Cami was worried.

To make matters worse, last time Cami had shown up to pick her daughter up from Ken’s house, she had been clinging to Ken’s fiancée Natalie, not wanting to go home with Cami. It had been the first time Madison had ever behaved in such a manner and it broke Cami’s heart.

When Natalie had invited Cami in under the pretense of needing to finish packing Madison’s bag, Cami had realized exactly why her daughter wanted to stay with her father. Natalie and Ken had spent top dollar to build Madison a nursery that looked like something out of a Disney movie.

Of course, at that moment, it hurt to see Ken and Natalie giving Madison all of the things that Cami herself would never be able to afford. But Cami had quickly reminded herself that Ken and Natalie would never be able to give Madison the things she really needed—the things Cami was able to provide. Cami was able to give her daughter the love, support, and stability that Madison couldn’t get from them, no matter how many toys they could buy her. Ken was immature and irresponsible and—Cami didn’t care how much Ken’ lawyer argued the opposite—her ex-husband was a roaring alcoholic.

That didn’t mean that Cami was happy with letting her daughter go over there and get spoiled. She knew Madison wasn’t old enough to think about what was really important in parents. And so Cami had spent the weekend worrying.

Her best friend Maggie was busy with a mysterious new relationship, and Cami didn’t want to burden her mom any more by unloading on her. Her mother had already sold some of Cami’s grandmother’s precious jewelry to help pay for a lawyer. Cami spent the weekend lounging around and feeling sorry for herself, burying her sorrows in long bubble baths, counting down the hours until she could finally pick up her daughter.

Before dropping Madison off at Ken’s house, Cami had promised her daughter that, after picking her up on Sunday, they would go do something fun together. Cami had to admit that she was probably looking forward to spending a fun night with her daughter as much as Madison was.

When it was finally time to head across town, Cami was so excited that she practically skipped to her car with a big smile on her face. The smile quickly fell, however, when she went to start her car, and it would barely turn over. She spent a few minutes trying again and again, each time praying frantically for it to work, before finally dropping her head to the steering wheel.

“Dammit!” she said, trying not to cry. “Could things get any worse?”

Because, of course, this would happen right at the moment when she was supposed to go pick up her daughter. Now, no matter what she did, she would be late. Not only would that disappoint Madison, it would also be giving Ken and Natalie even more “proof” that she was unfit to care for Madison. God knows how they would twist it to their advantage in court. They could say she was flakey and unreliable, or they could claim that she was so poor that she couldn’t even afford a working car.

She could call her mom, who would come pick her up and take her to Ken’s place, but it would take her mom twenty minutes to get here at least, so she’d still be late in picking up her daughter.

Cami was debating her options and trying not to panic when, out of the corner of her eye, she saw another car pull up in her driveway next to hers. She turned to that side and immediately recognized the sleek, black BMW.

“Why did I have to question whether or not things could get worse?” she said out loud, cursing herself, because things definitely had just gotten out of control.

With one last surge of hope, Cami tried to start her car again, praying that it would work and she could drive away before Drew had a chance to get out and try to talk to her.

But, as her luck would have it, her car just made a pathetic puttering sound and shut down again. Cami closed her eyes and once more tried to bury her head in her steering wheel.

She hadn’t talked to Drew since the last time they’d slept together, nearly two weeks prior. Before she awoke he’d already gone, leaving her with a vague, ambiguous note. They’d slept together three times now, and each time he’d fled before the crack of dawn. The third strike was it for Cami. She realized that she wasn’t a priority for him and, with everything else going on, didn’t really want to deal with his games.

He’d called several times the first week, but she hadn’t answered or called him back. He’d even shown up at the house once, and she’d refused to open the door. She’d told herself it was because Madison was home and awake and she never let the men she dated around her daughter. But the truth was, if she faced him, it would be near impossible to keep her resolve. And so she’d ignored him. He’d obviously gotten the message as, after the first week, he’d left her alone.

And yet, here he was. In her drive way. In fact, she didn’t even have to look up in order to know that he was tapping on her window. As much as Cami wanted to remain there, like an ostrich with its head buried in the sand, she still needed to call her mother and go collect her daughter. And so she raised her head and looked at Drew.

Over the last two weeks, she’d been able to convince herself that he wasn’t nearly as good looking as she’d remembered. She’d told herself she was exaggerating his sex appeal out of desire to be with someone. But now, staring into his large, whiskey colored eyes, she knew how wrong she’d been.

Drew was easily the most handsome man she’d ever seen, with dark, disheveled hair and deep sparkling eyes. He smiled at her, revealing the dimples she’d been trying to make herself forget. He was bending down in front of the driver’s side window, waiting for her to open the door. Not ready to relinquish the bit of steel between them, she rolled down the window instead.

“Hi,” he said, crouching down so that his face was the same height as hers.

Cami tried not to shudder at the sound of his voice—so deep and rich that it sent a tingle of longing through her. She’d remembered thinking, when they’d first met, that the voice reminded her of butter. Now it just reminded her of sex.

“Hi,” she replied, trying to steer her mind away from that direction.

“Car trouble?” he asked, still smiling.

It was making her frustrated, that confident, joyous smirk. Cami was feeling anything but joyous at the moment.

“What do you think?” she snapped. To her frustration, it did nothing to erase the smile on Drew’s face. In fact, he only grinned wider. “I’m glad you find this funny. I, on the other hand, am screwed. I’m supposed to pick up Madison in fifteen minutes. I’m going to have to call my mom and by the time she shows up, we’ll be late to Ken’s house. God knows he won’t let us forget it… He’ll probably use it to his advantage. And…oh God, I have no clue how I’m going to pay for this.”

It wasn’t until a sob escaped that Cami realized she was crying. She looked up, expecting to see the smile still spread across Drew’s lips. Instead, there was a look of distress on his face and compassion in his amber eyes.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I’m just really happy to see you. I’ve missed you a lot. I’m not trying to make light of the situation.”

The confession made Cami hitch her breath. She felt like a bushel of butterflies had been released in her stomach. Drew hadn’t been able to stop thinking about her! She focused on the problem at hand to keep a stupid grin of her own from spreading across her face. She still needed to figure out the Madison situation, after all. Plus, she’d already decided that she and Drew were over.

“It’s fine. But, as you can see, I’m busy. So, if you’d please excuse me, I need to go inside—because I forgot my phone—and call my mom to come and get me.”

Without waiting for Drew to move out of the way, she unlatched her door, purposefully opening it into him and striking his leg.

“Cami,” Drew called, finally stepping away from the car but quickly following her towards the house. “Cami, wait.”

She tried to shut the house door in his face, but Drew put his arm out, easily preventing it from closing. Cami couldn’t help but notice the ripple of muscle revealed beneath his short-sleeved t-shirt. She hadn’t even noticed what he was wearing—she’d been too distracted by the car and surprised to see him.

But now that she noticed, she couldn’t look away. He was wearing well-fitting jeans and a shirt that hugged his chest in just the right way—especially as he flexed to hold the door open. She’d never seen him so dressed down and she had to admit that he looked damn good.

“I don’t have time for this,” she said, purposefully making herself look away.

“You’re right,” Drew agreed, smiling down at her again. “You don’t have time to argue with me right now. You need to go pick up your daughter, and you need to do it now. So, put Madison’s car seat in the back of my car, and let’s go.”

“What?” Cami asked, shocked. It took her a moment to realize what he was implying. “No! That is a horrible idea!”

“Why? Do you have a better one? Wait for your mom and be late?”

“Yes…it’s my only option,” Cami replied stubbornly.

“Why?”

“You know I don’t let Madison fraternize with the men I’m dating. Or
have
dated.” Cami emphasized the past tense to remind Drew—and herself—exactly where they stood as a couple.

“Fraternize?” Drew asked. “She’s a three-year-old. She doesn’t even know what that word means, much less how to do it.” The smile once again slipped from his face as his voice grew serious. “Listen, I know we have a lot to talk about. I know that there are things we need to work through. But right now, you need to pick up your daughter—and not be late doing it—and I am your only option. We don’t have to tell Madison who I am. She most likely won’t even remember me tomorrow. And if she does, we can worry about it then. Right now, we need to go.”

Cami stood in the doorway for a moment, biting her lip and debating her options. Drew had taken his hand off the door, giving her the ability to slam it in his face. But then she’d have to call her mom and wait for her to get here. If she left with Drew within the next five minutes, she wouldn’t be too late. Plus, she couldn’t help but think about the way Drew had talked about their relationship in the present tense. To him, at least, things weren’t over. Cami didn’t know why that made her feel so giddy inside.

Eventually, Cami nodded in consent and followed Drew back towards the cars, locking the door behind her. She knew that this was probably a bad idea, but, at the moment, Cami couldn’t bring herself to care.

T
he drive
to Ken’s place was awkward. Other than sparing a few words to give Drew directions, Cami sat in silence. Drew opened his mouth to speak a couple of times, but obviously decided that it was better not to try and embark on an inevitably heated conversation on their way to Cami’s ex’s house.

Cami, for her part, was overwhelmed by emotions, each battling for a place at the forefront of her mind. She couldn’t help but think about what Drew had just implied and wonder about the state of their relationship. Was she going to give him another chance? Should she? On top of that, he was about to meet her daughter. Even if it was simply out of necessity, it was an enormous step.

On a completely different note, Cami was anxious to see Ken and Natalie. Last time she’d picked up Madison had been a disaster. She really didn’t want a repeat performance.

When thinking about things in that light, she couldn’t help but be glad that Drew was there to support her. Her arrival at Ken’s house in a BMW, driven by a tall, dark, sexy man, made her feel a lot less pathetic. She wanted Ken to see her moving on—to know that he wasn’t the only one who thought that they’d traded up since the divorce.

“Wait here!” she commanded as Drew steered his BMW right up next to Ken’s own Beemer.

Cami couldn’t keep the smile from her face when she realized that Drew’s was a much newer, nicer model. She knew that she was being petty, but she couldn’t bring herself to care.

“Sure thing,” Drew said with a wink.

He offered her a wide smile, complete with dimples. His dark eyes seemed to dance in the late afternoon sun and she had to remind herself to breathe as she got out of the car and made her way towards the house.

Cami didn’t even have to ring the bell before the door was opened and Madison was barreling into her arms.

“Mommy!” the little girl cried as Cami knelt to scoop her daughter up in a tight hug.

“I’ve missed you, sweetheart,” Cami whispered into Madison’s hair as she kissed her daughter’s head.

“Missed you,” Madison repeated, returning her hug.

“New car?” Ken’s voice interrupted her blissful moment, and Cami looked up with a glare over Madison’s shoulder.

She hadn’t talked to her ex since he’d called them after their first custody meeting and tried to talk her into giving up primary custody without a fight. He had since filed a petition for full custody and, if it weren’t for the presence of their daughter, Cami would have to fight not to claw his eyes out because of it. Instead, she just smiled.

“No. It’s my boyfriend’s,” she replied.

She didn’t know why she lied. Her and Drew’s relationship was way too complicated to be using such terms. And it was none of Ken’s business anyway. But she relished the shock on his face as he looked across the driveway. Cami turned to see Drew staring back, glaring murderously at Ken. Cami wasn’t sure why, but it made her like Drew all the more.

“Not that it’s any of your business,” Cami continued, grabbing Madison’s bag from Ken’s hand. “Now say goodbye to your dad Madison!”

“Bye, Da!” Madison called, but didn’t reach back to hug or kiss the man goodbye.

Cami couldn’t help but wonder whether she would have reached for Natalie, had she been the one at the door. Cami shook the thought out of her head and turned towards Drew’s car.

“Boyfriend!” Madison shrieked as Cami opened the back door to get her situated in the car seat.

Cami cringed and avoided Drew’s questioning glance.

“What happened to ‘not telling her who I am’?” he asked with a smile as she slid into the passenger’s seat next to him a minute later.

“I didn’t tell her that,” Cami said, which was really only half a lie, as she’d told Ken that, not Madison. “Ken made an assumption.”

“Good.” Drew simply replied.

Cami opened her mouth to argue, but Madison’s little voice from the back seat interrupted her.

“Something fun, Mom?” Madison asked.

Cami’s heart sank. She was hoping her daughter hadn’t remembered the promise she’d made on Friday.

“Not today, sweetheart. I’m sorry. I know, I promised, but Mommy’s car is broken. That’s why Mr. Drew is giving us a ride. As soon as it’s fixed we’ll do something fun. I promise.”

“Mr. Drew!” Madison cried, seemingly having stopped listening after Cami had mentioned him. “Boyfriend.”

Cami cringed again. She was still turned towards the backseat, watching her daughter, but she could see the look of delight on Drew’s face out of the corner of her eye.

“We can go do something fun!” Drew offered. “I don’t mind. I don’t have any plans.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Cami said, but Madison’s shrieks from the back seat interrupted her again.

“Something fun! Something fun!” the little girl was squealing with delight.

As much as Cami wasn’t sure about having Drew spend time with Madison, she really didn’t want to disappoint her daughter. And so she finally heaved a deep sigh and relented.

“Fine,” she said, trying not to sound too nervous. “We can do something fun.”

“Awesome!” Drew replied, sounding just as excited as Madison. Cami had to bite her lip to keep from smiling at his reaction. “So,” he continued. “What does one normally do for fun with a three-year-old? I take my nephew to Chuck-E-Cheese a lot.”

Cami couldn’t hold back the smile as she pictured Drew at Chuck-E-Cheese, running around behind a five-year-old version of himself.

“Chuck-E-Cheese is fine. We go there sometimes,” Cami replied.

“Chuck-E-Cheese!” Madison repeated from the back-seat, though Cami doubted the little girl actually knew what they were referring to.

It had been a while since they’d had an opportunity to go. Money had been tight because of the custody battle. Lawyers were expensive, and Cami had been picking up overtime at the Emergency Room, where she worked as a nurse, and she was still struggling to get bills paid. Still, she could splurge tonight. Madison deserved some fun, and so did she.

As soon as they were inside the door, Cami was able to see her fantasies acted out in real life. She ran around with Madison and Drew for a while before sitting back and just watching as the man played with her daughter. He helped her win at ski ball and miniature basketball, and Cami couldn’t help but laugh, even though she was sure that he was technically cheating.

They used the tickets they had won to get tiaras, which both Madison and Drew wore around the restaurant. He helped her down the slide, never leaving her side. It made Cami’s insides melt in a way that let her know that she was in trouble.

When their food came, Drew held Madison on his lap and helped her eat pizza. It was sort of disconcerting, seeing the man that was usually so poised and put together—whom she had only seen dine at five-star restaurants—bounce a baby on his hip as he ate slice after slice of greasy pizza. His dark hair was in complete disarray, sticking up in every direction under the little pink tiara that sat jauntily on his head. She waited to see a sign of exasperation or annoyance on his face, but he really seemed to be having as much fun as Madison.

In fact, Drew almost looked like a completely different person, Cami realized. The tension that had always seemed to be in his shoulders was gone. He appeared to be completely relaxed and looked years younger than he had last time she’d seen him, less than two weeks prior. There was color in his cheeks and his dark eyes were sparkling with energy.

Cami barely had Madison buckled back into her car seat before the little girl was out, like a light. They’d stayed longer than Cami had meant to, especially considering Madison already had an over-stimulating weekend with her father. But she didn’t want the night to end. Madison was having too much fun. And, though Cami was loath to admit it, she had too much fun as well.

The drive home was silent for a few minutes before Drew’s deep voice broke Cami out of her thoughts.

“I had a lot of fun tonight, Cami,” he said. She didn’t know how to reply. She still wasn’t sure if she was ready to give him another chance. What if he just ditched out on her again? “Listen,” he continued when she didn’t respond. “I know we have a lot to deal with. I have a lot to make up for. I realize that. And you have every right to be mad at me. But I’ve changed. I promise. I’ve been going through something recently, but it’s over now. Things will be different.”

Cami wanted to believe him. She really did. But she just wasn’t sure if she could. He’d acted like this in the past. In fact, every time they’d been together, he’d acted like she was the most important thing in his universe. But then something else would come up, and he’d dash away without a second thought, revealing what his true priorities were.

“I don’t know,” was all Cami was able to say.

Thankfully, they were soon pulling into her driveway and she was saved from any more conversation before she’d had time to think.

Cami hurried from the car as soon as it was parked, gently unbuckling Madison and sliding her from the car seat.

“I’ve got to get her to bed,” she whispered to Drew as she carried her daughter towards the house. She fumbled with her keys, which Drew caught and used to open the front door. “Once she’s tucked in, I can come unbuckle her seat from your car. Or, if you can figure it out, you’re more than welcome to do it yourself. That way you don’t have to wait. Just leave it inside the door.”

Without a second glance, Cami headed down the hall towards Madison’s bedroom. She tenderly removed Madison’s clothes and dressed her in a nightgown before tucking her into her bed. It was a testament to how much Drew had worn her out that she didn’t even wake up at all.

Instead of hurrying back out to help Drew, she sat down at the edge of her daughter’s bed. She told herself that she just wanted to make sure Madison was asleep before she left her side. The truth was, she was hoping Drew would take the hint and unbuckle the car seat himself—that way she wouldn’t have to face him again tonight. Without the buffer of Madison there, she knew they’d have to have a serious conversation, and she just wasn’t sure if she was ready.

Watching Drew spend time with Madison tonight had really done a number on Cami. All of the reasons not to date him were slowly slipping out of her mind. She’d pictured so many more days just like this one, and before she knew it, her mind went unbidden into the scariest territory: her secret dreams. Lazy Sundays where Madison didn’t have to go to Ken’s—where they could all wake up slow and make a big breakfast, Drew helping Madison stir the pancake batter. She thought about a wedding where Madison was the perfect little flower girl, all dressed up in a frilly white dress. She thought of Madison as a big sister, cradling a baby brother or sister in her arms as Drew looked on adoringly.

Catching herself, Cami shook her head, trying to rid her mind of such unrealistic and painful fantasies. She knew that she couldn’t afford to think about things like that. When Drew had promised that things were going to be different, she had really wanted to believe him. But Cami just didn’t know if she did—or
could
.

In all honesty, she didn’t know if she’d ever be able to fully trust him. Even if they did work things out, Cami was pretty sure that there would always be a part of her that was waiting for the other shoe to drop—waiting for Drew to lose interest or disappear again.

And with Madison involved, things became even more complicated. Madison obviously adored Drew, and he appeared to feel the same way about her. But what if he didn’t, really—not enough to stick around, at least. What would she tell her daughter then?

It was best to shut this down before it even had a chance to go downhill, Cami concluded—before Madison even had a chance to get hurt. Cami was already going to be hurt in the equation. She knew that fact undeniably. Just seeing Drew with her daughter had sent Cami over the edge. If she hadn’t been attached before, she was now. But she had to think about what was best for her daughter.

So, like a coward, she hid out in her daughter’s room until she was sure he was gone. She had heard the door open and close, then waited five more minutes just to be sure before heading out into the living room.

To her surprise—and a mixture of horror and relief—Drew was still there. He was relaxed on the sofa, typing something out on his phone. When he noticed she was there, he looked up and smiled at her. Cami looked away, too caught up in conflicting emotions to deal with that smile at the moment. Then she noticed the empty hallway and frowned.

“Where’s the car seat?” she asked.

“I left it in the BMW,” he replied.

“Oh…was it too hard to figure out? I guess I’m just used to dealing with it. Here…I’ll go get it out. Sorry I made you wait.”

“No,” Drew said, rising and walking towards her. He grabbed her hand and placed something in it. It took Cami a moment to realize that it was a pair of keys. “I’m leaving the car with you for now, so that you’ll have something to drive tomorrow. You have to get to work, after all.”

“I can’t let you do that,” she said sternly. She wasn’t going to let him leave his car with her.

“It’s already done,” he replied with confidence. “And I’ve arranged for a tow truck tomorrow morning before you head off to work. They’ll pick up your car and take it to the garage I always use. These guys are top notch. I’ll make sure you get the best maintenance.”

“No,” Cami replied, though she was now less sure of herself. She was also trying not to delight in the fact that he obviously knew her work schedule. “That’s too much. Really. I’m sure I can have somebody come look at it tomorrow.”

“Like I said, it’s already been done. I have a car on the way to pick me up already. It’s probably almost here.”

“Drew,” Cami replied, her voice barely more than a whisper. “I can’t let you do this.
I
can’t do this. Not with Madison. It’s not—”

Drew squeezed her fingers gently, and Cami was suddenly all too aware that he was clutching her hand in both of his.

“I know you don’t have any reason to trust me. Not yet. But I’m going to make it up to you. I’m committed to this—committed to you—I swear. And I’ll prove it. Like I said before, I’ve been going through some stuff. But it’s all over now. And I’ll explain everything to you. Tomorrow night. I’m going to come back over and cook you and Madison dinner. And I’ll tell you everything. Everything you want to know. And I’ll start making this right.”