He should have cut his ties with Asia then but after her tearful apology he’d welcomed her back into his arms.
Asia hacking his personal email “to confirm that he was cheating” had been the last straw. Her threatening his life had cemented his conviction. He was done and finished. Darryl refused to be with a woman who clearly didn’t trust him. And he refused to be with a woman he couldn’t trust to deal with her frustrations and anger as though she had some God-given sense. Thinking about everything he’d gone through with Asia tightened a knot in the pit of his stomach. Asia had burned him. Bad. And now, thanks to Asia, Darryl was adamant that no other woman would stand an ice cube’s chance of getting under his skin. Not even one as enticing as Camryn Charles.
* * *
Camryn arrived early for her dinner with Darryl Boudreaux. She’d contemplated not showing at all but had figured a few uncomfortable hours with Darryl was far better than dealing with her father’s wrath at their meeting tomorrow. She allowed the restaurant’s hostess to guide her to their reserved table.
As she settled down into her seat, she was suddenly nervous about their dinner. There was something about Darryl Boudreaux that she found equally irritating and intriguing. Good looks aside, the man’s confidence bordered on arrogance. Clearly, his engineering skills and construction background made him an ideal partner for the project. But he had a serious control problem and she had an issue with him questioning her abilities. He was obviously going to be problematic and Camryn hadn’t expected to work quite so hard.
She took a quick sip of water from the crystal glass that rested on the table in front of her. Glancing around the restaurant, she couldn’t help but notice the many couples who were more intent on each other than on their meals. Camryn suddenly couldn’t remember the last time she and a man had sat together so totally and completely focused on each other.
She saw Darryl before he saw her. As he eased into the restaurant, he paused to take in his surroundings. It was evident from the expression on his face that he had about as much desire to be there as she did. For a brief moment it looked as if he might turn tail and run but he didn’t. Instead he appeared to search her out with his eyes.
He had beautiful eyes, Camryn thought. She hated admitting that his dark, seductive orbs made her weak in the knees. If she was honest, being in his presence was like walking through fire. He made heat radiate out of every one of her pores until she was completely drained. But there was also something soft-spoken and gentle about his spirit, like a welcome, cool sweet breeze even when he was being a thorn in her right cheek. But it remained to be seen if they could come to an understanding and work together in harmony. Her full lips lifted to a warm smile as he finally approached the table, his own expression softening considerably.
Darryl was suddenly unnerved by the eagerness that consumed him as he sauntered slowly to where Camryn was sitting. The attractive woman was even more stunning, having changed from her business attire to a formfitting Herve Leger dress. The fabric’s vibrant red color complemented her complexion nicely. Her dark brown curls had been slicked back into a neat ponytail, and big bold earrings decorated her earlobes. Her makeup was impeccable and her easy smile showed dazzling white teeth. Her dark eyes were large and bright, her crystal complexion reminding him of deep, rich molasses. The sight of her took his breath away.
“I’m not late, am I?” Darryl asked, a quiver of heat shooting through his spirit. He tried to be casual as he pulled out the chair on the other side of the table and sat down.
Camryn took a deep breath and swallowed before speaking. “No, not at all, Darryl. I was actually a few minutes early.”
Darryl’s smile widened. “So, here we are,” he said as a wave of nervous energy seemed to blanket the space around them.
“Here we are,” Camryn echoed, suddenly feeling like a grade-schooler with her first crush.
The silence was unnerving and both were grateful when their server moved to the table to take their orders.
“Bourbon. Definitely bourbon,” Camryn said, her eyebrows lifted in jest.
Camryn laughed. “I’ll take mine straight,” she added. “Three fingers, please!”
By the time the drinks were delivered, the two were making small talk. Camryn commented on the unusually warm weather and an unplanned shopping excursion. Darryl reflected on his flight into town and the storms that had delayed his travels. Camryn bragged about the two awards she’d recently won for the family business. Darryl detailed the multimillion-dollar project he’d worked on before being hired by his brother. She talked about her father and their family business. He shared his vision for Boudreaux Towers and what might come after. They shied away from sharing any personal information, only very briefly mentioning anything about their respective families. Neither ventured to divulge whether or not they were in a romantic relationship. Instead, the duo had seemed to come to an unspoken agreement of not wanting to know if there was someone significant in the other’s personal life.
Darryl finished his drink first and over her feigned protests ordered another for each of them. His dry sense of humor made her smile and soon the laughter rang easily between them. Camryn liked how he looked into her eyes when they talked, his gaze sometimes skirting over her features as if he were trying to remember every line and dimple in her profile.
Darryl liked how she sometimes tapped his arm and hand when she laughed. The flattering gesture and soft touch both excited him and made him feel guilty.
Just before their entrée was served, Camryn excused herself to the restroom, needing a quick moment to recompose. Staring at her reflection in the polished mirror, she found herself grinning from ear to ear. She hated to admit it but she was having a really good time and that Darryl was actually likable. She giggled softly, glancing at a woman who’d entered the space behind her. The woman smiled back just before she disappeared behind a stall door. Taking a deep breath, Camryn touched up her makeup and then headed back to the table.
“Everything come out okay?” Darryl asked as she sat back down.
Camryn paused, meeting his teasing gaze. “Everything came out just fine, thank you!”
Darryl laughed heartily. “Sorry. I couldn’t resist.”
She laughed with him. “My brother Jason used to make the same bad joke when we were kids.”
“My brothers and I still make the same bad jokes. My sisters hate it when we do that to them.” He paused, a slight smile pulling at his mouth. “We do it anyway,” he concluded.
Before she could reply, the waiter delivered their meals to the table, setting an appetizer of fried calamari between the two of them. Darryl had chosen the seared tuna and she compared his plate to her crabmeat-and-lobster pasta.
“It all looks good!” she said, the decadent aromas rising to her nostrils.
Darryl nodded his agreement. “It does look good but let’s bless the table before we taste it, please,” he said.
Camryn dropped the fork in her hand back to the tabletop and slid her hands into her lap. She stole a quick look at Darryl as he closed his eyes and lowered his head in prayer.
“Precious Lord, bless this food that we are about to receive for the nourishment of our bodies. And make us ever mindful of the needs of others. In Christ’s name we pray. Amen.”
“Amen,” Camryn echoed, lifting her gaze to his. A burst of nervous energy fluttered in her midsection
