Uncovering Camila (Wildflowers Book 3) (23 page)

Chapter 58

“You had a chance to look at the contract the lawyers sent over?” Art asks Camila.

“Yes, of course. It came with quite a generous signing bonus.” Camila sits on the black leather chair facing her uncle’s desk. His office is twice the size of her studio apartment and boasts a ninety-degree view of midtown Manhattan.

“Well-deserved as far as I’m concerned. Bringing you in means many more years for our company to compete in this thriving metropolis.”

It also means not having to spend fifteen years paying off my law school debt
, she thinks to herself.

Art clasps his hands and leans his forearms on his wide, mahogany desk. “Look, Camila. I realize I didn’t get a chance to apologize for the way I behaved on Thanksgiving. I should’ve left it to you to tell him, and I’m sorry I didn’t. Natalie and Shoshana have made it very clear that I was in the wrong. And I humbly concur.”

“You were,” Camila tells him. “Although I understand. He’s your older brother who left you to run this company by yourself. I’m sure there’s some resentment over that.”

Art shakes his head. “It’s all in the past.”

“After that night, I have to wonder if that’s true. Legacy is difficult to manage, especially when it all falls on a single person.”

“Perhaps.” Art swivels his chair and gets up. He rounds his desk and leans against it. “Do you find the terms agreeable?” He asks, getting off the subject of his brother. His niece can’t possibly understand what it’s been like to run the company alone, with his only brother, the person he most respected and looked up to, gone to live his own life. He’d been forced to weather every downturn, recession and real estate bust by himself. In order to keep Bernie in his life, he wasn’t able to discuss any business matters with him. It was a compromise he felt compelled to make to keep the peace, one that he believes hurt him more than Bernie.

So when Camila came into his office and discussed working at Cohen Real Estate, he felt vindicated. Those years of carrying the family legacy would not be in vain, and he couldn’t, no, he didn’t want to help himself that night. He wanted to hurt Bernie, like he’d been hurt all those decades ago.

“I believe we can find some wiggle room in the salary area if you’d like. Seeing how you don’t have a trust fund or any shares in the company as yet, it seems only fair.”

“Fifteen percent of the company is a good start.” Camila props her elbows on the armrest. “I’ve managed well without a trust. As for the salary, I believe twenty-five thousand more would be commensurate with what your CFO made when he first started at my position.”

Art clears his throat. He’d told the lawyers to be thorough. “That was an oversight, I’m sure. You will definitely find that there is no gender gap in pay here and that we offer extremely generous benefits to our employees.”

Camila nods. “Yes, I’m sure you do.”

They both stare at one another, waiting for the other to speak. Art knows she wants something. If she didn’t, she would’ve signed the contract by now. It’s been in her possession for over a week. The waiting was a tactic, and he’s a patient man. He knew eventually she would come to him with her terms. He just didn’t know how much those terms would cost.

“Aside from the condo development on the LES, what else do you have?”

“We have a rather expansive development in Brooklyn Heights that’s still in the planning stages, as well as a multi-purpose space in Chelsea. Just to name a few.”

“You also have a hotel going up in the Bowery, a high-rise in Clinton, and you’re currently converting an office building into an uber-luxury condominium down in the Financial District.” She clears her throat. “To name a few more.”

“You are going to be a very quick study when you join us,” Art tells Camila.

“I hope to be.” She pulls out the contract. “I’ve marked the changes I would like made to this. As you can see, there is one other area that needs amending aside from the salary change.”

Art takes it from her and begins flipping to the page she’s indicated with a tab. He skims it and then tosses it onto his desk. “That will cost us an extra ten million a year. We cannot afford to do that.”

“Then we sell. As far as I see it, you have two choices.”

Art grimaces. “You’ve inherited your father’s idealism. You’re asking for the impossible.”

“As far as I see it, if you continue to price out the middle-class with all these ‘luxury living spaces’, as you like to call them, you will hurt the hard-working people of this City, which doesn’t need more empty apartments.”

“Almost ninety percent of our units have been pre-sold.”

“And how many of those owners actually live and work in the City? I’m betting most of that money is from foreign countries.”

“My father always said that where money comes from doesn’t matter as much as where it’s spent.”

“Then consider my proposal as a way of counter-balancing that. New York has more to offer than other urban centers, but like them, it doesn’t offer enough for working women with families, many of whom are single parents. As far as I’m concerned, we can’t push them out and then decide whatever happens to them isn’t our responsibility.”

“Everything you’re proposing from affordable housing to vocational schools costs a lot of money, Camila. I’m sure you and Shoshana can set up a day care or preschool system through the foundation.”

“We will. But we need to ensure people can access these places, and it will be difficult when they are pushed farther out of the City. People are an investment Uncle Art. I think if you consider my plan carefully, you’ll see that helping New Yorkers will ensure the company’s future.” She points to the contract on his desk. “Invest or sell. Your choice.”

Chapter 59

“I’m glad you came.” Camila greets Marshall when he approaches her table.

He looks around at the intimate space, with sublime Japanese touches and dark, rich colors. “I could never turn down your offer for a drink.” Marshall slides into the booth. “Although I would’ve thought this place is a bit too close to campus for you.”

Camila raises her right shoulder. “Is it for you?”

Marshall shakes his head. “Not at all.”

Camila draws a breath to settle her racing heart. She’d no idea how she expected to feel when she sent him the text that morning to meet her. It’s been two weeks since that afternoon in the hotel. A part of her wouldn’t have been surprised if he refused. The fact that he’d accepted within five minutes of her text set her up for another kind of worry, that perhaps he wanted to see her in person to tell her he’s moving on.

Now, with him only inches apart from her, she can feel his energy reaching for her. The air surrounding them is charged with something only they can feel.

“What can I get for you?”

The server’s question seems to startle Camila and Marshall who were becoming cocooned in that energy.

Camila glances at the menu quickly. “Your champagne cocktail with Campari and vermouth please.”

Marshall doesn’t bother to look at the menu. “Same,” he tells the waitress. He turns to Camila. “I wasn’t sure if I was going to hear from you.”

“I wondered the same when I found out about your sudden leave of absence.”

“When you didn’t reply to my text, I thought you were serious about not being with me.”

A pang hits Camila squarely in the chest. “I thought we were at an impasse. And I knew I couldn’t trust myself if I had to see you again.”

Marshall doesn’t give in to the urge to smile. They’re so close, he can feel it. “Now you can?”

She runs a finger along the length of the glass the waitress set in front of her and nods her head slightly. “I needed time to be clear about a few things.”

“Two weeks long enough?”

Camila takes a sip. “I signed my contract with Cohen Real Estate today. My uncle accepted my terms.”

Marshall raises his glass. “Congratulations. That’s something worth celebrating.”

“What about you? Where are you going?”

“Nowhere,” Marshall replies, slowly rubbing his hands together to keep from touching Camila.

“But your assistant said you took a leave of absence.”

“I did. Just for the Spring semester. A partner at Sullivan & Moore, who happens to be a Weinfeld Benefactor, called the Dean and made a rather compelling case for why he needed me to help prepare some briefs for a case they’re appealing to the Supreme Court next year.”

“Timing is rather interesting.”

“It does seem to be,” Marshall agrees, allowing the truth to sink in a bit more in their silence. Normally, he wouldn’t be inclined to accept a favor from his parents. He’d always been clear that he wanted to earn everything he achieved, which is why he didn’t attend the same schools as them or allow his parents to call in favors when he pursued his clerkships. The one exception he was willing to make was for Camila. Because he wanted nothing more than to earn the chance to love her completely.

Her subtle smile shows she understands this. Of course it’s why she invited him to drinks. He compromised so that she wouldn’t have to. Camila reaches out and touches the back of his hand. Her warm touch channels a surge of energy through him. Marshall inches closer to her.

“Are we good?” He asks into her ear.

The sound of his voice ripples through Camila and awakens her whole body. She swallows more champagne to quell the desire that begins to pulse through her.

“May I kiss you, C.C.?” He whispers.

Camila fights to keep her eyes open. Her body is so ready for him. One touch, a single kiss, will undo her right here at the table. She tilts her head down toward him, her nod almost imperceptible.

Marshall draws up his left hand and touches her right cheek. “I want to hear you say it.”

“Kiss me,” she says in a low voice.

His soft lips land against hers as soon as she utters those two words he’s been wanting to hear for weeks. Marshall had begun to lose hope that Camila would ever contact him again. Their lips move in perfect sync. It’s not the passionate kiss of the lonely and desperate, nor is it the sensual kiss of two familiar lovers. It runs deeper than any of that.

Marshall sweeps his tongue lightly over Camila’s bottom lip. The surge of energy passing between them is greater than either of them had experienced. Not only is it awakening them to their need for each other, it’s carrying them beyond what they’ve known before. Marshall can feel it in his chest while Camila feels a vibration throughout. Tongues and lips continue to sweep, caress and stroke, plunging them further into the unknown with each other.

Each time Camila comes up for air, Marshall pulls her back. He can’t help himself. He doesn’t want to help himself. This is freedom to him, to love fully without restraint. Neither he nor Camila had known it was possible to experience both freedom and love simultaneously. And it’s this freedom that’s allowing her to finally let go of her fears without worrying about the future.

Marshall’s hand begins to venture over her hips and down to her thighs. The idea of being between them is driving him further into the kiss. Camila takes his hand into hers and squeezes, accepting his silent invitation.

“Allow me,” she says, laying a couple of fifties on the table.

“I really can’t.” Marshall reaches for his wallet as he trails kisses along Camila’s neck.

She places a hand over his. “I want to,” she insists.

“Then I get breakfast in the morning,” he replies, his thumb sweeping over her pulpy lips. Marshall swallows hard. He wants to see these lips around his cock so badly he’s not sure if he can wait any longer. He glances toward the back of the bar at the bathrooms, then thinks better of it. What he wants will take too long. Marshall starts to slide out of the booth without letting go of Camila’s hand.

They’re barely inside Camila’s building before her back is pressed against the wall. Marshall considers them fortunate to have made it this far. The seven-minute cab ride was sheer torture for him. He forced himself to stare out the window to avoid looking at Camila. Every time he’d steal a glance in her direction, he’d come undone. He could feel it from head to toe, to the point that he couldn’t think straight or feel in control of his movements. Every part of him wants to be with her, to be inside of her. The anticipation of pleasure had become so great he nearly forgot to pay the driver when he got out of the cab.

Camila isn’t any better. Beneath the veneer of calm, which she’s unaware she’s even projecting, is a deep and profound yearning for Marshall that she hadn’t known existed until tonight. Of course she’d wanted him before, and knowing what sex is like with him merely stokes her longing. Tonight, however, her craving comes from something different. It’s not just physical she realizes. If it were, she would’ve taken him in a dark basement entrance on Thompson Street. No. It makes her want to connect with him, to own and to be owned by this force that has propelled her toward him for the past few months. Giving into it can’t be done lightly. Camila understands that now. Because once she does, it will take her farther than she’d ever thought possible.

Marshall laces his fingers with Camila as he kisses her against the water-stained wall at the end of the stairwell. Slowly, they make their climb, one flight at a time, stopping to consume and be consumed. His tongue, her tongue, his mouth, her mouth. Every part of them that can touch and be touched carries them forward. Finally, outside her door, Marshall steps back to breathe, to allow himself the pleasure of remembering that morning they were first together. It was an almost perfect moment, before the storm that had crashed through their lives when they learned the truth about who the other was. How limited they were then, by circumstances and experience. If only he knew then what he knows now. He smiles.

“What?” Camila rests her back against her door. Her limbs are too loose and relaxed to reach for the keys in her bag.

Marshall wraps his arm around her waist and brings her lips to his. How quickly and easily they melt together. “You,” he says, between kisses.

Camila smiles back, knowing full well what he means.
You too
. She presses her lips against his as her arms snake up his chest and around his neck. She could kiss him for hours and it would feel like mere minutes. The door gives way behind her, and they fall in, not letting go of each other this time.

Camila sheds her layers before Marshall. Sweaters, jeans, shirts, and shoes are spread all around them. One by one, everything that separates them is left on the floor until all Camila can feel is her need slowly marking her inner thighs. She squeezes them together instinctively, dying to find some relief from the raging that’s beginning to burn through her with each passing second.

Marshall is nearly frozen with anticipation. In the bar, all he could imagine was Camila kissing his cock. In the cab, he pictured going down on her. Faced with the probability that he can have both, he’s not sure what he wants more. All he’s aware of is how much he wants Camila. All. Of. Her. He licks his lips and decides. He has to have her first.

A small step toward her and she’s in his embrace, carried to the bed in a matter of seconds. Marshall lays her out among the unmade sheets and spreads her open for him. His eyes move over her body appreciatively, stopping when he sees her sticky desire. He gulps back the tidal wave that threatens to drown him in this, in Camila.

She lowers her hand to her sex, and Marshall takes his cue. His hot, wet tongue licks her desire. He moans when he tastes her. “It’s been too long,” he says into her cunt, his warm breath mingling over her wet thigh. Camila gathers a sheet in her hand when her pussy trembles beneath his lips. He continues to alternate kisses with strokes of his tongue, penetrating her cunt then licking up and down, over her clit. The sensations overwhelm them both. Her soft skin in his mouth, her ass and thighs between his hands. Camila cries out. Her climb is so swift and pleasurable she didn’t realize how close she was.

Marshall reaches up a hand and strokes her breasts, her nipples becoming hard points under his touch. Camila starts to buck her hips unable to hold back, not wanting any more than this moment. He pinches her nipples just enough for Camila to feel it in her cunt which is so close to opening under his kiss. He wants this. She wants this. For them both to have what they want from each other is such a feat since it’s something they’d both fought against when they first met.

One more audible cry escapes Camila, and she surrenders to him, her body letting go under the soft caress of his lips and the deep probing of his tongue. Camila falls back as pleasure after vibrating pleasure courses through her now languid body.

Marshall rests his head against her left thigh, admiring her glistening cunt and the way Camila looks at this moment, her body flushed and swollen from his touch. She’s so responsive tonight, no more so than any other time they’ve been together, but it makes him happy to think that despite what they’ve been through, she hasn’t closed herself off to him.

Camila opens her eyes as the vibrating slows. Despite how satisfied she feels, a part of her yearns for more. Marshall feels her shift below him, and he moves up toward her face, kissing along her torso and stopping over her breasts. He sucks a nipple into his mouth before scraping the soft flesh with his teeth. He moves over the next one, ensuring he gives equal treatment to every part of Camila before finding her lips.

Once there, she raises her body off the bed and folds herself into him. He grabs her ass and pulls her right leg over his waist. Camila is so wet with his saliva and her desire. Marshall slides himself as far as he can inside her. She tilts her hips up until she feels like she’s about to break. It’s there that she can feel only him. It’s there that he’s at the deepest point of her being.

Slowly he pulls all the way out and then back in again, each stroke purposefully deep and unhurried. As far as Marshall is concerned, they have all night and all day and all night again. He’ll stay as long as she wants him to. He groans as he continues to fill Camila with his cock, forcing Camila to arch her back and grab hold of his ass.

He starts to pick up pace as her moans grow louder, her breathing becoming more staggered. Marshall leans down until Camila’s knees are pressed against his chest, his cock perfectly angled to push Camila toward her next spiral. Whatever this nameless thing that exists between them is, it possesses them both. He isn’t finished yet, but he’s too close to coming to contain himself. It’s been so long since he’s experienced Camila, her beautiful body, her incredible cunt. He wants so much for her, and from her. Marshall can feel the waves of passion start to move over him again.

He lifts one hand to touch Camila’s clit, but she’s already there. “I’m going to come,” she whispers, her voice nearly lost in the sound of her moaning and his breathing. Marshall’s lips are on hers again as he moves in and out of Camila wildly, unable to restrain himself. She feels so fucking good, too good, the kind of good you want to hold onto out of fear it won’t last.
Yes, it’s that’s good
.