As long as Cameron was her neighbor, Vanessa refused to share the private beach with him. If she had to remain inside for the rest of her stay in Jamaica, that would suit her just fine, because she would not give him the time of day…although certain parts of her body relentlessly pushed for her to do that and more.
Vanessa picked up the scent of the flowers the moment she walked down the stairs. She glanced across the room to see the huge vase of red roses on the living-room table.
“Where did those come from?” she asked Helen upon reaching the last stair.
Busy dusting, the housekeeper didn’t pause or look up when she said, “They arrived a few hours ago. Aren’t they pretty?”
Vanessa had to agree, although she really didn’t want to, especially when she had an idea who sent them.
“They came with a bottle of wine.”
Vanessa lifted a brow. “Wine?”
“Yes. I placed it on the kitchen table.”
Vanessa walked over to the roses. They were simply gorgeous. The blooms were full, and the petals looked healthy and silky. Seeing the flowers reminded her of her father. His garden was full of flowers of all types, but especially roses.
She knew his death as a result of lung cancer was the reason she had been so gullible that summer she’d met Harlan. She had needed affection and unfortunately had looked for love in the wrong places and with the wrong man. She would not be making that same mistake again.
She pulled off the card and read it, confirming her suspicions. After everything she’d said, Cameron still had the nerve to invite her to a rendezvous on the beach later.
“I’m leaving in a few minutes, Ms. Steele. Is there anything you want me to pick up for you from the market?”
Vanessa glanced up at Helen. “Yes, there are a few things I need.”
A few minutes later she had given Helen her list. Before the older woman could walk out the door she called out to her. “And, Helen?”
She turned. “Yes?”
“If you happen to see a copy of Ebony magazine on the rack, grab one for me, please.”
“Yes, ma’am, I’ll do that.”
Once Helen had left, closing the door behind her, Vanessa shrugged her shoulders. Okay, so she was curious about the article on Cameron. But curiosity meant nothing. It would be a cold day in hell before another man got the best of her again.
Especially him.
“So, how are things going, Cameron?”
Cameron glanced around at what were fast becoming familiar surroundings as he talked on the phone to his friend Morgan Steele. “Vanessa knows I’m here,” he said slowly after taking a sip of his wine.
“Umm, and how did she take it?”
“Like we both knew she would. Let’s just say I’m not her favorite person right now.”
Morgan’s chuckle vibrated over the mobile phone. “I hate to tell you but you’ve never been her favorite person. You’ve always been her least-liked person.”
Cameron couldn’t help but smile. “Thanks, Morgan, for being so brutally honest.”
“That’s what friends are for.”
After a brief pause and another sip of wine, Cameron said, “I want you to help me understand something, Morgan.”
“Okay, I’ll try.”
“Why does Vanessa take my actions three years ago as a personal affront? You and your brothers, as well as her sisters, were able to get over it. What’s holding her back from doing the same? Is there something I’m missing here? Something you can share with me?”
“No, there’s nothing I know about. The only reason I can come up with is the fact that the Steele Corporation was founded by my father and my uncle, Vanessa’s father. And, as you know, her father died a few years ago. They were very close.”
“You think she feels I was trying to take away his legacy?”
For a moment Morgan didn’t respond and then he said, “At one time that thought did occur to me, but now I’m inclined to think there might be another reason altogether.”
“And what reason is that?”
“Vanessa hasn’t had a man she’s ever gotten serious about, although I do recall her having a couple of boyfriends while she was in college. But there’s never been anyone special, no one she’s brought home for the family to meet. Now that I think of it, I believe her coldness toward you and men in general might be linked to what might have happened to her one summer.”
Cameron paused with his wineglass halfway to his lips. He felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. “What happened?”
“I don’t really know. None of us do, although I’d bet my money that her best friend Sienna Bradford knows. Right after my uncle died, Vanessa took some time off from her job and went to Europe for a few weeks to get away. We were worried about her and thought the trip would be a good idea. Vanessa, Taylor and Cheyenne were close to their father and took his death hard, but I think Vanessa took it the hardest. Like her mom, she felt there was something they could have done to make him stop smoking years ago.”
“A smoker will only quit when he’s ready.”
“I know that, but still, it was hard on her. The couple of times she called home from London she seemed to be doing okay, and I’d heard through the grapevine that she’d met someone, some guy who was also vacationing over there. I’d even heard from Cheyenne—or should I say overheard when she and Taylor were deep in conversation one day—that Vanessa fancied herself in love with him. But we all figured she only assumed it was love because she was going through a vulnerable period in her life, and she would come to her senses before doing anything stupid like bringing home a husband. Anyway, the next thing we know, she returns home and to this day she hasn’t mentioned him. None of us even knows his name. The only thing I can figure is that she discovered the guy was playing her, and she cared more for him than he did for her. Most likely that’s why she’s keeping you at arm’s length, to protect her heart. She’s not sure she can trust you and probably feels that you’re trying to take over her life.”
In a way he was, Cameron silently agreed. That was definitely his intent. He wanted her life to become ingrained in his, but he didn’t see that as a negative. He could only see positives, so why couldn’t she?
“I suggest you use another approach,” Morgan continued. “All of us discovered real early that strong-arm tactics don’t work well for Vanessa. I’ve told you that before.”
Morgan had told him that before, but Cameron was used to doing things his way. Now it seemed that his way wasn’t working. “So what do you suggest?” he asked.
“You’re going to have to revamp and do a sneak attack.”
That comment had Cameron laughing. “Like the one you used with Lena?”
“Yeah, like the one I used with Lena. Laugh all you want but I got my woman, didn’t I?”
“Need I remind you that it wasn’t exactly smooth sailing for you, Morgan?”
“No, you don’t have to remind me, but I was still able to make it work.”
Cameron had to agree, since Morgan and Lena had been married a little over a month now. Morgan had also kicked off his campaign for a seat on