And the trigger? The one and only Mr. James Benton.
He stood at the other end of the kitchen, mumbling something or other.
“I’m sorry.” She shook her head, hoping to snap out of the horrendous nightmare unfolding before her eyes. Her hands felt prickly and hot. Her throat was threatening to close in on her.
If this really was the man she thought it was…
If he was saying anythingotherthanI’m so sorry for screwing your life up and I want to make up for it somehow, she’d need a chair to sit on or a punching bag to attack, preferably one shaped like the Benton brother who’d ruined her life.
“Could you, umm…repeat that?” she managed.
He did a lazy looking, one-shoulder shrug. “I asked if you were the housekeeper. I’m in need of—”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” Camila put her hand up as a firebomb went off in her chest. “What you’reinneed ofis some manners, Mr. Benton. And apparently a pair of eyes that actually see beyond people who rank in your own financial status.”
His blue eyes widened. The clash of shock and confusion playing over his face might have been comical if it wasn’t so infuriating.
“Are youreallytrying to act like you don’t recognize me?” She kept a fixed glare on his eyes as they narrowed in concentration.
He shook his head absently. “ShouldI?”
One hard laugh sounded in her throat. “Wow. I guess that depends. If you claim to be a decent human who recognizes the wrong he’s done to afellowhuman, then yeah, you should definitely recognize me.” She’d barely gotten the words out with as frazzled as she felt. This had to be an alternate universe. There was no way this was real.
But it was. And Camila wasn’t about to stick around for…whatever the month might entail. “You can find somebody else to play your little games, sir. I’ve got better things to do with my time.” She spun on one heel before casting a glance at her luggage; she couldn’t leave that behind.
“Please, wait—” he said calmly. “I honestly do not know what you’re talking about.”
If he even knew how angry that made her, he wouldn’t keep on repeating it. Or maybe he would. But she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of seeing how riled she was. She grabbed onto her suitcase handle, hiked the straps of her purse and travel bag onto her shoulder and grunted as she tipped the heavy case. The wheels wobbled and squeaked as she hobbled to the door. A door James Benton beat her to.
He blocked it off with his tall frame and folded his arms. “I’m not going to force you to stay, obviously—”
“You couldn’t do that if you tried.”
“But Iamasking that you engage in a civilized conversation about what I did to offend a woman I’ve never met.”
“If you say you’ve never met me again I’m going to slap you.”Oh, Lord. Please say no one was recording this anywhere.If grave-rolling was a real thing, her grandparents were doing it for sure.
His sapphire eyes stayed locked on hers, but a hint of amusement lit his expression. The surprised-looking lift of his brow. The smallest tug at one corner of his mouth. He closed his eyes and blew out a pursed breath. Not amused—angry.He was having to calm himself down, was he? Welcome to the club, buddy.
“Forgive me,” he said, his tone low and steady. “I don’t remember meeting you, and it’s obvious that I’ve offended you, so would you do me the honor of explaining that before you leave me to fend for myself for the month?”
Camila steadied her suitcase with shaky hands, then matched his posture with folded arms of her own. He’d almost sounded apologetic.Almost.
“Is that all you’re worried about? Having to fend for yourself if I leave?”
He shook his head. “No. It bothers me that I upset you—a great deal, it seems—and I don’t even know how or when. I think it’s more likely you encountered one of my brothers and are confusing me with—”
She shook her head, unable to let him finish. “You’re James, right?”
He stopped short. Nodded. “Yes, I am.”
“That’s what I thought. It’s you. And let me start by—”
“May we please have a seat before discussing this further?” He waved an arm toward a dining area around the corner.
The adrenaline surging through her was hard enough to contain while she stood on her feet. “No.”
The heart pounding increased as she awaited his reaction.
