But in those dark, nighttime hours, Camila had even managed to freak herself out about that. Worrying that it meant he was simply playing dumb. That he’d known exactly who she was all along.
Either way, she mused while studying the map, Camila was determined to impress James with her food and professionalism alike.
Now where was the workout room in this place? She’d memorized the location of three spots within the Tuscany Villa so far: the kitchen, the bedroom she’d selected, and the room Mr. Benton was staying in, which opened into the spacious office she’d found him pacing in the night before.
The massive villa had three full stories and each seemed to go on for days. Luckily, a circular stairwell stood at the center of each, creating a central mark.
Bright morning sunlight poured in through the wall-sized windows as Camila traced her finger over the map. She focused on the path leading from the stairs to the gym, which— like the kitchen—was on the middle floor.Perfect.
She’d taken it upon herself to open the sun-blocking blinds in the main living space. It was her job, after all, to create the right ambiance for dining, and natural lighting couldn’t be beat. Neither could the view from the dining area. Plus, there was a private patio just out back looking over the ocean, complete with a table and chairs for outdoor dining; she hoped he’d take advantage of it.
Ample light poured from the open doorway leading to the mansion’s personal gym, letting her know the blinds had been opened there as well.
Camila followed that light, rounding the corner to step into a large room that looked more like a dance studio than a gym. Open flooring stretched clear to the spectacular view beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows. Mirrors took up the opposite side of the wall, and there, tucked into one side of the room, stood all the equipment she’d hoped to find. A treadmill, elliptical, spin bike, and an array of weights resting beside a workout bench. Yet just as she moved her gaze back toward the machines, a small movement caught her attention, followed by the metal clank of a workout bar locking back into place.
Her gaze followed the muscular arms supporting that bar before she could register who they must, in fact, belong to: James Benton. Her heart pumped a hot beat out of rhythm.
Luckily, he was lying flat on his back and unable to see her, which meant she could make a quiet escape. Camila had no intention of working out in the same space as her new boss. Especially since she still hadn’t decided whether or not she trusted him.
She pulled her water bottle to her chest, spun on one heel, and cringed as her shoe squeaked against the wood floors. Her heart thudded out of beat as she lifted her other foot. She was still close to the doorway, perhaps he hadn’t heard—
“Hello?”
Crap.Camila froze and clenched her eyes shut.
“Don’t let me scare you away,” James said when she didn’t turn around. “I’m pretty sure this place is big enough for the both of us. Plus,” he said through a grunt, “I’m just about finished.”
Camila spun back around to see that he was sitting up now. Recently, she’d read a line about sweat glistening off the bare chest of a hero in her novel. It hadn’t exactly seemed like the best phrasing in her mind, but as James Benton came to his feet on the other side of the room, she noted how nice the light sheen contrasted the contours of his muscular chest.
Her face flushed with heat.Wow. He really was attractive.Stop staring, Camila.
She gulped. “I’ll just…okay, yeah. I’ll go ahead and work out in here.” She nodded, forced her eyes over to the exercise equipment, and shuffled one foot forward after the next. It was then she recalled her discovery in the fridge that morning. James had already eaten nearly half of the cut up fruit she’d prepared for him. It was no wonder if he hadn’t eaten any dinner. But in case that was a normal habit for him, she’d texted Cyree with a request for more watermelon.
James walked over to one of the weight-lifting setups, jostled the metal bar to adjust the weight, and then took a seat once more. She couldn’t help but study his profile as he grabbed the handles and lifted his feet onto the bar. He grunted as he straightened his legs against the weight.
While stepping into his viewpoint, she scolded herself once again for staring. Especially since he’d caught her in the act. Not that his expression had changed. The muscles in his face, neck, and jaw kept tight as he started another round of presses.
Her heart was acting like she was smack in the middle of a freaking marathon already. And at the sight of some—okay, seriously gorgeous—guy without a shirt on? Gypsy always warned Camila that her dateless years would cause some sort of desperation for men in her life; she was starting to wonder if her friend had been right. This was ridiculous.
She hurried over to the elliptical, glad it wasn’t too close to her new boss, and tucked her earbuds into place. A quick tap at her phone, followed by a few scrolls, led to one of her favorite playlists: All Things Bowie.Yes.It’d be just the incentive she’d need to keep a good cadence. Hopefully it’d distract her as well.
Yet as the next thirty minutes ticked by, Camila realized that a distraction from James Benton—while he sat right in her eye line—was impossible to achieve. It was more than just his appearance; there was something intriguing about him too. Here he was, some fairly famous billionaire with the entire world at his reach, doing normal guy stuff like working out early on a sunny day.
It was odd to see such a human side of him, she guessed. And to not only see him in something other than his usual white-collared shirt, but to see the impressive spans of his chest and muscled arms… it was messing with her mind.
It didn’t help that she was still trying to digest their conversations. He seemed genuinely invested in making things right, even if he hadn’t been aware of the damage done. That was encouraging.
Camila had worked with enough wealthy clients to know there were kind and cold alike, as with any monetary class. But even still, it seemed more often than not the individuals she’d worked for were selfish. They were often so consumed with the need to impress that kindness and courtesy dropped off their list of priorities.
She might be wrong, but she got the feeling that James Benton wasn’t bothered with appearances in that way. And there was something else she hadn’t been able to get out of her head: the way his siblings reacted to his wild outburst on The Lion’s Den. Of course, if that type of behavior were commonplace for the guy, it wouldn’t have made news to begin with.
Camila had been so focused on her musings she hadn’t noticed that James was standing right in her eye line. He dabbed his skin with a white hand towel and waved an arm over his head.
She tugged the ear bud from one ear.
“See you at breakfast,” he said.
She nodded, glad he couldn’t detect the increased beating of her heart. “Sounds good.” Camila was about to replace her ear buds when James spoke up once more.
