CHAPTER EIGHT
“REMINDMEOFwhy the hell we’re on our way to the UNHCR office?” said Derek, smiling across the taxi at Cameron. “I thought you didn’t want Blackmore Inc. anywhere near this subject.”
Cameron folded his arms. “I changed my mind.”
Derek raised an eyebrow. “You changed your mind, or someone changed it for you?”
Cameron groaned. He and Derek had been friends longenough for Cameron to know Derek would keep pushing the subject until he got his answer. And Cameron really didn’t want to get into this. At all.
“The board wants some sort of PR boost, and this is a good option,” tried Cameron.
“You sure that’s it?” asked Derek, his smile growing. “Because when that Ms. Jackson McAllister caught you with your shirt off, she liked what she saw. And I suspectthe feeling is mutual.”
“Shut the hell up, Derek,” he mumbled. “She’s the board’s PR woman, and she’s flying back to New York next week to report on us. It doesn’t matter what she liked because nothing’s going on. End of story.”
Technically, this was true. Nothing was going on because Jackson had put an end to it. Again. But it wasn’t anywhere near over in his mind.
Derek chuckled.“You’re getting your knickers in a knot over this woman, mate.”
Cameron huffed out a breath and looked out the window. “Knickers in a knot” didn’t even begin to describe the mess of feelings that were clogging up his thoughts. It wasn’t just the flashes of her tousled on his sofa, skirt around her hips, that were tripping him up now. He had mentioned the army. He never talked about that. Andwhen she’d looked at him like she really heard what he was saying, he’d wanted to tell her more. The decision to follow in his grandfather’s footsteps, not his father’s. The way his father had turned against him. The kind of shit she needed to know if she was going to understand why he never wanted to be in the same room with his father again. That, long before Harlan started meddling with Cameron’sjob in Sydney, he’d betrayed his son by leaving Cameron and his mother to start a new family.
“Look, something’s up.” Derek’s voice turned more serious. “I don’t even want to know what it is. And I’m the last person to tell you to lay off, after what happened with me and Laurie. But be careful. There’s a lot riding on this ‘PR boost’ or whatever the hell they’re calling it. For you more thananyone else.”
“Don’t I know it,” said Cameron. He closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead. “What I want is for my father to leave me the hell alone.”
Derek was quiet.
“All three of us would understand if you wanted to leave Blackmore Inc.,” he finally said.
Cameron frowned. “It’s my grandfather’s company, not my father’s. Harlan Senior was more a father to me, and I owe it to himto stick it out.” He clapped Derek’s shoulder. “Besides, you three aren’t the only salaries the company pays. If I stepped down, my father would fuck up everything I’ve done.”
“You can’t keep your father from screwing up other people’s lives, Cam.” Derek shook his head. “Just take a shot and hope you get it right. I’m sure you will.”
“I don’t know about that,” he muttered.
And Cameronwouldn’t rest until he got out from under his father’s control. But wasn’t that exactly the way Harlan Blackmore thought? Wasn’t that why he’d left all those years ago and moved on to his next family—because his father wasn’t willing to bend to anyone, not even his own father?
The taxi pulled up in front of the UNHCR offices, and Cameron and Derek climbed out. They stood next to each otheron the sidewalk, the traffic at their backs. A PR visit was the last thing in the world Cameron wanted to do right now. Well, almost the last.
Derek cleared his throat. “I wasn’t just giving you shit about the thing between Jackson and you. Neither of you are doing a good job of hiding whatevernothingis. I don’t know what the hell you’re doing.”
Cameron shook his head. “I don’t knowwhat the hell I’m doing, either.”
“That’s what I thought,” Derek said, swinging the door open. “Come on, everyone’s up there waiting for us.”
* * *
By the time they wrapped up at UNHCR, two hours had passed. Cameron led the way out. He pushed open the front door of the building and stepped out onto the sidewalk. The rush of warm city air hit him, and he took a deep breath.
“Thatwas a good move today, Ms. McAllister,” said Max from behind him. “Cam, the board will love those pictures with you and the UNHCR directors.”
Cameron grunted but didn’t turn around.
“It went well.” Jackson’s voice rang softly in his ears. What the hell was wrong with him? It was like he grew some sort of super-senses when she was around. He couldn’t tune anything about her out. They hadcome into some sort of rhythm the last few days, and her tone shifted when no one else was around. He wanted the time to just watch her, enjoy her. And he didn’t have it.
The group stopped next to the street, and Derek looked down at his watch. “I’m headed to the gym,” he said. “Anyone else in?”
“I’m in,” said Simon.
