Page 84 of Just Like Summer

In Haddon’s book, it was a corny move but Kamilla held on to the ladies’ words from the hair salon. Get over one by getting with another. The absolute worst advice ever because the thought of letting Armon do anything to her outside of kissing her hand seemed treasonous.

“I’m listening,” Kamilla hummed as sweet as she could. “Lucci wants me in a meeting but I’m listening.”

Armon frowned slightly. A glint of jealousy she picked up on. Why, she couldn’t understand; Lucci was very much a married man.

“Haddon going to be there?” he quizzed.

Kamilla shrugged. “Possibly. He’s my boss.”

That was the source of this contention, Haddon. Someone else he had no business being jealous of when Haddon literally stepped into her life as a guide, an older brother, another uncle to her son.

Armon pushed out a sigh and drummed his fingers against the white linen of the table. It took twenty-seven seconds to pull himself back into his representative. Kamilla counted. There was a sinister familiarity in him, and she had to figure out the safest way for her to move out of this space with him.

“My bad, baby, I just,” he sighed again. “I’m developing these feelings for you and I’m protective of who you share space with.”

“I see,” she responded, going along with this farce for now. “Continue with what you were saying.”

“I really want you to meet my mother and my cousin. They hold a lot of weight in my life, and I really want their feedback on you. They can meet Kairo and…your grandfather.”

Kamilla frowned slightly. “Is this an audition?”

Armon laughed, pulling out a jewelry box. “No, baby. It’s the beginning of our foundation.”

“What’s that?” she asked. The tone wasn’t shock, moreso audacity. Getting into a fight with him, here or anywhere he thought he had advantage of her wasn’t her idea of ending things. She knew that evil and she knew how it ended the first time, mentally she couldn’t afford a repeat.

Armon gestured, “Open it.”

Opening it and finding a diamond band, she kept the curl of her lip nonexistent and forced a smile. “This is nice, but what’s it for?”

“A promise of my dedication to you. Yours to me. Here.” Armon took the box from her hands, removed the ring and adorned it on her finger. “It looks good.”

For the last three years, Kamilla had been around the glitz and the glamour, and none of it enticed her. She was in a financial position where she could buy three more bands, triple the carats and not cringe at the costs. This was a mark. For who? Possibly the competition he’d worked up in his head.

A faint smile just enough to get him to release her. “So, this dinner?”

“Yeah, they’re in town tonight. That works for you?” Armon posed.

She nodded her answer. Thankful the waitress had kept her card to charge and allow a faster escape. The bagged food arrived along with her card wrapped up in the receipt and tucked inside of the bag. “I’ll let you know what time works after this meeting. I have to go before Lucci starts calling.”

Kamilla stood, bag in tow, and graciously dodged a peck from Armon. He opted for her ring-adorned hand instead before stepping back.

“I’ll see you tonight,” he stated to her back.

When she was free and clear of him, she groaned, looking down at the ring and rolled her eyes. Too small and shoved on her finger, Kamilla didn’t have the time or the patience to get it off. Now in a rush, with five minutes to get back to El Jefe, she half-trotted half-sprinted to her Range Rover in heels and fought through midtown traffic.

Whisking inside of her office, finding Haddon, Charlie, and Lucci, she started before they could. “I don’t want to hear it. I come baring sweets.”

She dropped the bag in Charlie’s lap and rounded the edge of the desk, plopping down in her chair and swiping her week-old silk press with her adorned hand. A collective “woah” sounded off.

“What the fuck is that?” Haddon was the first to lead the charge.

Lucci’s lip curled. “That’s the best that cornball could do?”

“Did he at least pay for the cookies, cakes, and pies?” Charlie quipped, digging through the bag before Haddon snatched it.

“You ate all the raspberry bon bons last time. I’m not having it,” Haddon grumbled.

“Everyone relax. It’s nothing and I can’t get it off, so it’s here until I can,” she huffed, opening her laptop and signing into their system. “Now, what did I do that all three of you are in here breathing my purified air.”