Divorced the Cheat Married the Fleet (Camilla and Lance) novel Chapter 114

“Barnard, I’m just looking out for you.” Davina’s voice was tight with worry. “Camilla is a woman, and it’s so late. Isn’t it a little odd for her to be taking a man home? And that guy seemed important. What if Camilla—”

“Stop.” Barnard cut her off, his tone sharp. “Lance had too much to drink. Of course Camilla should drive him home. Davina, you’re in Cabinda now. You need to get used to the way things work here. You can’t just assume man plus woman automatically equals a scandal, like you did back home. This is business as usual. And anyway, Lance is young and well-connected, and Camilla’s married, she’s got a kid. What are you so worried about?”

He saw the shock on Davina’s face, but he didn’t feel bad for her. If anything, he was just annoyed.

Davina and her old-fashioned ideas always made him feel out of sync with her, like she didn’t really belong in his world. He kept thinking, if she started saying these things in front of anyone else, people would laugh at them.

After a pause, Barnard took a deep breath and spoke firmly. “Davina, I’m warning you. This is the last time. From now on, before you make decisions, talk to me first instead of coming at me with surprises. You already messed up the deal with the Black family. Do you have any idea how important the Charles family is to the Carter Group? I won’t let today happen again.”

He didn’t care why she had shown up like this. He just wanted to fix things before they got any worse.

Davina’s expression collapsed. She looked hurt. “I was just thinking about what was best for you. Camilla is a woman, and she was dressed so nicely tonight. Weren’t you even a little concerned?”

“You’re being too old-fashioned,” Barnard replied. “I know Camilla. She loves me, she wouldn’t cheat. Enough, let’s get you home. And don’t pull something like this again.”

His faith in Camilla was unshakable, and any trouble Davina tried to stir up hardly registered.

Davina saw he was really angry now and fell silent, though the stubborn look in her eyes hadn’t faded. Why was it that Camilla got to mix it up in business, chatting with men with total freedom, while she wasn’t even allowed to show her face? Barnard always said he loved her, but he wouldn’t even let her stand by his side in public. Was that really love?

But she wasn’t going to sit back and accept it. Whatever Barnard wouldn’t give her, she’d take for herself. That spot as his wife? She’d claim it one day.

***

Camilla didn’t have a clue about the drama between Barnard and Davina. She was too busy laying down the law with Lance.

“Wow, two requests at once. Isn’t that a bit greedy, Camilla?” Lance eyed her with a half-playful, half-challenging look. “Shouldn’t you be offering me something tempting in return? Like…”

Camilla narrowed her eyes, suspicious, not sure what he was planning. Lance brought his hand up and traced his finger slowly across his collarbone, just beneath his throat.

For a moment, his light touch and lazy smile felt suggestive, and there was something almost dangerous in his eyes, like a fox circling prey.

Images she couldn’t even name flashed through Camilla’s mind. Her throat felt dry, her pulse skipping in confusion. Gathering herself, she stood up abruptly. “Lance, I thought we were friends. What are you even trying to say? You—”

“Where’s your mind going, Camilla?” Lance interrupted, his eyes gleaming with mischief. “I just meant my neck feels bare. Like maybe I need a new pendant or something. What, did you think…” He trailed off, obviously enjoying her reaction.

There he was, every inch the sly fox, drawing people in with that lazy, wicked smile.