Chapter 3

      Darryl was still heated when he and Mason arrived back at their family home. His brother had found the whole situation amusing, which had irritated him even more. He was grateful that neither of his parents was home, just imagining the feedback that would have come if Mason had had the opportunity to fill them in on what had happened between him and that woman.

      Camryn Charles had worked his nerves and having her father and his brother manipulating the situation didn’t help. He slammed his bedroom door closed and threw his body across the twin bed. He was further irritated that he now had to spend the evening with her, because after his experience with Asia, spending the evening with any woman was not high on his priority list.

      From start to finish Asia Landry had made life difficult at best, their entire relationship being one firestorm after another. Jealousy fueled Asia’s spirit more times than not. The first time Darryl had been introduced to the green-eyed monster, she’d keyed his car, leaving the vehicle looking like an Etch A Sketch gone horribly wrong. Apparently being too friendly with a sales clerk had been his crime. He should have cut his ties with Asia then but after her tearful apology he’d welcomed her back into his arms.

      Asia hacking his personal email “to confirm that he was cheating” had been the last straw. Her threatening his life had cemented his conviction. He was done and finished. Darryl refused to be with a woman who clearly didn’t trust him. And he refused to be with a woman he couldn’t trust to deal with her frustrations and anger as though she had some God-given sense. Thinking about everything he’d gone through with Asia tightened a knot in the pit of his stomach. Asia had burned him. Bad. And now, thanks to Asia, Darryl was adamant that no other woman would stand an ice cube’s chance of getting under his skin. Not even one as enticing as Camryn Charles.

      * * *

      Camryn arrived early for her dinner with Darryl Boudreaux. She’d contemplated not showing at all but had figured a few uncomfortable hours with Darryl was far better than dealing with her father’s wrath at their meeting tomorrow. She allowed the restaurant’s hostess to guide her to their reserved table.

      As she settled down into her seat, she was suddenly nervous about their dinner. There was something about Darryl Boudreaux that she found equally irritating and intriguing. Good looks aside, the man’s confidence bordered on arrogance. Clearly, his engineering skills and construction background made him an ideal partner for the project. But he had a serious control problem and she had an issue with him questioning her abilities. He was obviously going to be problematic and Camryn hadn’t expected to work quite so hard.

      She took a quick sip of water from the crystal glass that rested on the table in front of her. Glancing around the restaurant, she couldn’t help but notice the many couples who were more intent on each other than on their meals. Camryn suddenly couldn’t remember the last time she and a man had sat together so totally and completely focused on each other.

      She saw Darryl before he saw her. As he eased into the restaurant, he paused to take in his surroundings. It was evident from the expression on his face that he had about as much desire to be there as she did. For a brief moment it looked as if he might turn tail and run but he didn’t. Instead he appeared to search her out with his eyes.

      He had beautiful eyes, Camryn thought. She hated admitting that his dark, seductive orbs made her weak in the knees. If she was honest, being in his presence was like walking through fire. He made heat radiate out of every one of her pores until she was completely drained. But there was also something soft-spoken and gentle about his spirit, like a welcome, cool sweet breeze even when he was being a thorn in her right cheek. But it remained to be seen if they could come to an understanding and work together in harmony. Her full lips lifted to a warm smile as he finally approached the table, his own expression softening considerably.

      Darryl was suddenly unnerved by the eagerness that consumed him as he sauntered slowly to where Camryn was sitting. The attractive woman was even more stunning, having changed from her business attire to a formfitting Herve Leger dress. The fabric’s vibrant red color complemented her complexion nicely. Her dark brown curls had been slicked back into a neat ponytail, and big bold earrings decorated her earlobes. Her makeup was impeccable and her easy smile showed dazzling white teeth. Her dark eyes were large and bright, her crystal complexion reminding him of deep, rich molasses. The sight of her took his breath away.

      “I’m not late, am I?” Darryl asked, a quiver of heat shooting through his spirit. He tried to be casual as he pulled out the chair on the other side of the table and sat down.

      Camryn took a deep breath and swallowed before speaking. “No, not at all, Darryl. I was actually a few minutes early.”

      Darryl’s smile widened. “So, here we are,” he said as a wave of nervous energy seemed to blanket the space around them.

      “Here we are,” Camryn echoed, suddenly feeling like a grade-schooler with her first crush.

      The silence was unnerving and both were grateful when their