Read The Stubborn Suitor: Book 1 (The Stubborn Suitor #1) for Free Online Page B

didn’t need a man like that. She turned back towards the ocean, watching the sunset over the waves.
    “I’m perfectly happy alone,” she said under her breath. “Perfectly happy!”

6
CAMI
    I t was late , and most of the party had long since cleared out by the time Cami decided to call it a night. Maggie had disappeared a while ago, stating that she needed to catch up on her beauty sleep. Cami knew that her friend had simply drunk too much and needed to crash.
    Cami had wondered out onto the dock alone, watching the seagulls dive into the ocean. She was more than a little tipsy herself as she made her way back towards the house.
    “Hey,” came a voice from behind her, making her jump and spin around. Drew was leaning against the deck railing, smiling at her. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.”
    “It’s fine,” Cami replied, a little more sternly than she intended.
    “You disappeared earlier,” he pointed out.
    “You seemed occupied. I didn’t want to intrude.”
    “I’m not occupied now,” he said with a smirk.
    Cami was reminded of all the other cocky, playboy men at this party.
    “I am,” she replied. “I’m going to bed.”
    “Come on,” he said, pushing himself off the rail and slinking towards her. “It’s still early.” He held up the bottle of champagne, as if to signify that the party wasn’t over.
    “Are you drinking alone out here on the deck?”
    “I am celebrating…alone…out here on the deck. When you say it like that, it sounds pathetic. But it wouldn’t be pathetic if you were celebrating with me.”
    Drew smiled, and Cami was yet again reminded of how absolutely handsome he was. She wanted to turn and walk away. But she was already more than a little tipsy, and Drew had the charm and the good looks to spare. Cami was having a hard time coming up with a reason to say no.
    Drew must have seen her hesitation, because he smirked and moved even closer to her, sneaking a hand around her shoulder to rest against her back. Once again, her flesh tingled at the warmth of his touch. She couldn’t help but wonder what it would feel like to have those large, strong hands on other parts of her body.
    “Come on,” he said with a smirk. “Let’s take a walk.”
    Drew led Cami down the steps onto the beach, where they both kicked off their shoes and left them beneath the deck. They passed the bottle of champagne back and forth as they strolled along the sand, the tide gently lapping at their bare feet.
    Cami couldn’t help but think that this was the kind of thing that happened to other people—late night walks on the beach with the sexiest man alive, sharing a bottle of champagne. This was the life an heiress was meant to lead, not a single working mother.
    “Who am I right now?” she asked herself under her breath.
    “What?” Drew asked, leaning in.
    “What are we celebrating?” Cami asked, not wanting him to know what she’d actually muttered.
    “Um…” Drew looked out into the ocean for a moment, pensive. “Opportunities,” he replied finally, lifting the bottle of champagne to his lips and taking a deep drink before handing it over to her.
    She watched his tongue dart out and swipe at the wetness on his lips, causing a different type of wetness to pool between Cami’s legs. In an attempt to ignore her body’s reaction, she chugged the remaining champagne, then frowned down at the empty bottle.
    “You drank it all,” Drew cried in mock anger. “How dare you!”
    “Sorry-not-sorry,” Cami replied with a smile, feeling like a teenager for the first time in years.
    She couldn’t help but laugh when Drew nudged her gently with his shoulder, pushing her further into the ocean. The waves began breaking around her knees, and she shrieked at the cold water, running back towards the shore.
    Cami hadn’t felt this young or alive in years. She adored Madison and loved being a mother. But, she realized, sometimes she missed feeling playful and carefree. She laughed