Chasing Imperfection (Chasing Series 2) (37 page)

     He gasped and placed a hand over his parted mouth. “
You have got to be kidding me!
Blake—don’t
torture yourself, that’s just plain cruel. Okay, my girl totally made a screwed up decision, haven’t we all? She’s entitled to make mistakes too. But you need to start learning how to forgive because if you
don’t
, how long do you think she’ll stay?

    
“
I mean—unless all
your
aim here is to get rid of her then you’re doing one heck of a job
,
buddy
. But if you want to keep her—this is a big no no. She loves you bozo! She chose you and not Kyle. Get than in your super smart brain!” Chad sounded exasperated and
wound
up;
he started to pace back and forth, and stopped. “What’s the deal with Camilla, Blake?”

     “Whatever do you mean?”

     “The business section today—it said about your grandfather
stepping down and
possibly
an announcement about your formal engagement with her?” He paused
.
“I’m such an ass—congratulations about the future CEO! I
seriously forgot because all I could think about was the other piece of information.”

    
Who
could possibly leak
stories to the media? Cam and I haven’t seen each other after that call I placed yesterday.
Surely, it could be just a rumor?

     “It’s fairly complicated. I cannot explain it in thorough detail at this moment. But I will eventually.”

     “Good because I don’t want my baby love to be going through any more shit cakes, you know?
Just saying
—if you’re only after sex with her then it’s best you let the bird out of its cage. I know she’s free to go as she pleases—but she loves you—so that might need drastic measures—
again
—that is if you’re only after sex.”

     “I want her for more than just sex—but it is complex and it isn’t that simple anymore.”

     “Please try a little harder—it’s not cool to see her like this. You better go to the other room and make her happy.”

      That would be
quite tricky. I hated not knowing what to do.

    
“I’ll order in food in an hour or two for dinner. I’ll see you in a bit.”
I went to the door and strode towards my bedroom, where Sienna was unpacking her things.

     I found her in the vast his and hers closet. She wore black leggings and a loose pink and black striped cotton sweater. One shoulder was exposed as she moved about. I studied her for awhile. My eyes lingered on
her exposed
shoulder, my mouth itched to kiss that exposed spot.
I wanted to take her in my arms and kiss those pouty, soft lips but I couldn’t drag myself and do it.

    
Instead, I locked myself in the study and did what I did best. Work.
    

     “You have a Camilla Clayworth wanting to see if you’re available?”
Sandra Thornton asked in utmost businesslike manner. She’s another one of my assistants, below Luke.

     “Do send her in. Thank you, Sandra.” She gave a curt nod and quietly left the room. I’m quite sure Cam is here to explain in grave detail how our personal agreement was leaked to the media.

     My name does show up in the media—mostly on the business section. I keep my private life away from tabloid magazines and I want to keep it that way. Unlike Clive, I don’t appreciate being hounded by a bunch of paparazzi trying to make your life utter living hell.

     Last night, I didn’t even join them during dinner. I stayed in my study and waited until I knew she was fast asleep
before
I let myself out. I left for work before she even woke up. Not once did I desire to touch her last night. I wanted to, but I simply couldn’t. Not when I see her and Kyle intertwined in my mind each time I
look at
her.

     I heard the door shut and saw Camilla
stride
towards my desk. Her hair was in a loose chignon and she wore a matching pale blue Chanel skirt suit and her nude Hermes purse. “Blake—my father let on some of his cronies and I suppose the word stretched to the media. I confided in
F
ather after we spoke last. I was
overjoyed;
you see and couldn’
t wait a moment
longer to
announce it to
my family.”

     Albert Clayworth would’ve been euphoric and in rapture about this news. The only matter that I was rather apprehensive
about was
telling the lovely Camilla how things had shifted since I last spoke with her. “Do you want any refreshments?”

     “Gin and tonic should suffice, thank you.” She sauntered towards the couch and carefully placed her purse on the coffee table. I went
to
the bar and prepared her favored drink. Once done, I handed it to her. She purposely lingered on my fingers a tad too long.

     I strode towards the front of my desk and casually leaned on it. The best way to deliver bad news was
to
carry
it
out with
thorough precision without fault. The last thing I wanted was to inflict pain
on
Camilla, but it was either that or not have Sienna in my life, and I chose the latter. Even if my relationship with Sienna at the moment was twisted and perplexed.

     “Sienna and I are trying to work things out.”

Camilla’s eyes buggered out and she hastily placed her glass on the table with utter care before she responded. “Meaning what precisely?”
S
he lifted an open hand and shrugged. “
Fancy
shagging her once or twice, or working it
out
to be with her like before
? If it’s all sex then I wouldn’t mind that,
not
at all. I do accept that you’re a virile man. But what I expect is that you keep your affairs discreet and hidden though.”

    
How considerate
, I thought dourly.

    
My jaws grinded
.
“To be quite honest, I want all of that with Sienna. But our long separation inclined us both to indulge
—rather
with zealous affections towards other people. But I am in love with her, Cam. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have made that call to you.”

     “Oh don’t be ridiculous! We can still get on with the wedding and you can still have her
at the same time
.
You win either way.
She doesn’t deserve you, Blake. She’s just an opportunist who wants you for your money. She’s nothing but a parasite who claimed to love you but conveniently let another man
screw her mindless.” Camilla
’s
composure
seemed to have slackened a tad bit. In normal circumstances, she wouldn’t have uttered a word, but would politely nod and smile—but not today. She came with her claws
out
, ready to fight.

     “A Mr. Andrei Alexandrov is on line one
,
sir
.
” The intercom blared out with Sandra’s curt voice.

    
Hell
, the Russian tycoon I have been dealing with. For him to personally call means
the deal
was imminent and need
ed
to be dealt with quickly. “Cam, I have to take this important business call.
M
ake yourself comfortable. I will be with you as soon as I am done.” I strode towards my desk and took the call. I barely glanced and waited for Camilla to respond. She knew the how these
things work. She w
as
brought up primed to marry the rich and powerful.

     The call with Alexandrov
took a good thirty minutes.
W
hen I looked for Camilla, she wasn’t around—but her purse was still on the table. I
finally
found her in the annex apartment.

     “How did you manage to find this place? I never once showed it to you.” I wondered out loud when I found her staring at Sienna’s
portraits.
She had a looked of
wonderment about her eyes when she stared back at Sienna.

     What rather came next was an
unexpected
icy revelation.
“
I know everything about you Blake
. Every single woman you slept with. All your ins and outs but most of all, I know what has been going on with
her
.” She pointed a finger towards Sienna’s picture.

    
What did she mean by all of my ins and outs?
That’s rather creepy and a tad
stalker
-
ish
. “Are you having me followed? That’s absurd! Why on earth would you bloody do such a foolish thing?” My loud shrill made her flinch.

     “If I was going to be your future wife, I had to know what you’
d
been up to.
T
he mere truth that I am in love with you—it eased my mind to know that you were doing okay. Well up until things changed between you and Sienna. I liked her best when you two were friends.”

    
Camilla has been following my life for quite awhile then. Has she met Sienna? I cannot believe I didn’t see this one coming. Bloody fuck!

     “What do you know about Sienna?” I asked through gritted teeth.

     “Everything Blake.” She whispered and looked back on Sienna’s pictures again. “Why do you want her so much? Is it sex? If it is, I can be better. Just teach me and show me what to do. I could please you the way she does. I’ll do anything for you, just marry me like how we planned before
she came and ruined everything
.” She snarled at Sienna’
s face. She loathed Sienna—her voice and face gave her away.

     “I am
not
going to marry you, Camilla—not now,
not ever
. There’s nothing I can do for you, so
please
leave my office.”

     “I will stop pursuing this issue if you do
two
things, and then I
’ll
be out of your life.” Who would’ve thought the ever sweet Camilla had a conniving side
to
her?

     She’s after money?
What else?
“Take me as your date
to
your company’s
next week’s Friday night
gala. The second one
,
you
will
sleep with me again, goodbye sex nothing more.”
My
back stiffened and tensed. 
She expected me to do what?

     “What the bloody
fuck do you fancy
playing at Camilla?
I will not be coerced
into doing
something I won’t do. If you want to shag, I can arrange that for you. Gladly.”

     She stood up and stood before me. “I do not want another man. I want you. It’
s either you concede to
my demands or there will be severe consequences.”

     My mood thundered with her threats. “I don’t work well with threats.
I cannot oblige your ultimatums. Y
ou will stop this maddening obsession and move on.”

     She
exhaled
and looked conflicted. She knew I would rather keel over than oblige her blasted threats.

     “You
are going to regret this Blake!”
She haughtily marched out of the apartment and slammed the door shut on her way out of the office.

     Camilla was deranged
. A
raving
b
at-shit, loony bin-bound crazy!

    
Unbloodyfuckingbelievable.