Chapter 113
Chapter 113:
The tenderness of this gesture, protecting her from feeling manipulated when manipulation had defined her relationships with Rose, with Stefan, and even at times with Victoria, undid something tight and guarded in Camille’s chest.
She reached forward, taking the pendant from his palm. Their fingers brushed, sending warmth up her arm.
“It protected you,” she said softly. “Just like I hoped it would.”
“It did more than that,” Alexander’s voice dropped lower. “It led me back to you.” Camille looked up, meeting his gaze. All the carefully constructed walls Victoria had helped her build, the strategic thinking, the emotional distance, the calculated moves, crumbled in that moment. Not because they were weak, but because she chose to lower them. For him. Only for him.
Her hand rose to touch his face, fingertips tracing the line of his jaw. “Alexander…”
He covered her hand with his, turning his face to press a kiss against her palm.
The gesture was so tender, so genuine, that Camille felt tears threatening.
“I thought I would never feel this again,” she whispered. “After Rose and Stefan… I thought that part of me was dead.”
“Nothing dies that completely,” Alexander murmured. “Not when the roots are strong.”
He leaned forward slowly, giving her time to pull away. But Camille didn’t want distance anymore. She closed the final space between them, her lips meeting his.
The kiss was nothing like the tentative, careful moments they had shared before. This was like coming home to a place she hadn’t known she missed. His arms encircled her, pulling her closer despite the awkward confines of the car. Her hands slid up to his shoulders, feeling the strength there, the subtle tremor that told her he was as affected as she was.
When they finally broke apart, Camille kept her eyes closed, savoring the moment. Alexander’s forehead rested against hers, their breath mingling.
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“I’ve wanted to do that since I saw you walk into that charity gala,” he admitted, his voice rough.
Camille smiled, her eyes opening to meet his. “Just since then?”
His answering smile held a hint of boyishness she’d never seen before. “Well, maybe longer. But I’m trying not to sound obsessive.”
She laughed, a real laugh that surprised her with its freedom. How long had it been since she’d laughed without calculation or strategy?
Alexander’s eyes darkened as he watched her, something almost reverent in his expression. “You’re extraordinary, Camille. Not because of Victoria’s training or your revenge or even your success. Because of who you are underneath all that, the woman with such compassion that she could change a stranger’s life forever with simple kindness.”
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