Risky Pleasures. Brenda Jackson

haul, although you know it really is. Vanessa won’t consider a long-term relationship with a man, but she might be interested in a short-term affair if she was in control and calling the shots.”

      Cameron shook his head. Most of the women he knew would jump at the chance of having a permanent relationship with him, given the size of his bank account. “So you think if I use that approach it will work?”

      “Yes. Try it and see. Let her assume it’s nothing more than a fling and when it’s over, you’ll go your way and she’ll go hers. Your job is to pull out the Cody charm and get her so taken with you that she won’t want to go anywhere.”

      Cameron rubbed his chin as he pondered Morgan’s advice. Then he said, “You do know this is your cousin’s fate you’re plotting, don’t you?”

      Morgan chuckled. “Yes, but my brothers and I trust you to do the right thing by her.”

      Cameron grinned. “Thanks for the vote of confidence.”

      “You’re welcome. But if I’m wrong, Cameron, you’ll have us to deal with. Understood?”

      “Yes, Morgan. I understand completely.”

      Sitting down at the kitchen table, Vanessa resigned herself to the inevitable, taking the time to read the article on Cameron. Helen had put away the items she’d picked up at the market and had placed Ebony on the table in full view.

      It didn’t help matters that Cameron’s picture—in living, vibrant color—was on the cover. Nor that the photographer’s close-up sent a fluttery feeling all through her insides and had blood rushing through her veins. Cameron had been caught in a rare moment with a smile curving the corners of his lips. She would rather not admit that he looked so sexy that she had stared at the cover for too long before turning it facedown.

      Vanessa sighed as she turned it faceup, and once again his picture sent tingly sensations all over her skin. One thing she’d discovered since that day three years ago was that Cameron was what fantasies were made of. She of all people should know, since he was a nightly invader into her dreams.

      Deciding to get it over with, she opened the magazine and immediately flipped to page thirty-nine. Ignoring another picture of him—this one showing him entering the doors of one of the many corporations he’d taken away from someone—she began reading.

      A short while later Vanessa pushed away from the table as she closed the magazine. Okay, she would be the first to admit it was a well-written article. As head of the public relations department at the Steele Corporation, she understood the importance of projecting a positive image, as well as a beneficial relationship with the public, and the article had definitely done that.

      It showed a side of Cameron few probably got to see—his compassionate side. His philanthropic actions included establishing numerous foundations to help those less fortunate. Most of them Vanessa hadn’t known about, but some, such as the Katrina Relief Fund, she was aware of; he had solicited her cousins’ involvement in that particular project. Under Cameron’s leadership and direction, several construction companies had rebuilt homes in New Orleans so the evacuees could return and reestablish their lives. According to the article, Cameron, acting as pilot, had gotten his private jet into the stricken city of New Orleans to provide aid and relief long before the federal government had arrived.

      One thing the article hadn’t focused on was how many companies Cody Enterprises had taken over in the past years, and how many people had lost their jobs because of those takeovers. There was no doubt in her mind that he was a man who liked being in total control, and he would handle any of his personal relationships the same way he handled his business.

      Even when kissing her earlier today, he hadn’t taken anything slowly. He had seen an opportunity and seized it. He had seen what he wanted and gone after it. With him there would be no compromise. It would be all or nothing, and only on his terms.

      She walked around the house, pulling down the blinds. When she walked into the living room she couldn’t help but stare at the roses. No doubt there was a purpose behind Cameron sending them. He probably assumed that this was the first step in breaking down her defenses, and that the next time he saw her she would be easier to bend his way. If that’s what he thought, he definitely had another think coming.

      She glanced out the window, realizing how much she’d missed spending any time on the beach today. Suddenly, the stubborn streak within her decided not to let Cameron’s presence keep her from enjoying her time here. Tomorrow she would get up, pack a lunch and spend the day on the beach. She’d meant what she’d said when she’d told Cameron she wanted to be left alone.

      Now she would see how good he was at following orders.