“Holy crap, Cam, what have you done?”

She whirled around to see him standing there, a smug smile of satisfaction on his face.

“Would you like to go in and see if the rest meets with your approval?”

He held up the keys, dangling them in front of her like the proverbial carrot before the donkey.

“Oh, my God, yes!”

She snatched the keys from him and hurried to unlock the door. She nearly squeaked her delight when a bell above the door jingled, signaling her entrance.

The inside was beautiful. The walls had even been decorated with pictures of cupcakes. Cupcakes everywhere. How could he have possibly known what suited her so well?

“Ashley helped,” Cam said, as if reading her mind.

“I can’t believe you did this,” she whispered.

He gestured toward the doorway to the back. “Better go check out your kitchen and see if it passes inspection.”

She let her hand slide along the countertop as she rounded the end. She could so see herself inside this place. Could practically smell the mouthwatering delicacies she’d prepare.

She burst into the kitchen and came to an abrupt halt as she took in the perfection before her.

Lining the surfaces of the countertops were rows and rows of top-of-the-line appliances. There were multiple stainless-steel ovens, two huge refrigerators and a huge freezer in the back.

Everything she could possibly want or need was right here. In her kitchen. In her shop.

Her knees wobbled. The practical part of her knew she should refuse all of it. She couldn’t afford any of it. She shuddered to even think of what the lease cost. She hadn’t even inquired about this property because she knew it was out of her reach.

The other part of her chafed at refusing such a generous gift. Cam had put a lot of time and effort into giving her the perfect place to work. She would be the biggest bitch in the world if she threw it back in his face.

“Do you like it?”

Her chest caved in at the thread of insecurity in his voice. There was no way she was refusing his gesture. No way she’d put them solidly back to square one again. If he was so willing to try, then she’d damn well do the same.

“Like it?” she choked out. “Oh, my God, Cam, I love it!”

For the second time, she threw herself into his arms and hugged him with all her strength. He took a step back to steady himself and laughed as she wrapped herself around him.

She closed her eyes as relief poured through her. This was the answer to all her problems. She could start work immediately, or at least as soon as she got all the red tape taken care of. But permits and the like were the easy part.

“I’ll make this a success,” she said fiercely. “I won’t let your investment go to waste.”

Carefully, he extricated himself from her hold and then palmed her shoulders as he stared into her eyes.

“This isn’t a damn investment. It’s a gift. I’ve prepaid the rent for two years. Plenty of time for you to get on your feet and start realizing a profit.”

“I can’t believe you did this for me,” she said quietly. “After the way I’ve been acting. I don’t know how to thank you. You can’t possibly know how much stress this takes off me.”

He sent her an admonishing look. “This gift does come with strings. You’ll give me two promises. One, you’ll stop avoiding me so we can work together on the issue of your pregnancy. Two, you’ll hire enough employees that you won’t be spreading yourself too thin.”

A helpless smile worked over her mouth. He was too cute when he was all stern and forbidding. “I promise.” With the money she wouldn’t be spending on a lease, she’d be able to afford to hire actual employees!

He hesitated a moment, his hands sliding down her arms in the gentlest of caresses. “I may not be able to give you what you want or deserve, Pippa, but what I can give you is yours without reservation. You carry my child and I’ll do anything at all to keep the both of you safe and happy.”

How easy it would be to love this man who swore he had no love to give. He seemed so determined to keep her at arm’s length and yet he exhibited caring at every turn.

Unable to resist, she moved into the circle of his arms, leaned up and pressed a kiss to those firm lips. His breath caught and held, his body going tense against hers. No matter what he said, he wanted her. But she refused to use that attraction against him.

“Thank you,” she said again, before slipping away.

He made a grab for her hand, catching only her fingertips as she stepped back. “Let’s go eat dinner. We have a lot to catch up on and I’d love to hear your plans for the shop.”

It was an offer of friendship, one that warmed her even as it left her bereft on the inside. They could have so much more. She ached for more. But it was something at least.

Maybe all she’d ever have from him at all.

She smiled up at him and squeezed his hand, lacing her fingers more tightly with his. “I’d like that.”

Ten

The next morning when Pippa left her apartment, she noticed a car parked directly in front of her walkway and a driver leaning against the passenger door. As soon as he saw her, he straightened and reached to open the door to the backseat.

“Miss Laingley?” the driver queried. “Mr. Hollingsworth wishes me to drive you to your shop and anywhere else you need to go during the day.”

Pippa blew out her breath in a sigh. Okay, this was taking things a bit too far. She’d allowed him to give her the shop. She hadn’t wanted to be ungrateful. But providing her a car and driver when she had only a few blocks to go?

As if sensing her hesitation, the driver dug his cell phone out of his pocket and hastily punched a button. Then he thrust it in her direction. She stared back in puzzlement as he closed the distance between them, holding the phone out to her.

“He said to call him if it looked as though you’d refuse,” the driver explained.

As she took the phone, she heard Cam’s deep voice over the line. She put it to her ear.

“Take the car, Pippa. It’s cold, the sidewalks are slippery and it’s supposed to snow later today.”

She smiled in spite of herself. There was something about his gruff concern that was endearing. “Cam, you can’t keep doing things like this.”

“Can’t I? I thought we came to an agreement last night. Are you already calling off our truce?”

Oh, the man was slick. How neatly he turned this back on her. By refusing, she was the bad guy and he was only trying to provide for the mother of his child.

“Oh, all right,” she muttered. “But, Cam, quit it. No more. You’ve already done way too much.”

His amusement was readily evident as he replied, “I believe that’s for me to decide.”

He rang off and she was left standing there holding the phone while the driver waited expectantly for her to get in.

Grumbling about hardheaded males, she ducked inside the car and waited for the driver to walk back around to his side. When he got in, he thrust a business card over the seat.

“This is my cell number,” he said. “Any time you need to go anywhere at all, no matter the distance, you’re to call me. Mr. Hollingsworth’s orders were quite explicit. He doesn’t want you out in the cold on the sidewalks. Weather’s supposed to get nasty.”

She glanced at the card and saw that the driver’s name was John. She shook her head but leaned back as they pulled away. “Okay, John. I’ll be a good girl. Somehow I also think you have orders to rat me out if I don’t use your services.”

He had the grace to blush as he glanced in the rearview mirror. “Yes, ma’am, I do. Sorry, but Mr. Hollingsworth pays my wages so I answer to him.”

She chuckled. “Far be it for me to be responsible for you losing your job. I promise to call when I need a ride.”

He nodded his approval, then refocused his attention on the traffic.

It had begun to sleet, and she was suddenly really glad she wasn’t out in it.

A few minutes later, he stopped in front of her shop and hurried out to open her door for her.

“Remember to call when you’re ready to leave,” he urged as he handed her onto the sidewalk.

She waved and made a dash to the door. To her surprise, it was unlocked. Had she been a complete idiot the day before and not locked back up when she and Cam had left? She groaned, wondering if she even had any of those lovely appliances left.

She pushed open the door, hit the light switch and then jumped two feet into the air when all her girlfriends popped up from behind the counter and shouted, “Surprise!”

She let out a shriek, dropped her keys and then staggered sideways, her hand flying to her chest to calm the rapid uptick in her pulse.

“Oh, my God, you guys scared me!”

Ashley, Tabitha, Carly and Sylvia hurried around the counter and immediately surrounded her, hugging and fussing over her.

Carly squeezed her in a huge hug. “We’re sorry. We just wanted to help you celebrate the new place!”

Pippa stepped back and stared into her friends’ excited faces. “How did you even know? And how on earth did you get in?”

Ashley smiled. “Cam called me. He thought you might like a surprise. He dropped a key by the house early this morning.”

“The place is awesome, Pip!” Tabitha exclaimed. “I can so totally see your customers out here sitting and enjoying your yummy treats.”

An insistent honk interrupted the women’s celebration. At first Pippa wrote it off as normal street traffic, but the horn kept blaring and the women turned, frowns on their faces.

A young man, who couldn’t be more than twenty, stood outside the door waving frantically to them.

“What the heck?” Pippa murmured.

“Be careful, Pip!” Sylvia cautioned when Pippa went toward the door.

The women crowded around as she opened the door to stare out.

The guy grinned, then gestured toward the street.

“Oh, my God,” Carly breathed.

Pippa stared in shock at the brightly decorated delivery van parked in front of her shop.

It was perfect. Absolutely perfect. How on earth could Cam have pulled this off?

Just as with her store sign, Pippa’s Place was splashed in hot pink across the side of the white van. There were lavender, yellow and orange flowers surrounding the lime-green tagline: Catering Done Your Way.

“Here are the keys,” the guy said with a grin as he held them out to her.

She held out her palm, tears filling her eyes as she stared in astonishment at her delivery van. It was too much.

Her friends crowded in behind her, hugging and squeezing her as they squealed in excitement.

“Let’s go for a ride!” Tabitha suggested.

Sylvia’s eyes lit up. “Ohhh, let’s do it!”

“Don’t you have to have a commercial license or something?” Pippa asked. “Or any license at all?” she added with a laugh.

Ashley chuckled. “How would I know? I think you’re supposed to hire someone to drive it for you, but hey, we should totally try it out.”

Pippa grinned, excitement overtaking her. “Okay, let’s do it. Last one in is a rotten egg.”

Laughing like hyenas, the women ran to the van, oohing and aahing as they jumped in.

Pippa climbed into the driver’s seat and inserted the key into the ignition. Before she cranked the engine, she turned and shot them all pointed glances. “If any of you rats me out to Cam, I’ll murder you. That means you, Ash. He’d have a cow if he knew I was driving around the city without a license. I’d have to endure endless lectures on safety and God only knows what else.”

Ash blinked innocently. “Who’s Cam?”

“Let’s go, Pip!” Sylvia said from the seat next to Pippa.

Pippa started the van and then carefully pulled into traffic.

“Turn on the radio,” Carly called from the back. “Put something good on.”

“I’ll do the radio. You drive,” Sylvia said as she leaned forward.

Soon the van streaked along the streets of the city, the radio blaring as the women laughed and sang along. Okay, so this was the most fun Pippa’d had in longer than she could remember. This pregnancy thing wasn’t so bad. Nothing had changed. Except for the fact she was going to be a mother.

But she still had good friends. Her career was finally going places. And some of the worry was gone.

She had Cam to thank.

Cam, who swore he couldn’t give her a damn thing. Cam, who swore he didn’t do commitment, wouldn’t call and only wanted sex. She nearly snorted. He sure didn’t act like a man who wanted to distance himself.

“Let’s drive to Oscar’s for lunch,” Tabitha said. “My treat today. Then we can head back to your shop after and make cupcakes.”

Pippa grinned. It sounded like a perfectly wonderful plan to her.

* * *

She LOVED it. You did good, Cam.

Cam read the text from Ashley and smiled despite himself before sliding his phone back into his pocket. He felt a pang as he imagined Pippa’s eyes lighting up when she saw the van. He could well picture how beautiful her smile was and how radiant she looked now that she was pregnant.

He curled his hand into a tight fist, then rubbed it over his chest in an attempt to dispel the uncomfortable sensation.

But it wasn’t something he could wipe away any more than he could wipe Pippa from his thoughts. He was consumed with her every waking moment and there wasn’t a damn thing he could do about it.

Eleven

Pippa stood on her stoop until she saw Cam’s car coming down the street. Then she hurried to the curb to wait as it came to a stop.