Case of Desire. Jacquelin Thomas

was extreme is certainly not true.”

      “His family is one of the richest families in all of Virginia.”

      “And the hospital’s most generous benefactor,” Camille interjected. “The fact remains that there was sufficient grounds to terminate Terrence, and with Maxwell Wade representing the hospital, I’m sure he’ll sort out the whole mess.”

      Camille got up to walk Jaclyn out of her office.

      “So what do you think of Maxwell Wade?” Jaclyn inquired.

      Camille met her friend’s gaze. “I think he’s arrogant, but maybe this is why he’s so good at his job.”

      “He’s nice-looking, don’t you think?”

      “Jaclyn, why are you asking me about him? The one you should be talking to is your former roommate. She’s already put her claim on him.”

      “He’s not Isabelle’s type,” Jaclyn responded.

      “I’m pretty sure she’d disagree with you,” Camille stated. “Anyway, your focus should be on Dr. Lucien De Winter.”

      Jaclyn smiled. “He has all of my attention, I assure you.”

      Camille was happy that her friend had found a wonderful man who loved her as much as she loved him. As for herself, she enjoyed her life as a single woman, but she was willing to settle down if and when the right man came along.

       Chapter 2

      Dr. Thomas Bradshaw and his new wife, Lia, mingled with their guests during the reception held in their honor. The couple had eloped, surprising everyone, including Camille. Lia radiated happiness as her husband embraced her lovingly.

      Camille moved around the room, pausing to chat with friends and coworkers.

      She walked over to where Lucien and his fiancée Jaclyn stood. “How come you two aren’t out there dancing?”

      “Every time we head out there, Lucien gets sidetracked by one of the board members,” Jaclyn stated.

      Lucien embraced her. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. When the next song plays, I’m all yours.”

      “What about you, Camille?” Jaclyn asked. “Why aren’t you out there dancing?”

      “My imaginary date is shy,” she responded with a laugh.

      They were soon joined by Tamara St. John and her fiancé, Victor Aguilar; both were interns at Hopewell General. Camille talked with them for a moment before moving on.

      She caught sight of Maxwell standing with Ray a few feet away. Her breath caught in her throat at the sight of him in the black suit that looked as if it had been designed just for him. It was obvious why he had so many women fawning over him. Camille couldn’t deny that Maxwell was a very handsome man.

      Her eyes traveled across the room to where Isabelle stood with a couple of her friends. Camille noted that she had been watching Maxwell along with half of the other women at the reception.

      “Camille, why are you over here in this corner?” Jerome asked, approaching her. “Wallflower definitely does not look good on you.”

      His words cut into her thoughts of Maxwell.

      She laughed. “Jerome, I’m not trying to be a wallflower.”

      He set his drink on a nearby table and grabbed her by the hand. “C’mon, let’s dance then.”

      “What about your date?” Camille inquired. “You know that I don’t do drama.”

      “She’ll be all right. I told Julie that you were like a little sister to me. Besides, she’s not the jealous type.”

      Camille loved to dance, so as soon as she heard the music, her body began to sway.

      She and Jerome danced to two songs before his date joined them. Camille stayed on the floor for one more song, and then said, “Okay, I need to get something to drink.”

      “You’re leaving?” Jerome asked. “I was about to drop it like it’s hot.”

      She laughed. “I’ll leave that to you and Julie.”

      Camille made her way over to the bar.

      Someone walked up behind her.

      “Hello, Camille.”

      She turned around. “Maxwell, it’s nice to see you,” she managed casually. Camille could hear her heart pounding loudly over the music. His nearness had an arousing effect on her. “I hope you’re having a good time.”

      “I am,” he responded in a deep baritone voice.

      A new and unexpected warmth surged through her as he looked at her. The richness of his tone made Camille weak at the knees. She supported her weight by placing a hand on the edge of the bar.

      She could feel Maxwell’s eyes still observing her. His gaze was intense and penetrating, almost as if he could see right through her. Camille chewed nervously on her bottom lip.

      Jerome walked by and uttered, “Stop biting your lip.”

      Embarrassed, Camille gave him a playful jab in the ribs. She prayed that Maxwell hadn’t heard him.

      Her prayer went unanswered when Maxwell smiled at her, and then asked, “Do I make you nervous, Camille?”

      “No,” she responded quickly. “Why would you think that?”

      Camille couldn’t stand his arrogance. Did he actually believe that her actions were because of him?

      “Most people bite their lips when anxious or nervous.”

      Camille gestured to the dance floor. “Why aren’t you out there?” She wanted to take the attention off of herself.

      “That’s one of the reasons I walked over here,” Maxwell responded. “I came over to ask you to dance with me.”

      She caught sight of Isabelle standing a few yards away and was about to refuse, but he said, “I saw you out there with your coworker. You have some really nice moves. I thought maybe you could teach me a few.”

      She folded her arms across her chest. “Okay, now you’re just teasing me.”

      He gave her a beautiful smile. “I’m serious. Come, let’s have some fun.”

      Why not? “Sure.”

      They slowly made their way to the middle of the dance floor.

      She wasn’t surprised to find that Maxwell was a wonderful dancer. Camille smiled as she showed off her best moves, wanting to prove that he wasn’t the only one with skills.

      “You enjoy dancing, don’t you?”

      Smiling, she nodded. “You look like you love it as well.”

      “I’m going to tell you a secret.” He leaned forward and whispered in her ear. His words made her grin.

      Later when they walked off the dance floor, Camille couldn’t resist asking, “Were you serious about wanting to dance professionally?”

      Maxwell nodded. “It used to be a dream of mine, but my parents insisted that I find a real profession. They didn’t believe that dancing would pay the bills.”

      “Is that why you became a lawyer?”

      He nodded. “My parents and grandfather are all lawyers, so I felt that I should carry on the family tradition.”

      “Being a lawyer has served you well, wouldn’t you say?” Camille questioned. Maxwell was one of the top litigation attorneys in the country. He was licensed to practice in California, New York, D.C., Virginia and Georgia.

      He smiled. “I can’t complain.”

      She