He'd relaxed when the Ms. Green announced that they'd only be entertaining two more questions. But when the final speaker stepped up to the podium, his muscles tensed, and he was sure his heart had jumped up into his throat. Suddenly, his head felt as if it was spinning, and the simple act of breathing became a complicated chore.

Cammie.

"I'm Camilla Anthony, owner of Charming Home Design," she said with a sweet smile. But there was something savage in her pretty, chestnut-brown eyes. A look that indicated that she was here to rip his throat open and throw his carcass on the side of the road. "The homes your company has built are beautiful. They’re unbelievably luxurious and the craftsmanship is top notch."

"Thank you, Cam…I mean, Ms. Anthony," he said, with the wariness of a man waiting for the other shoe to drop and crush his skull. "We take great pride in our attention to detail and we don't cut corners."

"Duly noted." Those mesmerizing brown eyes sparkled. She stood taller. Her back arching slightly, revealing a little more of her impressive cleavage.

Little Cammie Anthony is all grown up.

They'd been friends as kids, before his world went to shit, courtesy of her father, Michael Anthony. She was sweet and funny. And she'd had an innocent crush on him. But he was four years older than her, so he'd seen her as more of an honorary little sister.

But his thoughts about the fine ass woman standing before him now were anything but platonic. They were lustful, bordering on straight up dirty.

Her rich, cinnamon brown skin practically glowed. She raked her fingers through her wild mane of shiny, bouncy curls that fell below her shoulders. Camilla sank her teeth into her full, pouty lower lip. And her impressive breasts, framed by her arms resting on the podium, seemed to demand his attention.

"Mr. Arrington?" Ms. Green stared at him with one eyebrow raised and a hand on her hip. "Ms. Anthony asked you a question."

"Right." Kai loosened his collar and widened his smile. "Please repeat your question, Ms. Anthony."

"How on earth do you expect people in this community to afford your luxury homes?" Her gaze bore into his.

"I realize that not everyone is in the market for a Cadillac, so-to-speak." He kept his tone light and made eye contact with some of the doubters in the crowd.

He was losing them again. Their arms were folded across their bodies and their scowls had returned.

"That's why we'll offer a variety of home layouts to accommodate different budgets and family sizes. And of course, if a family chooses not to go with a top-of-the-line trim package, our basic package will still give them a beautiful, well-made home."

"I've seen the base prices on your homes, Mr. Arrington. Most of them are well above what is affordable for the average Southlake Park resident."

"In addition to the homes we'll be building in this planned community, there will also be a small community of townhomes--"

"Those are priced out of range for many residents, too." She looked at him squarely, her voice passionate, but controlled.

A rising grumble started to spread throughout the room.

"Settle down, please." Ms. Green raised her hands as she looked around the room, then flashed him a worried look. "Let's give Mr. Arrington a chance to respond to your concerns."

Kai stood taller. He narrowed his gaze at Cammie.

He'd rejected her twenty-five years ago, ending their friendship. She'd obviously come here today to get her revenge by sabotaging his first proposed project in Southlake Park. The neighborhood where they'd both grown up.

"Will the homes in this proposed community be out of the price range of some residents?" Kai asked, then answered. "Yes. But will it add value to the community as a whole, including bringing more retail space, employment opportunities, and taxable income to the community? The answer is also a resounding yes."

"The retail space will include stores many residents can't afford to shop in. Those jobs will be minimum wage retail jobs. And the increased property taxes will negate any other perceived gains," Camilla countered coolly, as the crowd grew more vocal and restless. One corner of her mouth turned up in a barely-perceptible smirk. "What Southlake Park needs isn't more luxury McMansions, Mr. Arrington. It's beautiful, functional, affordable housing that pays homage to this community's rich history. Homes like the ones my company has restored throughout Southlake Park and communities just like it."

She folded her hands on the podium and tilted her head slightly. Her shiny curls spilled to one side. "I realize that it isn't as lucrative a path, Mr. Arrington. But I challenge you to do what's in the best interest of this community, not what's in your best interest. Thank you."

When she stepped away from the podium in her casual, but sexy little blue dress, the crowd erupted in thunderous applause. Even from the alderman and community leaders surrounding him.

He released an uneasy sigh and acknowledged Cammie with the jut of his chin as he joined in with an obligatory clap.

Ms. Green brought the meeting to a close, informing the crowd that they weren't prepared to make a decision on the mixed-use space today. Another town hall meeting would be scheduled to discuss the matter further. In the meantime, everyone's efforts should remain focused on current fundraising efforts, like the charity bachelor auction he'd been invited to participate in.

His heart sank. Until Camilla Anthony had stepped up to the podium with her speech, the committee had been putty in his hands. Still he forced a smile and hung around to answer questions and shake hands. But his gaze returned to Camilla again and again.

He watched from the corner of his eye as she flitted about the room, talking to community residents. Her warm brown skin glowed and her contagious smile practically lit the room. Even from a distance, there was something about her laugh that sent a shock of warmth through his body. He couldn't help thinking back to the afternoons they'd spent together in the offices of the construction company co-owned by their fathers who were once business partners and best friends.

"Well, everything seemed to be going fine until that Anthony woman came along." Ms. Green was suddenly beside him, her gaze cast in Cammie's direction, too. "But it's nothing we can't recover from. Your project will be a fine addition to Southlake Park. The residents will understand once they see those beautiful homes going up."

"I agree." He nodded, not bothering to tear his gaze away from his old friend who'd hugged a woman in the crowd and was now heading for the exit. "Thank you, Green, for your support. Would you excuse me?"

Kai trotted toward the door after Camilla.

He had zero interest in catching up with his old friend or reminiscing over the good old days. The days before everything went to shit and his entire life blew up, while hers went on as golden as ever. No, they needed to talk business.

This wasn't the first time since he'd returned to Chicago that Camilla Anthony had tried to undermine his company's plans.

Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.

But Kai hadn't pulled up stakes from North Carolina and returned to Chicago just to have Cammie Anthony run interference and undermine his goals. If she had a personal vendetta against him, they were going to hash this out today.