Chapter 17: The Camp

Brandon Cornwall's POV

I can feel that my anger was seething, ready to blow out of my mouth if Barbara was much to say anything. But, luckily, she did not. She was quiet but I think it's the liquor influence in her bloodstream that she was not seeing things.

"Where are we going?" She asked quietly as some time has passed. I gripped the steering wheel even tighter.

"Away," I replied as she turned to look at me sharply. She was about to burst but I was ready to argue with her.

"Away? Where? I don't recall that you have authority over me," she said before I chuckled dryly.

"Really? As I recall, you are my wife, so act like one," I said as she hissed at me before she crossed her arms in front of her chest. That move alone stirred my cock at her sight. Her scandalous black dress. I gripped the steering even more as my knuckles were white.

"Stop gripping it, you will hurt yourself," she mumbled quietly but I heard it. God, I heard everything that she said to me. And so, like a fool, I did as she asked before she sighed with relief.

If I read that correctly, she was a relief because I was not in pain. I think that moment alone stirred something in my heart that I thought has died when…

Nope, I will not think of that. I have to concentrate on the road and perhaps, Barbara will fall asleep for I will not return her to her residence but the airport.

After some time, I heard soft snoring as I turned to look at her slowly where she was leaning against the door while she was asleep. Got she was tired and I forced her to be with me. I don't know if I was a good husband to her already.

Husband? What a laugh!

I will never be the perfect husband. Not like Alex, I imagined, that guy was sensitive while I was …well, opposite of sensitive, kind, caring and so on. I sighed before I stopped in front of the hangar of my private plane.

"Good evening, Mr. Cornwall," Sabrina greeted me as I was opening the passenger seat before I carried Barbara with me. She arched her eyebrow at me before I walked inside the plane as I was putting her inside my private cabin. I never have anyone in here but I felt like Barbara was made for this.

I laid her gently on the bed as she stirred in her sleep. I tucked her brown hair behind her ear as her face was close to me. I can sense that my hot breath was caressing her cheek. I need to control myself. I cannot lose myself. Not when everything was supposed to go according to my plan.

Get a bride.

Get the award.

Don't get attached.

"Thank you," I said before she smiled and Sabrina was taking her seat in front of me.

"So, let's get on to the business, shall we?" She said while smiled wickedly at me. I rolled my eyes as I put the glass down and I bore my ears for her lecture on the road to the camp that we have set up for the field trip.

Barbara Brown's POV

I was tossing and turning as my head was killing me. I know I should have to control my indulges of the beer but that butthead Adam just let me. I need to talk with him afterward. I tried to open my eyes as the light was streaming into my pupils and it hurt even more.

I groaned as I was tossing to my side before I was putting my hands to block the sunlight from entering my eyes. When I got used to it, I was opening the eyes slowly before I was blinking. I looked around me.

What the?

I was not in my room. I don't think my room was in the drapes of the yellow tarp. Thankfully, my back was not hurting as I was raking in my surroundings. I was on the bed, the fur that helped to keep my body from aching.

I was on the makeshift bed that we used to when we were on a field trip or camping. I don't even know that I was going camping before I looked at my clothing. I was not wearing my black dress but I was in a black tank top and I was wearing hiking pants.

Was I being kidnapped or what?

Then I heard something flapped and it was coming from my right. I turned to look who was it. It was a woman. She has fiery red hair and her eyes were green as emerald. I think I was being held captive in that gems of her eyes.

"Ah, you're finally awake," she said as she was carrying something on the tray. I can smell the delicious scent of breakfast with roasted beef, omelet, and some fruits. I also smelled of coffee.

My favorite.

I got out of bed as I was losing my balance. Since when I was not used to getting up on my own feet. I was barefoot and I can sense that I was standing on the sand. What the hell? Where was I and who was this woman?

"I don't think we formally met. My name is Sabrina Hayes. I'm Mr. Cornwall's secretary," she said as she as extending her hand to shake mine. I took it and I smiled at her.

"Nice to meet you, Miss Hayes,"

"Please, call me Sabrina," she said with a smile.

"Well then, I must insist you call me Barb then. Well, my name is Barbara but my friends call me Barb," I said as I was looking at her and smiling. She chuckled before she pointed to the tray that she just carried.

"Please. You need to eat before Mr. Cornwall will come in and check on you," she said as she was moving to the entrance of the camp, it seems.

"Can you tell me, where I was?" I asked as I was looking at her retreating figure. She turned to look at me before she smiled at me.

"I believe you can ask Mr. Cornwall, your husband, where you are," she said before she disappeared out into the world. The smell of the roasted beef was overwhelming me before I was taking no time to eat it. My stomach has been growling ever since I got out of the bed and I don't think I would finish the food by myself but I surprised myself, even more, these days.

Once I settled, I was resting on the rug that was to mean as a blanket over the sand. I don't know whose idea to let me sit when I was eating on the ground, but I don't care.

"I see that you are well-fed," the familiar voice was coming inside my eardrum as I was turning to look at the person that I was married to, unfortunately.

Brandon Cornwall, my husband.

I nodded at him before he stepped inside the camp. All of a sudden, I felt like I cannot breathe as his sandalwood scent was filling the air, overlaid with my blood orange's scent. It was enticing and sensual for all reasons and purposes.

"How are you feeling?" Brad asked me as he took a seat next to me on the blanket. I felt his body heat was greeting mine before I was shifting away a bit from him.

"It looks like you were ready to do some digging," he said as he was looking at me when I turned to look at him. Digging? What could he mean by that?

"What?" He asked as I was staring at me.

"Where are we?" I asked as he blinked at me.

"You don't know?"

"No,"

"Did Sabrina did not tell you? That woman," he said before I shook my head. He cursed under his breath before he stood up and he offered his hand to me.

"Come,"

"Where?" I asked before I followed him to the entrance of the tent. He flipped it opened and my mouth was agape.

No, it cannot be.

"Well, I hate to say this but welcome to the excavation site," Brad said as I stepped out of the tent and hot air was greeting my skin. The sun was harsh as I can see people were working to get the excavation to work.

To search for the new mineral.

"Where are we?"

"Hmm, it's hard to say. I would say we in Reno or something but I think we're not. I was hoping to tell you before we landed here but you were asleep, so—"

"You think it was appropriate to steal a woman and bring him to the campsite?" I asked him as anger was rising inside me.

"Well, I—"

"Unbelievable!" I exclaimed before I went out of his sight. I need to think and I don't think being here with him will do any good to me.

"Barbara!" He called after me but I just flipped him off as I was going away from him and I just noticed that I was barefoot.

Curse him!