The very idea made himnauseous.
Still, he turned to Cort and nodded once, firmly. “Fine, then. We’ll do this yourway.”
Cort blinked, almost as though he hadn’t expected Cam to agree, but he recovered and nodded smoothly. “Alright, good. That’s very...good.”
“I’ll have my assistant make the arrangements and email you about the dress code,” he said, grabbing Cort’s business card from the desk for the firsttime.
“Dress code,” Cort echoed. “Right.”
“We’ll leave on Friday afternoon, since the first cocktail reception is usually in the early evening.” He grabbed his phone and entered Cort’s contact information, making a note to have Margaret check the schedule of events for the party. “If you’re going to be my date, we’ll need a cover story. Who you are, all that sort of thing. You can email or text me whatever you come upwith.”
“I don’t text. Oremail.”
Cam glanced down at him. “You do if you’re going to be mydate.”
Now Cort scowled. “Can’t we talk on thephone?”
Cam snorted. “No. We’re not at that stage in our relationshipyet.”
“I’ve had your dick in my mouth,” Cort reminded himangrily.
“That was before I realized you were sucking me off for apurpose,Cort. You’re very dedicated to your job,” Cam sneered. “Your superiors must be soproud.”
Cort flushed and got to his feet, storming around the desk. “That had nothing to do withthis.”
“Oh, no? Well, I think you’d have to agree, as circumstantial evidence goes, it’s pretty freaking strong. What’s yourexpert opinionon that,AgentCortland?”
Cort crowded him against the window, and Cam’s hands flew to his sides as Cort crushed their chests together. “My expert opinion is… you need to be taught somemanners.”
Cam’s breath caught, his anger forgotten for a mere second under a tidal wave of lust.Yes, yes,yes!
“No,”he said, pushing Cort back a step. “This… thing,” he gestured between the two of them, “is not happening again. It’s non-negotiable.”
“This…thing,” Cort drawled. “Like when I ordered you to keep your hands against the wall, and sucked you off in a stairway? In a stairway whereanyone could have seen us,Cam, and you got off on it completely?Like me making you come so hard I can still taste you on my tongue? Isthatthe thing youmean?”
Cam ground his teeth together. “I mean Friday night’smomentary lapse in judgment, which is probably how I’m going to characterize my entire interaction withyou.”
Cort smiled, hands on his hips. “You say the sweetestthings.”
But Cam wouldn’t let him pass this off as a joke. His voice was controlled and deadly serious when he spoke. “Friday night, I thought you and I had something special. Obviously, I was deadwrong.”
Cam swallowed, his throat suddenly dry, as he watched Cort’s eyes track the motion. “I understand now that I was an idiot,” he whispered. “I knew better, and I fell for the delusion anyway. I won’t make excuses. I shared things,personalthings I had no business sharing. That wasmymistake. I own that. But I am not going to make the same mistake twice. I don’t know a thing about you, and I don’t want to, because I sure as hell am never going to trust you again. Do youunderstand?”
Cort blinked and his jaw worked. There would be no more commands, no moresubmission.
“I didn’t lie to you. I made sure I didn’t lie to you,” Cort told him, and it sounded shockingly like an apology, but it wasn’t goodenough.
“That’s tremendously comforting. You misled me, and I won’t pretend to understand why or what you thought you’d accomplish by getting me to have sex withyou—”
“I told you,” he interrupted gruffly. “Thatwasn’tpart of the plan. I got caught up in things just like youdid.”
Cam shook his head. How gullible did the man think he was, anyway? “And I toldyou,I don’t trust you. So, here’s how this is going to work. I agree to your stupid blackmail bullshit, and we are going to the damn party.” He swallowed down the bile rising in his throat at the thought. “You will be my date, I will take you to the island.” He paused. “Do you understand? Youwin. You got what you wanted from me - you made me look like an idiotandyou got me to agree. So you don’t need to con me anymore. Don’t pretend to be my friend or to have any interest in me beyond what I can do for you. In fact, for God’s sake, don’t talk to me atall.”
He stepped away from Cort - from the overwhelming heat and presence of the man - and walked to the other side of the office, throwing open thedoor.
“Margaret,” he called to his assistant. “Change ofplans.”
