To avoid further damage to his ego, Camden made certain he went to bed before Elijah, and was showered and out of the room before he rose. It was a coward’s move, but God help him, he didn’t think he could swallow that kind of bitter rejection again. After yesterday morning’s fiasco, it was best if his mind and his dick were nowhere near Elijah Stephenson.
But are you really avoiding awkward moments with him, though?
It was hard to avoid someone when you couldn’t actually leave the house. But Camden would take his solace where he could, and sitting in this kitchen, sipping on his coffee while reading the newspaper was one of the precious few ways he had of removing himself from an embarrassing situation that only threatened to get worse every time he found himself tangled up in Elijah’s sheets.
Camden shook his head, refusing to let the thought of how warm and tantalizing the feel of Elijah’s body was against his take root. Instead, he focused on the loud smack of Emmanuel’s hand on the table.
Camden took another sip of his coffee and bristled. His taste buds still attempting to acclimate to the heaviness of the half-and-half in his morning beverage, he placed his coffee mug on the table, then folded the paper and focused on Emmanuel.
“Did you need something, Emmanuel?”
Elijah’s younger brother had a wide grin drawn across his face, coupled with a twinkling of excitement in his eyes. “Yeah, it’s Sunday. In the Stephenson household, when we’re all together on a Sunday, we play Spades. Why don’t you go on upstairs and get my brother so he can make us breakfast while the rest of us get this game started?”
Camden took a moment to look around before he leveled his gaze back at Emmanuel. “I see no one else here. Perhaps it’s still a bit too early for cards.”
Emmanuel leaned back in his chair and shook his head. “Nah.” The casual familiarity of his voice made Camden smile. This man had no clue who Camden was, but inside his brother’s home, he was comfortable and apparently had no intentions of letting Camden’s surprise appearance change that. “I heard Pops come in from his morning walk about twenty minutes ago. By my calculation, he and Mama should be down here in another ten minutes. My wife will follow close behind. My brother is the only holdout. I suspect you’re the reason he’s not lurking the halls at the crack of dawn anymore.”
Camden lifted a brow and let Emmanuel’s thoughts travel wherever he wanted them to without interruption or clarification from Camden. Too bad the reality was nowhere near as sordid as Emmanuel’s assumptions. If it was, there’d be no way in hell Camden would be up at this ungodly hour reading a paper, just to get out of Elijah’s way. No, he’d be snuggled next to the warm expanse of smooth, strong man he’d left upstairs.
“Well, since it’s your family tradition, I believe the responsibility falls to you to summon your brother?”
“You obviously don’t have siblings, Camden. No grown-ass man walks into the bedroom his brother has shared with a lover the night before. E and I are cool, tighter than any two brothers could be. But he ain’t trying to witness the aftermath of me banging all night, and neither am I.” Emmanuel folded his arms across his chest to punctuate his position on the matter. He wasn’t going. Camden let a tiny smile slip through. If only Emmanuel knew he had nothing to fear by walking into Elijah’s room.
Camden stood and quickly made his way up the stairs. He stopped, his instinct to knock on the door before he walked in. But then he suspected it would look strange for a man who was supposed to be Elijah’s lover to knock before entering the man’s bedroom.
He opened the door and stepped inside, closing the door behind him quickly. “Elijah, your brother—” Camden turned, not the least bit prepared for the vision before him: Elijah standing at the foot of the bed, naked, with a towel draped over his shoulder.
The instant dryness in his mouth forced Camden to swallow against the lump sitting at the bottom of his throat. Strong shoulders and arms coupled with perfectly carved muscles on his entire frame made Camden’s fingertips itch with need. The deep hue of smooth skin glistened from whatever moisturizer Elijah had previously applied. Camden closed his fists to keep from reaching out for a touch.
“My brother what?”
Camden heard the question, yet his brain couldn’t divert enough of his focus to form an answer. Why would it? When you stumbled upon such astonishing beauty, how could you think about trivial things like connecting words to impart meaning?
“Camden? You were about to say something about my brother? Is he being an asshole again?”
Elijah turned around, walking into his closet, gifting Camden with a perfect view of his toned ass before he disappeared inside. Camden used the moment to shake himself free of Elijah’s spell. It was obvious Elijah knew he was a walking wet dream. But knowing and expecting the man you’ve already told you’re not interested in to ogle you like a piece of meat was a different story.
When Elijah returned, he was thankfully covered in another pair of his favored sweatpants. The soft fabric hid enough of Elijah’s muscular form that Camden could at least form a coherent thought again.
“No, I mean, well, he is your brother.” Camden’s awkward response seemed to make Elijah smile. “It’s my observation he’s probably made a career out of being an asshole.”
Elijah pointed a finger at Camden as he said, “Hey, lay off my brother, man.” Camden might have believed he was serious if it wasn’t for the sincere smile pulling at Elijah’s full lips. “What’s Manny up to?”
“Your brother sent me to fetch you for a game of Spades.”
“Shit.” Elijah looked at his watch and quickly pulled the T-shirt he held in his hands over his head.
“I told Emmanuel I didn’t think you’d appreciate being woken this early for a card game.”
“Early?” The frown creasing Elijah’s brow made concern swell inside Camden. “Dude, it’s never too early for Spades.”
Elijah walked past Camden, his quick steps bringing him to the door in no time. “You’re really rushing downstairs to play a card game with your family?”
Elijah ran his fingers quickly through his locs before leveling a look mixed with equal parts frustration and disbelief. “Camden, Spades is not just a card game. Friendships and families have been destroyed by this game. For generations, my family has played this game. It’s a rite of passage. If you can’t play, you can’t be part of the clan.”
A hearty laugh rose out of Camden’s chest. He was certain Elijah would join him. He had to be joking. It was a card game, a popular one if he remembered correctly from his days in a frat house. But loss of friendship and family? Elijah couldn’t really mean that.
“Camden.” Elijah’s voice dropped to that “I’m not to be fucked with” tone. If the terse lines around the perimeter of his square jaw were any indication, Elijah was very serious. “We do not play when it comes to Spades.”
