For a moment, we just take each other in.
“Goddamn, you’re beautiful,” he says, his voice soft and husky.
“Hi,” I whisper.
“Hi,” he echoes.
“I thought you were at the restaurant.”
“I was.” His eyes trail down my body, and even in the hot water, my nipples pebble. “I thought you could use some help getting out of the bath.”
I bite my bottom lip, anticipation surging through my veins. “I could definitely use some help.”
“Did you need help washing too? Because I’d love to help with that as well.”
“Nope, already done.”
He grins, then reaches into the water and picks me up. He gives me a kiss that’s just long enough to leave me wanting more before he sets me carefully on the floor. He wraps a towel around me and then proceeds to dry me more thoroughly than I’ve ever been dried before. Every crevice is carefully tended to, and my body preens under his attention.
“So beautiful,” he whispers again, kissing my stomach. “So, so beautiful.” He kisses me lower.
I shiver, and he notices and straightens, then wraps the towel around me and tucks it in around my chest. He bends and picks me up, and I burrow into his neck and laugh.
“Everyone asleep?” he asks.
“I think they’re probably out cold.”
He opens the door, carefully looking both ways before stepping out. The hallway creaks as he starts walking, and he pauses for a second before tiptoeing the rest of the way. By the time we reach my bedroom, I’m barely holding back my laughter and Camden’s chest is moving with a silent laugh. The moon spills light across my room, and he pulls back the covers and lays me on the strip of light crossing the bed. I undo the towel, slide it out from under me, and toss it across the room.
His teeth flash white in the dim room, but he stands still for a moment, just looking at me. When I hold out my hand, he takes it and presses a kiss to my palm.
“I know you have an early morning, so I can let you sleep…but I’d really love to make you feel good first. I can be very quick,” he adds.
I hold his hand against my cheek, leaning into it.
“I’d love to make you feel good too,” I tell him.
He unbuttons his shirt and tosses it aside. Next are his pants and boxer briefs. My mouth waters when I see him stalking toward me. But his foot or knee hits the stack of books I keep next to the bed, and a small avalanche clatters to the floor.
We freeze, eyes wide, then clap our hands over our mouths as we fight back our laughter.
From down the hall, Papa Hector calls out, concerned. “Juju? Are you okay?”
I try to sound normal. “Yes, I’m okay, Papa!”
“Need some help?” Uncle Hal calls.
Camden and I laugh against each other.
“No thanks, you guys!” I say. I clear my throat because I sound like I’m crying, I’m laughing so hard. “Everything’s all right. Good night, Papa. Night, Uncle Hal.”
“All right. Night, sweetheart,” Papa says.
“Sleep tight,” Uncle Hal adds.
Camden crawls on the bed next to me and laughs in the pillow. It takes us a minute to get it out of our system. And then we face each other. He reaches out and traces a line from my neck down my chest, stopping to lightly circle my nipples. I reach out and trace his jaw with my thumb, and he turns to kiss it.
“Come here,” I whisper.
