“Uh, yeah, well, for a good reason,” Cam said, surprising himself again, by not being as tough on Dawson as he really should’ve been.
Dawson reached over and smacked him on the side.
“Ow,” Cam said reflexively, even though it didn’t really hurt. Burned a little, but more from the fact that it was Dawson’s hand touching him on bare skin.
Despite how many times he told himself to not think it, Dawsonwasa hot guy.
“You don’t need to be so nice to me,” Dawson said.
“Why not?” But Cam knew exactly why not.Because you don’t deserve it.
“Because I don’t deserve it.” Dawson’s tone was morose. Which was exactly why Cam had held back.
“You’ve been going through a lot of shit,” Cam argued.
“Rook, I appreciate the defense. Trust me, I do. But I really don’t deserve it. I’ve been . . .” Dawson swallowed hard, and even though Cam was trying to ignore it, his eyes followed his Adam’s apple as it bobbed—tan and smooth. “I’ve been sort of shit to you.”
“Not that shit,” Cam said loyally.
Dawson shot him a look.
“Okay, kind of shit,” Cam corrected gently. “But you had good reason. And everyone’s been sort of distracted, so that makes sense. I get why. It just . . .”It just sucks that everyone forgot about me.
Dawson straight up put his hand right on Cam’s bare thigh. He’d never thought his swim trunks were short or long, or really hadanythoughts about their length, but now he was praising every deity out there that he’d made sure there was a good amount of bare thigh showing.
A good amount of bare thigh that Dawson could touch any dang time he wanted.
Even if he didn’t mean itthatway.
“Wait,” Dawson said, “what are you talking about?”
“Um, whatyouwere talking about?”
Dawson let go of his thigh. Cam didn’t let himself cry about it—hedidn’t. He was just being a good bro, a good teammate. That was all. “Are you telling me that nobody’s been making sure you’re good?”
“I wouldn’t saynobody,” Cameron said, so he didn’t have to say who exactlyhadbeen watching out for him.
“Then who? ’Cause it sure as fuck hasn’t been me. I’ve been . . .well, you know. Distracted. Messed up.”
“Exactly.” Cam nodded enthusiastically, hoping that would be the end of it.
“Rook, don’t fucking change the subject.” Dawson’s tone had gone stern, and a thrill shouldn’t have shot down his spine when Cam heard it, but well . . .he was only human, right? And his dick had already established, unequivocally, that Dawson was a hot guy.
“Sorry.”
“Marty told me I was being a self-centered ass, but I didn’t want to believe him.” Dawson said it like he wasn’t even saying it to Cam—more like he was lecturing himself.
“I wouldn’t call you entirely a self-centered ass,” Cam offered.
“Well, I’m sorry, anyway.” Dawson let out a hard breath. “Forgive me?”
Like Cam was ever going to get that tilted smirk-smile of Dawson’s and not fall for it. “Sure. Of course.”
“I’ll do better,” Dawson said.
Cam wondered what that would look like, but before he could ask, Dawson opened his mouth again. “Whathaveyou been up to?”
“What do you mean?”
