“That guy,” he muttered. “Fuck no. I wouldn’t touch him if he paid me to. Besides, some of us want someone to be there in the morning.”
Dawson barely blinked, and that was the funniest part of all, because he wasalwaysthere in the mornings. Soft and sweet and leaning up against Cam, hands warm from a mug of coffee, pressing a kiss to Cam’s neck, like he was saying without words,thank you for being here, thank you for being you, thank you for everything you do.
If Cam kept getting that version of Dawson, he was hardly in the position to even want more.
“Sure,” Dawson said casually. “That’s called being a friend.”
Dawson was not stupid, and Cam could fully admit to having a soft spot for the guy a mile wide—a crush and maybe even more, now that Dawson was in his bed and he was in Dawson’s—but he could be very stupid sometimes.
Right now was one of those times. But Cam wasn’t going to correct him.
“Oh yeah, right. Totally,” Cam agreed, shooting Dawson an approving grin.
Nate rolled his eyes. “And you wondered why I asked to begin with,” he muttered.
Cam would’ve known why he asked, but only if Nate was somehow creeping around their building, watching them while they were alone together.
“I’m sure there’s a guy out there for you,” Dawson said, and Cam elbowed him in the side. First off, Nate wasn’tthatoff the mark, and second off, the guy was clearly fucked up about Ramsey, and it wasn’t nice to be patronizing about it.
“Be nice,” Cam admonished.
“What?” Dawson squawked. “I was being supportive.”
“So was I,” Nate countered. “Making sure you know that if something was going on, it would be cool.”
“Well, thanks,” Dawson said. “If something happens, we’ll keep that in mind.”
His phone rang, and Dawson pulled it from his pocket, frowning at the screen. “It’s my lawyer. I gotta take this,” he said. Shot Cam a look. “See you later?” he said, in a way that made it crystal clear that thelaterwouldn’t be tomorrow, at breakfast, but later tonight, when he came to Cam’s room.
Dawson was out of earshot when Nate turned his attention back to Cam and raised an eyebrow. “Ifsomething was going on?”
Cam knew he’d realized what was up, but it was still hard to explain it. Especially to Nate, who was intimidating at the best of times.
“He’s just . . .the divorce and all,” Cam stammered.
Nate’s expression turned sympathetic. “He’s not fucking around with you, is he?”
“Not in the way you think. He’s not using me or anything. Or if he is, I’m using him right back—” Cam broke off, deciding he was doing an absolute shit job of explaining any of this. “He says it’s just a hookup, but he’s treating me like . . .like a . . .” He didn’t want to say it, but it was hard not to at least think it.He’s treating me like a boyfriend.
Cam wondered if he’d need to actually say it for Nate to get it but his expression made it clear that he’d filled in enough of the blanks himself.
“Don’t let him get away with that shit,” Nate said.
“Why not?” It was fine. It was more than fine. It didn’t matter what Dawson wanted to call it. Only that he kept wanting todoit.
“Listen, the guy’s been through it, sure, but you’re a good kid.”
Cam made a face.
“No, I mean that in the best possible way,” Nate said hurriedly. “A goodguy. He’s clearly fucked up from his whole . . .” He waved his hand around.Marriage. Divorce. Theft victim. Self-implosion.
“Yeah,” Cam agreed. “Which is why I’m not gonna worry about what he’s saying. Only what he’s doing.”
Nate didn’t look convinced. “Yeah, that seems like a bad idea.”
But how could it be a bad idea when it felt so damn good?
“Not so far,” Cam argued.
