“I can cook that,” she offered.
He was spreading butter on both sides of the bread she’d brought. Okay, so he knew how to make a grilled cheese.
“Let me do it,” he told her. “Come hang out with me.” He patted the counter like it was a chair, so she obliged.
Moira sidled up to the counter, and without hesitation, Cam reached to her hips and gently lifted her up, settling her on the counter near the stove.
“Do you keep toiletries in your bathroom for your guests?”
He was shirtless, clad in a gray pair of boxer briefs and nothing else. His muscles were rippling with every moment. “My guests? There’s a bathroom in the office.”
“You know what I mean.”
He flashed her a confused look, then returned to slicing cheese for the sandwiches. “My nephew, Nathaniel, stays the night sometimes. He has a set-up here. My sister goes on dates sometimes, and when she does, Nathaniel stays here and hangs out with me.”
“I mean for women,” she said awkwardly.
“Ooooh,” he said, his soft brown eyes filling with understanding. “You’re asking if I keep toothbrushes here for women I spend time with?”
“Yeah.”
“Do you want a toothbrush? You can use mine. Or I might have an extra if I dig around.”
“You didn’t answer my question.”
Cam inhaled deeply and set the knife down, settled himself in between her knees and rested his hands on her thighs. “What is this?”
She shrugged.
“Is it second-guessing what we did?”
“I just want to know how to do this, I guess.”
“You did just fine.”
“I mean if I want to do this back at home, how do I go about it? Do I keep toothbrushes for the men I sleep with?” Yeah, she said it for a reaction. No, she didn’t really plan on having a revolving door of men visit her home. This was a one-time gig for her. Cam didn’t need to know that though.
His brown eyes turned gold just before he looked away. “Sure,” he said. “Do that if you want.”
There was a grit to his voice, and she regretted saying what she had said.
“So, you don’t have extra toothbrushes for wom—”
He yanked her off the counter and folded her into his arms, stormed to the bathroom and set her onto her feet, opened all three drawers of his bathroom, and the cabinet underneath. He gestured to it. “Have at it. I already told you to make yourself at home here while I was gone. I didn’t have any restraints on it. You could’ve gone through my entire damn house if you wanted to. You won’t find pads, or make-up remover, or extra toiletries or shampoos or hairbands, or any of that shit. I know what this is,” he gritted out, eyes fiery.
“Oh yeah? What is it?” she asked primly, lifting her chin higher into the air.
“You making a stranger pay for what your ex did. I’m not doing anything wrong.” He held her gaze for a moment more,and then made his way back to the kitchen, leaving her there to crumple back against the wall near the drawers.
He was right. God, what an annoying man. He was smart. Maybe too smart. She was at risk here, the longer she stayed. He was starting to understand her, and a man who understood a woman like her could gain the power to manage her. Moira didn’t want to be managed. Not ever.
She closed the drawers and the cabinet without looking inside. She’d heard the truth in his voice. She would find no trace of his other conquests here, just like his next conquest would never find a trace of her.
And this was the game, right? This was what she’d signed up for. She’d known from the second she stepped onto that shuttle to come here with the intention of seducing him…he would owe her nothing. Not ever. She had no right to accuse or question or even to be curious. Cam was right. He was essentially a stranger, and she was making him pay for the distrust Erik had instilled into her.
“Are you going to enjoy lunch?” he asked as Moira returned to the kitchen, his muscular back to her as he heated the grilled cheeses on a griddle. “Or are you going to pick me apart some more?”
“I was thinking of picking you apart more,” she admitted.
