That took Elena’s mood over the moon. The men she’d known back in Ross would’ve seen Tina as an obnoxious kid, but not Camden. “She’s like a little tape recorder sometimes, I swear. She’s thought non-stop about that sunset trick since you showed her and now she’s obsessed with the sun.” Elena gave Camden a soft and playful slug to the arm. “At least she’s off the chocolate milk coconuts now.”
He grabbed her hand. “Mea culpa.”
“She does that with stuff, gets obsessed. You know how kids are. She likes science. Nature science, specifically. I don’t know where she gets it. The only science I know is kitchen science.”
Camden draped his arm around her shoulders, making her feel warm and sheltered against the wind picking up off the ocean. “She gets it from her mama, who needs to give herself more credit for her brains.”
Heat infused Elena’s cheeks. “Now you’re spoilingme.”
He kissed the top of her head. “Not nearly enough. Yet.” He stopped her, turning her in his arms to face him. “You, Elena Martinez, are a wonder, in the kitchen…and out of it.” His gaze went from her eyes to her lips and back up, making Elena feel light-headed again. “Let’s get these two settled in back at your place. And then we can talk.”
Only talk? She found herself thinking, a little shocked by how much more she wanted.
Thirteen
Back at Elena’s apartment, Camden did what he could to help her get Tina ready for bed and school the next day, much to Elena’s protesting, insisting that he should just grab a beer and relax on the couch. But no way would he sit there on his ass while she did all the work. He did not want to fuck this up. He headed for the kitchen instead.
At one point when he was cutting the carrots he’d found in her fridge into sticks, she came out of the bathroom where Tina was in the tub, in search of a plastic boat the girl had left by the sink. She smiled sheepishly at Camden. “Sorry. Not the most romantic date you’ve even been on.”
His heart flipped at the word ‘date’ considering the last time they’d been out together, she’d denied that’s what they were doing, even if later she admitted that yes, she’d considered it a date.
“Hey.” He set the knife on the cutting board and pulled her in for a hug. He nuzzled into the top of her head, inhaling the sweet mint and vanilla of her hair and her salty skin underneath. “There is no place on earth I’d rather be right now. You have no idea how good this feels.”
“I think I do.” She squeezed his waist and sighed into his neck. He hadn’t realized how tense her body was until she relaxed into him. “It’s been a long time since I’ve had someone helping me like this. Besides at the safe house in Nebraska, where you were amazing.”
He tilted her chin up until he could gaze into her warm brown eyes. “You were the amazing one, keeping it together, taking care of Rachael. Of all of us. That was a lot of work and,” he fought down an old ghost, “I want you to know I appreciated it.” He ran his thumb across the smooth plane of her cheek and watched the color bloom in her rounded cheekbones. She closed her eyes, stood on her toes, and their lips met. God, how he’d wanted this.
“Mama! The boat!”
Elena stopped the kiss, groaned, and buried her face in his chest, her shoulders shaking with silent laughter. “So romantic.”
Camden picked up the red and yellow toy. “The mermaid requires her ship.”
“The mermaid requires some patience and manners.” Elena took the boat and walked backwards a few steps, fixing Camden with a look that said they’d be picking up right where they left off, before she turned and headed for the bathroom. “Patience, Pepita. Patience, patience, patience.”
Without warning, Camden found himself swallowing past a lump in his throat, his mood threatening to darken as it had so many times in the past five years. Years that should have played out just like tonight. When he’d told Elena this was what he wanted, he’d meant not just the kiss, but every damn thing. Cutting up carrots while he listened to a beautiful woman and her daughter singing in the bathroom. Packing a lunch for someone other than himself. Kissing Tina’s forehead when they tucked her in for the night (he hoped they’d include him). And then sitting down with Elena curled up on his lap to hear about her day and to tell her about his. A normal, everyday, sharedlife. Something he’d never appreciated until it was too late.
Except, he didn’t want to talk about today. He rubbed the tight spot on his forehead between his eyes. He didn’t want to know how involved Elena was with Cici, and God forbid, Lawrence. And there was so much he couldn’t tell her about the assignment. To keep Elena and Tina safe, he’d have to figure out a way to walk that fine line.
Or, he could spend the evening telling her about his past instead, which would be about as pleasant as a root canal without Novocaine.Fuck.
By the time Elena had Tina clean and dry and in her pajamas, Camden had made both mother and daughter lunches. Way too many vegetables for his taste, but thank God she didn’t make anything with lentils—Camden’s mom had served them at nearly every meal growing up and he couldn’t even stand the smell of them now. But Elena’s homemade dips that went with the veggies would taste pretty fucking fine slathered on a burger.
He put the insulated bags in the fridge and walked to the living room instead of Tina’s bedroom where he heard the little girl’s non-stop excited chatter and Elena’s soothing tones. He didn’t want to presume that they’d want him there. Tina ran out of the bedroom with Elena in tow. “Camden, can you tuck me in, too? And can Toby sleep in my room and keep the monsters away?”
The tiny smile and hopeful look in Elena’s eyes, the nod of assent, lifted him right out of his darkening mood and made his heart pound.
“Whatever you want, Mermaid.”
He scooped Tina up in one arm, and when Elena turned, he placed his other hand on the small of her back as they walked to Tina’s bedroom. Toby had already stationed himself on the foot of Tina’s bed, just like he had at the safehouse. Nobody was gonna touch a hair on his girl’s head, not on his watch. Camden gave the dog a scratch on the ears as Tina climbed into bed and Elena pulled up her covers.
“Goodnight, Pepita.” Elena kissed Tina and then it was Camden’s turn. He ran a hand over the top of the girl’s head and kissed her forehead. “Night, Mermaid.” He stood and gave Toby one last scratch. “Keep the monsters away, marine. That’s an order.”
Elena clicked on a nightlight and closed Tina’s door behind her. They went to the couch and Camden pulled Elena into his lap, just as he’d wanted to do all evening.
“The new furniture looks nice,” he told her.
“Thanks. It was fun shopping for it. Oh.” She started to get up. “Can I get you a beer?”
