Jimmy holds up his hand for a high five, and Camile slaps it after only a moment’s hesitation. “Ready to go again?” he asks.
“Hell yeah.”
I laugh at her enthusiasm. I could get used to this. We wait a few minutes until Tony whooshes into view. He slides to a stop and gets unhooked by the operator, then we crowd into the company’s van. I slide into a window seat and draw Camile onto the spot beside me. To my surprise, she rests her cheek against my shoulder and settles in. My chest clenches. Yeah, I could definitely get used to this.
“Want to get a drink together?” Jimmy asks from somewhere behind me. “All of us, I mean?”
Camile snickers, although I’m not sure why.
“Would you like that?” I can see my training buddies any day. I’d rather spend time with her, whether that’s at a bar or somewhere else.
“Sure.”
“Count me in,” Tony adds. “Although it’ll have to be non-alcoholic since I’m in fight camp.”
“Already?” Jimmy sounds surprised.
“No rest for the wicked.” Tony turns from the seat in front of us and winks at Camile. “I’mverywicked.”
“I just bet you are,” she murmurs.
I glare at him. He gives me a cocksure grin. He’s intentionally winding me up. Asshole. They unload us outside the building we took off from, but instead of going to find our cars, we walk down to the street to the nearest bar. The place is quiet since it’s midafternoon. A couple of guys are playing pool in the corner, but other than that, it’s empty. We order drinks—non-alcoholic for Tony and Enya—and gather around one of the bar leaners.
“What’s that?” I ask Camile, tipping my head toward her shot glass of amber liquid.
The corners of her mouth curve mischievously. “Whiskey.”
I laugh. “Of course it is.” Probably something she’s always wanted to order but never has. I raise my beer to her. “Bottoms up, princess.”
She gulps the whiskey down a little too enthusiastically and sputters. “It burns!”
Tony, on the other side of her, cracks up. “It’s whiskey. What’d you expect?”
She shakes her head but doesn’t say anything. Meanwhile, Enya leans over to sniff the empty glass. “Mm. I miss whiskey.”
Camile pulls a face. “You’re welcome to it. In the future, I’m sticking with wine or cocktails.” She stands. “In fact, I’m going to get something to wash that taste out of my mouth.” She heads for the bar, and I watch her go, scowling when one of the guys playing pool checks out her ass.
“Somebody is smitten,” Enya sings under her breath.
I don’t bother to deny it. “She’s pretty great.”
When Camile returns a few minutes later with a radioactive pink drink, Jimmy smirks and opens his mouth to comment, but I shut him down with a glare. If that’s what Camile wants, she should have it. Although, when she begins to loosen up and her touches become more frequent, I do have to wonder whether it was a good idea. She seems to find excuses to put her hands on me. Much as I love it, I’m having an awkward physical reaction and wish I could get her somewhere private. That doesn’t seem likely with the conversation flowing so naturally.
At first, Camile is more of an observer than a participant, but once she begins to feel comfortable, she joins in. I wrap my arms around her from behind and touch my cheek to hers. Her ass presses into my groin and I bury my face in her shoulder to muffle a groan. The woman doesn’t realize how sexy she is. If she doesn’t stop moving, she’s going to give me a publicly inappropriate boner. Tony chuckles as he notices my dilemma, but for once in his life, he doesn’t take advantage of the opportunity to play the joker. Instead, he makes a show of looking at his phone.
“I’ve got to get home.” He sends me a meaningful look.
“Me too.” I give Camile a little squeeze, hoping she’ll pick up on the message.
“Oh, uh, yeah. I have to go too.” Her words are breathless. “I have a thing.”
Enya cocks a brow. “A thing?”
“Uh-huh.” Her cheeks are rapidly turning pink. “A, um, big thing that I need to do.”
“A big thing, huh?” Tony smirks, and I’m torn between being embarrassed and thinking she’s the most adorable thing ever.
Reaching down, I thread my fingers through hers. “Let’s get you home.”
