Cam releases her, then places his hand on the small of my back and rubs circles with such delicacy I shiver. “Are you okay now?”
My lips tremble, but I smile and nod.
“Where are you two going tonight?” She inquires, doing her best to clear the air.
“It’s a surprise,” he croons.
“You don’t know yet, do you?” I call his bullshit.
“Nope.” He closes the last few inches of space between us and brushes his cheek against mine. His breath is hot in my ear when he whispers, “But I promise to make it worthwhile.”
“I heard that!” Claire gags at her brother’s comment. “I’ll be going now. It was lovely to meet you, Joey.” She hugs me once more and lingers for a moment. “Give him a chance.”
When she pulls away, she jogs up the stairs with a backward wave and a “good to have you back, big bro.”
When she’s out of earshot, I throw my hands over my face. “That was definitely not a great first impression.”
Pulling my hands down, Cam intertwines his fingers with mine. “I hate that you thought she was someone else. I would never.” Still holding tight to me, he brushes his fingers against my hip. “I’m a one-woman kind of guy and…” He ducks his head. And if I’m not mistaken, his cheeks go the slightest shade of pink.
Oh, wow. Are we having the “exclusive” talk already? Here? Right now? Wehavebeen sleeping together. Our friends-with-benefits relationship was my idea and was only supposed to last on the island. But now?
A muscle clenches along his jaw, and I push back the lock of hair that’s fallen across his forehead.
“I’m not seeing anyone else,” I confirm.
His posture slackens. “Good. Because I don’t want to sharethese”—he pulls a scrap of lace from his pocket and dangles it between us like a pocket watch—“with anyone.”
My cheeks rush with heat. “Have you lost your damn mind?” Yanking the black lace that got lodged in his sheets last night, I panic-stuff them down the front of my dress, between my breasts, giggling the whole time.
Cam tucks a strand of hair behind my ear. “Come on, gorgeous.” He grabs the strap of my laptop case and guides me down the stairs with a hand at my back. “Since I’m here now, let’s take an Uber. We’ll have to drop your stuff and run if we want to make our reservation on time.”
“But I thought you didn’t have a plan.”
He pulls up his ride-share app as we wander to the end of the block. “If I told my sister where we were going, her crazy ass would follow us there.”
“Clever boy,” I laugh.
When we step through my apartment door, I’m acutely aware that this is the first time Cam has entered my personal space. I mean, myphysicalpersonal space. Dang it. I mean my apartment.
“Do you want anything to drink?” I offer, tucking my laptop below the television in its designated resting spot.
He shakes his head, taking in the open kitchen to the left before he joins me in the main living space. A basket full of folded laundry sits on the sofa. I could kiss Millie for taking care of my least favorite chore. I remove my thong from my cleavage and toss it onto the pile.
The heat radiating off Cam hits my back before his breathwafts over my ear. Then he’s looping his arms around my waist. “Where do you sleep?”
“Here,” I squeak, motioning to the sofa before us, positive he can feel the pounding of my heart against my ribs.
He releases me and plops onto the gray sofa, swiveling his hips for emphasis. “Does it fold open to a bed?”
I nod.
“That’s cool,” he murmurs, though the sentiment falls flat.
I’m right there with you, buddy. I’d love to have my own room, let alone a real bed, but that’s not in the cards for me right now.
Cam stretches his arms across the back of the sofa and spreads his legs wide. He looks like a fucking GQ model. The temptation to crawl on my knees between his legs is as strong as a magnetic force. But tonight is our first official date. I cannot saturate it in sex. I promised I’d give us a chance, and I meant it—no matter how nervous it makes me. Courage is being scared and doing it anyway, right?
37
