Page 69

Cam, still chuckling, looked at him in a pitying way. “Why? Because they can’t please their women?”

Edmond’s face turned a shade of red that clashed horribly with his hair, but Booboo rushed to his defense. “Faking anything is dishonest. Doesn’t sit right.”

The skepticism in Cam’s expression disappeared quickly behind a polite mask. “I’m not sure I agree, but I’ll run that by Shep too.”

Booboo rolled his eyes. “Well, he won’t get it,” he muttered under his breath. “His wife’s the most satisfied woman on earth.”

“His wife is my mother,” Cam said, edges gone sharp. “Please say nothing more.”

A flush rose on Booboo’s face to rival Edmond’s, and they both shut up.

Cam pointedly turned to Xavier. “Everything set for the expo?”

My stomach fluttered at the mention of the expo. I’d decided to implement my idea, but the subterfuge made my palms sweat.

“Yep,” Xavier said. “Picking up the shirts Wednesday, and I’ve got the sample bottles set aside.”

“Perfect.” Cam swept his gaze over us all. “So that’s it then?”

Ryan was the first to stand. He threw a smile my way and mouthed good job before hightailing it from the room. I reached for the stray papers on the table as my team filtered out.

Cam collected the sheets on the opposite side, gaze touching on my face. “How was your visit with my mother?”

After that brief wave yesterday, I hadn’t seen him again, but Nessa and I talked for at least an hour more. The woman was a fascinating specimen. Polite, but cheeky. Beautiful, but grounded. A smile blossomed on my face as I thought of her. “Really great.” I froze at my millionth use of the word great, but he only chuckled. “She’s very kind.”

Silvery eyes sparked. “She’s rather taken with you.”

“I won’t pretend to know why.” His mother’s motives remained mysterious, but I was no longer sure I cared. Nessa Shepherd was my shooting star. She had both the capacity and the desire to help me into the job I wanted, and I was not letting her go. Why she’d picked me to bestow her grace upon was anyone’s guess, but I wouldn’t squander the opportunity.

Cam came around the table to stand before me. “I should think it’s obvious.”

Butterfly wings tickled my stomach. “Oh?”

He slipped the stack of papers from my pliant fingers. “Of course. You’re great.”

Laughing, I gently smacked his shoulder.

“Sorry, I couldn’t resist.” He worked to straighten the papers into a pile. “But seriously, she had nothing but good things to say about you. She’s your number one fan.”

I inhaled a fake gasp. “Even though as a kid I beat her son at everything?”

“I think she’s forgiven that particular transgression.”

“Oh, yeah?”

His gaze flicked up, and a beat passed in which we merely stared at each other. The intensity slowly bled into his eyes, kickstarting my heart.

“Besides,” he said, his voice now deeper. “He did pretty well for himself…for a first loser.” His hand rose toward my face. “You have a—” He gestured toward my cheek. “Do you mind?”

Unsure what I was agreeing to, but certain I didn’t care, I shook my head. The tips of his fingers brushed my cheek, tugging a few hairs caught in my lipstick. He tucked the lock behind my ear, his electric touch lingering against my skin longer than it needed to.

I couldn’t look away from him. We hadn’t been this close in so long, and the tether that had always tied us, from the first time we locked eyes, pulled taut.

My gaze dropped to his lips. So kissable.

“Camden?” said a stern male voice from the doorway—as it always did when Shep sensed his son edging too close to danger.

Cam’s eyes closed a fraction of an instant, and his hand fell away. He turned to look at his father. “Yes?”