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His breath caught in his throat. “That’s no problem.”

She smiled and kissed his cheek, leaving a trail of fire in her wake. She released him and gave him a wave as she made her way over to Isla. The cab arrived and they climbed in. Cameron stayed by the doorway until the last glimpse of Nina was gone.

* * * *

Cameron decided to shower before bed. He needed to wash the stress of the day away. He placed his hands on the shower wall, letting the hot water cascade over him and appreciating the contact of the cold tiles under his palms. He turned the temperature up another couple of notches in an effort to soothe the tension in his shoulders. He’d often have an issue in that area when he’d been in the studio for a few hours, but it was worse today after the stress with Isla. Though perhaps more to do with my stress over Nina. Cam groaned, trying to quiet his mind. He couldn’t stop thinking about her. He couldn’t wait until he saw her again and hoped it would be the next day. And that wasn’t because he wanted to get the song finished, he just wanted to be around Nina.

Cam climbed out of the shower and dried off, securing the towel around his waist. Ash was asleep already, lying in bed with her sleep mask on. That was two early nights in a row, unusual for her. Not that anything seemed to happen between them in bed for the past few weeks anyway. It had started out pretty hot and heavy but that hadn’t lasted long. His relationships never did. They just didn’t seem to have that chemistry, the sort that was hotter than just physical attraction. It was nice, but she didn’t set him on fire. He pondered how merely hugging Nina or brushing his fingers against hers caused more heat in his body than an intimate act with Ash.

Cam entered the bedroom and lifted a glass of water from the side to take a drink. His phone started ringing with a video call. He picked it up and moved into the hallway so as not to wake Ash. He didn’t recognise the number and was wearing only a towel, but instinct told him to answer anyway. It might be news about Noah. He connected the call.

Nina’s face came on screen. “Hey.” She clearly took in his appearance and lifted her gaze away. “Oh God, sorry. I didn’t realise you were in the shower.”

“It’s okay,” he said, his heart rate picking up at the sight of her. “I was finished. Anyway, you’ve seen me wearing as much by the pool.”

She shrugged, bringing her eyes back to him. “True. I got your number from Isla. I hope you don’t mind.”

On impulse Cam went into the room Nina had stayed in and smiled at the sight of the perfectly made-up bed. “Of course, I don’t mind. Is everything all right?”

“Yes and no,” she said.

He sat on the bed, placing his glass on the bedside table. “What do you mean? Did Isla speak to you about how she’s feeling?”

“Not really,” Nina said. “We went to dinner and I tried to get her to talk. Normally it wouldn’t be hard, but this time she really struggled. She seemed so on edge and emotionally labile.”

He ran a hand through his damp hair. “Did you get anything out of her at all?”

She shook her head. “She just wanted to reminisce about our younger days, so I went with it.”

He nodded. “You did the right thing in letting her lead the conversation.”

She hesitated. “I’m worried that if she keeps flaking, you’ll have to look elsewhere for a vocalist.”

Cam realised that was the reason for her call. She was worried that he’d drop Isla and was protecting her friend. He was impressed by her loyalty. He shook his head. “There’s no way I’d do that. I wouldn’t let her down…or you.”

Nina met his gaze, the trust in her soft brown eyes unravelling him.

“Thank you,” she said. “I know you wouldn’t. I just don’t want you to be put out.”

“It’s no problem,” he said. He needed her to know she could rely on him. “We’ll get there, whatever it takes.”

She smiled. “I appreciate that.”

A warm glow filled his chest.

Nina sighed. “She’s gone to meet Zac again. I feel like a failure.”

He lay back on the bed and was thrown for a minute when it smelled like Nina. “You’re not a failure. You can’t push it or tell her what to do.”

She sighed. “I know. I just want to fix whatever it is for her.”

Cam frowned. Surely a big part of it was the situation they were both in with Zac? But he didn’t want to mention it and overstep the mark.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, studying his expression.

“Nothing,” he said. “I just think you’re being too hard on yourself.”

She didn’t appear convinced, and his heart was heavy for her. Then an idea came to him. “Listen… Tomorrow morning you and Isla come meet me at the marina.”