Total pages in book: 130
Estimated words: 125852 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 629(@200wpm)___ 503(@250wpm)___ 420(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 125852 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 629(@200wpm)___ 503(@250wpm)___ 420(@300wpm)
My eyes lift, seeking out the sight that has her looking so sad, and I spot him almost instantly. The knot in my stomach seems to tighten, but I’m not sure I understand why. This is good, right?
Was my first thought bad?
I swallow, shaking my head to try and make some sense of what’s running through it, but my thoughts are too all over the damn place for me to figure it out. I drop to my knee behind her chair, my hand coming up to squeeze her arm.
“Hey,” she whispers, her attention going right back to the guy across the fire.
He’s laughing with a few guys from the team, completely ignoring the girls that are clearly trying to get his attention.
Cameron sighs, slowly slumping back in her chair, and my arms push through the loops of the plastic seat and wrap around her.
“You okay?” I whisper into her hair.
Cameron nods. “I’m happy for him. As much as he pissed me off last year, he had an even rougher time—second-string, a cheating girlfriend, a house full of guys who only knew him to be the asshole he was acting like. I hope he can make new friends and find a place on the team he can be proud of.”
“I’m sure he will.” I pause, then add in a whisper, “Having you around could help.”
Why did I say that?
“I thought those were his parents at the game today,” she says softly, ignoring my comment. “He had told Ari his family wouldn’t be there, and then he saw that couple and young boy, and he was…so happy. I thought it was his parents, maybe a brother. Turned out they were her parents and that was her little brother.”
I wince, remembering how excited he seemed to see them.
“Did you know he was with her since they were young? Like thirteen or some shit.” She sighs again. “That’s a lot of history, lots of shared family holidays.”
“Yeah,” I agree, swallowing hard, and force myself to be the support she needs. “But we have a lot of room in our extended family. You could always add someone new to it, you know? No one would judge you, Cammie Girl.”
Cameron leans to the side a bit so she can see me, her gaze roaming my face before settling on my eyes. “You’re kind of perfect, you know that?”
“I try.”
She smiles and slowly moves to stand, tugging me up with her.
She slips her arm around my middle, inside my furry shawl thing, her slender, freezing fingers resting along my ribs, or as much of them as she can reach.
I jolt at the chill of her touch, and she chuckles, a low, raspy sound. She folds herself around my naked torso, burrowing deeper into the warm part of my costume.
I bend and sweep her up, bridal style, spinning the fur thing around so it’s lying across her like a blanket, and start walking toward the sliding door.
She huddles into my body, and I can’t help but haul her higher, her face now in my neck.
She peeks up at me again, those big blue eyes glossy and holding mine hostage. There’s glitter swept across them, thick black lines curving up and making the blue seem even brighter. Her lashes are long and full, lips painted a pretty pink tonight.
She’s beautiful, my Cameron.
I lean down with the intent to kiss her cheek, but she turns at the last second, pressing her lips to mine.
My feet stop moving, muscles locking in surprise.
Her mouth presses against mine more firmly, more certainly, and an instant heat crawls up my groin, fanning across my stomach. My fingers dig into her thighs a little, and she opens up for me, her exhale filling my starved lungs, our tongues meeting for a soft, silky sweep.
Maybe the boys are right. Maybe I should tell her I’m not the wanton man she thinks I am but a waiting one.
She smiles against my mouth, and I nip at her lips in response, wanting more. Needing more.
Maybe I’ve just been waiting for this. For…her.
Cameron chuckles, eyes still closed as she pushes her face back into my neck, her hand pressed to my chest.
A smirk tugs at my lips, and I stand a little taller, my head a little higher, as I walk toward the door, but before my left foot lifts to follow my right, my eyes do. And the rest of me freezes.
Alister Howl is standing there, staring right at us.
Or more, at her.
Suddenly it all makes sense.
She had been watching him before, but he didn’t know it.
She must have realized she had his attention now.
She knew he was looking and that’s why she kissed me.
She kissed me so he would see, but that’s okay. That’s good. Perfect.
That’s what I’m here for.
It’s what I agreed to.
My team won our game tonight.