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“I didn’t mind meeting you. ” She smiled at him, giving the words just enough of an edge to let him know she preferred it that way.
“What time did you leave?” she asked as they moved through the doors and beneath the sheltered entrance to the car that was waiting.
She didn’t hear his answer, it was mumbled, muttered, just as he helped her into the car and closed the door behind her.
She was starting to remember all the little idiosyncrasies that men had that made her crazy. She might not have actually had sex in the past seven years, but she’d had enough men try to bed her, to actually put time and effort into it, to figure out some of the worse habits they had. That mumbled, indistinct attempt at a reply was one of them. At least he wasn’t actually lying to her.
The ride to the mansion wasn’t much better. She could feel him trying to guess at what point she realized he had left her room. No doubt he had already guessed; Cam wasn’t anyone’s dummy. And now he was trying to anticipate just how angry she was and the best way to soothe that anger.
Keep guessing, baby, she thought with an inward smile. He might get it right. Eventually.
After pulling up to the Sinclair mansion in a drenching rain, Cam watched as Matthew strode from the house, a large umbrella held overhead as he helped Jaci from the car.
“I’ll see you later. ” She cast him a bright smile that did nothing to fool him.
He knew women, and he knew she was pissed.
Damn. He pushed the car into gear and pulled around the house to a covered parking area and came face-to-face with his brother.
Chase was leaning against the side of his own car, watching with a smile as Cam exited the Jaguar.
“What’s that smug-assed smile for?” Cam grunted. It was a familiar smile, one that assured him that somewhere, somehow, Cam had managed to amuse him.
Chase shook his head. “I wonder about you sometimes, bro. How can you manage to completely fuck up the deal of a lifetime?”
Cam stopped at the hood of his own car and stared back at his brother.
“What did I fuck up this time?” He almost smiled. As far as Chase was concerned, he was invariably fucking up. That big-brother complex was always in effect.
“Ian just called. He says Courtney is laughing her ass off, after an early morning call from Jaci. Seems someone slipped out five minutes after an orgasm that evidently registered on the Richter scale. ” Chase was obviously having trouble controlling his amusement. “Ian’s rolling, too, by the way. He could barely tell me what he heard for all his laughter. What the hell did you do? Leave right after I did?”
“I’m glad you’re so fucking amused,” Cam snapped, moving from the car and heading to the house. He and Jaci were going to have to have a talk about what she discussed with Courtney. Everything Courtney knew, Ian managed to find out. Of course, it worked in reverse, and that part sucked, too.
“Cam, man, you don’t run off after registering on the Richter scale. Don’t you know better than that? I thought you’d at least stay when I left. ”
Cam clenched his teeth and tried to shake off the anger he could feel building inside him. There was silence behind him as he moved toward the back entrance.
“When are you going to tell me what happened, Cam?”
Chase’s question drew him to a stop. It wasn’t the first time his brother had asked him that question. It wouldn’t be the last time.
“Nothing happened. ” It was his standard answer.
He didn’t get the standard response. Before he could anticipate Chase’s move, his brother had swung him around to face him, his anger clear on his face now.
There was no amusement, no laughter lurking in his brother’s eyes. For the first time since they were boys, Cam could feel his brother’s rage directed toward him.
“How stupid do you think I am?” Chase bit out. “Do you think I haven’t always known that something happened? Even when we were boys, I knew it. Tell me what the hell it was. ”
“Nothing happened, Chase. ” He was lying through his teeth, just as he always had.
Chase was the oldest twin; he had always felt responsible for Cam, always tried to look out for him.
His brother would never forgive himself if he knew. Even then, all those years ago, it would have destroyed Chase even worse than it had Cam.
Chase’s eyes glared into his, his expression furious, his dark face twisted into lines of pain.
“I hate it when you lie to me. I hate it even worse to see you screwing up your fucking life with the only woman that ever meant a damned thing to you. Is it worth losing her, Cam?”
