Page 67 of Effortless

“You don’t have to.”

Tom shook his head, knowing this was the one thing he and his father were never going to see eye to eye on. Every single thing else between them was as good as gold, and smooth fucking sailing, but not this. Tommas couldn’t just take that his request to his son would be heeded. No, he had to do shit like this, too.

It drove him nuts, and made him defensive. Two things he hated the most.

“I’m heading out,” Tom said, done with the whole show.

“Tommaso, wait a damn second.”

Tom headed past his father with a wave. “Nah, I get it, Dad. You made your point. Later, Cross. Good luck on the run.”

Cross didn’t answer him.

Nobody followed behind.

Thank God for small miracles.

“It’s not a bob anymore.”

Camilla’s dark eyes lit up, dancing with amusement on the screen. “No, it’s grown out a bit.”

To make a point, she flipped her hands through her shoulder-length brown—now—locks. Seemed she had changed the color again, too. Tom didn’t know how to keep up with this girl.

He kind of liked it, though.

“Did you see my brother?” Camilla asked.

“A couple of times last week, yeah.”

“Lucky him.”

Tom raised a brow. “What’s that supposed to mean, Cam?”

“Nothing. So hey, I like this Skyping thing.”

He did, too. Much more than chatting on the phone or the occasional text. She was crystal clear on the screen, giving him a nice view of the sports bra and tiny shorts she was lounging in. She sat cross-legged on her couch with the laptop set up on the other end. Tom had settled into his bed before making the Skype call.

“It was a good idea,” Tom said. “At least I actually get to look at you like this, and not sit here and wonder.”

“Wonder what?”

Tom grinned. “The usual—what you’re wearing, and all that shit.”

Camilla laughed. “My eyes are up here, Tom.”

His gaze drifted on the screen to look up at her face. He found her smirking, and she’d arched a brow high in response to his leering.

“What?” he asked. “You can’t get on Skype half naked and expect me not to look, Cam. That’s unfair.”

“It’s not like I’m indecent or anything.”

“Nice try, girl. You could make a fucking paper bag look indecent, and you know it.”

Her grin deepened, turning sexy and sinful in a blink. Just the sight alone was enough to make Tom’s dick hard beneath the sweats he’d thrown on after his shower.

“Oh, I forgot to tell you,” she said.

“What’s that?”