Page 112 of Sand in My Boots

“Why are you here?”

He shrugs, and it makes him look vulnerable. My eyes can’t help drinking him in. The way his T-shirt hugs his biceps. His hands in the pockets of his cargo shorts. The tousled hair sticking up in different places. I missed him more than I accounted for.

I take a step closer, still forgetting how I look.

“I grew some balls.” He answers with my words.

“Okay.”

He takes a step into the room. “I don’t have to be the one who has the most money.”

“Was that so hard to admit?” I ask without thought.

“To myself? Hell yes. Aloud to you now? No.” Another step closer. “But . . .”

“Of course there’s a but,” I huff.

He ignores my interruption. “But,” he stresses, “I can’t move on.”

That catches me off guard. “Why not?”

“Not without you.”

It’s Elisa’s “Awwww” that triggers the meaning of what he says. Otherwise, I’m not sure I understand. And to prove my point, I ask him to clarify.

“You can’t move on without me?”

“Right.” He flashes a small smile. “You could keep wallowing, or you could help me move on. Up to you.” Desire leaks from his eyes, watching for my reaction.

It finally dawns on me how I look. I close my eyes, imagining what he must think. “I wasn’t quite done wallowing, but your being here throws a wrench into those plans.”

Because he’s Cameron, he takes my comment in stride. “You have room for a friend to join your wallowing?”

I don’t miss his use of friend. It’s what gets me to open my eyes. “Friends don’t let friends wallow alone.”

“Okay, I’m out. This is getting cheesy.” I peek around Cameron to catch Elisa on her way out. “Call me,” she mouths as she wraps her arms around herself, moves her hands up and down her arms, and makes silent kissy noises.

Looking back at Cameron, he’s undeterred, standing with a small smirk.

“I need to shower,” I blurt before he can truly get a whiff of me. “Then we’ll wallow and talk.” I turn on my heel but quickly spin back toward him. “How long are you here?”

“Until tomorrow.”

The happiness my heart felt at seeing him quickly deflates. “Oh.”

He steps closer, almost completely crowding my space. “I was hoping maybe you’d want to come back with me. For as little or as long as you can. Decide what each of us wants out of this relationship, see where we think it’s going to lead.”

“You’re not paying me back.” My comment makes no sense in relation to his, but he gets it anyway.

His last step brings us toe-to-toe. “How about a payment plan that doesn’t involve money?”

“How would that work?” I ask, totally confused. Mostly because he’s here, and so close, his scent overwhelming me.

“Kisses. Orgasms. Towels. For starters.” He pauses, letting his plan sink in for me. “Oh, most importantly. I’ve got this great place located in downtown paradise. The view’s amazing, and the company’s pretty good, too. And when you need to get away for a little while, there’s this awesome resort down the beach that will cater to all your needs.”

Is he suggesting what I think he is? That I move in with him? My pulse speeds up at the mere thought.

“Paradise, huh?”