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“Yeah. Sorry, the water should be about ready for that tea.”
“After you.”
I brush against him, totally on purpose, as I walk by and hear him curse under his breath. With my back to him, I let a satisfied smile spread over my lips. I like knowing that he’s as attracted to me as I am to him. That he wants me. And, yes, in the past, that was as annoying as it was satisfying. But damn it, I’m so tired of fighting him. Of fighting myself. I want him. I enjoy him.
I punished us both for two damn years. I think that’s long enough.
I pull two mugs down, drop a tea bag in each, and turn to get the kettle, but Cameron already has it and pours the hot water into the mugs.
“Thanks.” I watch his hands and the muscles that flex in his forearms as he returns the kettle to a cold burner. A vivid memory from that night years ago flashes through my brain, sending an electric jolt through me.
His hands running over my body, caressing my breasts. Dear Jesus, he has amazing hands.
“Shall we?” He raises a brow and points to the living room. I nod.
“Yeah.” I clear my throat. “Let’s go get comfy.”
I can’t sit next to him. I’ll just jump him, and damn it, this is a date, not a one-night stand. So, I curl my legs under me in the chair across from the couch where he sits and sips his tea.
He’s been here before. He even spent the night once after a customer gave me a right hook to the face, and Cam stayed to make sure that I was okay. But he’s never been here like this. When I know that I’d take my clothes off if he told me to.
We’re crossing a new line.
“Either you need to calm down or strip out of those clothes. Because the sexual tension is so thick in this room, I could cut it with a knife.”
I stare at him in surprise, and then I tip back my head and laugh. Can he read my mind? Maybe. But the situation is suddenly so funny to me, I can’t hold in the laughter. I’m being silly. I’m no virgin. And this is Cameron Cox.
He’s right. I need to chill the hell out.
“I didn’t realize I was being funny,” he says at last.
“I’m being ridiculous,” I reply and reach for a tissue so I can wipe the tears from my eyes. “Okay, I’m okay. Whew. Sorry.”
“Are you really okay?”
“Yes.” I chuckle and sip my tea. “How do you like your new house?”
“It’s great. I had to replace the A/C unit two weeks after I moved in, but otherwise, it’s a good place.”
“Is it an old house? I think Maeve mentioned that it was built in the last century. And yes, that makes me sound old, but Maeve is the expert, and she says stuff like that all the time.”
He chuckles and nods. “Yeah, in the 1960s. So things are bound to need fixing or replacing.”
“Are you handy in that area?”
He sips his tea. “Yes.”
“Oh, good. I’m not handy, but this house is relatively new, so I haven’t had much to repair. Is your house haunted?”
He blinks in surprise, then slowly shakes his head. “No, I don’t think so. Do you believe in that shit?”
“I’m Irish. Of course, I do. My old house, the one Joey bought, was haunted. Not with Joey because I’m pretty sure he’s burning in hell, but with something or someone else.”
“How do you know?”
“I saw her.” I shrug. “You know, I realize that although you’ve been in my life for as long as I can remember, I don’t know a lot about you.”
“What would you like to know? I’ll answer anything I can.”
“Well, I know that work is off-limits.”
He raises a brow.
“Yeah, yeah. Okay, do you have siblings?”
“No.”
“Do you see your parents often?”
He sets his mug aside. “Also, no. My parents are pretty shitty. Mom left when I was small, ran off to marry some guy she’d been having an affair with. My dad still lives around here somewhere.”
“Like, here here? On the island?”
“Yeah. He’s an alcoholic and wasn’t really a good role model for me. I don’t like to think about what might have happened if I hadn’t met Kane. Your family has been my family since I was in junior high. Tom and Fiona showed me what it is to be good parents, and your dad had many a serious talk with me whenever I screwed up. He paid attention, and they loved me.”
“I’m so glad that you had that in your life, Cam. And I’m sorry that your parents are shitty. But it’s their loss.”
“Is it?”
“Pfft, yeah. I mean, you’re great. You have a fantastic career and good friends. You have a good life. And they’re missing it. But they don’t deserve to be a part of it, you know?”
