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Her smile returned. “No, I’m worth taking your time over.”
“You were.” He checked his watch. “I have to go.”
Larissa shrugged and stepped back. “I hope she’s worth it. You know where to find me if she’s not.”
“There is no she, Larissa. You know I’m going to visit my brother.”
“I know that’s what you’re telling people, Cam, but really. I’m a big girl, you don’t need to lie to me. I’m sure you’ve got some hot little chicky lined up somewhere. Go. Give it a try. All I’m saying is that you know where I am when you tire of her and want something a little more satisfying.” She smiled. “You can’t deny last weekend was satisfying.”
He shook his head. She’d satisfied him over and over and over again. At least physically. And where had that thought come from? He wasn’t looking for anything else. Just physical pleasure.
“You’d better run along then.” She reached up and kissed his cheek. “See you soon.”
Cameron got into his car and sat there for a moment. He wanted to wipe his cheek where she’d kissed him, but that felt childish somehow. He laid his head back against the headrest and stared up through the sunroof. Mary Ellen thought he was a womanizer. Larissa thought he was on a never-ending quest for a new piece of ass. Was that who he really was? He didn’t think so. He was a good guy. A wholesome, upstanding young man—wasn’t he? He nodded. He was. He was good to his mom—and his dad and sister. He ran a tight ship at the helm of Hamilton-Groves, one of the biggest wine producers and distributors in the country. He was well liked and well respected in the business world and his community. Hell, he even did his fair share with charities, and not just financially, either. He spent quite a bit of time at the children’s hospital hanging out with the kids. He wasn’t some hedonist. He enjoyed women’s company—and their bodies—that was all.
He turned the key in the ignition. And as he’d told Mary Ellen, he would forego the pleasures of female company in any form this weekend. He’d better get over to his parents’ house if he wanted to see his mom before Cole arrived to pick him up.
“Is that you. Cameron?” His mom’s voice rang out the second he let himself in through the huge oak front door.
“It’s me, Mom,” he called back, looking up to the top of the sweeping staircase where he expected her to appear. Lately, she’d taken to spending a lot of time in her sitting room up there—reading. His dad teased that she was reading bodice-ripping romance novels. His sister Chelsea called it mommy-porn; his mom just flushed a little and told them all it was none of their business. He was surprised when she appeared at the end of the hallway from the kitchen.
“You thought you’d caught me reading again, didn’t you?”
“I wouldn’t call it ‘catching you.’”
She laughed. “That’s right, darling. You’re more understanding than your father and your sister.”
“I just prefer to live and let live.”
She shook a finger at him. “Probably a very wise move. If you were to start commenting on my reading habits, I might start commenting on some of your habits.”
“Such as?”
“I rather think you get through as many girlfriends as I get through novels.”
“They’re not girlfriends, Mom!”
She gave him a stern look. “I know, dear. I was trying to be polite about it.”
“Ah.” Sometimes he forgot. His mom was such a genteel soul, but she was also very astute.
“Yes. Least said, and all that,” she said with a smile. “When are you expecting Smoke?”
He smiled, relieved to be back on safer ground. “When did you start calling him that?”
His mom shrugged. “I’m trying it out. It’s what Laura and all his friends in Summer Lake call him. I like it. I think it suits him.”
“I suppose it does, but I think he’ll always be Cole to me.”
“He’ll always be your brother, that’s what matters, no matter what name you call him by.”
“That’s true. He said he’d be here at six. I checked the flight tracker before I left the office, and he hadn’t taken off yet. I hope he’ll be on time.”
“Let’s go check, shall we?”
Cameron followed her through to the kitchen where she had her laptop set up on the counter. He smiled. “You’ve been checking already, haven’t you?”
She nodded sheepishly. “I do like to use the flight tracker whenever I know he’s in the air.”
