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She smiled. “Of course, I will.”
“Cole and Laura manage it well. They both work away so much, but they’re very much together when they can be. I’d like to think we can have something like that.”
“Me too.”
They ate out on the deck again, and later Piper packed a bag. Mary Ellen had been so good about buying clothes and everything she’d needed for the last week, but she wanted to have her own things with her from now on. This wasn’t her zooming off to help in an emergency; this was her starting another new chapter—one in which she’d learn to live in two places at once.
Once she had everything ready, they settled in the living room in the armchairs by the fire.
“Do you want a glass of wine?” asked Cam.
“Yes, please.”
When he came back with two glasses, she frowned. “Is that the Special Reserve you sent?”
“Yeah. Laura must have brought the case in and put it in the pantry.”
Piper nodded.
“What is it? What’s the matter?”
She made a face. “I’m just being silly, but can I ask you something?”
“Sure.”
“Is that like, your trademark or something?”
“What?”
“Sending wine and red roses to women you sleep with?”
He dropped his gaze, and she knew the answer.
She put her glass down and walked to the window where she stood with her back to him, staring out at the lake. “It made me feel so special.”
“You are.” He came to stand beside her.
“I hope so. But you sending me roses, no one had ever done that. It meant so much.” He didn’t say anything. What could he say? She knew she was being silly, but it all felt tainted somehow. She turned around and cupped his face between her hands. “I’m sorry.” She planted a kiss on his lips.
He shook his head. “I’m sorry. I need you to know that sending those to you, it wasn’t like it’s ever been before. It was special because you are.”
She nodded, wanting to change the subject. “It’s okay. Let’s just leave it.”
His eyes were troubled. “I hate this. I need you to know that you’re different. That the way I feel about you is different. I love you, Piper. I can’t change my past, but I have changed since I met you. I want you, I only want you. For the rest of my life.”
She snapped her head up to look into his eyes. He looked so earnest. She shook her head and stepped away from him. He didn’t need to go saying things like that just to make her feel better. “I want you, too, Cam.” She smiled. “Let’s go to bed?”
He nodded and took her hand as they went up the stairs. In the bedroom, they each undressed and slid into bed. He curled his arm around her and drew her to him. “I meant it, Piper.”
She nodded and snuggled into his side. “I love you, too.”
He propped himself up on one elbow and looked down into her eyes. “You’re it for me.”
She smiled. She didn’t want him to keep talking about forever just to make up for the whole stupid wine and roses thing. She knew how she could distract him from it, though. “Show me.”
He covered her body with his own and slid a hand down between them. She moaned as his mouth came down on her neck at the same time as his fingers found their way between her legs. “I want to spend the rest of my life loving you, learning your body and what you enjoy.”
“I’m enjoying this,” she murmured, still trying to steer him away from talk of forever. She closed her fingers around him and smiled at the sigh that escaped from his lips. “I’d like to enjoy this, too.”
