by Carrie Elks
Picking up her phone again, she unlocked it, then let out a grunt of annoyance when she realized she didn’t have his number. She’d given him hers, but he hadn’t messaged her yet. She thought about texting Becca, whose number she did have, but what would she say?
Hey, can I have your brother’s number?
Hell no. That wasn’t going to happen.
She was resigning herself to the fact that she’d have to walk into the diner and call the whole thing off when she saw a large, familiar frame stroll into the parking lot. Thank you, Jesus. Unbuckling her seatbelt, Mia flew out of the car, reaching Cam right as he was unlocking a black SUV.
“Hey,” she said breathlessly. Cam looked up, his brows lifting.
“Hey. Everything okay?” He glanced over her shoulder at the Honda. She’d left the door open in her haste to catch him. “Are you having problems with your car again?”
She shook her head. “No. It’s all good. I just wondered if we could take a raincheck on dinner. The boys have both gone to friends’ houses to eat. They’re new and I didn’t have the heart to say no when they’re still in the friend-making stage. I’m sorry. I hope I haven’t inconvenienced you.”
He looked at her for a long moment. “But you still have to eat.”
“I’ll make myself something at home.”
“Why don’t we go anyway?” he suggested, his voice light. Then seeing her expression, he added, “As friends. Nothing more. Maybe you can tell me a little more about Michael. Give me some insights into his psyche.”
“He’s a teenage boy, I’m not sure I have any insight.”
Cam laughed. “Maybe I can give you some insights, then.” His smile was slow and sexy, and it was only by force of will that she didn’t blush.
“I’m not sure…” she trailed off, because it was hard to find the right words. “I’m new in town, and if people see us eating at the diner alone, they’re going to talk. Even if we both know it’s innocent, they’ll still talk. And my kids don’t need their mom being gossiped about.”
“Yeah.” Cam nodded. “I can understand that.” He ran a finger along his bottom lip. “How about you come to my place?”
Her mouth dropped open.
He squeezed his eyes together. “Shit. I didn’t mean anything by it. We can eat, talk about Michael, and then you can head home. I’ll grab us something on the way.”
That was such a bad idea. Not just because people would talk, but because something inside of her that had been dormant for so long had come to life, warming her, making her skin tingle and her heart race.
Michael. She was doing this for Michael.
Blowing out a mouthful of air, she lifted her gaze until it clashed with his. “Maybe for an hour…”
“An hour sounds good.” He smiled at her. He had a dimple in his cheek. A damn dimple. Dear lord, could he get any sexier?
She had a horrible feeling the answer was yes.
“I’ll text you my address. There’s a key locker on the side of the house, I’ll send you the code to it. Let yourself in, and I’ll grab us some food from the diner. Burgers okay?”
Nothing was okay. She was about to have a heart attack.
“Burgers are fine. Thank you.”
“No problem.” He flashed those dimples again. “I’ll see you at my place.”
“You’re in an NFL player’s house? Shut up!” Joanna laughed down the phone line, then cleared her throat. “Just a minute, I need to close the living room door because the guys are playing a damn card game and they’re all sore losers.”
“You don’t need to close the door,” Mia whispered, even though she was alone in his house. Maybe he had surveillance cameras. Or hidden microphones. “There isn’t any more to tell you.”
“Oh come on. Tell me his name at least. I might’ve heard of him. There has to be some kind of silver lining to all those times Grant made me watch Sunday football with him.”
“Cam Hartson.”
“Oh. My. God.” Joanna let out a little squeal. “There’s no way you’re in his house. He lives in Boston, doesn’t he?”
“Not anymore, apparently.” It was weird how Mia’s cousin knew more about Cam than she did. But there was nobody else she could think of to call when she walked into his huge, opulent house that overlooked the creek. And she had to call somebody because she was freaking out.
Big time.
“I can’t believe it. Damn, he’s hot. He dated Soraya, didn’t he?”
“Soraya?”
“The supermodel. She’s from Iran, I think. Beautiful brown glossy hair and shining skin. She did that perfume ad where the guy sniffs her and practically comes in his pants.”
“Oh god. You’re disgusting.” Mia winced. And not just because Joanna was gross. She was used to that. The two of them were cousins, but they’d practically grown up together, thanks to their grandma being their child minder. Mia was three years older than Joanna, and that had seemed like a lot growing up. Not so much now though. “He really dated a supermodel?” Her voice was small. She so didn’t belong here. Not even as a mom asking for his help with her son.
She’d eat with him, and tell him a little about Michael’s background. That would be more than enough to make sure there was never anything between them. Men like Cam dated supermodels. They weren’t interested in soon to be divorced women with two children.
And that was a good thing. It really was.
“So are you gonna do it?” Joanna asked, her voice low.
“Do what?”
“Have sex with him, dumb dumb. I mean, he’s a football player. He has the moves, right? I bet he’s amazing in bed. You don’t date somebody like Soraya without being able to please a woman.”
“Stop it. I think I’m going to vomit. And no, I’m not gonna do it. I’m here as a parent, to talk about Michael. Then I’ll go home and let him get back to his supermodels.”
“Model. Singular. He’s not Leonardo DiCaprio. She’s the only model he’s dated as far as I know.”
Yeah, and one was enough. Because it told Mia all she needed to know. Cam Hartson wasn’t just out of her league, he was out of her stratosphere.
“Even if I was interested, which I’m not, I’m not his type. And technically I’m still married.”
“Technically, you’re almost divorced and your husband is living with another woman, which means the marriage is over in all ways but name,” Jo reminded her. “You can do exactly what, or who, you like. Please promise me if he makes a move you’ll let him.”
“Jo…”
“You haven’t had sex for eons. Niall was your one and only. It’s time to get yourself back out there and start over. Cam Hartson could be your rehab guy.”
“My rehab guy?” Mia echoed, confused.
“The guy you get under to get over your separation. The one who teaches you to be comfortable being naked with a man again. It’s like going to a therapist or something. A few nights with him and you’ll be ready to jump on anybody.”
Mia bit down a laugh, because Jo was so damn crude. “Stop it,” she said, but even Jo could sense the humor in her statement.
“I bet he has a big dick. You can tell by looking at him. Wait, let me check him out in his uniform.”
Mia could hear clicking. “Are you Googling him?”
“I’m watching him in action. Hang on…” Jo trailed off for a moment, before saying, “Oh yeah. He’s hung. Dayum.” Her voice held a note of reverence.
“Can you stop? I don’t want to be thinking about his penis while I’m talking about my kid.”
“Then don’t talk about your kid. Not everything has to be about Josh and Michael.”
“Right now it does.”
Mia’s phone pinged against her ear.
“I sent you a link to a video,” Jo told her. “Watch it, and pay particular attention to the area beneath his waistband as he runs. You’ll be mesmerized. Seriously.”
“I’m not watching the damn video,” Mia told her. “T
his whole conversation is horrible. Imagine two guys having a discussion about somebody’s boobs like this.”
“Honey, that’s all guys have discussions about. That and football. I’m just evening the score,” Jo told her.
The rumble of an engine echoed from the driveway, and the security lights flashed on. Mia looked over her shoulder at the window. “He’s here. I gotta go.”
“Okay, but call me tomorrow. I need all the details.”
“There won’t be any details.”
Jo laughed. “Of course there will. Guys don’t just invite you back to their place to talk about your son. They invite you because they want to see you naked.”
Mia paled. “Tell me that’s not true.”
The sound of the keypad beeping made her heart start to speed. That and Jo’s suggestive remarks. She felt lightheaded, like she’d stood up too fast, even though she was sitting on a stool at his breakfast bar.
“Mia?” a low voice called out. “You here?”
“Is that him?” Jo asked. Mia ended the call without replying and shoved her phone in her pocket. If it wasn’t for the boys, she’d switch it to silent, because she had a feeling Jo was going to keep hounding her until Mia told her every last thing that happened tonight.
Nothing’s going to happen. You’ll eat, talk about Michael, and leave. Simple.
“Yeah, I’m here,” she called out, blowing out a mouthful of air.
Here went nothing.
Chapter Ten
“Would you like a drink?” Cam asked her, pulling open his oversize refrigerator. “I’ve got beer and sodas. Oh, as well as a really good Chardonnay that’ll blow your mind.”
“A soda would be good. I’m driving.” She was pulling two plates from the cabinet he’d pointed to, her long blonde hair falling over her shoulders.
Cam poured their drinks and carried them to the granite breakfast bar. Everything in this house was high quality. His brother was building himself a reputation for top class renovations all over the local area, and this one was no different. “You should at least take a sip,” Cam suggested, offering Mia his glass. “It’s good. You won’t regret it.”
“Are you some kind of wine connoisseur?” she asked him, a tiny smile playing on her lips. She looked completely different when she smiled. Young and carefree.
He was all too aware that every time they’d come into contact until now, something had gone wrong. His car. Her car. Him asking her on a date. It was good to see her face without those tiny furrows between her brows.
“Not really,” he admitted, as she lifted the glass to her face and inhaled the aroma. “Logan’s the one who knows all about wine. He buys it, I try it. Only off season, of course.”
“You don’t drink during season?” She pressed the glass to her soft lips, and closed her eyes as the crisp Chardonnay coated her tongue. “Oh boy, that is good. Your brother has good taste.”
“It runs in the family. And no, I don’t drink when I’m playing. I have a nutritionist who’d whip my ass if I didn’t keep to the plan she gives me. The older I get, the more I realize how much my performance relies on what I put in my body.”
Her gaze flickered down to his torso. She swallowed hard. “I guess she’d have a fit if she saw these burgers,” Mia said, sliding his plate to him.
The burger was still on the foil wrapper, the fries covering the rest of the plate.
“I guess I’d better make the most of it.”
“Will you be going back to Boston soon?” she asked him, her voice light. She took a bite of her burger, washing it down with her soda. He liked the way she smiled with the pleasure of it.
“I don’t know. I’m still trying to figure out what happens next.” He didn’t want to talk about his injuries with her. Didn’t want to see any pity on her face. “In the meantime, I’ll be coaching the Eagles and relaxing for a few weeks. I guess I’ll go back after that.”
“It must be hard, leaving the team behind. You’ve played with them for years.”
For a woman who hadn’t known who he was when they first met, she seemed to have a good knowledge of his playing career. Had she been Googling him? A little pulse of satisfaction rushed through him.
“I guess I could say the same about you. Coming here with your kids must be tough. Where are you from again?”
“Kansas City.” She popped a fry between her lips. “And yeah, it’s hard, but other people have it harder. I’m lucky the boys are settling in. Even luckier to get a job that suits my skills. So I’m not going to start complaining.”
He liked that about her. “Sam said your husband left you without warning. Cleaned out your bank account.”
Mia dropped the fry she’d been holding. Her gaze that had been steady on his slid away. She swallowed hard, before tucking her hair behind her ear.
“Sam should keep his mouth shut.”
“For what it’s worth, I think your husband’s a damn fool.”
She took a deep breath, still looking down at her plate. For a moment, there was silence. Cam wanted to reach for her chin, to make her look at him again. Because when she looked at him, it felt like he knew where he was.
Maybe even felt like he belonged.
“Can I ask what happened?” Cam’s voice was soft.
“It’s old news,” Mia finally said. Her cheeks plumped as she forced a smile onto her face. “Boy and Girl meet. Girl gets pregnant when they’re too young and they’re forced to grow up together. Except she grows up and he thinks he’s Peter Pan. He wants to relive his twenties, and she and the kids don’t fit in there anymore.” She caught his gaze. “And I wouldn’t want to. I don’t want a guy who hasn’t grown up. I don’t want my kids to get hurt again. I just want to build somewhere safe for us all. I guess that’s why I’m here.”
“How old were you when you met him?”
“Eighteen. Freshman year of college. We were both business majors. I got pregnant during our sophomore year, and dropped out. He carried on while I waitressed or worked in shops or did whatever it took to pay the rent and save some money. We agreed that I’d go back to college once he had a job and the baby was a little older.”
“And did you?”
She nodded. “But only part time. It took me seven years to get my degree. I worked for our business, and took care of the kids, so trying to fit in school was difficult.”
“But you did it.”
“Yeah. I guess I thought the hard part was done, you know? I was ready to enjoy life, to finally relax, spend time with my family, really throw myself into the business. And then he left.”
“Like I said, he’s a damn idiot.”
“Maybe I was the idiot for believing we had an unwritten deal. For thinking that good things came to those who put in the work.”
“Life’s a bitch like that, isn’t it?” Cam said, taking a mouthful of wine. He held the glass out. “You sure you don’t want another sip?”
She bit on her lip. “Maybe just a little one.”
Grinning, he passed her the glass, watching as she lifted it to her lips. The same glass he’d touched against his own. For some reason, it felt erotic.
Forbidden.
“Oh god.” She sighed. “So good.”
The blood shot right between his groin. He crossed his legs, trying to hide his growing erection.
“Have you dated since the breakup?” he asked her.
Mia looked up, her face a little flushed. “Nope. Haven’t had the time or the inclination.”
She was eighteen when she met her husband. Pregnant within a year. “How old is Michael again?” he asked her.
She tipped her head to the side, her hair gleaming beneath the lights. “Nearly fifteen. He’s old for his year.”
“Which makes you, what, mid thirties?”
“I don’t know whether to hit you or congratulate you on your math. Didn’t anybody ever tell you it’s rude to ask a woman’s age?” From the amusement in her voice, he could tell she was kidding.
“So you haven’t been with another man for fifteen years?” He blew out a mouthful of air. “Wow.”
Her eyes sparkled as she leaned forward. “That’s normal. It’s what people do. Or what they’re supposed to do. Meet someone, get married, spend the rest of their lives only sleeping with them.”
“Not the people I know.” Cam shrugged.
“That’s because you’re all too busy chasing supermodels.”
So she had been checking him out on the internet. Interesting.
“You really haven’t touched anybody else since you were eighteen? No kisses, no gropes? Nothing?”
“I believe that’s how marriage works.” She lifted an eyebrow.
“Yeah, but you’re not married anymore. Aren’t you curious to know what it would feel like to be with another guy? You’re young, are you planning on living like a nun for the rest of your life?”
She pressed her fingertip against her lip, her brows dipping as though she was remembering something. “I hadn’t really thought about it. Kisses aren’t on the top of my priority list.”
He looked at her, taking in the intensity of her green eyes, and the softness of her blonde hair as it cascaded in waves to her shoulders. “If you were mine, kissing would be right at the top.” He gave her a wicked grin. “No, make that second from the top. Sex would take first.”
“It’s a good thing I’m not yours then,” she said lightly.
She was playing the game. Flirting. And damn if that didn’t make him harder than ever. Cam took the last bite of his burger, ate the final handful of fries, then wiped his face with one of the free napkins the diner had put in the bag, before dropping it on the empty plate. Taking a long, cool sip of wine, he looked at her again. She’d already finished eating.
“You’re fast.”
“I come from a family of quick eaters. If you didn’t eat what was on your plate, somebody else would.” She shrugged.
He gave her a speculative glance. “You should kiss someone. Get it over with. Like riding a bike or something.”
Mia laughed, her eyes crinkling. “You sound like my cousin.”
