by Carrie Elks
Cam laughed out loud, and looked back up at her. Damn, he was hot as hell. Wearing a pair of dark training pants and a grey sports top, she could see the outline of his chest through the elastane fabric. His shoulders looked broader than ever, his arm muscles glistening in the glow of the floodlights.
Tomorrow she’d feel that body pressed against hers.
She shifted in her seat, and turned to Becca who had one of Gray’s children sitting on her lap, pointing at the field as the Eagles ran out onto the turf.
“Is your boy one of them?” Becca asked her. “I can’t tell when they’re wearing their helmets.”
“You could never tell which ones we were either,” Logan pointed out. “No matter how many times we told you our numbers.”
“To be fair, I couldn’t tell the difference between you when you were in your normal clothes, let alone your football gear.” Becca shrugged. “It’s not my fault you two are so alike.”
“All four of them are alike,” Maddie said, smiling up at Gray. “It’s scary. When I talk to any of the brothers on the phone I can never tell who it is.”
“Of course you can.” Tanner grinned. “I’m the friendly one. Logan’s the talkative one and Cam just grunts.”
Mia stole a look down at the sideline again. Cam was talking to one of the players, demonstrating some kind of move. His shoulder muscles rippled as he moved his arm to mimic a throw. The player nodded, his face set with concentration.
“I’m so glad he’s home,” Becca said, noticing Mia watching the field. “It’s like our family is back together.”
“Don’t get too used to it,” Logan told her. “He’s determined to get back to football one way or another.”
“Do you think he’ll play again?” Becca asked.
“I’ve told him he should get into coaching. Look at him down there.” Logan pointed at Cam. “He’s a natural. He still needs to accept that his playing days are over.”
“He needs to stay here with us,” Becca said, shaking her head.
“Not gonna happen. Unless an NFL team decides to move to Hartson’s Creek.” Logan shrugged. “Can’t you be happy with having the rest of us here?”
“I want all of my brothers nearby. Call me greedy if you like.”
Logan gave her a gentle smile. “Yeah, well I’d like him to be around more, too.”
Mia swallowed hard, scanning the group of boys for Michael. He was talking to one of the players, then Cam walked over and Michael looked up at him with a grin. Mia’s stomach contracted as Cam ruffled her son’s hair.
So he wasn’t staying around very long. That was good, wasn’t it?
I’m not asking you to marry me. I’m offering a few hours together to make you feel good.
His words from the other day echoed around her head. He wasn’t making promises, and she was glad about that. In the eyes of the law, she was still a married woman, after all.
Sure, her divorce was progressing, but if you wanted to get technical, there it was.
This moment felt like being on a precipice. She wanted to throw herself forward and take a leap in the dark. She was still young, even if some days her body ached from running on fumes. She still had desires, the kind that kept her awake at night, remembering Cam’s hot stare as he whispered against her lips.
And she wanted him. That was the truth. She wanted to know she was still desirable after fifteen years of marriage and two kids. That a man as sensual and attractive as Cameron Hartson wanted to have sex with her. From Becca’s conversation with her brothers, there was no possibility of this becoming anything more than one morning together.
They lived two very different lives. There was no chance of either of them getting attached.
“That’s Michael, right?” Becca leaned in, following Mia’s gaze.
“Yeah.”
“He and Cam look like they’re getting along well. That’s nice.”
Mia nodded, but said nothing. She could compartmentalize the two different sides of him. Cam the coach who dealt with Michael was different to the Cam who’d pressed his body against hers and left her in no doubt about how much he desired her.
Then the PA system crackled, and the announcer came on, his voice blasting across the field as he called out the names of the teams. Mia sat back and let out a long, deep exhale.
She needed to stop thinking about him, or she’d never have the guts to turn up at his place tomorrow morning.
And that would be something she’d regret forever.
It was right after eight-thirty when she rapped her knuckles on Cam’s door the next morning. There was something so deliciously wrong about presenting herself on his doorstep while the sun was rising in the sky.
And yet it sent shivers down her spine. She wasn’t hurting anybody, she wasn’t doing anything wrong.
She was doing something for herself for the first time in forever.
Just once. That was all. Then she’d be able to live her life without fear of sleeping with a new man after all those years as a married woman. It was rehab, pure and simple.
People went for physical therapy sessions and back massages on Saturday mornings. This was no different, right?
The door opened. Cam stood in the hallway, a pair of low-slung grey sweats clinging to his hips, his hair wet from what must have been a shower, and no top to be seen. Just a deliciously rippled chest that made her realize exactly how mismatched they were.
“That’s not fair,” she told him. “If I’d have known we were starting like this I would’ve knocked on your door in just lingerie.”
He laughed. “Next time you can do it naked.”
“There is no next time, remember?” she said, stepping into his house as he held the door open for her. “This is a one time rehab session.”
He looked at her through thick lashes. “There’s nothing one off about what I’m about to do to you.” He closed the door behind her. “Okay, you can strip here. Leave your clothes by the front door.”
Her eyes widened. “Now?”
This time his laughter filled the hallway. “I’m kidding. Keep your clothes on for a while longer. I’ve made some coffee.” He walked toward the kitchen, inclining his head for her to follow. “To be honest, I wasn’t sure you’d turn up.”
“Really? You doubt your prowess that much?”
He looked over his shoulder at her. “You’re a smartass, you know that?”
“There’s nothing smart about me being here.”
He stopped in the kitchen doorway, his body almost filling the frame. Mia went to squeeze past him, but he hooked his arm around her waist and pulled her against him. The warmth of his bare chest radiated through her t-shirt, his strong, thick arms circling her tightly.
“Hey,” he whispered, pressing his lips against her brow. “I’m glad you came.”
Mia lifted her head up, a smile ghosting her lips. “Did you mention coffee?”
“It’s coming right up. Sit down over there.” He inclined his head toward the breakfast bar. The infamous location of last week’s kiss. She did as she was told, sliding onto a stool and leaning her chin in her hands as she watched him froth the milk and pour it into two small cups.
She didn’t really need the caffeine. She’d been up with the birds, long before Michael left at the crack of dawn to meet Leon, Noah, and Josh for practice. She’d showered, shaved, and taken way too long looking at the parts of her nobody had seen – let alone touched – in a long while.
Would he expect her to be fully bare? Or just trimmed? What did supermodels do?
Of course they’d be bare. Hair was probably the enemy in their world. But she didn’t have time to do that. Not unless she’d used a razor.
And there was only one thing less sexy than hair down there, and that was cuts all over her soft skin.
Nope. He was going to have to cope with a little hair. That’s all there was to it.
She’d stepped out of the shower and taken a look at herself in the old mirror that hu
ng over the basin. She was pretty good from the chest up. Her breasts weren’t too saggy, and her arms were toned thanks to all the yoga she used to do when she had the time and money back in Kansas City.
Below was a little trickier. She had stretchmarks, of course, and loose skin where her body had never quite gotten back to normal after two pregnancies with big babies. Even if she sucked in, that skin was still there.
The thought of him seeing her naked made her feel sick. The last time a guy saw her fully bare for the first time she’d been eighteen, with a body she wished she’d appreciated at the time.
Now she was almost double that age. And right now she felt it. Cam was used to supermodels. How the hell could she compete with that?
She should just go home and hide before she embarrassed herself.
“What are you thinking about?” Cam asked, leaning across the breakfast counter, his elbows resting on the granite surface.
“I’m thinking I’m way too old to be a booty call on a Saturday morning, when I should be doing laundry or something.”
He laughed. “You can do my laundry if you’d like. I’ll tell you what, we’ll carry it down together and I’ll bend you over the machine while it washes.”
An image of Cam’s muscled body pressed against her back flashed into her head. “You can try all you like to make laundry sexy, but I’m not buying it.”
He shrugged, looking amused. “I was only trying to kill two birds with one stone. And if you want my opinion, there’s nothing sexier than being inside a woman at a time when everybody else is going about their daily lives. I’ve always been a morning sex kind of guy.”
“I can tell you’ve never had kids.”
Another laugh. “I guess they can ruin the mood. But there are no kids here now.”
No, there weren’t. It was just the two of them, and this lingering promise between them.
“Come here,” he said softly, tipping his head to look at her.
Mia swallowed hard. “Now?”
“Yeah.” His voice was honey sweet. Damn, it did things to her. She walked around the counter to where he was standing. He immediately turned her around until her waist was pressing into the breakfast bar, his firm body hot against her back. “You’re so tense,” he said, his breath warm against her ear. He started to massage her shoulders, his fingers strong and firm. She groaned at how good it felt. “You need to relax. There’s nothing to be scared of. We’re two adults doing what we want to do. It’s nobody else’s business.” He circled a finger to release a knot in her muscle.
Mia groaned. “If you keep doing that, I think I’m going to come anyway.”
Cam chuckled, the air tickling her neck. “Come upstairs with me.”
She looked down at the counter, her eyes tracing the patterns in the stone. This was it. There was still time to leave. To do the damn laundry waiting for her at home or the grocery shopping or whatever else she really should be doing right now.
But she didn’t want to. She wanted to be here. Wanted to know what it felt like to be with another man. It was a milestone she needed to pass on her way to the new Mia. The kick-ass independent woman who took care of herself and her family.
He was holding his hand out to her. She slid her palm against his, feeling the roughness, the callouses, and the strength as his fingers curled around her. He pulled until her body was pressed against his. “Come on,” he said, his lips barely brushing against hers. “It’s time for a little therapy.”
Chapter Fifteen
His bedroom was bigger than the entire ground floor of her old place in Kansas City. The shining light oak floor was covered with huge white rugs, which matched the walls and the bedding, along with the full size leather sofa and easy chairs at the far end of the room.
“This feels like walking into heaven,” Mia said, shaking her head as she looked around. “Why is everything so white?”
Cam shrugged. “Not my décor. But it’s nice and easy on the eye. Though every time I take my clothes off and throw them on the floor I feel like I’m making things a mess.”
“Imagine what it’ll feel like with my clothes on the floor,” she teased.
“Dirty,” he said, a grin pulling his lips. “Really dirty.”
At least his bed looked normal. Big, but normal. He’d made an attempt to tidy the covers, but it was a guy kind of attempt. She could see some cushions and a throw folded over the back of the sofa. No doubt they were supposed to be on the bed, making it the main feature of the room.
“You wanna take a shower?” Cam asked her.
Mia looked up at him. “Now?”
His lip quirked up. “Why not?”
“You just took one, didn’t you? Your hair’s still damp.” Her brows pinched together. “Are you worried that I’m dirty? I showered this morning.”
He traced his finger down her spine. “Relax. I don’t think you’re dirty. I just thought it might make things easier. You can close your eyes, let the hot water soothe your muscles. Get used to me being with you.” He shrugged. “Just an idea.”
Internally rolling her eyes at herself, Mia nodded. “A shower sounds good.”
His bathroom was as impressive as the bedroom. Pale marble tiles covered the walls and floor. A large tub was on the left side, and on the right was a double sink, with a huge mirror above it, surrounded by lights that would make putting make up on a cinch.
But it was the shower that she was focused on. The tray was sunk into the marble floor, a glass screen stretching the length of the wall with an opening at the end to walk into.
Naked.
With wide eyes she looked up at him, then back to the vast shower.
Cam traced her bottom lip with his index finger. “Don’t be scared.”
She swallowed hard. “It’s just been… a really long time since I’ve had sex.”
He slid his finger to her jaw. “How long?”
“I can’t even remember.”
“This year?”
She shook her head.
“Last?”
“Possibly.”
His gaze dipped to her neck, as he traced a line down to her chest. “So I’m the first man to touch you this year.”
“Yeah.” Her breath caught as he pressed his palm against the top of her chest, his fingers splaying out as they pushed under the neck of her t-shirt.
“That’s fucking hot.”
“It is?”
He gave her a lopsided smile. “Every man’s dream. To be the one to reawaken you.” Circling his hands around her waist, he lifted her onto the marble counter where the basins were inlaid. Then he pushed himself against her, leaving her in no doubt as to how hot he found it. Her body clenched at the sensation of his hard thickness pressing exactly where she needed it.
Curling his free hand around the hem of her t-shirt, he looked down at her with needy eyes. “Can I take this off.”
She nodded, and he tugged at the white cotton until it reached her arms. She lifted them to help him, feeling the neckline scrape her hair as the t-shirt came off.
He threw it on the ground and looked at her body, taking her in with a hot stare. “Damn, you’re beautiful.” He cupped her breasts through the lace of her bra, his hands so big they spanned the entirety of them. The warm pressure made her nipples peak against his palms.
Lowering his head, he pressed an open mouthed kiss against her shoulder, and rolled his hips, his erection so hard. Sliding his lips down her sternum, he kissed the swell of each breast, then reached around her to unfasten her bra.
When it was off, he held the weight of her breasts in his hands, his thumbs softly brushing against her nipples as he swallowed hard. “Fucking gorgeous,” he said, sucking one of them between his lips, grazing it with his teeth, then soothing it with his tongue.
Mia arched her back, letting out a soft cry. He wasn’t gentle. But then she didn’t want him to be. They weren’t going to be making love. They’d be having sex.
Hard, dirty morning sex.<
br />
When he released her nipple, his eyes were dark as he gazed up at her. Then he curled his hand around her neck and kissed her lips with a hungry need. She kissed him back, her fingers raking through his short hair, as desire lit up her body like a night parade. This time it was her rolling her hips, seeking the friction only he could give her. He pinched her nipple between his thumb and forefinger, pleasure and pain mixing together until she was breathless with longing.
“You need to get in the shower,” Cam told her, his voice gritty. “Before I take you on the damn sink.” He pulled back, blowing out a mouthful of air as he adjusted himself, wincing as if it was painful. “Take the rest of your clothes off.”
“Now?” She was still giddy from his touch.
“Yeah.” He nodded.
With her eyes on his, she unbuttoned her jeans, shimmying them down her hips and legs until they were bunched on the floor. Stepping out of them, she hooked her fingers into her lace panties and a realization washed over her.
She wasn’t afraid anymore. She felt strong. Powerful. Enough to make a man like Cam Hartson palm himself through his sweats as he watched her strip. Running her tongue along her bottom lip, she flipped her long, blonde hair over her shoulder, then turned and looked at him with a smile. “Are you coming?”
“I will be.”
He opened the bathroom drawer and grabbed a packet of condoms, pulling one out and placing it on the counter, then pulled his sweats down. He was hard and thick, and she tried not to stare at him too long.
“Press the button on the wall,” Cam told her, as she walked toward the shower. “Then stand under the spray. I want to watch you.”
She did as he told her, walking across the marble tiles and into the shower. It came on as soon as she pressed the button, steam radiating from the shower head as a cascade of hot water fell onto the floor. Mia moved under flow, feeling the spray hard against her skin, wetting her hair, her body, warming her up.
“Touch your breasts.”
She looked up at him. He was still standing outside the shower. When she hesitated, he nodded. “Touch them like you’d touch them if I wasn’t here. To give yourself pleasure.”
