by Carrie Elks
“I’m a goof for you.”
Her heart did a little leap. “Shut up and go coach the team.”
Cam looked over his shoulder, as though he’d forgotten all about the football game. “Shit, yeah, I should go.”
“I hope you weren’t this uncommitted when you played pro,” she said with a grin.
“Luckily for the Bobcats, I didn’t know you then.” He stood, his strong body towering above her. “I’ll send you our travel details tomorrow.”
Our travel details. A fizz of excitement shot through her.
Forty-eight hours alone with Cam Hartson. She wasn’t sure either of them would survive it.
“Okay, you two need to go pack for your weekend. Your father’s picking you up right after school.” Mia took their empty plates. “Josh, I’ve laid out all your clothes on your bed. You just need to put them in your duffle bag and add any toys or books you want to take.”
“Have you packed for me, too?” Michael asked with a grin.
“Nope. I don’t dare rifle through your closet. I’m scared something might bite me.” She carried the plates to the sink, rinsing them.
“Where is it you’re going again?” Sam asked the boys. It was one of his rare evenings off. Which was good, because she hadn’t told him yet that she wasn’t going to be around this weekend either. She’d tell him once Michael and Josh were upstairs.
Sliding the plates into the dishwasher, she bit down a smile as she thought about Cam’s message.
Our flight is at ten on Friday night. We’re going somewhere warm. Bring a bikini and sunscreen. C xx
So you’re not telling me where we’re going? You realize I’ll find out as soon as we check in at the airport, right? M xx
Yeah, I know that. But I like to keep you guessing. C xx
You haven’t told me to bring my passport, so it has to be in the US. And there aren’t that many places where I could wear a bikini right now. Is it Miami? M xx
Nope. C
Savannah? M
Still no. C
You’re driving me crazy, you know that? M
That’s what I’m here for. Now leave me alone. I’m trying to get my body beach ready. C xx
“Mom?” Josh asked, crouching down beside her in front of the dishwasher.
“Yes, sweetie?”
“If I take my Nintendo Switch do you think it’ll get wet?”
“Not if you don’t take it into the waterpark.”
“But the whole hotel is a waterpark, right?” He frowned. “Doesn’t that mean the bedrooms are, too?”
She bit down a grin. “No, honey, the bedrooms will be dry. You don’t sleep in the waterpark itself. The hotel is just attached to it.”
“Oh.” Josh’s face fell. “I didn’t know that.”
“It’s okay. I’d have thought the same.” She ruffled his hair. “Are you looking forward to going?”
“Yeah, I think so. Michael seems excited. And Dad says we’ll have fun.”
“You definitely will. It’ll do you good to spend time with your dad.”
“And Gemma, too,” Josh added. “She seems nice.”
“That’s good. Now go pack, okay? You need to get a good night’s sleep. You won’t get to the hotel until late tomorrow, and the weekend will be full of fun. So get all the rest you can.”
“Okay.” Josh nodded. There was still something on his mind. She could see it from the way his brows were crunched together. “Mom?”
“Yes?”
“Will you be lonely without us?”
Her throat tightened. “No, my darling. I’ll miss you, but I’ll be fine. I just want you to have a good time.”
“We could ask Dad if you can come?” he said hopefully. “You like waterparks, don’t you?”
“You’re very sweet.” She kissed the top of his head. “But I think you’ll have a lot of fun without me there. Maybe we can go another time.”
“Sure. Okay. I love you, Mom.” He threw his arms around her neck, hugging her tight.
“I love you too, bud. So much.”
It was almost ten by the time the house was quiet and the boys had gone to bed. Half the evening had been taken up with Josh trying to find the charger for his Nintendo, which they finally found beneath his bed, along with a stash of candy wrappers and half a dozen unmatched socks.
Michael was calmer on the exterior, but she could tell he was excited, too. She was pleased he was. That made her life easier.
Maybe co-parenting would be a good thing. Though she was still skeptical that Niall would really step up to the mark beyond this weekend.
He’d messaged her this evening to confirm what time he’d be picking the boys up, and for the first time she’d seen some humility in his words. He thanked her for letting him back into the boys’ lives, and apologized that he hadn’t been around for the past few months.
She noticed he didn’t apologize for leaving, or for taking everything they owned. But she wasn’t expecting miracles.
And anyway, she had other things to think about. Things like airplanes and bikinis and a weekend away with the hottest guy in Hartson’s Creek.
“So, I’m going away this weekend, too,” she told Sam, as she walked back into the living room. He was watching an old war documentary, and lifted the remote to pause it.
“Anywhere nice?” he asked her.
“Just to see a friend. I thought I’d take advantage of having some free time.” She sat in the chair beside the fireplace. “I know I’d planned on painting the kitchen on Sunday, but I’ll do it next week if that’s okay.”
Sam waved his hand. “That kitchen hasn’t seen a lick of paint in twenty years. Another week won’t hurt. And you’ve done more than enough to this place. I feel like I’m taking advantage.”
“You gave us a home when we had nowhere to go,” Mia said softly. “If anybody’s taking advantage it’s me.”
“But things are better now that you have your job.”
Yeah, they were. But there was still the money she owed Cam. She frowned, remembering that he still hadn’t given her the invoice.
“The job is great. And I’m managing to save some money. In a few months I’ll have a good deposit, and we can move out and give you some peace.”
“There’s no rush. I kind of like having you all here. Even if Josh does eat all the cookies.” He cleared his throat. “So this friend, is it anybody I know?”
“Um, I don’t think so.”
“So it’s not a certain ex-football player who gives you googly eyes whenever he sees you?”
Mia froze. “What?”
Sam cleared his throat. “Don’t look so worried. I won’t say anything. I just see a lot more than people think, that’s all. And I saw your car parked in his driveway a couple of weeks ago when your boys were at Saturday football.”
Mia slumped back in her chair. “Does everybody know?”
“Nope. But people aren’t stupid. They’ll put two and two together eventually.” His watery eyes met Mia’s. “Is it serious between you?”
“No,” she said softly. “He’s just made me smile again, that’s all.”
“That’s a good thing.” Sam nodded. “I’ve noticed how much more relaxed you’ve been recently.”
She swallowed down a splutter. Hopefully he had no idea how relaxed Cam made her.
“You go have fun,” Sam told her. “You deserve it. You’ve carried your family for months, but you’re still young. You have your whole life ahead of you.”
Her throat felt tickly. “You’re a sweet man, do you know that?”
“Don’t tell anybody,” he whispered. “It’s our secret.”
She mimed pulling a zip across her lips. “It’s safe with me.”
“You can’t think about pulling out now,” Derek said, his voice thick with irritation. “First you took way too long thinking about retiring, and now you’re having second thoughts about L.A.? It’s a small industry, Cam, and reputations get made and ruined on the turn o
f a dime. Marty pulled strings to get you this meeting. You can’t throw that back in his face.”
Cam ran his hand through his short hair, glancing at his suitcase from the corner of his eye. “Isn’t it just as bad if I go meet everybody in L.A. with no intention of signing? Honesty has to be the best policy, right?”
“No.” Derek huffed. “Having a plan is the best policy. Thinking things through is the best policy. Not messing up your career because you’re having too much fun running around with your brothers is the best policy.”
Cam had twenty minutes before he had to leave for the airport. Mia had insisted on meeting him there. It grated him, but he understood why. Being seen climbing into his car with a suitcase was asking for gossip to begin. And right now she thought they were a casual thing.
Yeah, well it was time to persuade her otherwise. Starting with saying no to L.A.
“I’m not changing my mind because of my brothers. I have a lot of reasons to stay east, that’s all.”
“You should think about things when you’re in L.A. Even better, you can do it around a swimming pool surrounded by models and actresses. The sun always shines in L.A. I promise you that. No more snow. No more rain. Just sweet blue sky every day. Why would you turn that down?”
“You seem really keen on me taking this job,” Cam pointed out. “It’s an expansion team. The bottom rung. It’ll take years for them to win anything, if they ever do. Maybe we should wait and see if there are any other positions opening closer to home.”
“If you turn this down, Marty just has to put out the word and nobody will touch you with a ten foot pole,” Derek told him. “I’m not telling you this as your agent, but as your friend. Seriously, you’re making a really bad decision turning this down. Your next step is crucial. You told me yourself, football is your life. Do you want to throw that all away?” Derek clicked his tongue. “Just do me one favor, okay? Fly out to L.A., meet me there, and we’ll see how you feel after that. If you really feel it’s not for you, okay, we’ll make a different plan. But at least give it a chance.”
Cam sighed. Flying to L.A. was pointless, but he hated letting Marty down. He didn’t think the Bobcats owner would cause him any problems if he turned a coaching job down, but the least he could do was be willing to meet Derek halfway.
“I’ll go, but I’m pretty sure I won’t change my mind.” He was certain, but no need to give Derek a fit.
“Okay. Good. Brian’s already booked your flight and hotel for next weekend.” Derek sounded suddenly upbeat. “I’ve got a good feeling about this.”
“I gotta go,” Cam said, checking his watch again. He wanted to be parked before Mia arrived. He’d booked them both into the VIP lot, and from there they’d be taken into the first class lounge. Right now, all he wanted to do was be with her.
“What’s got you so busy on a Friday night?” Derek asked.
“None of your business.”
His agent laughed. It was a strange, almost forced sound. “Keep your nose clean and don’t go breaking any hearts, okay?”
Yeah, well, he wasn’t planning on it. This weekend was about spending time with the woman he couldn’t get out of his mind. Preferably naked time.
“I’ll speak to you later,” Cam said, lifting the phone from his ear. Just before he swiped it, Derek replied.
“I’ll see you in L.A. next week.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
“We’re here.”
Mia slowly opened her eyes, smiling when she felt Cam’s lips brush against her brow.
“We are?” She looked up at him with sleepy eyes. “I guess I fell asleep, huh?”
“You were asleep before we’d even left the airport service road.” He brushed a tendril of hair from her cheek. “Which is good, because you’re going to need your energy tonight.”
“What time is it?” It was too dark to see her watch.
“Almost midnight. We’re going straight to our bungalow. We’ll need to get out of the car and into a golf cart.”
“Can’t we walk?” she asked him, hoping the fresh air might wake her up.
He chuckled. “The resort covers three acres. We could walk, but it would take a while. Maybe we’ll walk in the morning.”
Three acres? Feeling more awake, she craned her head to look at the surrounding scenery. The road leading to the resort was lined with oak trees, their huge leafy canopies forming an archway that blocked out the moonlight. When they emerged from the quasi-tunnel, the driver keeping to the twenty-mile-per-hour limit, she could see a beautiful white hotel in front of them, surrounded by vast lawns and trees, along with the tell-tale sign of little red flags in the greens of the three golf courses that formed part of the resort.
“What made you decide on Hilton Head?” Mia murmured. Even in the dark of night, the resort looked beautiful. The trees were strung with lights that sparkled between the leaves, looking like lightning bugs in summer. Dotted in among them were small white bungalows, each far enough away from the next to provide privacy. From the looks of the size of them, along with the enclosed private swimming pool behind each building, they had to cost a small fortune to rent.
“It’s warm enough to sunbathe naked.” Cam kissed her again. So softly she could barely feel it.
“It can’t be that warm. I know we’re in South Carolina, but still…”
“The forecast predicts high seventies. You might get a few goosebumps, but I can live with that.”
“Can you?” She lifted a brow, smiling up at him. She liked the way he was holding her. Like she was something delicate, that needed to be protected.
“Yeah. I’ve got a few ideas of how to keep you warm.” He pressed his lips to hers. They were warm and demanding, and sent delicious tingles through her nerve endings. He cupped her head with his palm, sliding his tongue against hers. “Would you rather go to a waterpark hotel?” he asked when he pulled away.
“And get drenched by a giant bucket of water?” She wrinkled her nose. “I think I prefer this place.”
Damn, he was such a good kisser. All the tiredness she’d felt only minutes ago seemed to disappear. He slid his hand down her thigh, hooking it beneath her knee until he could pull her leg over his body.
The driver cleared his throat. “We’re here. The bellhop will assist you now.”
Cam lifted his head, a smile ghosting his lips. “Later,” he mouthed, sliding her leg from his. “Thank you,” he told the driver. It was annoying how little he appeared to be affected by their kiss. Mia was still panting like a damned dog. “We’ll see you on Sunday.”
There were actually two carts waiting for them. The first driver took their luggage and drove ahead, while Mia and Cam climbed into the backseat of the second, which took off along the small winding pathways, past the deserted golf courses and expansive trees.
“Welcome back, Mr. Hartson. And welcome for the first time, Ms. Devlin. We’re delighted you chose the Evoque Resort for your stay.” The driver glanced over his shoulder, then back at the path ahead. Their way was lit by old fashioned lampposts casting golden pools across the gravel.
“Welcome back?” Mia said, arching a brow. “Do you bring all your women here?”
Cam laughed, shaking his head. “I came here for a golf tournament once. Pro-Celeb.”
“I’m guessing you’re the celeb?”
“So they told me.” He shrugged. “I only came for the free golf and food.”
She bit down a smile. “That’s pretty much why I’m here.”
Cam arched an eyebrow, sliding his arm around her waist. “The only sport I’m planning on playing involves being naked,” he whispered into her ear.
“That’s because you’re scared I’d whoop your ass.”
He kissed her neck, sending shivers down her spine. “Do you play golf?”
“No. But it looks fairly simple.”
She felt his laughter vibrating against her skin. “Oh baby, now I really want to play you. Do you think they’ll let us on the
course without clothes?”
“You seem really fixed on this naked thing,” she pointed out.
He slid his lips along her jaw. “Yeah, I’m pretty set on that.”
Maybe she was, too. The thought of almost two days ahead of them felt enticing. No children, no cooking, no work to worry about. Just being naked with this man who knew exactly how to touch her, along with warm sunshine and a cool pool to dip into.
“We’re here,” the bell boy told them, hopping out of the cart. “Your luggage is in your room, and there’s food waiting for you in the kitchen, along with a complementary bottle of champagne. Your breakfast will be delivered at nine-thirty tomorrow morning, as you ordered. In the meantime, is there anything else I can get for you?”
Cam swung his long legs out of the golf cart, then held his hand out to Mia. She climbed out, a grin on her face as she took it all in.
“We’re good,” Cam told him, slipping him a few bills. He was good at that. Clearly had way too much practice.
“Enjoy your stay. And if you need anything at all, just call reception. We’re staffed twenty-four hours for your needs.”
Sliding his hand into hers, Cam nodded at the bell hop. “Thanks,” he said, his thumb caressing her wrist. “But right now I have everything I need.”
Mia woke the next morning to the glorious sight of a naked Cam Hartson carrying a tray laden with breakfast food into the bedroom. She was naked, too – their clothes were almost certainly still scattered over the living room – her bare legs twisted into the cool white sheets.
“Did you go outside to get that tray?” she asked him.
“Yeah. They left it on the porch.” Cam put the tray on the nightstand, picking up a croissant and taking a bite.
“You left the bungalow naked?” She watched as he poured two cups of coffee. “Careful, you wouldn’t want to scald any… delicate parts.”
He grinned. “It’s Naked Saturday, remember?”
“I don’t remember giving it a name.”
“Well I did. It’s Naked Saturday. No clothes allowed.”
