“What? What happened? How did I risk everything?” I’m completely confused.
“Use your head, Samantha. Everyone knows me in this town and I’m supposed to be engaged to you. How will it look to the Smithfields if my fiancée is photographed out with another man?”
Suddenly I feel like an idiot and can see why he’d be frustrated. I really hadn’t even considered that. I open my mouth to apologize again, “You’re ri—”
“What’s worse is I tried warning you not to when we were in Georgia, but you were too stubborn to listen and you still went. I told you it wasn’t a good idea, Samantha! You signed a contract stating you would be engaged to me. Pretend or not, it’s a legally binding contract!” He’s practically spitting the words at me now, each one punctuated by a finger thrust toward me.
“Okay, first of all, you did not tell me it would be a bad idea because of possible photographers. Might I remind you that what you said to me was to ‘remember whose cock I had in my mouth!’” Now I’m pissed.
“It’s just common sense, but clearly you’re just so driven by your libido that you have to bounce from one guy to the next without so much as a breath between them.” His chest is rapidly rising and failing as he lifts the water to his lips and chugs it.
I’m stunned. I don’t even know what to say, so I stoop to insults.
“Are you fucking kidding me? Mr. ‘My Last “Relationship” Was Bending a Girl Over a Public Restroom Counter and Fucking Her Before I Even Got Her Name!’ Don’t you dare throw this in my face. You made it clear that I was nothing more than a dirty fuck and a contract. You have no right to be pissed at me for pursuing a real relationship outside of whatever the dysfunctional hell this is,” I say as I motion between the two of us. Tears have started to fall down my cheeks—tears of anger.
A smirk spreads across his face, “You don’t have to reduce yourself to insults, Samantha, just because you were careless tonight and clearly in the wrong. You know you were wrong. You know you could have blown everything, but you won’t admit it. Pathetic,” he mutters before turning his back on me to walk out of the room.
“Pathetic? You know what’s pathetic? A grown-ass man who is so successful, yet he has to trick his clients into signing with him because he’s that morally reprehensible. How hard would it be for you to actually be a better man rather than paying someone to pretend for you?” I regret the words as soon as they leave my mouth, but it’s too late.
“Morally reprehensible? You’re the one who sold yourself for fifty thousand dollars, sweetheart.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CAMERON
I see the tears fall down her cheeks and the shock set in as soon as I say the words. I’m disgusted with myself, but instead of begging for forgiveness, I let my pride take over and I walk away.
I don’t know how long she stands there, but I can’t stay in the same room. I rush up the stairs to my bedroom and throw the now-empty water bottle against the wall. I can’t stand the man I’ve become. The truth is, she was right. I should just be a better man instead of pretending—tricking clients into thinking that I care about the environment or that I’m a quality family man.
I walk into the bathroom and step into the shower before the water even has a chance to warm up. I place my hands on the wall in front of me and hang my head. I’m jealous. I don’t want any man touching her. I want her for myself. I want her to want me the way she wants Dr. Ken.
I hate that I have to compete with some bastard I don’t even know. Maybe it’s my pride, or maybe it’s because I’ve never had a woman choose another man over me. I pound my fist against the marble wall in frustration. I need to call Griffin and talk this out. Maybe he can help talk some sense into me.
After I towel off, I grab my phone and send Griffin a quick text.
I know it’s late, but care to grab a beer?
I get dressed while I wait for his reply. I hear a buzz and check the messages.
Oh boy, how badly did you fuck up this time?
I can’t help but smile; he knows me too well.
Colossal, man. Meet me at Finnigan’s Pub?
Give me twenty.
“YOU WEREN’T KIDDING, man, that’s pretty colossal. I mean, even for you, those were some pretty cruel and harsh words.”
“Yes, I’m aware,” I say as I hang my head in shame again. “She just tries my patience and drives me crazy at the same time.” I put my hands in a circle like I’m strangling something.
Griffin just lets out a loud laugh, throws his head back, and slaps the bar top. “Holy shit, I never thought I’d see the day.” My brows knit together as I take a long swig of my beer.
“You’re in love, brother!” he says, giving me a loud smack on the back as I almost spit my beer out of my nose.
I wipe the dribble off my chin, “In love? Whoa, whoa, whoa, that is not the situation here. I’m just not used to having a woman reject me, especially after we’ve…”
Griffin’s eyes grow wide, “Wait, you guys have been sleeping together? You left out that bit of information earlier.”
I rub my forehead in aggravation, “Yeah. I tried not to, I swear—but my God, she’s like kryptonite for me, man. I cannot resist when she looks at me; it’s like every tempting thing on this planet that was ever created all rolled into one.” I’m lost in my own thoughts of her as the words leave my mouth.
Griffin smiles. “I know exactly how you feel, Cam, trust me. But what the hell did you think was going to happen when you started sleeping together? We both know the whole friends-with-benefits lie is complete bullshit.”
“I was honest with her, Grif. I told her that I wasn’t looking for long-term, and that I don’t do relationships or marriage and all that. Once this is done, we will go our separate ways as planned. Trust me, she has her eyes on some doctor she works with.”
“Oh, you thought that little caveat would keep her from developing feelings?” he says sarcastically.
“She doesn’t have feelings for me. I just told you she’s talking to some doctor asshole and is apparently dating him now.” I finish the rest of my beer and wave over the bartender for another.
Griffin lets me continue to throw a pity party, but more than anything, it’s just making me realize what an asshole I’ve been. After another drink, we both head home and I decide that I need to apologize to Sam.
I don’t plan on telling her why I lashed out, plus I think Griffin is full of shit. I’m not in love with her. It’s just all the emotions from sex getting in the way, not to mention the sting of rejection.
It’s late by the time I get home, and I poke my head in her room and see her fast asleep with Cocoa beside her on a pillow. I reach down and give Cocoa’s head some scratches, and she gives me a couple quick sniffs before nestling down and purring. She is a pretty cute cat and it’s damn near adorable how much Sam cares about her.
I head back to my room and strip down to my boxers. I slide into bed and the cold sheets feel refreshing against my skin. I can’t stop thinking about the way Samantha makes me feel. Is this love? I wouldn’t know, to be honest. I’ve never experienced it before.
The next morning, Sam has already left for work. It’s a Saturday, so while I don’t normally work, I decide to head into the office to get my mind off of our fight last night. I shuffle through case files and court documents, not digesting anything that I’m reading. Finally, I flip on the giant flat screen in my office and watch ESPN for a while before I decide I can’t focus.
I pull out my phone and find a local florist, ordering a few dozen roses I can pick up on the way home. I also call Samantha’s favorite restaurant and place a to-go order for later this evening. I want to show her that I’m not always a complete asshole who only thinks about getting in her pants and pissing people off.
It’s nearing 7:30 p.m. when I hear the front door open. I’ve checked my watch nervously for the past hour or so, anxiously awaiting her arrival. I walk into the kitchen to see her standing at the
counter with her eyes closed. Her hair is piled high on her head, leaving her long, slender neck exposed. I try not to get sidetracked by thoughts of running my lips along her supple skin. She lets out a long sigh as her hands massage her neck and her head lolls forward.
“Long day?” I say, startling her.
She places her hand on her chest to steady herself. “Jesus, you scared me. Yeah, kind of forgot how long these twelve-hour shifts feel after not working for five days.” She’s tense and I can tell last night is still bothering her.
She gives me a small smile and grabs her bag before starting for her room.
“Samantha?”
She stops and turns toward me. “Hmm?”
“I’m sorry. I was out of line last night and well, frankly, I was a complete asshole. You don’t deserve to be treated like that.” I can see relief start to wash over her face as her features soften.
“Actually, I was going to apologize to you. I—I don’t know what got into me last night, and you were right about my careless and thoughtless actions. I shouldn’t have said what I said to you. I didn’t mean it.”
I step toward her, unsure of what I’m doing. Do I kiss her? Hug her? I do neither.
“I, uh, have an apology dinner prepared in the dining room. I picked up your favorite, Agostino’s.”
“Cam, you didn’t have to do that.”
This time, I step closer and cup her cheek. Something stirs in my stomach and I realize: this woman is everything I want. I have never in my life been prompted to say those three little words, but suddenly, it’s all I can do to hold back from yelling them. I lean in and place a soft kiss on her lips. I pull back and look at her, then lean in again, this time covering her bottom lip with my own, pulling it into my mouth to softly suck on.
She quickly steps back and pulls my hand from her face. “I should really get out of these scrubs. Trust me, you don’t want hospital germs all over you.” She smiles and walks away, but something still feels off.
“MMM…” A soft moan escapes her lips and her eyelids flutter shut as she wraps them around her fork. While I’m preoccupied with trying to figure out how to fix things, I can’t help my body’s reaction to her sounds. My dick twitches, and I’ve never been so jealous of a bit of lasagna before.
“Hey, so I was thinking…” She places her fork down on her plate and takes a long sip of her wine. Shit, this doesn’t sound good.
“I think that us sleeping together really complicated things. I know this is a job and we both have lives outside of this once it’s over, so maybe it’s best if we just keep it simple.”
Ah, the easy letdown. Seems like she’s made up her mind about being with Dr. Whatever-the-Fuck-His-Name-Is.
“Did I do something wrong in bed? Something you didn’t like?” I fish for an explanation. I want to hear her say she doesn’t want me.
“No! No…no. It was good. I just think it muddied the waters a little. We could just say it was a fun Georgia thing and go back to how things were before.”
I nod slowly. This is the worst idea I’ve ever heard. If she doesn’t want me and wants to be with this other guy, I wish she’d just come out and say it. I can feel my blood pressure rising and I have to remind myself that this isn’t about me. I need to give her space and let do what’s right for her. Who the fuck am I these days?!
“Yeah, I agree. That makes perfect sense.” I raise my glass. “Here’s to finishing out the contract with no more fights.” I finish off my glass in one gulp and get up to grab something stronger. If this is how she wants to play it, then I’m going to need some Scotch to help my blue balls and broken heart.
THE NEXT FEW weeks are fucking torture. Things between Samantha and me have actually been really great. We’ve settled into a routine of work schedules and a few outings here and there. It’s like she’s become one of my closest friends. The only difference is, I ashamedly beat off in the shower every night to thoughts of her. I’m not proud of it, but it keeps me from savagely punching a hole in the wall every time I see her.
Her new idea is to have me teach her how to work out. I thought it was bad seeing her in regular clothes around the house! Now she’s squatting with her spandex-clad ass practically in my crotch and her full, perky tits bouncing in my face. Goddammit, I’m going to have a stroke!
Tonight I’ve decided to sneak into the gym before she gets home from work. Hopefully, I can avoid being tortured for an hour. Just as I step onto the treadmill, however, she pokes her head around the corner.
“Hey! I thought you were going to wait for me!”
Fuuuuuuuck me!
“I’m going to change; I’ll be right back.” I hear her scurry to her room and images of her shimmying into those skintight leggings pop into my head. I slam my hand down on the emergency stop of the treadmill. I’ve got about two minutes to formulate a plan before I lose my ever-loving mind.
“Okay, okay, I can do this,” I say aloud to myself as I nod my head. If she wants to tease the hell out of me, then two can play at that game. I rip off my shirt and look at myself in the mirrored wall. I’m going to tease the shit out of her—give her a taste of her own medicine. Before she enters the room, I pull my shirt back on, deciding a slow tease will be better.
Just then, she comes bounding back into the gym. Her luscious breasts and perky ass are on full display, covered by a barely-there stretch of fabric.
“Why don’t you warm up on the treadmill for ten minutes?” I say as I start the belt and bump up the incline.
I walk over the pull-up bar and make sure I’m facing her as I pound out several sets. I can see her trying not to watch me, but she’s failing. After several sets of pull-ups and curls, I lift my shirt to wipe the sweat from my brow. She’s messing around on her phone, but my movements catch her eye and she looks up just as I slowly pull my shirt over my head and toss it on the floor.
I can see her lips part as her tongue darts out to wet them. She almost stumbles but quickly catches herself before the treadmill beeps and comes to a standstill.
“Ready for some squats?” she says as she heads over to the squat rack. She thinks she’s being clever, but I’m on to her.
“Yeah, I think it’s time we upped your weight. Go a little heavier.”
“You sure? Last time was pretty heavy already.”
“Yeah, absolutely. You’re getting stronger,” I say as I load up the bar. I want it heavy enough that she needs me right up against her to help her.
She warms up with a few lighter reps then goes in for the heavy stuff. “Don’t worry, I’m right behind you.” I place my body just close enough so she can feel the heat radiating from my chest, then I place my hands on her hips.
“Make sure you’re keeping the weight in your heels and really sticking your butt out on the way down, okay?” She nods her head and starts to lower her body.
I can feel her struggling on the way up, so I press myself against her and bear some of the weight for her.
“That’s way too heavy, Cameron. I don’t feel comfortable.”
I tell her to try one more time, and when she does, I don’t step back before she lowers down—causing her ass to land squarely against my crotch. She quickly bolts upright and re-racks the weight.
“See, I knew you had it in you!” I say, pretending I didn’t notice.
“I don’t feel like working out tonight, actually. I think I’ll just take a long soak in the tub and give my muscles a break.”
I’m disappointed, but I don’t let it show. Clearly, my plan is working. “Suit yourself.” I continue with my workout as she makes her way out of the gym.
After we’ve both cleaned up, we’re standing around in the kitchen preparing something to eat. I take full advantage of opportunities to walk up behind her and help her reach a glass on the top shelf while I lightly press my body against hers or rest my hand on her hip or lower back as I move to step around her.
I can see her frustration building until finally she snaps. “Stop it
, Cameron!”
I turn around slowly with a dumbfounded look on my face. “Stop what?”
“I know what you’re doing! So just stop.” I step closer to her.
“What am I doing, Samantha?” Her breathing becomes more rapid.
“You’re trying to seduce me. You keep touching me. It’s not working, so give it up.” She steps back and hits the counter behind her.
I can’t help but smile. It’s clearly working. I step forward until we’re mere inches apart and lower my mouth until I’m hovering above hers.
“I’m not trying to seduce you, Samantha. If I were seducing you, you wouldn’t be able to resist.” Her lips part again and I can see her pulse at the base of her neck.
Her eyes drop to my mouth and she’s fighting hard not to lean in and close the small distance between us. She fails. She presses her lips against mine as she raises her hand to wrap around the back of my neck, but before she can, I reach up and grab it while I pull away and break the kiss.
“I thought we agreed we didn’t want to muddy the waters.” I make sure to use her exact phrase.
She rolls her eyes and pushes past me. I know she’s upset and probably embarrassed that I turned her down, but I want her to need me. I want her so wrapped up in desiring me that she tells me what she wants without thinking about it first.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
SAMANTHA
I kick off the covers in exasperation. I can’t sleep and I know the reason why: Cameron. I can’t stop thinking about the way his body felt against mine earlier. Why the hell did I ever suggest we stop hooking up?
I groan in frustration and decide a little self-satisfaction might do the trick. I reach into my nightstand and pull out my trusty vibrator. I close my eyes and images of his shirtless body pepper my thoughts. I place the vibrating head against my clit and gasp at the sensations that ripple through my body. It doesn’t take long before my breathing becomes rapid and shallow and I’m grabbing at the pillow behind me. I’m so close that my toes curl and a light sheen of sweat covers my body.
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