Only You

by Kaleigh James

  “Yeah,” Javier replied. “We need to talk about that. Why don’t you have a seat?” He indicated the chair on the other side of the desk. While Daphne situated herself in the cushioned seat, Javier slipped the purchase orders that he’d been reviewing into the top drawer of the desk.

  “The other night was kind of hectic.”

  “I noticed,” Daphne chuckled.

  “With so much going on, I didn’t have the energy left to focus on the conversation we need to have.”

  Daphne’s eyes narrowed. “And what conversation is that,” she paused, emphasizing the next word. “Boss.”

  “The conversation about you coming here, Daphne. I know you just got discharged, but there has to be somewhere else you can go. Don’t you have family or friends that you can stay with? Get a job with?” he hinted.

  “I told you that I’ll go once I talk to Shane,” she answered.

  “Well, you aren’t working here in the meantime.”

  Daphne’s expression grew fierce. “That asshole would have gotten away if it wasn’t for me,” she argued, remembering the Goliath she had tackled Friday night.

  “Maybe. Maybe not,” Javier returned. “The fact of the matter is that you being here is a problem. Brody’s sister has too much happening right now, and she doesn’t need you stirring up problems.”

  “If Camden was woman enough to hold onto Shane, then my being here wouldn’t be a problem,” she sniped.

  “That has nothing to do with it, Daphne,” Javier snarled. “That girl is fighting for her life and the life of her baby – a baby, I remind you, that Shane wants desperately. Don’t you screw with things, Daphne.”

  “What do you mean fighting for her life?” Daphne’s expression showed confusion.

  “She has cancer,” Javier told her, wishing he would have kept his mouth shut. “She’s going through chemotherapy right now, while pregnant, and she and Shane have all that to deal with. On top of finding each other again.”

  Something in Daphne’s eyes bothered Javier. “They love each other, Daphne. They have the real thing. And you need to leave it alone.”

  “So no job for me, Javier?” she stated emotionlessly.

  “Daphne, go home to your family. Shane was never meant for you.”

  “Right,” she declared sarcastically. “I’ll get out of your hair.”

  Daphne walked to the door and gave Javier one last smirk before stepping into the hall. Something didn’t sit right with him about their meeting. She caved much more quickly than he would have thought. And Daphne didn’t seem like a girl to go down without a fight. Maybe something he said actually clicked with her. He hoped so.

  “Javi, just saw Daphne leaving.” Brody poked his head through the doorway. “How’d everything go?”

  “Too easy, man. Something’s up with that woman,” Javier replied. “How are things out front?” he asked, changing the subject.

  “A little slow, but nothing abnormal for a Monday night when there isn’t any big game on TV.”

  Javier nodded. “Melia seem okay?”

  “Yeah,” Brody advised. “She seems like her normal self.”

  “Good. Keep an eye on her.”

  “You got it, chief.” Brody saluted and exited the office.

  ***

  Camden kept her eyes closed as she listened to the buzzing of Eric’s electric hair trimmer. She had seen the first swipe of hair fall to the floor and her stomach had flipped. Last time she was bald from chemo, she had Eric looking bald and “twinsy” with her. And she hadn’t worried about Shane’s expression when he saw her.

  The constant buzzing of the clippers almost put Camden to sleep. Eric remained silent as he trimmed her hair, knowing she was wrestling with something deep. He’d never seen her so unsure of herself. He thought the pregnancy would give her hope in the middle of everything, but it seemed the baby just made Camden even more unsure, and he didn’t know why.

  Camden, on the other hand, knew exactly what she was struggling with. She had been having the same recurring dream the last couple of weeks. Every night, she dreamed that her baby had been born. It was beautiful, and Camden and Shane were thrilled. He gazed at the baby with such love, and Camden felt like she’d conquered the world in giving him this gift. As soon as she began to count her baby’s fingers and toes, a nurse came into the room with a visitor. The nurse introduced the visitor as the baby’s mother, and Camden was forced to hand the baby to a nameless, faceless woman. When the woman took the baby, Camden began to cry. Then the woman turned and walked to Shane, grabbing him by the hand and leading him from Camden’s side. In the dream, Shane looked at the woman with adoration, while he only glanced at Camden once before closing the door. When he looked at her, his eyes were full of pity. She screamed his name, begging him to come back, but the only thing Camden heard was the voice of the unknown woman telling Camden that Shane and the baby didn’t need her any more. They had a REAL woman…a REAL mommy. She woke each time in a cold sweat. Luckily, Shane only shared her bed during her strong weeks, so he hadn’t noticed the frequency of her nightmares.

  Camden didn’t have to have a psych degree to realize her deep fear was that she wouldn’t survive and she would be easily replaced. She was scared someone else would get the job of mothering her baby and loving Shane. But these dreams also had the added side-effect of making Camden fear the same scenario might exist even if she still remained alive. Why would Shane stay for all her baggage, when he could find someone perfectly normal who could care for him and their child? She knew she was being irrational, but she figured she could blame it on a mix between pregnancy brain and chemo brain. Put the two together, and she was screwed.

  Camden was drawn from her thoughts when she heard Eric turn off the trimmer. He used a towel to brush the stray hair from Camden’s neck, and he took off the cape he usually stored under his sink.

  “Ready?” he whispered in her ear.

  “Not in the least,” she answered honestly. When Eric handed her a large, gray mirror, Camden began to cry. She raised her hand to her head, rubbing the newly exposed skin. She looked away from the mirror. At her feet, her vision became glued to the piles of wavy blonde hair. She shoved the mirror into Eric’s hand.

  “Oh, Eric,” she cried. “What will Shane say?”

  As was his tendency, Shane arrived shortly after he was mentioned. If Eric didn’t know better, he’d think the man was a genie, summoned when called. Knocking on the bathroom door, Shane called Eric’s name.

  “What happened, man? You fall in?” Shane chuckled, pushing the door open. “The episode is over. You want to start an… Camden,” he whispered, his gaze frantically alternating between Camden and the piles of hair on the floor.

  Camden’s eyes met Shane’s, and her worst fears were realized. His eyes were filled with pity, the one thing she hoped never to see in their depths. Flashbacks of the dream assaulting her, Camden jumped from her chair, hurried past Shane, and ran to her bedroom. She threw herself on the bed and sobbed.

  ***

  Chapter 27

  "Brody, talk to me!"

  Tiffany's nasal voice was grating on his last nerve.

  "Tiffany, there is nothing to talk about. You cheated. We're over. That's pretty much all there is to say."

  Brody continued wiping tables and setting empty chairs on top of them. Javier was currently counting the till, and Melia was in the process of mopping the half of the bar that Brody had already finished. Roger was in the kitchen shutting things down, and Brody hadn't missed Crystal giving him disapproving glances from where she was sweeping the stage.

  "There is more to say than that, Brody Shepherd," Tiffany griped.

  "Oooh, you used my last name," Brody taunted. "You can leave now, Tiffany. You aren't wanted here anymore."

  Tiffany threw her hands into the air in frustration. "I'm not the only one who has been with someone else since we've been together!" she yelled. The room went silent, as every gaze became focused on them. Brody a
ngrily threw down the rag in his hand and stormed out the front door, Tiffany hot on his heels.

  "What the hell, Tiffany?!? Why don't you broadcast our sex life to everyone?!" Brody turned to face the blonde.

  "Well, it's true," she argued.

  "What the hell are you talking about?" Brody glared at her.

  "The weekend camping trip, Brody. I'm talking about Stella."

  Brody's eyes flashed with anger. "That was different, Tiffany. That was a choice we made as a couple. I didn't cheat on you. You were there, too."

  "Oh, please," she whined. "I may have been in the tent, but anyone with two eyes could see I wasn't a part of whatever was going on with you two."

  Brody ground his teeth together. "It was different, Tiff. I never cheated on you. Finding you in the supply closet being fucked by the line cook....THAT constitutes as cheating."

  "You are so hypocritical!" Tiffany screamed.

  "And we are so over," Brody yelled. He opened the door to the bar and slammed it behind him before Tiffany could follow. He locked the door and turned to face the stunned gazes in front of him.

  "I don't want to talk about it," he growled. Immediately, everyone returned to their previous jobs, and Brody stalked to the table where he had left his rag. He continued wiping tables and setting up chairs, tuning out the sounds around him.

  Who the hell was Tiffany to think she could treat him like that? The joke was on her, because he had thankfully kept deep feelings out of their relationship. Feelings like that had caused him severe damage once before, and he'd never again let that happen. Brody rubbed the phantom pain that suddenly attacked his shoulder. He didn't care if they'd been together a month or a decade. Tiffany lost any chance of continuing their relationship when she cheated. It was the one thing that Brody found absolutely unforgivable.

  ***

  "Camden?" Shane knocked on the door gently, but inside he was seething. Why did she keep doubting him? Hadn't he proven he was in this for the long haul? When Camden didn't answer, he pushed open her door and watched her. Huddled in a ball in the center of her bed, she was weeping. Shane's chest tightened uncomfortably. He turned to close the door, only to see Eric behind him in the hall. Eric nodded encouragingly and went back into his own bedroom.

  Shane closed the door to Camden's room quietly behind him, making sure to lock it. He walked with purpose to Camden's bed. His voice was fiercer than he intended when he spoke.

  "Dammit, Camden. Sit up and talk to me!"

  She froze momentarily, shocked that he was angry with her. Eyes full of fire, she sat and stared at him. Her expression caught him off guard, but he continued.

  "What did I do?!" he demanded. "I walked into the room, said your name, and you fled."

  "You pitied me!!!" she yelled.

  "Of course I did, Camden! You love your hair. I've seen all the products on the bathroom counter. I've waited the hours it takes you to get ready. I know this has to be hard for you!"

  Camden whimpered. "But I don't want you to pity me. I want you to be with me because you want to be, not because you feel you have to be."

  Shane's eyebrows lowered in confusion. "I don't follow," he stated calmly.

  "I want to KNOW that you are with me because you love me. I don't want to ever wonder if you wanted to leave at some point, but stayed because you pitied me or felt sorry for me."

  The anger that rushed him was sudden, and Shane had Camden underneath him within seconds. He lowered his face to hers, his blue eyes glaring into her dark green orbs. She tried to move her gaze from his, but his words stopped her movement.

  "Get this through your head, woman." He growled sexily, but his anger was still evident in his gaze. "I love you. I love you with all my heart and soul. That means you are the center of my universe. If I pity you, it is a small thing regarding only one circumstance. I do not pity you as a person. I think you are strong and fierce and inspiring." He lifted his hand to grab her chin. "You are everything to me," he whispered. "You have to stop doubting that, Sunshine." He kissed her temple softly.

  "You deserve better, Shane," she murmured. A single tear trailed her check, but Shane wiped it with his thumb.

  "Nothing is better for me than you," he whispered. "I want you, Camden." He kissed her temple. "Only you." He pressed another kiss to the tip of her nose. "Only ever you." He leaned forward, bringing their lips together in a slow, languid caress.

  Camden wanted to push him away, but she didn't seem to have the ability. She slowly melted into the moment, a slow simmer beginning in her belly. Shane nibbled her lower lip, causing Camden to giggle. He took advantage of her open mouth and slipped his tongue inside. Her tongue joined his, tasting and teasing, mating in way that made them feel as if they were part of one being. Time stood still as Shane kissed her. He lifted his head and began pressing soft kisses on her cheeks, her eyelids, her forehead, and temple. He whispered words of adoration. He told her she was beautiful. When he lifted his hand and stroked her smooth head, Camden began to cry.

  "You are ALWAYS beautiful, Sunshine," he whispered. "And always mine."

  Overcome with emotion, Camden grasped the sides of his face and pulled it back to hers. This kiss was possessive and passionate. He had stoked a fire in her, and she would not rest until he made good on the promise his words and kisses had made.

  Moments before, she had felt exhausted, but Shane's caresses had caused her body to awaken and her libido to come to life. Camden reached for Shane's shirt, lifting it over his head. She sighed in adoration when his muscles came into view.

  "I wanna lick you," she muttered, staring at his chest. Shane chuckled and leaned forward again.

  "All in due time, Camden." He trailed kisses down her neck, paying special attention to the spot where he knew later he would leave his mark. His fingers traced the waistline of her yoga pants, tickling her sides because his touch was so light. Camden shivered as Shane kissed down the other side of her neck. He began to slowly raise her shirt, shifting his body to gently press kisses to her now visible belly. He grinned at the small baby bump.

  "Hi, baby," he murmured to her stomach. "I love you." Camden's eyes watered when Shane's gaze met hers. "You have the best mommy in the whole world," he crooned. Placing a final kiss over Baby Hunt, Shane trailed kisses slowly up Camden's abdomen, as he followed the path of her shirt. When he'd finally removed it, Shane pressed his hand to Camden's heart.

  "Mine," he whispered. His eyes were glossy as he met her gaze. He gently grabbed her hand and placed it on his chest. "Yours," he promised. "Always and forever yours."

  He took Camden by surprise when he stopped to kiss the raised bump on her chest. She stilled, growing uncomfortable as he paid such focused attention to the stark reminder of her disease.

  "Why would you kiss my port?" she queried, her voice wobbly and uncertain.

  He lifted his eyes to hers. "That port will be what keeps you with me. The way it helps kind of sucks, yeah. But I am still thankful that it gives me you and our baby."

  Camden nodded slowly. She lifted her hand to move a strand of dark hair from Shane's forehead. "Last time," she murmured without thought, "Eric and I looked like twins. It made the stares more bearable, because we had to share them." As if it were a passing comment, Camden lifted her head and kissed Shane tentatively.

  Her hands slowly traced his back, and his hands traveled back to her pants. He slid them off slowly, stopping along the way to mark a path of kisses down her legs. He slowly crawled up her body and smirked.

  "Commando, Miss Shepherd?"

  Camden blushed. "I was preoccupied with my hair when I got dressed. Didn't have time to worry about underwear."

  A brief look of compassion softened his expression before lust swirled in his eyes once more. "Easy access," he teased.

  "Your turn, hot shot," Camden teased in reply. Using her feet, she tucked her toes into his waistband, and dragged both his boxers and his basketball shorts to the ground. Shane growled in approval.


  "You're getting good at this," he muttered.

  "You know, I had a dream about us a couple of weeks ago," she teased. Camden blushed, not believing the words were actually coming from her mouth. Shane's eyebrows lifted in questioning interest. His fingers traced shapes softly on her belly.

  "The night after my first chemo treatment, when you and Eric woke me because I had a fever."

  Shane fingers stilled, as he searched his memory for that night. His eyes widened.

  "You screamed my name," he recalled. "We thought you were having a nightmare.

  Camden's blush grew. "If that was a nightmare, I don't ever want to wake up," she murmured.

  Shane grinned and leaned forward. "What did we do?"

  "You took me...hard," she confessed. "It was hot. You grabbed me by the hips and flipped me over."

  "Doggie-style?" he laughed.

  "And rough, Shane. I thought you were going to tear me in two."

  Shane hardened at the mental picture. "Did I hurt you baby?"

  "It was awesome," she whispered. She felt him jerk against her leg, and she giggled.

  "Baby, when you are cancer-free and can handle it, I'll tear you up." His voice grew gravelly at the end of his statement, and Camden felt tingles throughout her body.

  "Tonight, though," Shane whispered huskily. "I'm going to take you soft and slow. By tomorrow morning, you will have no doubt who I want in my bed and in my life."

  ***

  Chapter 28

  The feeling Shane had experienced the first couple of times he had visited the oncology ward had dissipated. Being a frequent visitor, the place lost its daunting feeling to him. Of course, it helped that Shane was convinced Camden's treatment would be successful. In his opinion, failure was not an option.

  As they reached the nurses' station, Shane grimaced when he saw that Adrienne was manning the desk.

  "We're here to check-in for chemo," he stated curtly.