So she met Alyssa’s gaze across the table where the two of them sat drinking coffee and didn’t even bother to lie. “So much.”
Alyssa’s delicate taupe eyebrows rose in her tanned forehead. “Such as?”
Did she come clean? Or take this one to the grave? Alyssa was her best friend with all the unconditional love and lack of judgment the title (usually) entailed. Meri chewed a thumbnail, staring at the steaming coffee in her mug and thinking of the flat, dark expanse of the Gulf last night. How the rhythm of Cam’s sex had seemed to match that of the waves. The rhythm of her heart as it had throbbed sluggishly, erratically in her chest.
“Okay, while you take five minutes to decide to tell me what we both know you are going to tell me, I’m getting a refill.” Alyssa stood and scurried into the kitchen. “I wonder if the guys and Marla are up yet.”
“Cam probably isn’t,” Meri said wryly and took a sip from her mug. She could just imagine him sprawled gloriously naked across his bed, a slim, tanned female body draped over him… She clenched her eyes shut on the image, as if that would help. It was seared on the front of her brain where no physical gestures could touch it.
“What was that?” Lys glanced back at her over the counter that separated the kitchen from the small dining area just off the living room. It was a small condo, but comfortable.
“Nothing.”
Lys probably wasn’t fooled. She was privy to Meri’s little crush. “Something about Cam? What, did the guys stay out all night or something?”
Meri didn’t reply. She listened to Lys pour her next cup and waited for her to return to the table. Blonde, blue-eyed, makeup-less and adorable in her pink jammies and sloppy bun, Lys could have any guy in the world eating out of her hand. To think she tumbled out of bed looking like that. “Okay,” she said, reclaiming her seat and setting down her mug. “Spill.”
Meri took a breath. “I couldn’t sleep last night.”
“Naturally. I’m sorry.”
She waved that away. “So…I went out on the balcony and drank. It was around two in the morning.”
“You drank alone in the dead of night? Girl. You should have woke me up. I’d at least have gotten drunk with you.”
God, what would she do without Alyssa? The thought had occurred to her before the interlude above her, but she hadn’t given it much merit—and she smirked to think what her friend’s reaction to the whole balcony-sex thing might have been.
“So…there I am, alone, and…oh, God, this is embarrassing.”
Lys’s back straightened. “What in the hell could be so embarrassing?”
“I heard a couple. On one of the balconies above. Having sex.”
“You little freak!” Alyssa’s jaw-dropped glee made Meredith burst out laughing despite herself. “You stayed for the entire performance too, didn’t you?”
“Please, let me finish.”
Fortunately, she didn’t need to. Alyssa’s expression underwent a transformation, ending in something akin to horror, as she put the pieces together much faster than Meri had. “No. Oh, no, Meri. It was Cam, wasn’t it?”
Meri drank her coffee, letting silence settle for a moment. “I didn’t realize until the end, when she said his name.”
“You didn’t recognize his voice?”
“Well…the voice he uses with me…and the voice he used with her…you know.”
“You know what the cure for this is, don’t you? You need some hot balcony sex yourself, sister. Take your mind off that. Really, Meri, don’t let this ruin your vacation. Tonight we can go out and—”
“No. I’d rather just try to forget all about it. I mean, I can’t, but… looking elsewhere isn’t the answer.” Although it was damn sure the answer for some people.
What could she have to be mad at him for, really? Permanent fixture or not, he was a single guy. A hot single guy. Besides friendship, there had never been anything between them. It was simply her own grief kicking her into a funk, but she was terrified that when she saw him later today, she wouldn’t be able to keep her heartbreak from showing on her face.
“Yeah. I don’t see how it’s possible to forget that,” Alyssa said gently.
“Right. So I might hang around here solo today. Get some beach time in.”
“That’s the last thing you should do.”
“That’s all I feel like doing.”
“I know what you should do, the same thing I’ve been telling you to do for as long as I’ve known you. Fuckin’ go for it, dude.”
Well, that garnered its usual reaction. “Hell, no. Especially not after hearing what I heard. That would be crazy.”
“Oh, please, Meri. So he found some chick at a bar to bring back to his room and nail. Cut him a break. He’s single and on vacation, right? I’m sure it didn’t mean anything, and it’s nothing you haven’t done.”
The fact that Meredith’s thoughts had been going in a similar direction didn’t help Alyssa’s case at all. True, it wasn’t anything she hadn’t done before. She’d had a one-nighter. Just not outside on a balcony where anyone could hear…though it was also her fault for listening. If only she’d gone back to bed like she should have, she would be none the wiser this morning. She and Alyssa could’ve giggled about the brief moments she’d heard and gone on with their day.
But noooo. She had to be a creep.
How would she face him? How could she act like nothing happened? Alyssa was suggesting she seduce the guy, but Meri worried about how she was going to be able to talk to him as mere friends without screaming. Or bursting into tears.
“How many times do I have to tell you he would totally go for it if you make a move?”
“He wouldn’t, if only because of Dane.”
“Dane ought to be happy about it. Cam’s got a good job, his own place, makes his own way, isn’t on drugs, doesn’t drink excessively…and has only fucked a stranger on a balcony one time that we know of…”
“Gee, thanks for the reminder.”
“As if you’d forgotten. Even if it’s a shock to your brother at first, he would come around in time. The guy is practically part of your family anyway. You might as well make him a full-fledged member.”
“You make it sound incestuous on top of everything. Great.”
“Oh, stop.”
“You’re forgetting what will happen to this entire dynamic if I make a move and he rejects me cold. You always forget.”
“I just don’t think it would be as disastrous as you anticipate. Besides, that’s just an excuse. Because you’re scared.”
Well, hell yes, she was scared. Scared, but…
Something had changed. Cameron might have always been a star player in her fantasies, but she’d never taken them that seriously. He was more important as a friend, as someone very close to her family, rather than as a sex symbol. She’d never realistically considered seducing him. After last night, after listening to those sounds, his sounds, knowing what could possibly be within her reach if she’d only make an effort to take it…
It was insane to consider. He might pat her on the head or rumple her hair and say something like, “That’s sweet, kid, I’m flattered.” Thereby crushing her heart and her ego and everything else she would be risking.
But there had been times when she wondered. She really did.
He’d always had an indignant dislike for whomever she dated. It had bordered on ridiculous. He joked about always being on “standby” to kick someone’s ass for her if she needed him to, but she’d sometimes wondered how much of a joke it was. He had bloodied Andrew Carson’s nose for picking on her, but that was when they were in middle school. She’d been in sixth grade, Dane and Cam in eighth. Back then, most kids knew better than to mess with her. Cam still liked to make it abundantly clear that no one had better mess with her now, either.
It had a way of making her feel twelve years old again, but also protected. Cherished.
“You’re thinking about it, aren’t you?” Lys asked, her face
dawning with joy.
Meri stared into her coffee mug. “No.”
“Yes. You are.”
“Maybe. That doesn’t mean I’m going to do it.”
“Let’s make it a bet.”
“Huh?”
“When we see the guys today, when Cam jumps to your side or talks to you more than anyone else or otherwise shows how much he freaking likes you, you have to go for it.”
“If I don’t?”
“Then I’m going to tell him about the massive flaming torch you’ve carried for him all these years.”
A black pit of horror bloomed in Meredith’s chest. “I will never speak to you again. I mean that.”
“No you don’t.”
“Alyssa.”
“Do what I said and you will never have to find out if I’m that vicious. Come on, Mer. You’ve got nothing to lose and that gorgeous man to gain.”
She didn’t know what scared her more right now. The thought of having to do as Alyssa said…or Cameron not paying her any attention in the slightest after what he’d done last night.
That girl. What had she looked like? Slender? Athletic? Blonde or brunette? He’d dated all types, but he hadn’t dated in a while. What if that girl had made an impression? What if she spent the day with him…with them? Her heart knocked painfully at the thought of meeting a tall, leggy blonde bombshell (everything Meri wasn’t) at Cam’s side when they ran into the guys later. Holding his hand. Laughing at his jokes. Sharing secret smiles with him over their shameless little rendezvous last night.
She would drive herself crazy if she didn’t stop with these thoughts. And, unfortunately, it was becoming increasingly clear that she couldn’t hang around here alone all day. She had to know. Had to. If she had to ask him straight out what was going on, or see it with her own aching eyes, then so be it.
Chapter Three
Cameron lifted his head and squinted at the sunlight pouring through the patio door. By the slant, it looked late. By the searing brightness, it was trying to kill him.
“Fuck,” he groaned, rolling to his back and knuckling his eyes hard. As he did so, his right arm brushed soft skin, and a jolt went through him.
Oh, yeah. He wasn’t alone. It had taken a moment for the memory to pierce through the throb in his skull. Turning his head, he observed the petite brunette curled at his right side, her face obscured by a curtain of hair, breathing contentedly in sleep. At least their limbs weren’t entangled; he was able to roll from the bed without fear of waking her. Last thing he wanted right now was a cuddle session, if she would even be so inclined.
But after pulling on a pair of pajama pants, meaning to make his escape, he paused and sighed. There was no reason to be an asshole about this. It wasn’t this girl’s fault his head pounded along with the rhythm of his pulse, and she probably wouldn’t appreciate waking up alone in a stranger’s bed. So he reached down to rub her lean, tanned arm. She lifted her head and swiped the overly long bangs from her eyes, giving him a sleepy smile.
Christ, what was her name again?
“Hey there,” she purred, giving a long, catlike stretch that showed her pert breasts to their best advantage. Nice, yes, and he’d gotten much enjoyment from them last night…but there was not one stir of interest below his waist now. He didn’t want to be an asshole, no, but he wanted her gone. “What time is it?”
He glanced at the clock on the other side of the bed. “Almost noon.”
“Wow. You knocked me out.” She giggled.
Cam figured it was mostly the alcohol that had knocked her out, but whatever. He didn’t want to get into rehashing the night’s events. “I’ll let you get dressed. I’m gonna make coffee, if you want some.”
A flash of disappointment crossed her face, but as soon as the words left his mouth, she tugged the sheet over her nakedness. Good. He gave her a smile, hoping to remove some of the sting, and headed toward the kitchen.
The TV was on in the living room, giving the indication that Dane and Marla were up, but except for Cam’s guest from last night, the condo seemed otherwise empty. They must have already headed to the beach, or out to grab some lunch. Another plus. No one had seen him and—shit, what was her name?—the girl come in last night. In the light of day, he wasn’t too keen on them seeing her leave, either. They would only fuck with him about it. The more clandestine he could keep this whole thing, the better. He didn’t know what the hell he’d been thinking, anyhow.
Well, he did…he just usually didn’t give in to those impulses. Especially with his friends in the vicinity. And Meri.
Jesus. Meri.
A fresh stab of pain hit him between the eyes, and his coffee mission was abandoned momentarily while he scrounged the cabinets for some Tylenol or Advil. Dane had brought something, anticipating such an event as this. God bless him. Now if only Cam could figure out where he’d put it.
Succeeding at last—naturally, the small white and red Tylenol bottle was in the last place he looked—he returned to his second priority. Caffeine. The strong brew was just getting started when he heard a sound at his back.
His companion from last night had emerged from the bedroom wearing her skimpy pink dress and a very pissed-off expression. She was tapping furiously at her cell phone, avoiding his eyes.
“Are you hungry?” he asked, solely to lessen his own guilt about the situation.
“Fuck no,” she snapped.
What the hell had she expected? A fucking proposal?
Maybe not to get kicked out of your bed as soon as you woke her up, asshole. Sighing, he turned back to the counter. Yeah, he was a shithead. He’d brought a girl back here for the sole purpose of fucking someone else from his thoughts. It hadn’t been the first time in the past several years, it probably wouldn’t be the last and, as usual, it hadn’t worked in the slightest.
The slam of the front door as she went out made him wince, driving another spike of pain through his head. His heart.
He couldn’t keep going on like this. Hurting others, hurting himself.
Barely sooner than it had shut, the door opened again. Thinking she was back, Cam’s heart sank, but it only plunged further when he saw Dane and Marla coming in, both fixing him with puzzled expressions.
“Who was the streak of hot pink in fuck-me heels that nearly knocked us down?” Marla asked, shoving her sunglasses to the top of her blonde head.
“You low-down dirty dog,” Dane added with a grin. Marla elbowed him, cutting him a side-eye. “Jesus, don’t congratulate him.”
“What? I didn’t.”
“Please. You sound like a proud papa.”
While the couple bantered back and forth, Cam fixed his coffee and took a sip. They could stay at this for so long he could probably sneak unnoticed from the room if he was careful.
“She was cute,” Marla observed at last, turning her attention back to Cam. His delusions of escape vanished like the steam rising from his cup.
“That she was,” he agreed.
“But I guess you fucked it up.”
“That I did.” Better to let them think he was an idiot rather than an asshole, he supposed. Marla, at least, would forgive the former much sooner than the latter. He liked keeping that one on his side. “Anyway, it’s done.”
“Cam, quit breaking these poor girls’ hearts,” she said, sounding for all the world like his mother.
“Don’t lecture him,” Dane scolded, smacking her on the behind as he passed on his way into the living room.
“I’m just ready for him to find someone and settle down.”
“That’s not your call.”
Cam shook his head and spoke up. “He’s also ready for his friends to quit talking about him like he’s not in the room.”
Dane checked his watch. “We’d better see what the girls are up to. I’m surprised Meri hasn’t already called.”
For what had to be the thousandth time, Cam thought about what a wretched idea tagging along on this vacation had been. When they’d
made the plans, it had seemed okay—some R & R, some beach time. Who didn’t need that? But now, he realized he must have been insane. Because of Meredith.
When she was around, there was no rest and relaxation to be found. All he could do was resolve not to stare too openly at her.
Meredith in a bikini? Kiss of death.
But it wasn’t just that. It was Meredith playing volleyball on the beach, sweat rolling down the bare, flat plane of her stomach. The way she put everything into the game even though she wasn’t the best player. Meredith wading out into the surf, grinning as the waves kissed higher and higher on her thighs. The sound of her laughter when her friend tried to wrestle her down into the water.
The way she pretended Cam was not even present. Seriously, had she even looked at him twice since they’d gotten here? He’d known her for years, and she was a bigger mystery with each one that passed. It seemed the more he was around, the less she wanted him to be.
Maybe it hadn’t been the right thing to do, but he couldn’t deny she was the reason he’d had to seek some kind of release last night other than his own fucking hand.
If she weren’t Dane’s little sister, and if he didn’t love Dane like a brother…
“…the hell are you talking about?”
Cam snapped out of his funk. His best friend was on the phone now, probably with said little sister, scrounging through the refrigerator.
“Yeah… yeah… You’re always Miss Gung-Ho, and now you want to hang around here all day? Are you sick? … All right, whatever. We’ll see you around.” He hung up.
“She all right?” Cam asked.
“She said she was fine, but she sounded a little off. Even if something was wrong, though, she wouldn’t tell me.”
“What you said was right, that isn’t like her.” They’d been here for two days and she’d had them up and doing shit by eight o’clock both mornings.
“Maybe you could talk to her,” Dane suggested.
“If she won’t tell you what’s wrong, she sure as shit won’t tell me. I’m sure she’s fine. Maybe she’s tired.”
Some Like It Hot: An Erotic Romance Anthology Page 16
