Bender (The Core Four Series)

by Stacy Borel

  She shrugged indifferently. “What? He started it.”

  I seriously hoped my mother wasn’t letting her talk like that while I wasn’t around. Camden looked over at me as my feet hit the last step and started to glance back at Sarah but did a double take at Dodger and me standing together. I gulped. I had an idea of what it looked like since we’d both come from upstairs.

  His jaw worked back and forth. “She belong to you?”

  My mouth opened, then closed, then opened again. I wasn’t sure how to respond to his sudden anger. His tone was clipped and the way he referred to my sister was as if she were an inanimate object. “If by belonging to me you mean, is this my sister, then yes, she belongs to me.”

  “Huh,” he grunted. “I didn’t know you had a sister.”

  I took a defensive stance, crossing my arms over my chest. “You might if you were around more. This is the third time she’s been here.”

  His eyes flared. When it came to Sarah, I never held back. I’d played mama bear to her on more than one occasion. This was no exception.

  “Yeah well, I work. You know, going out and earning a paycheck.” His sentence was dripping with sarcasm, and it ruffled my feathers.

  “Excuse me? I work. How do you think I pay for this place?”

  “Doesn’t matter how you earn it. As long as you’re paying, I don’t care.”

  “Oh well that’s a real fantastic attitude to have about someone living in your house.”

  “It is what it is, Blue.” He shrugged, and it made my blood go from a slow simmer to a boil.

  “Seriously, what’s with the nickname?” I nearly shouted.

  “Hey,” Sarah piped up over the top of the couch. “Trying to watch a movie here.”

  “Yeah, she’s trying to watch a movie, keep it down,” Dodger cut in. I’d totally forgot he was still standing there, and he was looking highly amused by the heated argument Camden and I were having.

  “Shut up Dodge,” Camden clipped.

  His younger brother just chuckled. “No way man. I agree, the kid is watching a movie, and you two are making it difficult to hear.” He looked between us. “Shew! There’s some serious sexual tension in this room.”

  Camden growled and ran his hands through his sweaty dark hair. “Christ, you don’t know when to fucking quit.”

  “What’s sexual tension?” Sarah’s curious eyes peered at me.

  I turned to glare at Dodger and Camden. Flinging my hands up in the air and slapping them back down on my legs. “Oh my gosh!” I exclaimed, grinding my teeth together. Whispering really low, I pointed to both of them. “Thanks a lot. And watch your mouth. She’s only eight.” I moved toward the couch and said, “Sexual tension is just when everyone is really happy and having a good time.”

  I heard someone snort behind me. That was it, Sarah wasn’t coming back here until I gave both of them a talk about how to behave in front of my little sister. I could picture it now. Sarah was at school, and my mom gets a call because my little sister was loving the sexual tension on the playground. I sighed.

  “Wellllll…this has been fun, but I have places to go, chicks to meet,” Dodger said before Sarah could ask anything else.

  He put his hand on my shoulder as he walked past me. He bent down and kissed me on the top of my head. I don’t know why it didn’t seem odd, considering he hadn’t known me that long, but Dodger made me feel comfortable, and I knew it was just a friendly gesture. “Be good,” he whispered in my ear. I nodded slightly and watched him walk out the front door.

  I risked a glance over my shoulder at Camden. His eyes were fixed on me. Why was he looking at me like that? He closed his almost russet eyes and breathed in through his nose. When he opened them again, he focused on my sister. “Hey kid,” he tilted his head toward the TV, “what’re you watchin’?”

  Sarah eyed him skeptically. “Beverly Hills Chihuahua, wanna watch it with me?” Clearly his demeanor didn’t intimidate her.

  “Depends, is it any good?” He started moving toward her, passing me on the other side of the couch.

  “Duh, it’s about dogs. Anything with dogs is good.”

  His body nearly brushed mine as he walked by. I involuntarily breathed in, and his scent crashed into me like a ton of bricks. It was so clean, and yet he was still sweaty. I gripped the back of the couch.

  He sat down on the opposite side from her and continued to talk. “Do you have a dog?”

  She shook her head. “No, Mom won’t let me have one. She says they’re too much work.”

  He nodded. “I grew up with dogs, and they are a ton of work. But maybe someday you will get one.”

  As angry as he made me, his softer attitude toward Sarah was a refreshing change. Having a man in the house who was always irritable and broody made my normally happy disposition negative. In the week that I’ve lived here, I found it exhausting. Looking at Camden sitting with Sarah watching a totally ridiculous movie, I felt like the universe had tilted. How on earth did my baby sister penetrate his ‘don’t mess with me’ shell? Maybe he liked kids. The two of them looked pretty settled. I ran my hand through my long hair. It looked like I’d better get comfortable, because I wasn’t expecting my night to take this turn.

  Three hours and another movie later, Sarah was passed out cold. It was almost eight o’clock, and I needed to get her home. I stood up and stretched my arms high above my head. My back popped, and I groaned. It felt better after sitting so stiffly for so long. I refused to look at Camden when the movie was over. He had seemed on edge with me, and I wasn’t in the mood for another showdown tonight. Stepping over to Sarah, I was about to bend down to pick her up when Camden shifted and lifted her in the air before I even got a chance to. I raised a brow at him, questioningly.

  “Open the door for me, would ya?” His voice rumbled, but no longer held the edge that it had earlier in the evening.

  I went to the front door and opened it. Moving in front of him, I walked out to my car and heard him following behind me. Pushing the unlock button, the lights flashed in the dark parking lot. I opened the back door and watched how careful he was with her. The way he gently tried not to jostle her was almost endearing.

  Almost.

  When he closed her door he turned and faced me. His hard eyes had a softer feel, and yet they were still intense. A moment seemed to pass between us in the few short seconds we silently regarded each other. He began to open his mouth, but closed it, almost as if he’d thought better of it. Shaking his head, he opened my door and stood back on the sidewalk. I climbed in and started the car. When I backed out I watched in my rearview mirror and noticed Camden hadn’t moved. As uneasy as he’d made me feel since the moment I met him, I appreciated his help with Sarah, but it grated my nerves that I’d need to thank him for helping me out with her when I got home.

  By the time I’d gotten Sarah back and tucked her in, I had exchanged a few words with my mom. She was yelling at me for keeping her out so late and said I should have just let her stay with me. It only served to flip a switch and tick me off. I accused her of only saying that because she wanted to go out and party, and she couldn’t if I was bringing Sarah back home. Her arguing escalated, and I decided that I no longer had to listen to it. I moved out for more than one reason, and this was one of them. It was almost eleven when I’d gotten back home. I was exhausted and ready to go to bed.

  Walking into the apartment, the downstairs was completely dark. Camden must have either gone to bed, or he was out again. My stomach dropped at the idea of him being out with another girl, but I quickly squashed the disappointment. I had no claim to him, nor did I want one. He was my roommate, and that was it. Definitely wouldn’t be thanking him for helping me earlier. I fumbled up the steps and was just unlocking my door when the bathroom door opened. Camden stepped out into the hallway and steam floated out around him. He had a dark blue towel wrapped low around his waist, and there were still water droplets descending down his perfectly chiseled abs. There was a v
ery defined V with a trail of dark hair that went beneath the towel. I found myself taking in every inch of his perfect form. And when I said perfect, I meant there wasn’t a single flaw to be found on him. I had no idea how long I stood there nearly drooling on the carpet, but when my eyes reached his, he had a half a smirk on his face. Oh God, please don’t gloat that I was checking you out, please. My overtired brain couldn’t take it.

  Instead, he stepped forward till we were almost toe to toe. His dark chocolate eyes roamed my face, like he was trying to find something. I stood completely still allowing him to search my features. My breathing had picked up, and the rise and fall of my chest was a bit faster than normal. If he noticed, he didn’t indicate it. His breathing was still normal, and I sank a little that I didn’t have the same effect on him. Being this close, I couldn’t look in his eyes. I didn’t know what I’d see in them. Eye contact without anger felt too personal. I didn’t want to be personal with him. At least I didn’t think I did, so my eyes remained on his chest. But then he did something that seemed so out of character, it startled me. His left hand came up and he tucked a few strands of my blond hair behind my ear. It was so subtle and yet very intimate. I sucked in a gulp of air, and my knees almost buckled when I caught the scent of him. It was so clean and warm that it made me want to wrap myself up in it and get lost. I’d been in the shower plenty of times, and I knew what his soap smelled like. This was soap and something that was just him.

  Intoxicating.

  “Glad you made it back safe. You were gone for a while,” he said quietly, almost as if his words were going to shatter the trance he’d put me in.

  I couldn’t speak. My mind was a blank slate, and no words could be formed. He’d officially rendered me speechless. Between his closeness, his scent, and the burning trail that his fingers left on my skin, I was lost. He had to know what he was doing to me. Nobody that looked like him didn’t realize how they affected people. In this moment, if he told me to jump, I’d say, “how high?”

  Instead of reeling me in further, he broke the spell he had put me under. He quietly said, “Night Blue,” and he turned to walk into his bedroom.

  When his door shut, I sagged against the wall. My poor little synapses were firing in all different directions, and I was trying regain my footing. What in the hell just happened here? And seriously, where had he picked up the name Blue? I shook my head and went into my room, locking the door behind me. It wasn’t that I didn’t feel safe, especially with Camden across the hall. But I wasn’t sure that I wouldn’t have some crazy dream and sleepwalk my way into his room and rape the man. He was getting to me, and I needed to nip that in the bud quick. His hot and cold behavior was too much. It had only been a week, and I wasn’t sure I could deal with it for an entire year without losing my mind. Dodger stating that there was sexual tension was laughable. I might have felt the urge for the first time tonight in the hallway, but there was definitely nothing registering on his side. Tomorrow, I was going to have to set him straight. No more Asshole Camden, and definitely no more Touchy Feely Camden. I wanted to be able to walk into my house and know who it was that I was going to be coming face to face with every day. There, it was settled. My nerves were shot, and my body was needy for something, but I had to ignore it. I’d settle it all tomorrow when I got up. Hopefully I’d catch him before he left for the gym. Closing my eyes, it took forever for me to nod off. When I finally did, I dreamed of towel clad Camden and all the naughty things I’d like him to do to me.

  I HADN’T GOTTEN MUCH SLEEP last night due to a certain male in the house inducing butterflies in my stomach and giving my brain whiplash. Being up before Camden wasn’t an issue this morning. I decided to stop tossing and turning at around five and went downstairs to read a book. I heard creaking upstairs about an hour later, and it didn’t take long till a groggy looking Camden came trudging into the kitchen to start a pot of coffee. He was wearing a pair of dark grey sweats that curved over his perfectly toned ass. His upper body was bare of any clothing. The defined muscles in his back moved as he filled the pot with water. All tan and smooth skin, my mouth went dry with his every movement. Why must he walk around half naked and be all delicious? I nearly groaned when he turned around and faced the living room. He had yet to see me, and I was thankful because it spared me a few extra seconds to scrutinize his every inch. Camden leaned down and placed his elbows on the counter, resting his head in his hands. He was a picture of perfection. Looking at him now, I only hoped that I’d be able to speak to him without making an issue out of how he’d treated me during my first week here. The coffee pot behind him beeped, and he rubbed his hand through his unruly hair and tugged at the ends. Standing up, he was about to turn when he caught me looking at him.

  “Morning,” I said shyly. I looked down to the book I’d closed and rested on my lap.

  When he didn’t reciprocate my greeting I glanced up at him. His dark eyes were on me, but I couldn’t tell what kind of mood he was in. “What are you doing up?” His normally deep voice came out rough and scratchy.

  “Couldn’t sleep.”

  He regarded me before turning away. “Coffee?”

  “Please,” I said, getting up from the couch. I walked over to the island and sat down. He poured two cups. He made my coffee just as I had the other day; splash of cream and two teaspoons of sugar. I hadn’t realized he paid that close of attention.

  He passed the mug to me and I said, “Thanks,” enveloping my hands around the almost too hot cup. The silence was making me squirm, and I felt as though I needed to start this conversation before I chickened out. “Are you always up this early?” I took a slow sip of the steaming joe. He’d made it perfectly.

  I noticed his eyes were watching my mouth as I licked any stray drops of coffee from them. “Usually.”

  “Are you going for a run?”

  “Probably.”

  “You’re quite the conversationalist in the mornings,” I mused sarcastically.

  He grunted at me. “And you talk too much.”

  Was he teasing me, or was he being serious? This was exactly why I needed to talk to him. I knew nothing about Camden, and I didn’t really know how to gauge his behavior and responses. I gave him a small smile to show that if he was teasing I picked up on it. If he wasn’t, well, at least I seemed to feign indifference.

  “Just trying to figure you out.”

  He set his mug down, and he leaned against the opposite counter from me. His arms folded over his chest making him appear even larger than he already looked. He crossed his ankles, and I noticed his bare feet. I swallowed, hard. What was it about a man in sweats or jeans with bare feet that was so tantalizing?

  “Alright Blue, what do you want to know?”

  I raised my eyebrow at him and took another sip of coffee. “Well, for starters, what’s with the nickname? You’ve barely spoken a few short sentences to me since I moved in here.”

  “Isn’t it obvious?”

  “Obviously not,” I retorted, being a smartass.

  “Next question,” he said, disregarding the first one.

  “You’re not going to answer?”

  “Nope.”

  I grumbled under my breath. I noticed the side of his mouth twitched up but quickly went away. Did I just catch him trying not to smile at me?

  “Fine. How about telling me about your gym?”

  He seemed to roll his eyes at the question. “Dodger told you?”

  “No, not really. He said you and your brothers owned one, and that you were the manager of it. That’s all I know. I don’t know where it’s at, or anything about it.”

  He sighed and released his arms. “I’m surprised. Dodger likes to run his mouth. The gym belonged to my dad until he decided to retire early and pass it along to us. He and my mom wanted to travel so the gym is now ours. I was the one who showed the most interest in it, more than my other siblings. It’s the one a few blocks over, The Dugout.” He shrugged. “Well, except for Dodge, but he’
s not interested in managing the place, he just likes to train.”

  I felt like I had been slapped stupid. This was the most that Camden had spoken to me since, well… ever. What was even more surprising was him being so forthcoming with the information. I only expected responses from him similar to what he’d given me so far this morning. Short and clipped.

  “Hmmm, I’ve actually driven past it a few times. But I’m catching a theme here; The Dugout, Camden, Dodger… your parents have a thing for baseball?”

  “You’re quick.” His mouth tipped up in a smile.

  “So are your other two brothers also named after something baseball-ish?”

  “They are.”

  We’re back to being short. “Care to share?”

  “My older brother is Turner, and my youngest brother is Wrigley.”

  I grinned. “Some pretty unique names. So your parents named everything after baseball?”

  “Something like that.” He regarded me with wary eyes. “Is it my turn?”

  I glanced down at my coffee cup. Steam was still rising from the surface of the liquid. “Your turn for what?”

  “To ask questions.”

  My heart picked up its pace. “What do you want to know?”

  A look of mischief danced behind his eyes. “Why such a large age gap between you and your little sister?”

  I really didn’t want to talk about my family, my mom in particular, but he’d divulged some information so I guess I needed to reciprocate. “My mom got pregnant with me when she was still in high school. My sperm donor—” he cocked an eyebrow at the term, “—left after she told him of my impending arrival. My mom raised me by herself, and then twelve years later she told me Sarah was on the way.”

  I didn’t know if he was expecting more, but I had no intentions of going further. “Is she your only sibling?”

  I nodded. His body shifted as he reached for his cup of black coffee, and I openly watched the way each muscle bunched under his skin. His eyes narrowed, and I knew he saw me checking him out. “So, what do you know about The Dugout?” His change of subject gave me pause. Between our very unusual conversation, and him actually being sort of nice, I felt almost put off.