by Hadley Quinn
“She’s gonna be at Grady’s party tonight,” Teague couldn’t help but mention. “Kyah invited her.”
“Hey, that’s cool. You work your cards right, I’ll forget about hiring you a prostitute.”
Teague chuckled with amusement. “No way in hell.”
“What, the prostitute or getting blondie to tickle your love stick?”
The evening seemed to drag on, and when they finally left for Grady’s, Teague felt like doing everything double speed just to get there faster. They entered the house right before nine, and he automatically scanned the room for Camryn. He even looked for Kyah’s dark skin and jet-black hair, believing they were most likely with each other.
Finally he spotted Camryn when he made his way to the basement. There were about twenty people down there, dancing to music and mixing drinks at the wet bar. It looked like Kyah was introducing her to a few people, so Teague just hung back for a bit.
Jay stuck with him, wondering why he was lurking. “You gonna just watch her all night?” he joked to Teague. “You’re kinda being a creeper.”
“Shut up,” Teague smiled good-naturedly. “I’m just timing this right.”
“Man, you must want this girl big time. And shit, I can see why,” Jay added, looking her over. Camryn had on faded slim-fitting jeans that were very worn in a few places, and a dark green sleeveless top that tied around her neck. Her long hair was down and slightly wavy, and even from across the room they could tell she had a bit of makeup on her eyes. “She’s definitely boner worthy, I’ll give her that,” Jay nodded.
Teague was taking in her looks too, and he basically tuned out everything else in the room so he could absorb her entire presence without being distracted.
Jay grabbed a beer and a soda from a nearby cooler and handed one to Teague. “At least don’t look like you’re just staring at her.”
Teague shrugged. “I don’t care if she notices. Women like to know they’re wanted.”
At the same time, he saw that someone else was observing Camryn. Teague’s smile faded as he watched Garrett Daniels and another douchebag approach her. Kyah introduced them, and whereas Garrett looked as if he were ready to turn on the charm, Camryn only gave him a polite but totally uninterested smile.
Teague grunted his satisfaction. Then he moved across the room, away from the dance floor where he could hear a little better. Garrett was trying to get her to dance with him, but she kept turning him down.
“Ah, come on, don’t be shy. If you want, I’ll teach you some moves.”
Camryn took a casual sip of her drink but her smirk was unmistakable. “I’m neither shy nor incapable of dancing. I’d just rather not dance with you.”
The light in Garrett’s eyes dimmed just a bit and he gave her a scrutinizing stare. “Tell me why,” he asked, folding his arms across his chest. Teague didn’t like the way the guy’s demeanor changed, and he knew it had everything to do with his ego being slapped by a female.
“Don’t be such a dick, Garrett,” Kyah told him. “Back off.”
“Hey, I’m just trying to be social,” he shrugged. “But I guess your friend seems a bit stuck up for her own good.”
“There’s a difference between stuck up and confident,” Camryn smiled as she set the rest of her drink on the bar. “I know you’re not my type, so why waste my time?”
“Maybe you don’t know what your type is, sugar. I think you’re just playing hard to get.”
“Think again,” she cocked an eyebrow and stepped around him to walk away.
“That means we’ll catch up later.” He slapped her ass with an arrogant laugh and Teague’s entire body went taut with anger. But before he could take a step to intercede, Camryn instantly whipped around and sent her fist into the guy’s stomach, causing him to double over with a loud groan. Then she leaned over too, placing her palms on her knees as she tilted her head to look at him.
“Do it again, and next time it’ll be your cocky smile that I clock, asshole.”
Teague was frozen at first, and then he had to hold in a laugh while Jay continued to gape with wide eyes. They watched Camryn turn on her heel with Kyah, and the girls headed up the stairs.
“Jesus, you seriously want to get with that?” Jay finally asked.
Teague slowly nodded, staring at the empty stairs where her perfect ass had just climbed. “Oh hell yeah,” he answered with surety.
Jay shook his head. “You know why I call you a dumbass all the time, right?” It became a rhetorical question when Teague didn’t respond. He was still in a stupor, gawking at the stairs. “Well that totally just solidifies it,” Jay mumbled, shaking his head.
“Talk to you later,” Teague finally said, handing Jay his Pepsi. He was going to follow Camryn up the steps, but something Garrett said about her to another guy made him stop as he passed by. He turned to face the conceited bastard and said, “Stay the fuck away from her. If you bother her again, you’ll have me to deal with.”
Teague completed his trek for the stairs and Jay decided to follow him.
Chapter Five
“I honestly don’t know where those guys are,” Kyah said, scrolling through her phone as they sat on an empty couch. “I’d call Teague but the guy doesn’t give his number out to anyone. Lemme see if Jay will answer his phone,” she murmured.
Camryn couldn’t help but smile to herself. So Teague was telling her the truth, huh?
“No need,” she told Kyah, pointing with her bottle of beer.
Teague had just entered the front room with Jay right behind him. Kyah hung up her phone and waved them over, giving Camryn time to slow her heart rate from seeing him again. But damn, if that wasn’t impossible. Teague’s eyes found hers immediately and never broke the connection his entire trip across the room. She felt heat prickle up her neck and it most likely settled into a lovely pink across her cheeks. Thank God the room was dimly lit.
“Hello, Camryn,” he greeted her.
His smile and smooth baritone voice automatically affected her lower anatomy. She had to uncross her legs just to fight off her reaction to him. Obviously her body was reminding her of a few things.
“Hey, Teague,” she nodded. She took a sip of her beer and added, “Why’d you keep me waiting?”
He smiled at her upfront personality and squeezed into a spot next to her, forcing Kyah to move over. She was busy talking to Jay anyways, who was perched on the arm of the couch at the other end. “Had to look my best for you,” Teague replied. “Did my hair turn out okay?” He pretended to touch it gently so he didn’t mess it up.
It was in a fauxhawk tonight, and Camryn figured it probably didn’t matter what he did with it; he’d look sexy no matter what. “Your hair is lovely,” she told him. “You must condition it well.”
“Yeah, well, you know… All the wind here…”
She smiled. “You’ll have to let me in on the secret.”
“No problem. You can join me next time I wash it.”
That time she laughed, thoroughly entertained but uneasy at the same time. She’d set herself up for that one. “Possibly,” she mused.
“Possibly, huh?” he grinned. He put his arm behind her on the couch and leaned in. “Now we’re talking. So earlier you said you’re just visiting for a couple of weeks, so where are you from, Camryn?” he asked softly.
She eyed him evenly and answered, “California.”
His pause was strange, but he remained neutral and replied, “Ah, a Cali girl. Hmm, wouldn’t have guessed that.”
“Why not?”
He lifted an eyebrow but didn’t answer. Camryn used the moment to take a drink but could still feel his eyes on her.
“I’m gonna head for the deck,” he finally said. “Will you come with me?”
She knew it was so he could smoke, but she got up to follow him out there anyways.
“Do you have a coat?” he asked. “It’s cold outside.”
“I’ll be fine for a little bit.” As it was, his presence was making her
body overheat. She could use some cold air to chill her hormones.
Teague stepped out the back door, felt which way the wind was blowing, and moved for the railing to his left. Camryn joined him as he removed a pack out of his pocket and offered it to her.
“I don’t smoke,” she answered.
“Good for you,” he said, pulling out a cigarette for himself.
“I drink like a fish, though,” she added, tipping the last of her beer into her mouth. She set the empty bottle on the railing.
“A chain smoker and an alcoholic,” Teague joked. “What a pair we are.”
She barely scoffed with a smile, but didn’t bother to correct him. “I’ll quit if you do,” she winked.
“Deal,” he said right away. He blew the smoke away from her and, holding his cigarette up, added, “After this one, of course.”
With a chuckle she said, “Fine, then I should go grab my last drink.”
“I’ll wait for you,” he motioned to the house. She was amused as she leaned her butt against the railing, but Teague shook his head. “I’m not kidding. I’ll quit if you quit.”
“I was joking.”
“I’m not,” he said, taking a drag and releasing it. “Tell me to quit and I will.”
“Quit smoking, Teague. It’s bad for you. And it’s disgusting.”
“Ah, so you’re saying you wouldn’t kiss a smoker, huh?”
She barely smiled. “I didn’t say that. But I wouldn’t kiss you anyways.”
He raised both eyebrows. “Goddamn, you’re harsh. What’d I ever do to you?” He smiled and took another drag, and then dropped the cigarette into her empty bottle. “Why wouldn’t you kiss me? We can flirt and keep building all this sexual tension, but I’m not allowed to ever kiss you? ‘Cause I’m thinking it’s kind of impossible to avoid with the way you and I seem to be drawn to one another. You sure you want to interfere with nature?”
Camryn could hear the noise from inside the house, but when Teague stepped closer to her, her heart was pounding even louder in her ears. She’d had guys try to kiss her several times in the past couple of years but she made sure nothing ever came of it. She either avoided the situation altogether, or they had to learn the hard way. Since Zach, Camryn promised herself she wouldn’t kiss another man unless she was in love with him. She’d held firm to that rule and never had cause to waver from it. The desire hadn’t even entered a single part of her.
Until now.
This was the first time Camryn had ever considered breaking her rule.
She considered his question for a moment, and whereas her normal response would be a sarcastic one, something else popped out of her mouth instead. “For a week.”
“A week? I can’t kiss you for a week?”
He paused, like he was considering it. He even smirked like he was either amused or insulted. But Camryn didn’t care. She needed something as a buffer right now before she made a mistake.
“Huh,” he finally nodded with a shrug. “New Year’s it is. You’ll be kissing me at midnight and you’ll never want to stop.”
Her heart raced. God, that’s exactly what she was hoping and what she feared. But she honestly didn’t think he had it in him to wait that long and it wouldn’t matter. He would disappoint her one way or another, so there was nothing to lose.
“I’m betting you won’t even last until then,” she challenged.
Both eyebrows shot up again and he smiled. “Oh, a betting kind of girl. I like it. Okay, so let’s say I do it. I go a week without kissing you. What do I get for following your rule?”
She bit her lip and thought about it for a moment, her heart pounding because of what she was about to do. Her mouth was playing the traitor role pretty damn well tonight. “What is it that you’d want from me?” she asked.
A smile slowly spread on his face. “You’ll let me set the terms?”
“Maybe,” she shrugged. “Because it won’t matter. You’ll never make it a week.”
He scoffed at her arrogance. “Oh really. You think so?”
“I know so.”
“You’d better think twice about this, beautiful. My terms might not be to your liking.”
“That’s what makes betting so risky. You win the bet I will pay up, whether I like it or not. So what is it you want?”
“You. In my bed.”
He was for sure waiting for her objection, but she tried not to react at all as she repeated his words in her head.
Teague stepped closer to her and lowered his voice. “I don’t think I have to be more specific than that, do I? We both know exactly what I mean.”
Camryn’s heart was pounding. Hell yes she knew what he meant, but she didn’t know a single thing about this guy. “Well, I’m a bed hog. And I can’t stand people who snore. Curtains shut, two pillows for me, and keep your feet off my legs. That’s the only way I’ll sleep in your bed.”
She liked that it took a moment before he responded. He was definitely surprised by her answer and now his slow smile was giving him time to come up with a reply. Finally he said, “Fine, I agree to that. Add eight hours minimum in my bed, and I don’t have to wear any clothes.”
Camryn almost laughed out loud, and Teague’s cocky smile revealed that he was obviously proud of that little addendum.
“Do you understand the terms?” he asked with a tilt of his head.
She gave him a neutral smile. “I understand perfectly.”
“Good. So on to your terms,” he continued. “If I lose—which I won’t—what do you get?”
She gave him a sweet smile and answered, “Well I don’t waste my time with losers, so it’s pretty obvious. You lose, you’re not worth my time. And I’m not nice enough to give you a second chance.”
“God, you are a ball of fire!” he laughed. “It’s a deal. I’ll follow your stupid rule and won’t kiss you for a week. You can count on it.”
Shit, for some reason she could tell he was going to win this bet. The confidence this guy had was off the charts. Her damn attempt at a buffer was going to backfire on her.
“Do you have a boyfriend?” he asked her suddenly.
“What?”
“You know, a boyfriend. Is that why I can’t kiss you? So you don’t feel like you’re cheating on your boyfriend? Then if he ever finds out, you can honestly say you’ve never kissed me.”
She leaned away just slightly. “That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard.”
“Hey, chicks like to work their wiles all different ways.”
His eyes were molten by now. Even in the dark Camryn could tell how tense he was. “Well I’m not that kind of person, Teague. And I don’t have a boyfriend, but I have a guy back home that I go out with on occasion. We’re just friends, though.”
“And he’s not considered a boyfriend?”
“I don’t have boyfriends,” she shrugged. “I’d rather not be tied down with one. They’re needy and whiny, and a huge pain in my ass.”
Teague studied her curiously. “Man, I could say the same thing about girls but probably sound like a total asshole.”
Camryn pulled her phone out of her pocket and scrolled through it. “His name is Brandon. Wanna ask him?” She held up the phone so Teague could see his name and number.
“No,” he scoffed. “But send him a text to tell him it’s over; you’re seeing someone else.”
She slowly smiled, partly because of the newness of this arrangement, but mostly because his command was so sexy. “I told you, we’re just friends. If I told him ‘it’s over,’ he’d be confused.”
He stared at her for a second, studying her carefully. “It’s that casual, huh?”
Returning the phone to her pocket she shrugged. “He’s not my type. It’s no loss for him.” Teague’s eyes narrowed and Camryn could sense his disapproval. “He likes to see other people, too,” she told him honestly.
“Why the hell would he see other people when he’s got you?”
She forced a smile to hide
the massive hole in her heart. “There’s not much of me to even have, Teague. You’ll learn that soon enough.”
“Now that sounds like another challenge.”
“It’s not meant to be. It’s a disclaimer.”
“Don’t we all come with one? I’ve got issues, too. I don’t let people get close to me, either. I’d rather keep my shit in the closet without feeling obligated to share just because I’ve been with a girl for more than a day.”
Camryn could feel her face turn pale. He was stating it to her as if she’d already admitted the same thing. I’ve got issues, too; I don’t let people get close to me, either. She looked away from him and faced the railing. Was she glad he’d said that or not? She didn’t like all this serious talk. She wanted the fun and playful Teague to return.
She felt his presence behind her, and when his hand softly gathered her hair and placed it over one shoulder, she felt a shiver travel up her spine. But then she felt his lips just below her ear and she couldn’t stop herself from swallowing, just like she couldn’t prevent her heart from beating the hell out of her chest.
“This isn’t kissing you,” he whispered, his breath and lips tickling her skin. “I’m just talking and happen to be very, very close to you.”
Oh. Good. Lord.
Camryn could feel the heat sear into her skin and it spread quickly. That was fear, right? Fear and panic that wanted to consume her any time she considered moving on. But there was something different this time. She didn’t feel the angry, defensive reaction that she normally would. Was it because she actually liked Teague? This was the guy she’d chosen to get her back into the game, but she didn’t expect to actually feel something between them.
She was glad the railing was right in front of her because she might have to hold on.
Teague slid his arm around her waist and placed his hand against her stomach, pressing her back to his chest. His body was so warm that Camryn closed her eyes to actually enjoy the heat against her. His other hand reached for her wrist and brought it up to his mouth at the same time. He placed her wrist to his mouth and said, “And this isn’t kissing you either.”
