"You never answered me, you know," I said nervously.
"About what?" He didn't take his eyes off my legs.
"Whether you were telling the truth when you said I was sexy."
Cameron's eyes shot up to mine. "You shouldn't ask me things like that."
"Why not?"
His gaze burned into me. "You really want to know why not?"
I swallowed hard. "Yes."
"'Cause when you say things like that, it makes me want to drag you off and do indecent things to you."
Heat pulsed through me, centering between my legs.
"So you weren't lying?"
"Angel, any man with eyes can see how fucking sexy you are."
A thrill ran up and down my spine.
Cameron Thorne just called me sexy.
"And that's why you flirted with me at the concert?" I asked.
"I told you." He ran a hand through his damp hair, looking chagrinned. "I thought you were just another fan."
I fisted the material of my shirt between my fingers in a nervous gesture. I gathered my courage.
"And now?" I asked.
Cameron gave me a careful look.
"And now, nothing. You're Noah's baby sister. As much as he and I like to give each other shit, I'd never betray his trust." He wandered to the fridge again and leaned over to stick his head inside, avoiding my eyes.
Disappointment welled up inside me. Of course it would be a betrayal of trust. Noah was counting on Cameron to watch out for me, not try to get me into bed.
God, the thought of what Noah would do if he found out Cameron had come on to me that first night at the concert…
The bassist would be lucky to escape with his life.
"Besides, I'd hate to have to find a new band," Cameron added.
"What do you mean?"
Cameron laughed. It wasn't a happy sound. It sounded vaguely sick. "You think your brother would let me stay in Darkest Days if he found out I hit on you?"
I grimaced. "Noah can't unilaterally kick you out."
"I'm not willing to test it."
Cameron cracked open the bottle of water and chugged it down as he walked out of the kitchen.
"Try not to kill yourself with that thing." He nodded to the knife on the counter as he sauntered out.
I continued putting together my forgotten sandwich, thinking over Cameron's words.
Noah wouldn't really kick him out, would he?
Chapter Six
When I realized Cameron was never going to stick around long enough to give me the grand tour of his mansion, I made it my mission to find every secret nook and cranny. There were dozens of bedrooms and bathrooms, multiple parlor rooms, a couple of small den-like libraries, a few offices — and that was just the three floors I'd searched already. There was still the finished basement, top floor, and vast yard to explore.
During one exceptionally hot day, I remembered Cameron's pool in the backyard. I hadn't yet gone out to buy a swimsuit. No one else was around so I decided a bra and panties was good enough.
The backyard patio looked even larger than it had when I'd first seen it at that party. There had been dozens of people in the backyard, both in and out of the pool. That had made it seem smaller somehow. Now that I had the entire thing to myself, I had to wonder if this was what an Olympic sized-pool looked like. It was certainly big enough.
I stripped down to my underwear and dipped a toe in the pool. It was heated. Of course it was a heated pool. I gingerly climbed down the steps leading into the shallow end, taking my time, getting used to the temperature. It was heated, yes, but that didn't mean it was warm. The water was just a few degrees shy of being too cold. Cool enough to be refreshing, but not a shock to my system, either. Just right.
Feeling almost like Goldilocks, I jumped the last few steps and immersed myself in the water. I turned onto my back and floated lazily, using my arms and legs to propel myself this way and that.
My thoughts turned to Cameron, as they'd had a tendency to do over these last few days. He'd made himself scarce again. After our run in while I'd been making that sandwich in the kitchen, it really did feel like he was avoiding me. I couldn't help but feel slighted.
I still had my schoolgirl crush on Cameron. That hadn't gone away. But I knew nothing would ever happen. I didn't expect him to flirt with me, or make a move on me. Not now that he knew who I was. My brother's wrath was fearsome. But I'd hoped I could at least hang around someone who didn't treat me like a little kid.
The fact that the someone also happened to be devastatingly gorgeous would have just a bonus.
I'd been alternating between floating and swimming for about thirty minutes when I heard the patio door slide open. There was only one person it could have been.
I swam to the shallow end of the pool to greet Cameron, wondering why he'd decided to make an appearance.
"Oh. Hey, Lily. I didn't realize—" Cameron cut himself off, going silent.
He wore swim trunks and a tight t-shirt. His long red hair was wild as the wind blew it around his face, falling over his deep blue eyes. I wanted to run my fingers through that tangled mess. I wanted to smooth it back and reveal his handsome features. I chided myself for thinking like that.
"Did you need something?" I asked.
"Ah. No. Nothing." His stare could have burned a hole straight through me.
I realized then that I was only wearing a wet bra and panties. A now see-through wet bra and panties. I ducked down into the water, covering my chest with my arms.
"I still don't have a swimsuit," was the only explanation I could give as my face grew warm.
"Right."
Cameron fought to lift his eyes to mine in what seemed to be an epic struggle. He opened his mouth to speak and paused for a second.
"It's pretty hot out here today," he said eventually.
I had a feeling that wasn't what he was originally planning on saying.
"It's been boiling for days," I pointed out.
"I wouldn't know. I go from an air conditioned house to an air conditioned car to an air conditioned recording studio."
"You need to get out more."
"I get out plenty."
"You need to get outside more," I clarified.
"That's why I was planning on taking a dip."
The thought of Cameron taking off his shirt, the thought of a gleaming wet chest covered in tattoos, sent flutters throughout my insides.
"You can join me," I offered, against my better judgment. "It's a big pool."
He played with the hem of his t-shirt for a few moments. He looked oddly hesitant. Maybe he didn't want to undress in front of me. That was unexpected.
"Are you shy?" I asked, trying to sound teasing. "You take your shirt off on stage all the time."
"It's not the same."
"Why?"
He looked me straight in the eye. "You know why."
So Cameron was acknowledging the sexual tension that had sprung up between us.
We were both silent for a few moments.
"I don't want things to be awkward between us," I finally said. "If I'm going to be living here for a few months…"
"Angel, just a few weeks ago I asked if you wanted me to eat you out."
My face felt hot again. "You didn't know who I was at the time."
"And just a few days ago I told you I wanted to do indecent things to you."
I flushed. "If you're worried about my brother, you should know I didn't say anything to him about it."
"I know. If you had, I'd be six feet in the ground already."
"He's not that bad."
Cameron gave me an incredulous look.
"Fine, he is that bad," I conceded. "But since I moved in, you've been a perfect gentleman."
Which was almost disappointing, really. It had been nice to have someone pay that kind of attention to me. Thrilling, almost.
Cameron snorted. "Gentleman? That's a word I haven't been called in a while."
&
nbsp; "Maybe we can start over and just be friends?"
"I don't know if that's possible. I might not be able to hold off with the innuendo." He gave me a forced smile. "It just comes naturally."
"You flirt with everyone. I know you don't mean anything by it."
My heart clenched at those words, no matter how true I knew they were.
He gave me a careful look before nodding. "Okay. Friends it is."
Relief mixed with regret inside my chest. I didn't want Cameron ignoring me all summer. It was a good thing for us to be friends. But a small part of me had hoped he'd continue showing me the same attention he had at that concert. Before he found out who I was. Before he found out who my brother was.
I supposed that was too much to ask for.
Cameron pulled his shirt over his head and dived straight into the pool with barely a splash. To my great disappointment, I didn't have time to ogle his naked chest.
He did a few laps, front stroke first, then back stroke. Swimming must have been part of his exercise regimen.
I let myself float on my back, trying to stay out of his way. I got too close to him a few times and ended up getting splashed. After the third time it happened I stopped floating, intending to move to the other side of the pool.
I turned to find Cameron treading water in place, not swimming. I pushed my wet bangs out of my face.
"If I'm getting in your way, just tell me to—"
I sputtered as another splash of water hit me. I wiped the water from my eyes, blinking them open only to find Cameron grinning at me.
"You jerk!" I complained. "You were splashing me on purpose."
"Not the first time," he said. "But I love seeing that disgruntled look. It's the same as Noah's."
I felt my eyebrows draw down, mouth pinching and nose wrinkling. It was probably the exact expression he'd just pointed out. I fought to smooth my face.
"You like to piss people off, don't you?"
He flashed me a cheeky grin. "It's my sole purpose in life."
"No wonder my brother always complains about you."
Cameron raised an eyebrow. "His Royal Highness mentioned a lowly subject such as myself?"
I gave Cameron a curious look. "Why do you call Noah His Royal Highness?"
"Such a great nickname, isn't it? He's so aloof and stiff. Like some stuffy, stuck up prince. I came up with it myself," Cameron added with a smug tilt of his chin.
"My brother talks about you a lot. Always complaining about your latest antics."
"Aw, I'm touched."
"You should be, you know. Noah doesn't like very many people. The fact that he's always talking about you means something."
"It means he wants to murder me half the time."
"Noah's always been the big brother. But he never got to experience having a brother himself. I think it's good he has someone who, as you said, gives him shit."
"I never thought about it that way," Cameron said thoughtfully. "I never had a brother. It was always just me and my parents."
"That sounds lonely."
Cameron stilled. He glanced at me carefully. "Not really," he shrugged eventually.
I noticed the pause. "Would you have liked a brother?"
He snorted. "I'm sure my parents would have."
"What do you mean?"
He avoided my eyes. "Nothing."
Cameron swam to the shallow end and began climbing the stairs.
"I'm going to get dried off."
He grabbed a towel hanging from one of the poolside deck chairs and padded his way inside, leaving me alone in the pool.
Somehow, without meaning to, I'd struck a nerve.
Chapter Seven
When my summer classes finally started, I was too busy with schoolwork to keep track of how often I saw Cameron.
The study schedule was rigorous. We were given our readings and assignments to complete on our own, and attended day-long seminars once a week. The arrangement allowed students to continue working summer jobs while also getting ahead on first year credits.
My goal was to take English 101, Philosophy 101, and Psychology 101 so I could fit in more art classes in my freshman year. That meant I had three full days of seminars every week. It kept me busy.
On the days I didn't have class, I spent my time reading Shakespeare and Descartes, taking copious amounts of notes, and highlighting what seemed like every other sentence in my textbooks. I also tried to fit in as much work on my art as I could. I didn't want to get rusty.
If my brother wondered whether I spent all my time having fun at Cameron's crazy parties, he had nothing to worry about.
In fact, Cameron hadn't thrown any parties since I'd moved in. I'd thought perhaps he was doing it for my benefit. I hadn't been able to ask him though. I'd been too busy studying to track him down. We hadn't seen each other since that afternoon in the pool.
I'd said something that had made him run off. I didn't know what it was. Something to do with his parents. It must have been a sore point. I had made a mental note to not bring the subject up again, but it didn't matter. I'd hardly seen Cameron at all over the last week.
That was why I jumped and squeaked when I heard a knock on my bedroom door. I hadn't expected anyone to interrupt my study time — I looked down at the doodles I'd been sketching instead of working — what was supposed to be my study time, that is. Cameron was the only other person in this place.
My heart was still racing when the bedroom door swung open.
"Shit, did I scare you again?" Cameron gave me an apologetic smile. "I heard you yelp."
"It's okay," I said, still breathless. "I told you, I'm easily startled. I didn't think anyone was home."
I had been sprawled on my bed, lying on my stomach, surrounded by books, papers, and pens. No tablet for me. I was old school that way.
I'd nearly rolled off the bed in my surprise and found myself sitting on the edge, facing Cameron.
"Do you need me for something?" I asked him.
Cameron's eyes narrowed for a brief second as the beginnings of a smirk crossed his face. His lips twitched as he seemed to force it down. My insides fluttered as I wondered what thoughts he might have had to cause that smirk.
"I'm ordering Indian take out," was all he said. "Just wondered if you want some."
I wondered why he'd finally broken his silence and asked me to eat with him after acting like a ghost for days. I decided not to question it, and just be grateful he wasn't ignoring me.
"You're ordering spicy food in this heat?"
"I like to live dangerously."
I laughed. "I'll pass."
"Something else, then? Pizza?"
That was more like it. "I can always go for pizza."
"Hawaiian okay with you?"
I grimaced. "Fruit doesn't belong on pizza."
"A purist, are you? I can do plain cheese and pepperoni."
"I like broccoli and spinach."
Now it was Cameron's time to blanch. "You're one of those people?"
"Let's do half and half."
"I can live with that." Cameron pulled out his phone. He didn't make a call, just tapped a few buttons. "It'll be here in twenty minutes."
"Only twenty? That's fast."
"Time it and you'll see." He shoved his phone back in his pocket. He nodded towards the papers on my bed. "I thought you weren't taking art classes this summer."
He noticed my sketches. Some of the papers were covered with small lilies, a design I'd been drawing since I was old enough to hold a pencil.
I flushed when I realized what else I'd been absentmindedly doodling.
Cameron on stage. Sketches of his eyes shining, his hair flying everywhere as he played his heart out. Sketches of his fingers against the strings of his bass guitar. Sketches of his mouth tilted in that familiar smirk that sent my stomach fluttering.
I quickly gathered the papers and shuffled them, not wanting him to see.
"I was just taking a study break. I felt like my
eyeballs were bleeding from all my readings."
He eyed my drawings with interest. "Can I see?"
I pulled out the one sheet of paper that was just lilies, no Cameron. I handed it to him.
He whistled appreciatively. "This is really good."
"I've been working on that design forever. It's gotten more and more intricate throughout the years."
"This is awesome. What else have you got?"
I panicked. "I don't like people looking at my unfinished work." It was a lie, but a reasonable one.
"When you're done, I'd love to see some more of it."
I flushed, imagining the look on Cameron's face when he realized what I'd been working on instead of studying.
"You've seen my other stuff already."
He nodded. "Right, Noah's tattoos. Those are some amazing pieces. But you do other art, right? Paintings and stuff?"
"I like to try a bit of everything but drawing and painting are my first loves."
"When you finish something new, I want to see it."
My heart began pounding. I didn't know why.
"Sure. I'll show you something."
Something that didn't reveal my obsession with him.
"Can I keep this?" Cameron gestured to the paper.
I looked to him surprised. "Why?"
He smirked. "I want to put it on the fridge."
I made a face. "I'm not a little kid."
"Don't I fucking know it," he murmured, eyeing me. He averted his eyes and looked around the room. "You've made yourself at home."
I cringed as I took in the pile of dirty laundry in one corner and empty cans of diet soda stacked on the nightstand. "I'm sorry. I'll clean."
"Don't bother. The maids will do it, if you leave your door open."
"You have housekeepers? I haven't seen any."
"They come in every Wednesday. Keep the place from turning into a filthy pigsty." Cameron's eyes stopped roving over my room and came to settle on mine. "Of course, if you have anything you don't want the maids to see, I suggest you hide it."
I frowned, confused. "Why would I care what the maids see?" All I had were clothes and books, mostly.
That smirk returned. "Are you telling me you don't have any fun toys laying around?"
"Toys?"
The smirk on his face grew wider as he took in my confusion. Understanding dawned on me. My face turned red.
Hard Rock Sin: A Rock Star Romance Page 4
