“It was.” She laughed. “I couldn’t make enough pork chops and mashed potatoes when she was younger.”
“Who doesn’t like mashed potatoes?” Riley said, taking a bite.
“Crazy people,” Nora responded with a smile.
Chapter Eight
Riley
“Thanks for dinner, Mom.”
“No thanks necessary. I’ll cook for you any time you’re in town. Call me whenever, okay?” she said, then gave me the biggest hug ever.
I pulled her in close and took a breath, remembering the way she always smelled of cheap vanilla perfume. It wasn’t a bad smell. In fact, I loved it. But the brand was one you could get at any drugstore for less than twenty dollars. Regardless, the smell evoked many memories of childhood and familiar feelings of warmth.
She pulled away and took the fragrance with her.
“Camden, it was so nice to finally meet you. I can see why Riley was so smitten with you from the beginning.” I watched as Cam leaned down to hug her, and something about the visual tugged at me. I wanted my family to get along, and it meant a lot to me that my mother approved of Cam. “Let me know when you get home safely, okay?” she said as she pulled away, her voice squeaking with the tears forming in her eyes.
“Mom,” I said, laughing a little. “It’ll be okay. I’ll probably be back soon.”
“I know. Don’t mind me. I’m just happy you were here.”
“I love you.”
“Love you too, baby. Tell your brother to call me too.”
“Okay.”
“Good night, Nora. Thank you for everything,” Cam said, smiling.
She waved and we walked to the Mustang. I climbed in and buckled up, waving to my mother as we drove away. Something about saying goodbye and not knowing exactly when I’d see her again made more tears spring to my eyes, but I tried to push them back. I’d done enough crying already.
Camden had put the resort’s address into the GPS, so he followed directions, silently making turn after turn, letting me be. He did, however, reach out and take my hand, offering me that support.
Finally, I let out a sigh and said, “Well, that was intense.” Nervous laughter followed. “I’m sorry you had to watch us fight.”
He gave my hand a reassuring squeeze. “Don’t worry about it. I’m glad I was there. That’s exactly why I got on a plane today. I wanted to be here if something came up. And something did.” He took a second to look my way, then turned back to the road. “Do you think it helped?”
I blew out another breath. “I don’t know. I guess time will tell. I don’t want to feel this distance between my mother and me, so I hope finally telling her that I never felt like she had my back will help me move on.”
“What about Penelope?”
“Ugh, what about her?”
“Well, I mean, your mom seemed pretty convinced she was a pretty decent woman.”
“I don’t know. She could save a bunch of orphans from a burning building and I’m not sure it would change my opinion of her. It’s hard to separate the teenage girl who hurt me so badly from the put-together woman I encountered earlier today. She could very well be a fantastically wonderful person, but that doesn’t change what happened.”
“No,” he said softly, drawing the word out in a way that I knew he had more to say.
“But…?” I goaded him.
“But maybe it’s time for you to be in charge of how people make you feel. Don’t give her any power. Besides, I bet she doesn’t even realize she bothered you that much. Did you ever tell her? Did you ever say anything to her about it in high school?”
“No. Does anyone sit down with their tormentors in high school and have rational conversations?”
“No, but adults do. Maybe you should talk to her now. If talking to your mother made you feel better, perhaps talking to Penelope will help too.”
“I thought your degree was in law, not psychology.” I tried to hold back a smirk, but it didn’t work so well.
“Maybe I’m just educated in all things Riley.”
“Oh my God,” I said through my laughter. “That’s a terrible line.”
“It was, wasn’t it?” He started laughing too.
“How about enough deep, emotional conversations for one day? I just want to think about the next two days and how much time we’re going to be spending by the pool.”
“Hey, I propose equal time spent in the pool and in the bed.”
“Hmm, Counselor, I think we might be able to reach an agreement that satisfies both parties.”
“Oh, you know how I get turned on by courtroom talk. Say it for me,” he said in his best sleazy voice, making me giggle.
I managed to calm myself, and dropped my voice to a sultry level. I turned to him, narrowing my eyes and pouting my lips. “Your Honor,” I said with a breathy tone. “I object.”
“You know how much that turns me on.” His hand squeezed mine tighter and I couldn’t control the laughter any longer.
When I managed to catch my breath, I looked over at him as I wiped my eyes, removing happy tears instead of sad. “How do you always manage to make me feel better?”
“Luck,” he replied quickly, shooting me his most adorable smile. The one with the dimples.
“No, seriously, Cam. You always know exactly what to say, exactly when to be serious, when to make me laugh, how to make me laugh. I’m not sure what I’d do without you.” Even I was surprised by the sudden sentimentality I was spewing, but he seemed unfazed. He simply lifted my hand to his mouth and kissed the back of it.
“It’ll be my greatest accomplishment to spend the rest of my life anticipating your every need.”
“That sounds incredible,” I said just as I leaned over the console and pressed my lips to his neck, using my tongue and teeth to make sure he knew I wasn’t giving him the obligatory sweet peck. I kissed up his throat, making my way behind his ear to the spot I knew could make him hard in seconds.
“Uh, babe. This is a really expensive rental car. I’d hate to wreck it.” His voice was gravelly and I knew I was affecting him. Just to check though, I reached my free hand down between his legs, palming his erection and making him gasp. “Riley, seriously, this won’t end well.”
“It might,” I said against his neck. “I can almost guarantee a happy ending.”
“Is it weird that I’m turned on by that statement but also really want to groan at your lack of originality?”
I didn’t bother answering him. Instead, I continued to kiss everywhere I could reach that wasn’t covered in clothing and wouldn’t obstruct his view. I wanted to be daring and adventurous, but I didn’t want either of us to die for a handy in the car.
“Babe, seriously.”
“Just let me touch you,” I said, slowly unbuttoning his pants and then sliding my hand under the waistband of his boxer briefs. It always surprised me how Camden’s cock was both hard and still felt soft, like velvet. It was a strange combination. He was straining against his pants so I pushed them down, along with his underwear, and set him free.
“Fuck,” he growled, and I felt the car veer off to the side of the road. “I can’t drive when you’re doing that to me.”
“Good. Lean your seat back a little.” I felt him put the car in Park and then he moved—rather quickly, I noticed—to recline his seat. Since the car was so fancy, there wasn’t a quick lever to pull, so we both sat there, trying not to laugh, as the motor that moved the electric seat whined. His cock was in my hand, and he was reclining at a snail’s pace. Eventually, I couldn’t keep a straight face any longer and I laughed out loud, leaning my head back. I let the laughter work itself out of my system and finally Camden’s seat stopped moving.
When I looked back at him, I lost my breath.
“You’re so beautiful when you laugh,” he said, sincerity flowing through every word. He wasn’t laughing anymore. He was looking at me with the same expression I’d seen before—the one where he looked like he loved me mo
re than anything in the whole world.
His hand came up to my jaw, his thumb rubbing over my cheek gently, and then he moved it back to my nape, threading his fingers through my hair and pulling me down and kissing me. He groaned into my mouth at the contact and swept his tongue inside, as though he were desperate to taste me.
I started to slowly move my hand up and down his shaft, loving the feel of him.
Camden had, in my opinion, a perfect penis. He was everything a girl could wish for in the length and girth department. He was just big enough to be impressive, but not so big you’d need an Advil afterward. And I loved feeling him, whether it be between my legs or between my fingers. Just touching his dick when it was hard was a turn-on. And knowing it was me who made him hard? Oh yeah, it was the absolute best feeling in the world.
I pumped him a few more times, then ran my thumb over the head. The sticky drop of precum there caused my sex to jolt and I pressed my legs together to try and alleviate some of the pressure.
I continued to move my hand up and down his cock, all the while doing my best to kiss him senseless, when he suddenly pulled away.
“Fuck, Riley, climb over here and ride me.”
“No,” I whispered. “I just want to watch you come.”
“Maybe I want the same thing,” he said, then gasped as I gave his cock a squeeze.
“This is just for you,” I argued, shutting him up as I pressed my mouth against his again.
I used all my best tricks. I sped up, slowed down, let him watch as I spit into my hand and wrapped it around him—that pulled a really sexy groan from him. Though not as sexy as when I used my fingers to tease the crown. That particular trick made his whole body shudder. When I got the idea that he was done fooling around and was ready for the main attraction, I turned serious.
“Tell me what you need,” I rasped. I knew how to get him off, but I also knew he liked to be bossy sometimes.
“Squeeze me tighter,” he groaned, then gasped when I did as he asked. “Harder, Riley. You’re not going to break me.”
I smiled at that, pulling back and watching his beautiful face as I gave him exactly what he needed. His eyes were closed, mouth open slightly, his breath panting out in short spurts. His hips started thrusting up into my hand and I looked down to where I pumped him. He was hot and hard, nearly purple he was so ready to come.
I leaned down and whispered in his ear, “Come on, Camden. I want you to come for me.”
“Fuck,” he growled. His eyes were still closed but his free hand came up to the nape of my neck and gripped my hair, tugging it just to the point of pain.
My breath caught as he spilled over my hand, the warm fluid covering both of us. I was watching as he continued to come, his hips thrusting upward, when he used his hand to angle my head back toward him and pull me in for a rough kiss.
“Jesus, that was crazy,” he said, out of breath. “You’re crazy.”
I lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “You’re the one who’s always telling me to be more daring. You’ve practically trained me to take risks.”
“Ah, the grasshopper becomes the master.”
We both smiled and he pulled me in for a kiss. It was my favorite kind of kiss, where we were both smiling and laughing so our teeth touched, lips thin. Happy kisses made everything inside me light. All my problems disappeared when Cam was laughing with his lips pressed against mine.
“Babe?” he said quietly.
“Yeah?”
“Got any napkins in your purse?”
That only made me laugh harder.
I managed to find a small travel-sized package of tissues, and after we got him all cleaned up and put back together, he continued the drive to the resort.
After giving the Mustang to the valet, Camden and I were walking back to our room, his large, warm hand enveloping mine.
“Are you tired?” he asked as we approached the door.
Shrugging, I replied, “Not really.”
“Wanna go sit in the hot tub?” He opened the door for me and I smiled as I passed by.
“That sounds like an excellent idea.”
“Got that bikini?” His eyebrows waggled with his question. My eyes rolled.
Thirty minutes later I was in heaven. Absolute heaven. The water was hotter than I anticipated, but once the heat made its way into my muscles after the initial dip, I could feel the tension seeping out of me.
I was sitting with my head lolled back, resting on the concrete behind me. Camden was right next to me and my legs were draped over his lap, his hands resting on my thighs.
“I feel like a piece of wilted lettuce,” Camden said, his voice soft and sleepy.
“Wilted lettuce?” I was almost too relaxed to laugh, but not quite.
“I don’t know. Something weak and droopy. A noodle?”
“Feels amazing, huh?”
“Indeed. I’m just not sure how I’m going to make it back to the hotel room. Do you think if we tipped enough, the concierge would come and wheel us back on one of those luggage racks?”
I opened the eye that was closest to him and he looked just as relaxed as I felt. We did look like a pair of wet rags. His normally golden complexion was rosy, and I could see beads of sweat on his brow.
“Probably not.” I closed my eye, content to simmer in the hot tub for a while longer.
“Everyone has a price,” he mumbled.
“I don’t think it’s so much about his price as it is company policy not to give lazy guests rides on the luggage carts.”
“So you don’t think if I offered him a million dollars, he’d do it?” Camden’s voice was now less tired and he was seriously debating the issue with me.
My eyes were closed, but I rolled them anyway.
“You don’t have a million dollars.”
“Shows how much you know,” he said under his breath.
I snapped my head up and glared at him.
“Camden Joshua Rogers. You do not have a million dollars.”
“That’s beside the point.”
“What point?” I asked, irritation lacing my words.
“The point that if I offered him a million dollars he would wheel us back in a luggage cart.”
“You’re ridiculous. Now I’m all agitated.”
“Agitated? Because of a hypothetical question? That’s ridiculous.”
Instead of arguing more, I took in a deep breath through my nose, held it for a moment, then pushed it out through my mouth.
“Wait, are you really upset?”
“I’m not upset—I’m irritated. I’m sitting here relaxing and you’re arguing with me over a dumb question.”
Suddenly there were hands gripping my waist and I was being hauled over to Camden. His big hands brought me to him and planted me down on his lap, straddling his thighs.
“Don’t be grumpy, babe. I was just kidding around.”
“I know,” I said with a sigh. “But seriously, you don’t really have a million dollars, do you?”
His hands cupped my ass under the water, giving me a squeeze. “A million dollars isn’t really that much money nowadays.”
“Oh my God. Says the guy who has a million dollars.”
He laughed and his hands moved over the tops of my thighs, his thumbs running along the seam between my legs and hips, making me shiver even in the hot water.
“It’s not like there’s a million dollars sitting in my bank account.” His hands continued to run over my skin, pulling my core closer to him, eliminating the space between our bodies. “But….” He drew the word out as he caressed my skin. “If you take my condo, the Batmobile, my trust, my savings, and my checking account, it might all add up to a million dollars.”
I let out a sigh and looped my arms around his neck. I shouldn’t have been surprised by the amount of money he has, and I wasn’t really. But knowing something in the back of my mind and hearing it confirmed were two different things. The most surprising part, however, was that hearing he was w
orth a million dollars didn’t bother me. In fact, it kind of made me want to roll my eyes—again. He had money. And if I expected him to love me despite my lack of money, I had to love him despite his abundance of it.
That being so, I was done talking about it.
“What do you want to do tomorrow? Aside from lounge by the pool?”
“Whatever you want to do.” His reply was soft, as were the hands running up my back. They stopped at the tie where my bikini top was fastened, and I narrowed my eyes at him.
“Keep moving, Rogers.”
He smirked and gave the strings a tug.
“You pulled my cock out on the side of the road earlier this evening, I might remind you.”
“Yeah, in a car on the side of the road. We’re in a hot tub in the middle of a resort. Anyone could walk out here and see.”
“You’re worried about people seeing you without your top on?”
“Well, yeah,” I replied, sardonically.
“Come to think of it, I have a problem with that as well.” His eyes sparkled with mischief as he released the strings of my top. His fingers tickled their way down my side. When he reached my waist, he slipped inside my bikini bottoms at the same spot he was teasing just moment before, where my thighs met my hips.
“Camden, no.” I tried to sound firm, but the words were shaky.
“I promise I’ll make it feel good,” he vowed. I didn’t doubt him. Camden always made me feel good. Exquisite, even. I’d never felt with other men what I did when Camden touched me. He trailed his fingers over the seam of the fabric, just barely grazing the sensitive skin of my core. When I didn’t move away or say no again, his fingers moved deeper, his thumbs brushing over the lips of my sex, making me gasp.
I closed my eyes, holding on to the widely undisputed fact that if I couldn’t see anyone, no one could see me either.
I made a decision in that moment, albeit swayed by the way his fingers felt inside of me, to trust Camden to keep strangers from seeing my O face. The way we were situated in the hot tub, he had the better vantage point and could see anyone who might happen upon our indecent activities. So I kept my eyes closed and let Camden take me away.
Riled Up (With A Kiss #2) Page 8
