A rush of breath erupted from deep inside her. “You think you’re going insane.” She lowered her voice to a whisper. “My hormones are flying; never have I wanted to make love as much as I do right now.”
“Let’s just enjoy watching our departure. We’ll take a few pictures, eat a light dinner, and then spend the evening in the cabin. We have our own balcony to enjoy the view. I figured with as much time as we’ll be spending there, we’d need the fresh air.” He grinned.
Alexandra shook her head in exasperation, but couldn’t help but giggle. “So, you’re going to make me wait, but then afterward, you’re not going to let me go?”
“Exactly.” He pressed his lips to hers. “God, how I love you, Alexandra.” He stopped and tilted his head. “Was that your phone?”
“Yes,” she said, smiling sheepishly. “I forgot to turn it off.” She reached into her purse, pulled it out, and then frowned.
“It’s him, isn’t it?” he asked, taking the phone from her. “May I?” he inquired as politely as she assumed he possibly could.
Alexandra nodded.
“Hello, Jonathan, it’s Cameron. Just thought you should know you are disturbing my honeymoon. But I thought you’d like to know you are going for a swim.” The sound of the horn blasted at that exact moment, and with that, he flung the phone into the Port Canaveral Inlet?
“Cameron! My phone!”
“I'll get you a new one on my account. It’ll be cheaper anyway.” He grinned happily. “I think I handled that rather well, don’t you?”
“Yes. Thank you. I was getting tired of his calls. He thinks —”
“Shh, baby, this is our time. He’s out of our lives. It’s just you and me, and our baby will make three.”
Over dinner, they spoke of the future and their plans together. For the first time in her life, Alexandra felt hope; she felt like a princess again. And she wanted to know everything about her prince. “Cameron, tell me something quirky about yourself that you’ve never told anyone.”
Her husband looked at her and smiled, contemplating his answer, it seemed. Then he lowered his head to her ear and whispered his answer.
She chuckled in response. “No, really? Which ones?”
“Shh … Do you want to spoil my manly demeanor?” He whispered his answer again in her ear.
“No wonder,” she admitted. “I knew you were different and romantic. All men should —”
“Alexandra, please. You’re embarrassing me. I’m not going to tell you any more secrets.”
“But I think it’s wonderful. Does your mother know?”
“No. When she finishes them, I pick them up. But not just any type.”
“Who’s your favorite?”
“Oh, Alexandra, are you teasing me?”
“No, no, really, I think it’s wonderful. After all, Nicholas Sparks is all man, and he writes them. Do you like his books?”
“Yes, he’s one of my favorites,” he admitted. “Now, hush. I’m not going to tell you anything else if you don’t let this drop. It’s your turn. Tell me something private.”
“Honestly, Cameron, I can’t think of anything that I haven’t already disclosed to you. I’ve told you more than anyone in my life. You’re my best friend.”
He smiled at her. “Thank you. But there has to be something.”
“Okay …” she hedged. “In the same context of your secret.”
“That’s not fair. Almost all women love romantic-suspense books and Nicholas Sparks.”
“Yeah, but has every twenty-two-year-old woman had such a crush on Edward Cullen that she wrote a story about him?”
“Seriously? You wrote a story about Twilight?”
“You read Twilight, too?”
“Yeah, had to, all the women were going gaga over it. I understand the attraction to Edward; he’s chivalrous and old-fashioned, but I never quite understood the attraction to Jacob. He’s rather childish, don’t you think?”
“I do. And you don’t think I’m weird?”
Cameron shook his head. “No. I think you were trying to escape your life. Can I read it?”
She shook her head. Surprised at how well he knew her. “You’re right. But I threw it away after I met you. I didn’t need it anymore.”
Cameron smiled broadly, revealing that adorable dimple he managed to hide so well. “Come on, Alexandra; let’s go up to the deck. I think we just discovered what you want to do for a career.”
His response caused her to smile. Jonathan had laughed at her when she’d mentioned writing, one of the reasons she’d never told him or anyone else about the story she’d written.
She accepted Cameron’s hand and stood up, allowing him to escort her out of the dining room. She didn’t want to go to the deck; she just wanted to go back to the room, but she would wait until he decided it was time.
On the deck where they were earlier, Cameron pulled her onto one of the chaises and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close to him.
Burying his face into her neck, he pressed his lips against her skin, working his way down her shoulder. His hand trailed down the side of her body, resting on her waist. Her body tingled with anticipation. What was he waiting for?
“Cameron … let’s go.”
Exhaling deeply, he pulled her closer. “I’m nervous, Alexandra.”
She turned around in his arms. “Why? We’ve been sleeping together and holding each other every night. Why would you be nervous?”
“Because last time we made love, you were drunk. What if —”
“Cameron, I wasn’t that drunk,” she cut off whatever else he was going to say. “I remember every detail; I’ve thought about that night over and over. Why do you think I’ve been so frustrated that you wouldn’t make love to me again? But I’m glad you waited. This feels right. Please … let’s go to the room.”
His smile lit up his face. “Really? You’ve thought about it?”
“Over and over,” she repeated. “It was the best in my life up to that point. And I think tonight might just beat them all. Please take me to our room, Cameron.”
He didn’t wait another second; he scooped her up to her feet and escorted her back to their tiny room. The room size didn’t matter, though. They had a king-sized bed, they were together, and that was the only important thing.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
As soon as they entered the room, Cameron swept her off her feet again, causing her to gasp for a breath at the suddenness.
He placed her on the mattress, and his hands went right to work, tenderly caressing the exposed skin of her chest and arms before pulling her into his embrace to kiss her while his hands worked their way around to the back of her dress. He wasn’t waiting any longer, it seemed, and her heart thumped loudly in anticipation.
One by one, he unbuttoned each satin-covered button. His fingers worked deftly to undress her, exposing more and more of her skin. When all the buttons were undone, he let her body melt into the bed again, as he worked to remove the dress from her shoulders and down the entire length of her body. His lips never stopped their ravenous journey over her exposed skin while his hands caressed each area that his fingers uncovered.
Once he had her dress completely removed, he leaned back to appraise her. “God, you’re beautiful, Alexandra. You’re a work of art.”
She moved her hands to cover her tummy with its slight bump.
Leaning over her, he nibbled on her hands to move them away. “Every part of you.” He kissed her tummy. “Especially this part. You are a beautiful pregnant woman. Already your breasts are larger, tempting me constantly.”
“You noticed?”
He burst out a breath. “Are you kidding? I’m hard-pressed to think of anything else. I, also, remember that first night. And I hadn’t drunk anything, so I’m certain my clarity is much better. That night, a few weeks ago, when I scooped you up and carried you to our bedroom. I wanted to show you how much I needed you. But then your look of fear stopped me. I don’t
ever want to see that in your eyes. You never have to fear me, Alexandra. I’ll never hurt you.”
“Make love to me, Cameron.”
Cameron wasted no time removing his clothes and pulling in beside her after her request, but he took his time. His lips left a trail of fire everywhere they met her flesh. His hands worked expertly over her, making her beg him to take her.
His whispered words in her ear, made her grasp onto him, pleading with him. Still, he held back, teasing her continually. “Tell me, Alexandra …” His murmured words filled her soul.
“I love you, Cameron. Make love to me, now!” she demanded.
Finally, he obliged her. Her insides exploded with warmth. He was as incredible as she had remembered. She, too, hoped it had not simply been the alcohol. Cameron’s body moved gracefully above her, taking her to the precipice then pulling back again and again. Passion overflowed through his words and soft kisses. He undeniably loved her, and his unselfish lovemaking substantiated that fact. Never had she felt such completeness, such oneness. Her life finally felt absolute with her husband and his ability to fill her every sense.
Blood pumped through her veins fiercely, and there was no impeding the feeling rushing under her skin. Every inch of her body tingled as she gasped for a breath and held on tightly to Cameron’s shoulders, not allowing him to retract again.
This time, he didn’t.
His breaths matched the rhythm of his hips, as together, they soared over the precipice, right into what felt like a deep chasm that she never wanted to return from.
At the final peak of ecstasy, he whispered in her ear again, “I love you, Alexandra. I’ll love you forever.” Then he fell down next to her, scooping her up into his arms. “Incredible, my love. You are absolutely incredible.”
She smiled up at him. “I think you got that backward. You’re incredible; you did all the work.”
He kissed her forehead, shaking his head. “I have a wonderful platform to work with, darling. That was simply the best ever.”
Alexandra nuzzled her head into his chest. “I agree. I guess we’ll have to practice a lot to get better.”
“You’ll hear no arguments from me,” he said through a chuckle, squeezing her tightly.
After about fifteen minutes, Cameron suggested getting dressed and going to the Jacuzzi and maybe eating a little pizza and ice cream. One of his favorite things about cruises, he admitted, was being able to eat twenty-four hours a day. Especially pizza and ice cream, two of his favorites. Besides, he had to work up his strength he told her. As he planned to make love to her as many times as she or her body would allow.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Cameron leaned over the railing and stared out at the port. It wasn’t the crystal blue water of the Caribbean anymore. It was the murky waters of reality.
As soon as the ship had docked, he had awakened. He and Alexandra would be going home this morning. And unfortunately, they wouldn’t be alone. Although she’d said that she was okay with his mother living with them, it wasn’t what he wanted.
He had promised his father that he would take care of his mother, but how long should his life revolve around his mother and her addiction. In Al-Anon, parents were told all the time about “tough love.” Was being the child of an addict any different? He’d always felt guilty, as though he’d caused her backslide after she’d been clean for seventeen years, but enough was enough; he’d moved on from his mistakes, and she needed to as well.
And then there was Jonathan, he wasn’t going to give up easily. Without a doubt, he was going to be a thorn in his side, one that Cameron would have to physically remove. It wouldn’t be the first time.
Cameron turned on his iPhone and took it out of airplane mode. He should have given himself a few more hours, but at least Alexandra wasn’t awake, so maybe he could return a few emails, and then they’d have the last two days of their honeymoon together before he had to return to work on Monday.
He sighed as he watched the number of emails race up. He’d always wondered why it wouldn’t just give him the number of the emails instead of going through a song and dance. One hundred and thirty-eight emails. What the heck? He was definitely not in the mood to tackle that. He double tapped the center button and returned to the main screen. He had fifty voicemails. What in the world was going on? Brad couldn’t have had that many issues with customers in one week.
He ran his finger down the voicemails until he got to Brad’s, passing over several from his mother and numerous caller-unknown messages. He held the phone to his ear and listened to the oldest one first. Cam, it’s Brad. Call me ASAP.
Cameron frowned into the phone. “That’s it?”
He pressed the second message. Cam, aren’t you back yet? Dude, call me.
Brad didn’t sound like himself. Most people disliked him, and he could be a jerk, but that was just on the surface. He was actually a cool guy once you got to know him. But the one thing about Brad, he was smooth. Nothing ruffled his feathers.
Cameron pressed the third message. All right, Cam, I didn’t want to leave this message but, dude, cops are looking for you. They had a warrant to search your office. Call me as soon as you return.
Cameron went to turn off the phone; actually, throwing it in the water felt like a good idea at this point. Jonathan had done something.
He poked his head inside the cabin to make sure Alexandra was still sleeping. He pulled the slider closed and searched through his phone again. He needed advice. It was early, but he’d be up. Maybe he could catch him before he headed out on the water. Last time he’d called, he was still guiding on the weekends and holidays. Cameron sighed as he remembered his carefree weekends at Appalachian State.
“Hello?” Tom’s groggy voice answered. Apparently he hadn’t been getting up at five anymore.
“Hey, Tom. It’s Cam.”
“Cam! Man, it’s been forever. Hang on a sec, let me …” Cameron heard muffled noises on the other end of the line. “What’s up, man? I haven’t talked to you in a lifetime. You coming to Nantahala soon?”
Cameron didn’t really have time for idle chatter, but he couldn’t just tell his friend that the police might be waiting to arrest him in a few hours without at least catching up. “I was planning on it soon. Lots of things. How ’bout you, though? Did you pass the bar?” That was an important question that still sounded friendly.”
Tom harrumphed into the phone. “Yeah. About a year ago.”
“You don’t sound enthused.”
“I am. It’s just been a rough year. I miss kayaking. Sometimes I want to give it all up and just guide full-time like Chad. Or maybe take a year off and hike the A.T.”
“Wow. Last time we talked you were gung-ho, even had a girl you were planning to marry. What happened?”
Tom must have taken a drink of water because he heard him choke through the phone as he spit it out. “It has been a long time, Cam. It’s too early to get into all that, and if you’re calling me at the break of dawn, something’s up. So, spill!”
Cameron took a deep breath and then released it. He looked back in the room to make sure his wife hadn’t woken up yet. “I met a girl.”
Tom burst out a laugh. “That’s nothing new. We’re a pair, the two of us. Every girl you dated in college and even after you moved back to Florida has caused you grief. Tell me she didn’t come with baggage and that’d be new.”
“She’s my wife.”
“Oh, sorry. No disrespect.”
Cameron shook his head even though Tom couldn’t see him through the phone. He didn’t want to say anything bad about Alexandra, but Tom was correct. “None taken. You know my history with women. She’s different, though. Yeah, she has a shady past, but who am I to talk. The difference is she doesn’t carry it around like a badge of honor. She’s strong.”
“So, what’s the problem?”
“She’s got a crazy ex-boyfriend.”
“Again, nothing new on your end. How do you get into these t
hings, Cam?”
“Tom, remember … she’s my wife.” The line was quiet so he continued. “Anyway, I’ve been away on my honeymoon for a week and came back to a message saying that the cops are looking for me, and they’ve searched my office. Not that they would find anything on me; I’ve been clean for years. But no telling what her ex-loser told them. He just got out of jail on a charge of possession with intent to sell. Evidently, he’s out on bail.”
“So you think he’s plea bargaining you as his supplier? And with your past,” Tom interjected.
“Exactly. I knew you were the one to call.”
“Well, unless he knows some big shot who can turn a State Attorney’s ear and get a judge to listen, there’s no way they’d sign off on a warrant just on a narc’s word. They’d have to have something.”
“Evidently his mom is some hotshot, well-respected attorney. Or maybe her looks … who knows? I don’t know. I’m scared. They searched my office, so they must have something. At least they can’t see my past, right?”
“Sorry, man. They can’t see the details, but they know the charge, even if a judge ordered it sealed. They won’t be able to use it in court, but they can appeal that it, along with a narc’s word, may be grounds to issue a warrant.”
Cameron rubbed his head. “Can you help me, Tom?”
“Not really. You need an attorney licensed in Florida. What about that guy your father hired who got your record sealed in the first place. That was an imposing feat to seal a seventeen-year-old’s record on an assault charge. Normally you’d have to be less than fifteen for that.”
“My dad wasn’t always straight and narrow; he knew people too. And I’m sure he shelled out a hefty sum. I’ve always felt I was one of the reasons for his premature heart attack.” Cameron felt a wave of heat rush over his body and leaned over the railing to catch a breeze. The door opened behind him and he jumped. He turned around to see Alexandra’s half-naked body, covered only in a sheer robe, standing in the doorway. “Tom, I have to go.”
“Cameron, wait. Call me as soon as you get home. If that attorney is no longer practicing, I’ll have my dad recommend a defense attorney.”
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