“Oh, I’ve got a good feeling about it. As long as you’re a good girl. I’m taking you somewhere special. It’s important to me. I don’t want you to feel pressured.”
“You’re scaring me again.”
“Don’t be. It’s a surprise. I promise it will be fun.”
“I like fun.”
“And I like you, Cammie Healy. I like you a lot.”
She snickered, took my hand and led me into the bathroom. When she turned her arms wrapped around my neck. Her lips were warm and welcoming.
I’d made her cry and it was still bothering me. Cammie needed more convincing to stay in North Carolina, but I didn’t want to be the guy to make her choose me or her career. I knew it wasn’t fair, and I probably wouldn’t be the one she picked anyway.
I had to be patient and careful. I also had to protect my heart, because Cammie couldn’t just break it, she had the potential of shattering it so bad no one would ever be able to repair it.
Chapter 28
I hadn’t seen my parents in almost twenty-four hours and I didn’t miss them yet, not after how things went down.
Wes had saved me, and now I’d gone and let him into my heart. Faster than I could drive across country, I was developing feelings for the boy I’d known practically my whole life.
Is that why it seemed so easy? Did I let him in because I knew I could trust him? Did I do it because I was desperate to be saved?
I had to know for sure before I took things further. The man cared about me more than I deserved. I didn’t want to hurt him. I didn’t want to involve him in all my problems.
Unlike the one before it, we showered quickly. Wes washed my hair before getting out to dress. I took my time shaving my legs and rinsing off the sticky remnants of our sexcapade from earlier.
By the time I got out he was dressed. I made my way into the bedroom to find him walking out. “I’m going to make some calls. Whenever you’re done we’ll head out. No rush.”
“Hairdryer?” I asked.
“It’s under the sink. My mom left it the last time she visited, in case you were going to ask. I didn’t buy it for a girlfriend.”
“I’m not that jealous,” I noted.
“There’s also some hairspray in the medicine cabinet.”
“Great. I won’t be long. I’m not high maintenance.”
“You don’t have to be,” he said with a wink. “You’re already perfect.”
Feeling high on life, I began dressing and getting myself ready for the surprise dinner. I didn’t have dress clothes, but he’d told me I wouldn’t need them. I couldn’t imagine where we were going, or why it seemed to be so important to him.
After drying my hair and pulling half of it up, I headed into the living room to let him know I was ready.
I could hear him talking in the kitchen. Before I stepped inside he said my name to whoever he was talking to.
“I lied because she asked me to. She doesn’t want to talk to your parents. No. It’s not cool. No. You can’t tell them. She’s fine. I’ve been with her all day. Yes, I’ll tell her. Okay. Bye.”
I marched in the room with my arms folded across my chest. “Was that Josh?”
“Yeah. Apparently he’s been trying to reach me all day. I had my phone on vibrate from earlier. Your parents are freaking out. They’re threatening to contact the police to file a missing person’s report. He wants you to call home to tell them you’re fine. They’re afraid you’ve gone somewhere to hurt yourself because of your situation.”
“They’re just fishing for answers. They must think Josh knows where I am. You shouldn’t have told him.”
“Cam, he won’t tell. He knows you’re safe.”
“Let’s just go to dinner. I’m not ready to call home, and I certainly don’t want them to know I’m with you.”
“Why?”
“Because, you don’t need to be involved. I don’t want them hating you. They already have issues with me.”
I stood there for a second waiting for him to respond. He took a deep breath and tucked his phone back in his pocket. “You ready to go?”
“You still want to be around me?”
“Nothing could change that.”
I reached my hand out and took his, letting him lead us out of the home.
During the beginning of the ride we discussed school, friends and our past. When we started to drive in the direction of my town I worried he was taking me home. “What are you doing, Wes?”
“I’m taking you to dinner, why?”
“No you’re not. You’re taking me home aren’t you?”
He chuckled. “You would think that wouldn’t you? I’m not taking you to the ranch. There’s someone I want you to meet. It’s important to me.”
“Okay. Now you have me wondering.”
Five minutes later we pulled down a very long driveway lined in thick fruit trees. About a mile down the lane, we came to an opening where a huge mansion sat with a circle entrance. “Oh my god. Is that your grandfather’s house?”
“Yep.”
“This is where we’re having dinner?” I asked.
“Right again.”
“You brought me here to meet your grandfather?” I don’t know why I was shocked. Wes was doing everything he could to impress me. Meeting his grandfather wasn’t about the money. I could tell this was something else entirely. “Why?” I asked.
“I promised him when the right girl came into my life I’d let him meet her. There’s never going to be another you, Cammie. Don’t get the wrong idea though. I have no plans of eloping in the next week.”
I wanted to laugh, but a part of me wondered if he was serious. Was he already thinking that far ahead, and if so, what did it say for my future? Could I eventually love him? Could he be the man I was supposed to be with all along?
Once the truck was turned off, he climbed out of the vehicle. I did the same, waiting for him to come around to my side to help me hop out. When my feet hit the ground, he kept his hands on my waist. “He’s going to love you.”
“This is insane, Wes. I’ve been here for two days.”
“Woman, when are you going to get it?”
“Get what?”
“This is my one shot. I’m not going to get another one.”
“You’re crazy.”
“If I’m crazy why are you still hanging out with me?”
I shrugged. “I suppose I’m attracted to strange folk.”
“Yeah, you keep telling yourself that. In the meantime, I’m going to keep moving forward.” He pulled me along. “Come on. I’m sure dinner is ready.”
I’d met his grandfather when I was kid. He’d be in one of the bank branches when my mom would take her deposits in. He’d aged since then, and was using a walker to get around. His white hair was still thick on top of his head, and his pudgy body reminded me of what Santa Claus should look like. The moment we walked into the foyer and saw him standing there to greet us, my stomach knotted up. I was nervous. This wasn’t a friendly visit, I could sense it from the way Wes was carrying on earlier. He turned and looked at me while speaking to his grandfather. “Grandpa, this is Cammie Healy. She’s the one I was telling you about.”
He’d talked about me before? I could hardly contain the way it made me feel. While trying to keep a smile on my face, my mind traveled to earlier in the day and the things we’d done together. We still had much to explore, but I was finally understanding the difference between sex and making love. Wes’ feelings for me radiated through to his actions. I’d never felt so cared for, and even though I knew our lives could be headed in different directions, I wanted to make the best out of whatever time we’d have.
“It’s a pleasure to meet such a beautiful woman. I hear you’re also a smart one. Quite the package if you ask me.”
I shook his soft, aged hands. “Thank you. It’s great to meet you as well.”
A little later we were sitting at the dinner table. His housekeeper, Aggie brought us each p
lates with fresh grilled steaks, potatoes and steamed vegetables. She put a fresh loaf of bread on the table and refilled our drinks before taking a seat next to Wes’ grandfather.
Since I had a huge red meat addiction, I tore into my food after grace was said. Wes kept the conversation going when his grandfather asked about school.
“Are you still planning on graduating early?”
“Yeah. It’s the plan. I’m hoping to have enough credits this year instead of having to do another semester, but we’ll see how it goes.”
“I could use you full-time at the office. The branches can run themselves, but the back end staff could use a new CEO to keep them in line.”
“Soon enough, Grandpa. You can count on me.”
“I’m glad. Your sister is taking after her mother. Aside from paying for her school, I barely hear from her.”
“New York is where she wants to be. Don’t take it personal. She’s one of those artistic, agoraphobic people. If she could rent a space with enough room to create years worth of art without leaving, I think she’d be happy.”
The old man laughed to himself in between bites. “Like I said. She’s just like her mother.”
While they chatted I thought about my own mother. I’d always thought we were similar. My mom was a sweet soul. She always wanted the people around her to be happy. I’d become selfish in the past few months, first with James and now Wes. I wondered how my sister Callie was going to feel when she discovered Wes had only ever wanted me. Would she understand? Could she forgive me?
I hadn’t even heard them speaking to me until Wes had said my name twice. “Cammie. Earth to Cam.”
“Sorry. I guess I was in deep thought.”
“Grandpa wants to know what your MCAT score was.”
This was something I was proud to answer. “Thirty-nine.”
Wes was in the middle of sipping on his tea when I responded. He was so shocked it came out his nose and caused him to cough. He took his napkin and wiped his face before commenting. “Are you serious?”
“Yep.”
“Isn’t the highest possible a forty-five?”
“I think so.”
“Your score is phenomenal. Did you have many schools offer you scholarships?”
“Some. I only applied to Stanford.”
“So, you’ve never been interested in Duke or another local university?”
“No.” Were they judging me for wanting to be as far away from my family’s influence?
“I’m impressed by your independence, miss. If you change your mind about Duke, I’m sure I could make some calls.” I saw him wink at Wes before attending to the rest of the food on his plate. At the time I thought nothing of it. His grandfather was probably trying to see if I’d stick around for Wes.
We spent a few more hours visiting with his grandfather. The man liked to tell stories from when he started out and how poor he’d been.
On the ride home we passed by the exit you would take to go to the ranch. I decided it was important to let them know I was okay so they didn’t contact the authorities. “Can we get off at this exit and stop at the farm store? I’m going to call my parents from the payphone, so they won’t know we’re together.”
“Ashamed of me?” He asked while reaching over and rubbing my thigh.
“Not at all.”
Wes did as I suggested, even digging in his cup holder for enough change to make the call. He followed me over to an old pay phone, probably the only working one in the whole county.
I put the money in and dialed the home number, hoping the machine would pick up so I didn’t have to hear their voices.
“Hello?” It was Callie.
“It’s me. I’m calling to tell everyone I’m okay.”
“Where the hell are you? Mom and Dad are worried sick. They’ve been calling everyone looking for you. Why didn’t you tell me you were pregnant?”
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
“You need to come home, Cam. Dad calmed down. They just want you safe. They thought you had Wes take you somewhere. He hasn’t been answering my messages.”
I didn’t even know she’d been messaging him.
“I’m not with Wes.” I said loud enough for him to hear. He pulled me into his arms and put his hands in my back pockets while I remained on the phone.
“I knew they were wrong. Josh was acting funny when he got off the phone. He said Wes has had a crush on you since we were all kids. Did you know about it?”
“No,” I answered honestly. “That’s weird.”
“I told him you weren’t stupid enough to get involved with another guy so soon, not to mention the kid you’re carrying. Josh only thinks about sex, though. He’s oblivious to everything else.”
“Yeah, I know. Listen, tell them I’m fine and not to call the authorities. I’ll come home soon. I just want to have some time to myself.”
“They went into town for a bit. I’ll call them as soon as we hang up.”
“Thanks, Callie. I’ll talk to you soon.”
“I love you.”
“I love you too. Bye.” I hung up quickly, looking around to make sure my parents weren’t there at the gas station. It would have been just my luck.
“You ready to head back to my house?”
“Yeah.”
“You sure you’re okay?”
I laced his hand with mine. “I’m okay. Dinner was great. Your grandpa is a nice man. He loves you a lot.”
“Yeah, I feel the same about him. Come on, let’s get you home and out of those jeans. It was difficult sitting across the table from you while thinking about having your pussy in my mouth. My dick got hard thinking about it.”
“Sounds like a personal problem.”
“It was, but you’re about to make it all go away.” He lifted me into his truck and closed the door. When he climbed in his side he looked over at me with a grin on his face. “Five more days.”
“I’m fully aware.”
“I have school in the morning. I might play hooky.”
“You don’t have to. I’ll be fine with a laptop. I have a lot to take care of.”
“I’ll be home by lunch. Maybe, if it’s not too much to ask, you could be naked and waiting for me on the kitchen counter. I’m usually starving when I arrive home.”
I giggled and stared out the window. “You’re too much.”
“I’ll make you love me, Cam. Just wait. It’s going to happen.”
As we drove home I moved over and rested my head on his shoulder. Wes kept his hand on my inner thigh. Every once in a while he’d lean to the side and kiss the top of my head. His sweet gestures continued to make me smile. There was nothing about this man that I didn’t like. If this continued he might be right.
Falling in love with him would end my future. I think I knew it too. Neither one of us could be certain what was in store, and that is what scared me more than becoming a mother with no job or degree.
Chapter 29
My grandfather had made a call to some of his fellow board members who asked for more information about Cammie's test results. When we were sitting at dinner and she told me the score she got on the MCAT I almost spit my drink clear across the table. She hadn't just scored high. She was in the ninetieth percentile. It was no wonder Stanford had accepted her into their program.
On the drive home she nestled her body close to mine, choosing the middle seat instead of the passenger side. I had my hand on her thigh until I started to feel the urge to take more. Slipping my hand down the front of her jeans was an easy task. Cammie leaned back in her seat as I shoved my fingers inside of her pants. Her smooth pussy coursed across my palm as two fingers slipped between her folds.
It didn't take long for her pussy to become slippery. The more I pet, the slicker it was, only making me want to keep going.
In the meantime, Cammie began rubbing the crotch of my jeans. My growing cock was starting to throb with only one solution in order to calm it.
&n
bsp; I took her hand and shoved it down into my boxers. She moaned as she gripped me, moving her arm up and down to a matched pace with mine. I kept my eyes on the road, determined I could multi task until we made it back to my place. "Damn, you're so wet. I don't know if we're going to make it home."
Her breathing was heavy when she tried to answer, her words strained. "I'm going to come, Wes. Please don't stop. Right there."
I applied more pressure, circling two fingers over her slick swollen clit. I knew she was about to lose it, but I didn't want it to end there, so I removed my fingers, leaving her craving more. "Why'd you stop?" Her hand was still jerking me off.
"Loosen my pants, Cam. Get my dick out." she turned her body, let go of her hold and did as I suggested.
When my cock sprung free she immediately got back to work.
"Hang on," I quickly ordered. "Take off your pants and straddle me."
“We’re driving down the road.”
“Didn’t you mention you like being exposed? I need to be inside you, and it can’t wait until we’re back at my place. Ride me home, Cam. Lose the pants and giddy up.”
Before I could laugh I saw her glance at me, as if she were about to ask how serious I was. She shimmied her jeans and panties off, immediately climbing on top of me while I stayed focused on the road.
“Is this how you want it?” She rocked her body over mine, taunting me.
“You know what to do.”
“You’re right. I know exactly how you like it.” Her dirty talking was setting me crazy. I lifted my ass to hint she better get on with it or I was going to make a mess.
“I want you bad, but we don’t have protection.”
Damn. I’d never been careless until she came around and fucked my head all up. “Glove compartment. Check it.”
She leaned over, shuffling through the contents until she pulled out a three pack. “You’re lucky. They haven’t expired. I’m wondering why you have rubbers everywhere.”
I chuckled. “My sister put them in my stocking last year for Christmas. It was a huge box of them. I put a few in all the places I might happen to get lucky in. It’s why I’m always prepared. I never know when Cammie Healy is going to take her pants off for me.”
Cammie Healy (Mitchell/ Healy #8) Page 17
