by M. A. Foster
“Here, babe,” he says as he tosses me his T-shirt.
I’m not sure how I feel about him calling me “babe.” I know it’s a term of endearment, meant as affection, so I brush it off and pull the shirt over my head.
Cam wraps his arms around my waist from behind. “I can’t get enough of you, Emerson,” he says against that sensitive part of my neck just below my ear.
I pull back and lead the way down the hall toward the kitchen.
He tightens his hold on my waist and brings us to a stop, then turns me around and presses me against the wall. His mouth covers mine in a searing kiss filled with lust and a promise he intends to deliver. His hands move under the oversized T-shirt to cup my bare ass as he presses his hard cotton-covered cock against my stomach. “I can’t wait to fuck you on every surface of this house,” he growls.
“Later,” I tease before ducking under his arm, heading for the kitchen and slamming into a solid wall of bare flesh. “Oompf.”
My first thought is how did Cam get in front of me until I feel him at my back. His hand comes around to cover my mouth.
“What the—” a familiar male voice says.
Zach.
Cam cuts him off by shushing him. “What are you doing?” he whisper-yells.
“Getting a water,” Zach whisper-yells back as he takes me in. His eyes go wide and he straightens. “What are you doing?”
I struggle to pull from Cam, but his grip on me tightens. So I bite him. “Ow!” Not exactly mature, but it does the job. He yanks his hand away. “Why’d you bite me?”
“Is Jayla here?” Now I’m whisper-yelling.
“Yeah,” Zach replies.
My gaze drifts from his bare chest to his boxer briefs, and I literally choke on the air as it’s forced from my lungs like a punch to the stomach. “Are you…? Did you…?” I close my eyes and press a palm to my forehead in an attempt to calm myself down. Jay and I talked about this. She admitted she and Zach had sex. Knowing about it is one thing, but the fact that they were having it on the opposite side of the house while I was with Cam? I can’t deal.
Cam seems to know me better than I thought, because just as I’m about to lose my shit, he moves to cover my mouth again. I slap his hand away.
“Zach!” Jay calls out from the bedroom. “Did you get lost? Where’s my water?”
Inhaling a deep breath through my nose, I pinch my lips together and point a shaky finger at Zach. “Not a word,” I growl through clenched teeth. “And if you hurt my daughter or get her pregnant, I will see to it personally that Bass breaks your pretty little face and your throwing arm. Got it?”
“I didn’t see anything.” He puts his hands up in surrender and takes a step back. “This is so fucking weird.” He sidesteps me and heads into the kitchen to grab a water from the fridge.
“Zach!” Jay shouts again. “Seriously, I’m dying of thirst in here. What are you doing?”
“I’m coming!” he calls out as he stops in front of Cam and me, his gaze flicking between us. “I won’t say anything, but when—not if, when she figures it out, I won’t lie to her.” Then he turns and retreats down the hall.
“He won’t say anything,” Cam reassures me, but it does nothing to ease the shame I’m feeling.
“I need to go.” I turn and head back to Cam’s room to get dressed.
“You promised,” Cam says from the doorway.
“Promised what?” I ask as I adjust my bra into place and snatch my shirt from the floor.
He steps into the room and closes the door. “You promised if you had any doubts, you’d talk to me first.” He switches on the bedside lamp. “There’s doubt written all over your face. Don’t let Zach make you feel guilty. Naturally he’d want to protect Jay. That’s what you do for the people you love.”
True. But it doesn’t change the level of ick I feel that while I was in here with Cam, my daughter was on the other side of the house having sex with Zach. Bile rises in my throat, and I think I might actually puke.
“Do you know how fucked-up this is? While you and I were in here”—I throw my arm out—“they were in there… you know.” I groan and cover my face. “Zach’s right. This is so fucking weird.”
“Okay, it’s a little weird.” He chuckles.
“It’s not funny, Cam. Were you aware that they were having sex in your house?”
His smile falls. “Of course not. But—”
“But what?”
Cam rolls his eyes. “Don’t be that parent, Emerson. They’re teenagers. If they wanna have sex, they’re gonna have it. Whether it’s at my house, your house, the car or in the damn bushes.”
I cross my arms over my chest and look away. Chris and I used to have heavy make-out sessions in his car after school or at the movies, but our parents were too strict about leaving us alone. And bedrooms were off-limits. “I wasn’t that teenager,” I murmur.
“What does that mean?”
“Nothing.” I wave him off. “Can you give me a ride home? I had Bass drop me off.”
“Of course.” He snatches his basketball shorts from the floor and slips them on.
The drive to my house is short, and neither of us speaks until Cam pulls to a stop in front of it.
He looks over at me, and I can see the worry etched into his face. “Are we good?” he asks.
“We’re good.” I give him a reassuring smile before I open the passenger door.
“Emerson.” I turn to him. “What did you mean earlier when you said you weren’t that teenager?”
“I knew you were gonna bring that up.”
He raises his brows.
“I was a virgin until Marcus.”
Cam’s eyes nearly bulge out of his head. “But you were with Chris for years.”
I shrug. “I wasn’t ready, and then he cheated on me.”
“He was an idiot.”
“Yeah. He was,” I agree.
“So it’s only been Marcus… and me?”
“Yes.” I hop out of the truck and close the door.
Cam rolls down the passenger window. “The caveman in me wants to beat my chest, throw you over my shoulder and take you back to my bed.”
I throw my head back and laugh. “Good night, Cam.”
“Good night, babe.” He winks and drives off.
Emerson
The sound of hangers sliding across the rails echoes from deep inside Jay’s closet.
“Jay, I was thinking of throwing together a little dinner party before homecoming,” I call out as I flip through one of her fashion magazines. “You can invite your friends and their parents if they want. Nothing too heavy, maybe some finger foods. I think it would be nice if everyone could get together for pictures.”
She walks over to the seating area carrying a handful of dresses. “Harper, every single one of these is brand new with the tags.”
“Surely you two can find something in there to wear for homecoming.”
“Heck yeah,” Harper agrees as she helps Jay hang them on the hook next to the three-way mirror.
“I should probably go through these and donate the ones I don’t want. Maybe I should call Lexi over and see if she wants to go through them. No reason to let them just hang around unworn.”
“Good idea.” I smile. “What do you think about the dinner party idea?”
“Sounds good,” she calls over her shoulder just as she disappears back inside the rows of her closet.
Cam
The bed dips and something soft brushes against my lips. My eyes instantly pop open, meeting two bright green ones. “Good morning,” Emerson purrs, rolling her hips and grinding down on my dick covered by a thin sheet.
Goddamn right it is.
She straightens and I let out an audible groan as my eyes trail over her naked body. Please don’t let this be a dream, and if it is, don’t fucking wake me.
She scoots backward, pulling the sheet down, and my cock bobs between us, hard and ready. She licks her lips as she wraps her
petite fingers around the base and leans in, sucking me into her mouth. My eyes roll to the back of my head as my hands instinctively slip into her hair. With each dip of her head, she takes me a little farther into her mouth until my moans bounce off the bare walls.
“Em,” I pant, giving her hair a little tug. “Get up here and ride me.”
She gives one last pull of my cock before releasing it with a pop, then moves to straddle my hips. Our eyes lock as she slowly sinks down on me, her hands on my chest, steadying herself as she rises and then slowly slides back down. I move my hands to her hips, guiding her until she finds her rhythm and begins to move faster. Leaning forward, she bears down, rolling her hips and grinding her clit against my pelvis. Foreheads pressed together, we pant into each other’s mouths, our tongues teasing.
“Cam,” she breathes over my lips, and I know she’s ready to come. I slide my hands from her hips to her ass, my fingers digging into her cheeks as I pump into her. She stills, her thighs squeezing me, her inner muscles contracting when she cries out.
Rolling Emerson to her back, my hands still gripping her ass, I drive back into her, hard and punishing. Our gasps and moans echo around the room. That familiar tingling of pleasure zips up my spine and through my limbs, and I come with a loud groan.
With my face in the crook of her neck, I murmur against the soft skin, “That’s one hell of a way to wake up.” I swivel my hips and Emerson exhales a breathy moan. Lifting my head, I brush my lips against hers before rolling onto the bed beside her. “If you want to come over and wake me like that every day, I won’t stop you.”
My phone rings with the distinctive FaceTime tone. I lift my head and look over to see Liam’s goofy face on my screen.
“It’s Liam.”
“Go ahead and answer it.” She rises from the bed and heads toward the bathroom. “I’m gonna go get cleaned up, and then I need to get going.”
I tap the green icon, and a moment later Liam’s face and shirtless body appear on the screen. “Are you naked?”
His lips twist to the side. “No.” He flips the camera around to reveal himself standing in front of the mirror wearing only a towel. “I just got out of the shower.”
“And you were thinking about me in the shower? Liam, we’ve been over this. I think you’re great, but I just want to be friends,” I joke.
Emerson lets out a soft laugh, and my eyes flick over in the direction of the bathroom to see her walking out, still naked.
“Fuck off,” Liam says with a laugh, bringing my attention back to the screen. “Check out the beast, baby.” He curls his free arm and flexes. “Boom.”
“Damn, boo.” I exhale a whistle through my teeth. “All that yanking is paying off, but make sure you alternate between hands. You don’t want to look uneven.”
He barks out a laugh. “Dick.”
“What are you up to today?” My gaze drifts back to Emerson, zeroing in on her beautiful tits before she covers them with a white lace bra. She bends over, plucking her yoga pants from the floor.
“I’m taking Doc to lunch.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I see Emerson look over her shoulder. “I thought you guys were just friends?”
“We are.” He chuckles. “We’re friends who have lunch.”
Shaking my head, my gaze slides back to Emerson. She crosses her arms, tilts her head and raises her brow.
I start to cut him off, but he goes on. “I already told you, I’m not interested in her like that. Though if I was smart, I’d snatch her up. Doc’s the whole package, man. Beautiful, smart, sexy, but…” She’s not Vanessa.
“What about the naughty nurse?”
“Mia?” He wiggles his brows. “Hell yeah. Fantastic in bed. I’m definitely holding on to her for a while.”
“That’s not gonna last, dude. Chicks always want more.” I smirk, knowing Emerson is glaring holes in the side of my head.
He shrugs. “I don’t know, man. This one is different. I think she might be the female version of me.” He chuckles. “Either way, it doesn’t matter. She knew the score when she invited me into her bed. And speaking of, what are you still doing in bed anyway? It’s almost noon.”
My eyes shift in Emerson’s direction. She’s standing at the door, hand on the knob, smiling over her shoulder. She gives me a little finger wave as she opens the door.
“You got that dopey ‘I just got laid’ look on your face. Did Jules sleep over last night?” Liam asks, and my eyes immediately flick back to Emerson just in time to see her smile fall and the hurt expression on her face as she turns her head and walks out.
Fuck.
“I’ll call you back.” Tossing the phone aside, I scramble from the bed, wrapping the sheet around my waist as I chase after her.
“Emerson!” I call out as I round the corner. I jerk to a stop, nearly slamming into her back, and find Max standing in my foyer wearing a confused expression.
“What are you doing here, Max?” she asks.
He gestures to the new table positioned against the wall of the foyer. The table I ordered a week ago and forgot was being delivered today. “Dropping off a table.” Max scowls. “I think the real question is what the fuck are you doing here, Emerson?”
“I’m just… we’re just—” she stammers.
“We’re just….” I let my words trail off because I don’t really know what we’re doing.
Max’s eyes drop to the sheet cinched around my waist. “You’re screwing,” he finishes.
I open my mouth to argue, but Emerson beats me to it.
“Spare me your judgment, Max. We’re adults, and it’s none of your business.” She shoulders past him and storms out the front door.
Max turns his angry glare on me. “My sister’s not one of your playthings, Cam.”
“Of course not.” I rake my fingers through my bed hair and blow out a breath. “You wouldn’t understand, but it’s different with her.”
“Try me.”
“I’m in love with her.”
Emerson
Sitting across from my mother, I glance down at my untouched sandwich, my stomach in knots. We’d spent the early part of the day shopping for the homecoming dinner party, and now we’re having lunch at the same bistro where Cam brought me.
My fingers curl into the napkin on my lap. “Mother, I have something to tell you.”
She leans in slightly, brows pinched with concern. “What is it?”
I inhale a long deep breath through my nose and blow it out slowly. “I’ve been spending time with Cam.”
Her concerned expression morphs into confusion. “I know.”
I narrow my eyes at her skeptically. “Max told you?” My brother called me earlier to tell me that he’s not judging me, but to be careful. Meaning he doesn’t agree but he’s going to keep his opinion to himself. Works for me.
“Honey, you’ve lost me. Told me what?”
I look around at the other patrons who seem to be engrossed in their own private conversations. Leaning in, I whisper, “I slept with Cam.” She just stares at me, so I continue, “Well… there wasn’t any sleeping involved.” I flick my wrist. “You know what I mean.”
She’s still just staring at me.
“Please say something,” I plead.
The corners of her mouth tip down slightly. “I don’t really know what to say.”
Propping an elbow on the table, I press my fingers to my forehead. “You’re disappointed.”
“I’m not disappointed at all. I’m shocked. Cam always had a little bit of a crush on you when he was a teenager. I thought it was cute the way he would look at you like you were the rock star.” She laughs, but it’s obvious she’s holding something back.
“What is it?” I press.
She leans in, resting her forearms on the table. “I’m just a little concerned. This situation is different from your friendship with Elizabeth. If things don’t work out between you and Cam, it will affect everyone and likely ruin his friendship w
ith Liam. If things do work out, which I really hope they do, it’s still going to affect his friendship with Liam.”
She’s right. I don’t want to hurt anyone, especially my little brother.
“It’s only happened a couple of times. I’ll end it now and Liam won’t even have to know.” I shake my head. “I don’t know what I was thinking. He’s way too young for me anyway.”
“Honey, stop. I’m not suggesting you end anything. You’re both adults who can think for yourselves. Clearly he makes you happy, because I haven’t seen you smile as much as you have today in a very long time.”
“Then why do I feel guilty?”
“Because Marcus is the only man you’ve ever been with,” she replies.
“Or maybe it’s because my husband died eight months ago. I should be grieving, not sexing up a twenty-eight-year-old playboy.”
She tilts her head. “Says who?”
I heave out a heavy sigh. “I don’t know. Me. Society.”
She bristles. “Since when does society get to decide when it’s acceptable to move on with your life? Fuck society. So what? You’re supposed to sit around in that big house and do what exactly? Your husband didn’t just suddenly die. He was sick and he suffered. You suffered. My baby girl suffered. This entire family suffered. There’s no expiration date on grief. You’ll never stop grieving for Marcus, but it doesn’t mean you can’t go on living your life.”
“I realized after Marcus died that I’ve been in back-to-back relationships since ninth grade.” I snort.
“Are you in a relationship with Cam?”
Honestly, I don’t know. I can’t stop thinking about what I overheard. Who is Jules? Do I even have the right to ask?
“I’m not really sure what we are.” I shrug. “I care deeply for him, and I guess in a way I’ve always loved him because he’s Cam. But I don’t know if I could love him the way I loved Marcus.”
“The love you had for Marcus isn’t something that can be replaced by your love for Cam. There’s plenty of room in your heart for both.”
