by Brynne Asher
After I reached the Promised Land—which was all it’s cracked up to be and then some with Cam Montgomery—he pulled me from the bed and into his bathroom. He flipped on the shower and, after letting the water come to a warm temperature, he led me in.
Cam’s master bath is big, but it’s nothing like his kitchen. It’s original to the house and beyond ugly, sporting a color scheme that reminds me of avocados and mustard. But it’s easy to get over the ugly when Cam soaps up a washcloth, pulls my back to his front and slowly runs it over my body. Finally, with one hand on my breast holding me tight, his other slides down between my legs. Drawing it away to look, I realize what he’s searching for and feel his big chest exhale with what must be relief when he finds nothing. And I can’t help but fall a little bit more, realizing this is his way of taking care of me.
He points the shower head toward the bench on the far wall and sits down with his back to the side. Extending his leg along the length of the bench and his other bent with his foot to the floor, he pulls me between his legs tucking me in.
He was quiet at first, but when his hand that’s running idly over my body comes between my legs, he asks in my ear with the water running over us, “Did I hurt you?”
I look up as I curl into his chest. “That might have been my first time, but I am twenty-six. I … um … have a toy. I can feel where you’ve been, but in a good way. I feel you in a way that I want you again and soon—not in a way where I need to wait because it hurts.”
“You have a toy?”
If I wasn’t already warm from the shower, I might’ve blushed, but instead I tuck my face into his neck.
He gives me a squeeze. “You’re bringing that over with your next set of clean clothes, which is going to happen tomorrow.”
I yawn. “It doesn’t compare to the real thing, trust me. Now I know.”
He throws my words back at me. “I can make your toy work better than you. Trust me.”
I decide not to think about Cam using my toy on me because that makes my heart race, plus he stands me up and flips off the water, moving out of the shower to get towels.
“You’re really okay with nakedness, aren’t you?” I ask as I wrap my towel around me.
He grins and I get to appreciate him wet, water dripping down his big strong body. “With you I am. You’ll get used to it.”
I put my hand on his chest where droplets are dancing down his muscles. “I’m okay with your nakedness.”
His goatee grins and he leans to kiss me, but before he gets to my lips, we hear a piercing noise from outside. And that noise sounds like an alarm.
“What the fuck?” He turns quickly away from me and heads into his bedroom. I follow with my towel wrapped around me to find him already pulling on his shorts. “Get dressed. Check on the kids but stay in the house.”
I dry myself quickly. “Is it your car or mine?”
“Doesn’t sound like mine, must be yours. Here, put this on.” He tosses me a t-shirt from his dresser and quickly leaves the room.
I yank his shirt over my head. It’s so big, it comes down to the middle of my thighs. I tug my panties on before going to check on the kids. On my way, Ariel surprises me, meeting me at the top of the stairs. I pick up the nervous puppy, shaking from the sound of the alarm, and take her with me. I find them sleeping like the dead. I quietly close the doors and, carrying Ariel, we head toward the ringing alarm.
When I get to the mudroom to head outside, the alarm stops but I jump when I’m hissed at by Cam’s persnickety cat.
“Stop doing that. I’m not crazy about you, either.” I frown at John Wayne, who’s sitting in front of the door blocking my way. “You’re the most irritable cat ever—now move it.” I nudge him with my foot. He gives me cat lip before sauntering toward the kitchen with attitude.
Once outside, I see Cam standing in nothing but a pair of royal blue athletic shorts holding his phone to his ear. He’s got his back to me and he’s facing my car. My car with a smashed back window and, from what I can see, two slashed tires. That’s gonna suck. Not only do I have to deal with having it fixed, but now my parents will be on my case to move somewhere with a garage. Not to mention, they’ll probably find out it happened here, during a sleepover with Cam. I’m a grown woman. Seriously, do they have to know every nuance of my life?
“Well hey, you,” I hear from the side and look over to see my brother-in-law, Lanny, standing in a pair of shorts similar to Cam’s, but he threw on a t-shirt. He crosses his arms and tips his head looking me over, stating the obvious, “Your hair’s wet.”
“Oh, hey,” is all I say.
Well, shit. I try and take in the vandalism of my new car, but all I can think about is how everyone’s going to know about me being here with my hair wet and my car trashed. Nothing is sacred in the Carpino family, and that includes the in-laws.
“And you’re wearing my neighbor’s shirt,” he goes on.
I bite my lip and pull Ariel in tighter.
“In the middle of the night,” he continues.
“Lanny…” I start, but I really have nothing else to say because he’s right on all accounts.
“And your car just got busted into,” he finishes.
“Sophia’s not coming, is she?” I ask, looking around the corner toward their house.
“I told her to stay with the kids,” he says.
“And I told you to stay in the house,” Cam clips, lowering his phone.
I frown and ask, “Who were you talking to?”
“The police.” Tipping his head toward my car, he looks pissed when he goes on. “We have to make a report so you can file your insurance. And if this is connected to what happened earlier tonight, I’m gonna tear someone in two.”
“What happened earlier tonight?” Lanny asks.
“Nothing,” I say.
“Bekki.” Cam butts in. “You wouldn’t believe the shit she pulled. She left the kids by themselves. There was a scuffle outside her apartment with some thugs that’re connected to her. When Jordy couldn’t get hold of me, he called Paige. She wandered into it.”
“No shit?” Lanny looks to me.
I shrug but Cam keeps going. “She got knocked around, Bekki’s in jail with one of the guys who created the scuffle, and two others got away.”
Lanny frowns at me. “You okay?”
I open my mouth to answer, but Cam is on a roll. “She’s got a couple bruises and a headache, but she’ll be okay.”
“I can speak for myself, thank you.” I glare.
“I told you to stay in the house,” he repeats.
I ignore Cam and turn to Lanny. “You can’t tell Sophia. She’ll be all over me.”
He smirks. “Looks like someone else has already been all over you.”
“Lanny!” I yell and hear Cam warn, “Hey.”
“You cannot tell her,” I beg.
“You think I’m gonna suffer the wrath of my wife and not tell her something she’ll find out soon enough anyway? No way.” He shakes his head.
“Please, Lanny.”
“I’ll do you a favor and leave out the part about your hair being wet. That’s the best I can do,” he offers, as if he’s throwing me a bone.
“Cam.” I look over at him with big eyes. “Talk to him.”
“What in the hell happened while we were in Hawaii?” Lanny asks, not giving Cam a chance to plead my case.
“Nothing,” I say at the same time Cam drawls, “It was an interesting week.”
Before anyone has a chance to say anything more, I see headlights turn the corner and for the second time today, police cruisers head my way. This time they aren’t tearing down the street with lights and sirens, but they sure did manage to get here faster than earlier this evening when I needed them in a worse way. Figures.
“Go home, man. I’ve got this,” Cam says to Lanny.
Lanny lifts his head to Cam but comes to me. He leans down and gives me a brotherly kiss on the top of my head. “Glad you’re oka
y. I won’t let Sophia call you until tomorrow.”
I sigh and start to dread tomorrow before it gets here because there are no secrets in my family. Tomorrow could suck worse than today. Not that today sucked, I think I would categorize today as the best, yet the scariest. One for the record books.
Lanny starts his way across the yard as the police pull up and Cam comes to me. “Get dressed.”
“I’m fine.” I shift Ariel who’s getting wiggly in my arms.
“Baby.” He squeezes my bottom over his t-shirt. “I’ve just had you for the first time and nobody’s been there but me. I’m not crazy about you being half-dressed in front of a bunch of police officers. Go put on some clothes. Now.”
I roll my eyes before turning to march back to his bedroom to find my clothes. But the minute I turn and he can’t see me, I have to bite my lip to keep from smiling.
Yeah, giving up my V-Card was way better than I ever imagined. And when you wait as long as me, you imagine a lot. But handing it over to Cam makes me smile even bigger.
Chapter Eighteen
Someone Different
Paige
I wake up to a buzzing sound, but it’s more like vibrating. I open my eyes, and for the second day, I wake up in Cam’s bed. I’m on my side with my back to him, but I know he’s there because he’s got a hand resting on my waist just above my hip.
My phone vibrates again on his nightstand and, as I reach over to grab it, he squeezes my waist pulling me back. I manage to get my phone before being hauled into his big body where his goatee tickles my neck and it feels so good, I’m forced to ignore my phone.
It’s a little after eight. I smile because boot camp is at eight but I’m still in Cam’s bed with Cam. Two reasons to be happy this morning.
He rolls me to him and takes my phone, tossing it to the end of the bed. Bringing his big hand up to cup the side of my face. “How’s your head?”
“Good.”
“Your shoulder and arm?” He slides his hand down the side of my body.
I give him a small smile. “Really, I’m good.”
His hand continues and my breath hitches when he cups me between my legs but over my panties. His sleepy eyes turn intense when he keeps on. “How’s this?”
I run my hand up his arm. “I’m all good, Cam.”
He dips his hand in my panties. “You think you can go again tonight?”
I warm from his touch, barely tender from last night. “I think so.”
“Good.” He kisses me softly. “I want you on top, riding my cock. That way if you’re sore, you can do what feels good for you and I get to watch. But that’s after I eat you and make you come in my mouth. I’ve got to get you primed for me.”
My eyes go big and I can’t help it when my face warms. “You know, you don’t have to be so descriptive. Feel free to surprise me with your plans.”
His goatee smiles and I feel his chest shaking against me with silent laughter.
“Seriously.” I give his arm a shove. “I have a lot to do and now I’m going to be thinking about that all day, worrying if I’m going to do it right.”
He rolls completely on top of me. “There’s no right or wrong.”
“Maybe not,” I say, exasperated. “But I’m sure there’s good and bad. Sexy and awkward. Hot and lackluster.”
“Lackluster?” he smiles.
“Yes.” I glare at him. “You know I don’t know what I’m doing.”
His amused smile turns soft and he leans down to kiss me even softer.
When he pulls away he says in a low voice, “You run so hot for me, there’s no way you could be lackluster if you tried. But baby, when we’re together, I want you to do what feels good. If something doesn’t feel good, you say so and we’ll find something that does. If there’s something you want to try, we’ll try it. If there’s something I try and you don’t like it, you need to tell me because I plan on trying a lot with you, but it’ll all be for you. What I can promise is that after last night, there’s no way it can be wrong, bad, or awkward. And it definitely will not be lackluster.”
“Really?”
He frowns. “Were you not here last night?”
I frown back but don’t say anything because that doesn’t warrant an answer.
“You’ll see. I want you thinking about it but not worried about it. Nothing to worry about when it can’t be anything but perfect.”
“Whatever.” I relent because I really want to stop talking about it. But now I’m going to think about it all day, no matter what I have to do, so I change the subject. “I need to get up and brush my teeth. I’ve decided you’re not good for my dental hygiene.”
Last night, after the police filed a report on my car, Cam arranged a wrecker to take it away—since you can’t tow a car with four slashed tires. That’s right, all four. Cam didn’t see anything by the time he got outside. Who knows who did it. It’s more of a pain in the ass than anything. It turns out I have rental insurance, so at least I won’t be out of a car while mine is being spruced up.
It was late when we went to bed the first time, so it was really late after dealing with my car. Cam pulled me into his arms where I fell fast asleep, completely forgetting to brush my teeth.
Again.
“What do you have to do today?”
“I need to get to my apartment to work on advertising for my blog, return some calls to new clients about events coming up next month, and do laundry. The way my phone is buzzing, I have a feeling I’m going to have to hide under a rock to avoid my family. And if Brian doesn’t answer my calls today, I’ll be forced to find him and kick his ass for avoiding me. What are you doing?”
He instantly frowns. “Why do you need to talk to Brian?”
“Because of what happened Sunday. I need to work things out,” I explain.
“What’s there to work out? He wants you and you don’t want him. It’s finished.”
“Nothing is finished. He’s my friend and even though I don’t want him the way he wants me, I need to make it okay between us. We’ve been friends too long for me to let it go.”
“I don’t like it.”
“I’m sorry you don’t like it, but I’m still going to talk to him.”
His jaw hardens and he looks up over my head at the headboard.
“Cam?” I call for him.
He looks back and sighs. “I’ll take you to your apartment, you can get your stuff, bring it back here. We’ll pick up your rental on the way back and you can work here while I figure out what’s happening with Bekki. I’ve got to call my attorney about getting sole custody. I need to be close to the kids today—keep an eye on them after what happened last night.”
“I can work at my apartment.”
“You can also work here,” he insists.
I guess it doesn’t matter where I work, but he really likes to have his way.
I change the subject. “Who’s your attorney?”
“I use my parents’ attorney. He’s in Texas. It can slow things down but it’s worked okay in the past.”
“Do you want me to call my dad?” I offer. “He specializes in Family Law.”
He narrows his eyes. “No. I don’t need to be asking favors from your family. I’m not sure what they think about you with me anyway.”
“He wouldn’t do it for you. He’d do it for me,” I insist, because it’s true. If I asked, my dad would do it in a heartbeat.
“No,” he reiterates.
“But, he could get it done fast and you need it done fast. Who knows what Bekki will do. She’ll probably get out on bail today if she’s not already.”
He smiles but repeats, “No,” then kisses me fast before rolling off me to get up. “As much as I’d like to hang out in bed all day, the kids will be up soon if they’re not already.”
Pulling myself out of bed, I feel stiff all over. I’ve decided to blame it on two days of boot camp. My phone vibrates on the end of the bed again. Picking it up, I see I already have thre
e voicemails and a handful of texts. It’s mostly Sophia but she must have called in reinforcements. They’re all butting in.
I hit my voicemail button and put my phone to my ear while hauling on my jeans from yesterday. Of course Sophia called first: “You spent the night with him? And Lanny said something happened with Cam’s ex and you had to wade in. What the hell, Paige? (No, no, Isabella, don’t touch that.) Sorry, but call me. I want to know what happened and Lanny told me about your car. Mom and Dad are gonna have a fit, you know how they are about their cars.”
She’s right, my parents will have a fit about the car. I’ve barely had it a few weeks.
The next message is from my mom: “Sweetheart, this is your mother. Sophia called this morning and told me what happened to your car. Well, (sigh), your dad will be calling you about that to make sure you get it all sorted. But, um … it happened at Cam Montgomery’s house? And well … Soph said it happened in the middle of the night. Is that right? I guess that means you’re seeing him. Romantically. (sigh) I’ve always liked Cam. I mean, I guess I barely know him, which is fine. But he’s, well, a bit older than you. Do you think he’s a little too old—”
Beep.
Surprise-surprise, the last message is from my mom again: “I guess I ran out of time. Expect a call from your dad and call me.”
Why does my family treat me like I’m a child? I haven’t lived at home since I started college, I’ve always been gainfully employed—even if I did go from job to job there for a while—and now I manage a business that’s turned into two ventures. I’m doing even better than I thought I would.
Well, they can learn to mind their own business. I have too much to do today. Not to mention, I don’t need my dad sorting out my car issues. Cam may have arranged the wrecker last night, but I can handle it myself.
I have texts from Leigh, Gabby, and Charlotte. Ignoring them all, I look for Brian’s name and start typing, asking if he can get away for coffee this morning. Who knows if he’ll answer.
Making my way to the kitchen, I hear little voices mingling with Cam’s.
