Lia’s nipples puckered against the tank top she wore—no bra, because women’s undergarments were one of the few items the men of Castle Creek had failed to have the foresight to stock. But she was lucky enough that she didn’t really need to wear one. Though, the man standing over her shoulder could easily tell the effect he was having on her body.
“I was afraid you said everything you had to say yesterday,” Lia replied, the words coming out more like a question than a statement. But at least her voice didn’t shake, so that was something.
“Sweetheart, that was just the beginning of the conversation. There’s a lot more to talk about. So you finish up with what you’re doing, and we’ll be waiting.”
He made it sound so simple. Like they would just talk it out, and yesterday hadn’t been completely humiliating for her… Wait, did he say we’ll be waiting?
Cam stepped back, and Lia found the courage to glance over her shoulder at him. His black T-shirt stretched across his wide chest. “We?”
His eyes dropped to her chest for a beat before coming back up to her face. Well, no need to ask if he’d noticed the high beams. “I’ll round up Travis. Seems like we need all three of us if we’re going to discuss this.”
Lia wrung her flour-covered hands in front of her body. “Where?”
His answer was the equivalent to a dare: “Our turf this time. Can you handle that?”
She schooled her expression to give nothing away, including how many times she’d thought about what could happen behind the closed doors of the cabin Cam and Travis shared. She swallowed hard. “Fine with me.”
A chin jerk, and he was gone.
Admitting that he had no fucking clue what he was doing wasn’t Cam’s strong suit. He’d always prided himself on being prepared with multiple contingency plans if shit went sideways. But this … this, he didn’t even have a Plan A to go with, let alone his normal backups.
Share the woman you were hung up on with your buddy because she wanted you both. No, he didn’t know what the fuck to do about that—but he absolutely wasn’t walking away.
Still, the fact that this was what Lia wanted stunned him. Fuck stunned, it amazed him. She’d been through hell, regardless of what she actually remembered, and the fact that she wanted any man, let alone two men, was a testament to her strength and resilience. Is this what it would take to make her feel safe and secure?
Uncrossing his arms, he paced the cabin, only stopping when the screen door creaked open. Cam swung around, expecting to see—hoping to see—Lia at the door. But it was Travis.
He shoved down the disappointment, because actually, this was for the best. They needed to work shit out between them first, and they hadn’t had the opportunity to do it.
“So, you got a plan here?” Cam asked, re-crossing his arms over his chest and studying his best friend. He dropped his arms to the side, almost as soon as he crossed them. He needed to get his head out of his ass and a defensive posture wasn’t helping.
Travis cocked an eyebrow. “You’re always the one with the plan. Thought you’d have this one worked out already.”
Cam huffed out a laugh … or at least he was shooting for a laugh, but it came out sounding a lot more like a grunt. “No plan this time. Flying blind here.”
“A conversation this important, and you’ve got nothing? That isn’t like you.”
Travis’s easy acceptance floored him.
“What do you expect me to say? Yeah, it’s totally cool that the woman I’ve been falling for since I carried her out of hell doesn’t just want me, but she also wants my best friend.”
Travis studied him. “We need to be on the same page before she gets here, so I suggest you tell me right now which way you’re gonna go.”
It was now or never. Nut up or shut up.
Cam squared his shoulders and met his best friend’s gaze. “I’m in. I’ve got no clue how this is gonna go down, and if it all falls apart, I’ll damn sure be the one picking up the pieces. But if this is what Lia wants, there’s no way in fuck I’m gonna tell her ‘no’ if you’re on board too.”
Travis held out his hand, elbow crooked, palm up. Cam stepped forward and clasped it.
“Okay then,” Travis replied. “And if shit falls apart, we deal with it. Together.”
“Agreed. As long as she comes first in every decision we make, I don’t think we can fuck this up too bad.”
“Friends no matter what?” Travis asked.
“No matter what,” Cam repeated. They released each other and Cam settled onto the couch to wait. Travis dropped into his favorite recliner. They didn’t have to wait long.