Chapter Seven
7
THREE WEEKS HAVE PASSED since Camden’s threat. I have pretty much continued my daily routine. I went to school, work, came home, and went to the gym. Yes, the gym. Despite my concern of body parts falling off, I liked how I felt after a good workout. I saw Camden almost every time I went. The first few days I showed he had a smug little smirk across his face. I seriously wanted to beat his face in with a dumbbell. I refrained, because it didn’t seem very nice, and frankly I wasn’t sure if I could get blood out of my clothes. It aggravated me to no end. It was as if he got his way, and he somehow was the person to convince me to get in shape. There was a time after my second trip to The Dugout that I had thought about adding a laxative to his protein powder. It would have given me great satisfaction to see him running to the bathroom. He was lucky I wasn’t a vindictive person. Around my fourth time coming in, he stopped with his shit eating grin and went about his business like I was any other paying customer. I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. For starters, I wasn’t paying a thing to be a member there. It made me feel a twinge of guilt, because I was already paying so little for the apartment, and now I was taking advantage of his facilities. This was his livelihood. But then his words ‘the chubby one’ replayed through my head, and I shrugged it off. He owed me.
Sarah has been over at least a dozen times. She seemed to be adjusting well to the change, and she loved coming here. As long as she was happy, I was happy. There was one particular day when Dodger was around that he asked her if she had a boyfriend. She blushed and said, “Yes.” My eyes nearly bugged out of my head. But what entertained me was Dodger’s response. At some point since meeting her, he’d taken on a protector role with her. He gave her a level stare after grilling her about this boy’s name, age, how tall he was, if he had any prior felonies…? To which she replied in a very Sarah like fashion, “He’s eight. What’s he gonna get arrested for, stealing Spiderman underwear?” He explained that with boys you never know, and then he proceeded to tell her that she was not allowed to kiss anybody until she was married. Dodge said, “You’re the best kind of girl out there, Sarah. You make sure you find a boyfriend that cherishes every single one of your smiles and laughs, treats you like a princess, and gives you everything you could ever want.” Then he followed it up with, “Things like diamonds, a castle, and a Ferrari, so I can drive it and make sure it’s safe.” I laughed at him. Sarah smacked him on the arm and said kissing was gross then returned to playing with her dolls. Dodger was sweet to take her under his wing. She lacked a male role model in her life. He was good to her, and I approved of the time they spent together.
Luke and I have gone out a couple of times since he asked me for my number. I remembered walking through campus while eating some Whoppers when my cell phone rang, and I saw Luke’s name flashing on my screen. I inhaled my chocolate ball whole and started choking. Thank God for passersby who knew the Heimlich maneuver. What a sad, and yet wonderful, way to die…death by candy. Anyway, after my near death experience, I got the courage to call him back. He asked if I wanted to go grab a bite to eat and see a movie. I said yes, and now here we are.
He’s been very nice, and I was certainly attracted to him. Luke has this carefree look about him. He had longer blond hair that was tasseled like he’d just gotten out of the ocean and let it air dry. His arms were very tan, and I could only assume that the rest of him was just as dark. Luke’s body was long and lean. Not like Camden’s bulky muscled look, but one that showed clear lines and ridges of abs and arms without it being too much. My favorite part of Luke, though, was his smile. It was so easy and warm. His perfectly straight and white teeth stood out each time his face lit up at something I’d say. I found myself on numerous occasions leaning into him when he directed his grin at me. Yeah, I was definitely attracted.
My cell was vibrating and dancing across the table I’d set it on. I was at the library studying for my next A&P test. I’d managed to pull off a B on the last pop quiz, but again, it wasn’t enough. I had to push harder if I stood a chance at making it into the nursing program.
Picking up my cell, I propped it between my ear and shoulder while I shuffled some books around. “Hello?”
“Hey beautiful, what’re you doing?” Luke’s pleasant voice traveled through the phone.
I couldn’t help the smile that spread across my face. “I’m at the library studying. How about yourself?”
“I was just at the grocery store picking up some things for the house. Those guys eat at least twenty-five pounds of food a day.” I giggled. “If you think I’m joking, you should come watch them sometime. If there’s food in the house, they are all like a bunch of bloodhounds sniffing out their next meal. If I was like this at all when I hit puberty, I totally owe my mom for keeping me well-fed.” I could hear the lighthearted tone in his voice. Luke lived in the same frat house that Dodger had invited me to for the Halloween party.
“Sounds pretty typical. Aren’t y’all still growing boys?”
His voice deepened. “Depends on what you’re referring to that’s growing.” I bit my lip, and I could hear his throaty chuckle. “I swear I can practically hear you blushing through the phone.”
“Shut up,” was all I retorted with.
“Alright, alright, well I’m calling because I wanted to see if you would like to come out to the park with me. I could pack us a picnic and bring a Frisbee or a kite. What do ya say?”
He sounded so hopeful. It still amazed me that I was seeing someone like Luke. People like him never happened to people like me. I must have been quiet, because he said my name. “Oh sorry, I got distracted. Yes, I’d love to, that sounds fun. What time?”
“I’ll be there around six.”
“Sounds good, see ya then.”
We both hung up, and I gathered all of my things, looking at the time. Crap, I had two hours to get ready. I still needed to head home to take a shower and pick out what to wear. Slinging my bag over my shoulder I headed to the elevators.
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When I got to the apartment, Camden was sitting on the couch. I wasn’t expecting him to be home so soon. He was always at the gym, working until at least seven. It still made me slightly nervous to be alone with him in the same space. Shrugging it off, I came in, took my shoes off, and set my bag on the loveseat.
“Hey, you’re home early,” I stated simply.
He looked over at me from the television. He was watching some show about muscle cars, figures. “Yeah, I was teaching a class to the seniors when one of the granny’s started to go down. I thought she was having a heart attack but turned out she just can’t seem to lift the free weights and step up on the platforms.” He sighed. “I ended up pulling my quad trying to get to her before she hit the floor.”
I looked down, and that was when I noticed the ice pack resting on his leg. I instinctively went toward him to check on it but stopped short. He was eyeing me like he was wondering what I was doing. Instead I walked in front of the couch and around to the back. I was certain I looked like a crazy person walking random circles in the living room, but I couldn’t play off that I made a move in his direction.
“Just remember to keep the ice on for twenty and off for twenty.”
He glanced at me over his shoulder, a weird look marring his hard features. “I work in the fitness industry, I know how to take care of a pulled muscle.”
He didn’t mean what he said in a snooty tone, but I sighed. “Are you going to be okay?” I asked moving toward the stairs.
He’d turned away to look at the television. “It’s fine, I’m fine. I just need to ice it and work it out.”
“K,” was all I responded with.
I climbed the stairs and started rummaging through my messy closet. Deciding on a light blue maxi dress that I coupled with some flat sandals, I figured it would be the perfect outfit for the park. I didn’t want it to overdressed, but I didn’t want to seem like I didn’t care either. Hopping in the shower, I cleaned every crevice of my body, shaved my legs, and pumiced my feet. I tended to walk around barefoot a lot so the soles of my feet were on the rougher side. When I stepped out, I wrapped my body in a towel and darted across the hall to my room. I hadn’t realized, until I was putting on my makeup and doing my hair, that I was really excited to see Luke. He gave me butterflies. He was also the first person since my high school boyfriend who made me feel pretty.
I styled my hair half up and half down, so it cascaded down my back in long blond waves. The makeup I applied had a natural glow to it. My cheeks were a soft pink, a little mascara was applied on my lashes, and a very light rose-colored lip gloss finished my lips. Looking in the mirror even I had to admit to myself that I looked good. I looked…happy, excited, fresh. Luke was doing this to me. It was nice.
As I walked down the stairs, I breezed past Camden who was in the fridge looking for something to eat. I took a quick peek at him and noticed his nostrils flare slightly. Did he just smell the air?
“There’s some sweet potato soup in the Tupperware on the bottom shelf that I made the other day if you’d like it. It’s healthy so I figured you might want some,” I offered, as I sat down on one of the stool and adjusted my sandals.
Camden was looking at me in such an odd way, but he eventually turned back to the fridge and dug out the bowl. When he lifted the lid, he grunted in what I could only assume was approval. “This doesn’t look half bad. Thanks for offering.”
I snickered. “That’s because it’s not. I can cook, you know. Just because you like to control everything doesn’t mean that others are incapable of making healthy foods for your royal mouth to taste. And…you’re welcome.”
That honestly all came out harsher than I’d intended, but whatever. He regarded me for a few short moments before he continued moving about the kitchen and heating up the leftover soup. While his back was turned to me he said, “You uh, look nice. You goin’ out?”
I gaped at him. Like full on, fish out of water, mouth hanging open, gaped. Did Camden Brooks just compliment me? Now that was a strange concept. And it was one that made me flush from head to toe. I wasn’t even sure if I should acknowledge it, or if we were supposed to pretend that it never happened. I was also a little curious about the tiny butterflies I’d had in my stomach over thoughts of Luke, and how they had now sprouted hummingbird wings and were fluttering so fast that I felt the need to check my pulse. Pay attention Keegan. There was a question associated with his compliment. What was it again? When I brought my head up after fidgeting with the straps of my shoes, I was greeted by that deep chocolate brown color that was becoming all too familiar. His brow rose, reminding me that I still hadn’t answered him.
“Are you going out?” he repeated but in a slower way, annunciating every word.
Snap out of it woman! “Umm, yeah. Luke is coming by to pick me up.”
He was mulling over something. “You two seem to be seeing a lot of each other.”
It was a statement, not a question. I responded anyway. “Yes, we’ve been out a few times.”
The heat of his stare was making me uncomfortable and squirmy. “Hmph.”
What. On. Earth? Just drop it Keegan. Thankfully a knock sounded at the door and saved me from asking. I answered the door and was handed a beautiful bouquet of wild flowers. Luke was beaming. His dusty blue eyes went from my face, down my dress, and back up again. He smiled approvingly.
“You look stunning, as always.” Luke leaned in and kissed me on my cheek.
“Thank you so much. These are gorgeous. Why don’t you come in so I can put them in some water and then we can take off?” I stepped aside and let him in.
Luke stopped short just inside the door and was watching Camden inhale his soup.
“What is Brooks doing here?” Luke asked.
Hadn’t I told him that Camden and I lived together? I thought about it, but the more I jogged my memory, I’d come to realize I hadn’t said anything about it. Oops!
“He lives here. Camden is my roommate.” I pushed inside of the kitchen and started digging for a vase. The quicker I got the flowers in water, the quicker we could leave.
“Sup,” Camden said in greeting.
Luke gave a curt nod. “I didn’t know you two lived together.”
Camden’s cocky grin was plastered on his face. “Well, you do now.”
“Huh.” Luke’s voice sounded put off.
The two continued their staring contest, while I desperately searched for anything to use for the flowers. Why in the hell did it feel like a testosterone induced battlefield in my kitchen? And an even better question, why was I even bothering to look for a vase in a dude’s apartment? I couldn’t imagine that Camden kept them on hand for the many times he’d received flowers. Getting a tall glass out of the cupboard I filled it with water and started placing the flowers inside. I looked up at both boys when the room fell silent. Both were looking at each other as though they were sizing each other up. I briefly wondered if I should blurt out that they should just compare their penises so someone could come out a clear winner and I could pass out ribbons. I almost laughed at myself for even thinking it. As much as I didn’t understand this weird male ritual that I was witnessing, it still struck me as odd. Camden didn’t seem like the type to get intimidated, and yet there was something in his face that made it like Luke was competition. Competition for what, I wasn’t sure. We needed to get out of here, now.
Clearing my throat, Luke broke the eye contact and looked at me. “You ready to go?”
He nodded and moved the door. Both guys said their last names as a way to say bye, and we walked out the door.
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When Luke and I got in the car, there was an awkward silence that had taken over. My hands were fidgeting in my lap, and I was trying not to lean forward to start fiddling with the dials of the radio or A/C. I’d been alone with Luke on more than one occasion and never was it tense when neither one of us were speaking, although the quiet moments were far and few between. Right now I’d sell a kidney to hear what was going through his head.
“Sooo…” I said but wasn’t sure where I was going with it.
He looked at me out of the corner of his eye. “So?”
MmmK, this wasn’t going to go anywhere unless I just explained this to him. “Listen, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about my living situation. It wasn’t intentional. Camden and I hardly even see each other, because he’s always at the gym, or I’m on campus studying. Most of the time it feels like I live there alone. I guess the subject never came up or occurred to me. But, I need to know, is this going to be a problem?”
He sat for a few short beats before he reached over and grabbed my hand. My fingers laced with his and I glanced down, noticing a crinkly spot on my dress. Oh man, apparently I’d stopped wringing my hands together and had taken up fisting my dress. Wonderful, it was all wrinkled now, so when I stood up, it would look like I’d had a death grip on my crotch. I sighed.
“It’s fine. I think it took me by surprise more than anything. I just assumed you lived with Macie. But that’s what I get for assuming, I should have asked.” He spoke quietly, and I could tell he was still deep in thought over it.
“Well, I should have said something. It’s really not a big deal. In fact, we shouldn’t have even run into him tonight, but he came home early because he pulled a muscle while teaching a class. I really don’t see him that much.” I gave a sheepish shrug.
He squeezed my hand. “It’s okay, Keegan, you don’t need to explain yourself. You live with him, and there’s nothing else going on besides being his roommate, right?”
“No!” My answer came out more abrupt and high pitched than necessary. “Camden hasn’t been the nicest person to live with, but I’ve made do. I can tell you without a shadow of a doubt he’s just my roommate, nothing else.”
We were just pulling up to the park, and Luke parked the car. When he got out, he came around to my side and opened the door for me, holding his hand out to help me out. I asked him if he needed any help carrying the blankets or food, but he declined, assuring me that he had it. We walked a short ways to a tree that was by a pond full of ducks. Luke started unfolding the blanket he’d brought and tossed it up in the air, letting the fabric fluff out and spread out on the ground. When I sat down, I sighed contentedly. This whole place was picturesque. The grass was a deep green and cut short. It smelled as though it had been mowed recently. That was one of my favorite smells. The tree we were under was also one of my favorites. It was a weeping willow. I had wanted one in my yard as a kid, because I thought they were magical, but I’d been told by my mother that they were messy, disgusting trees, and she’d never plant one. Sitting under it now, letting the drooping branches cloak us from the beating heat of the sun, it didn’t seem as bad as she made it out to be. I found it beautiful, and a perfect place to hide from the world. There were quacking ducks in the background, along with some chirping birds, and kids playing. I felt warm and peaceful, it was nice.
Luke opened a few of the paper sacks he brought. They contained deli sandwiches, chips, two cookies, and some sort of pasta salad. I smiled up at him, and he actually looked a little embarrassed.
“Sorry, I know this isn’t exactly diet food, but at least it will taste good.”
I giggled. “Just because I’m working out doesn’t mean I’m dieting. I still love food. In fact my hips and butt love food more than my mouth.”
He laughed. “I appreciate that your hips and butt enjoy the food.”
My face felt red, and I knew I was blushing. Luke reached over and tipped my chin up to look at him. “You’re beautiful Keegan. I like that you have curves, and you enjoy good food. Between your long blond hair, big bright blue eyes, and sweet as pie personality… you’re like the ultimate package. I couldn’t even believe that nobody had snagged you yet.”
I shied even more. “Nobody’s noticed until you.”
His eyes studied my face. “Well then, they are fools, and I get the prize. But I have a hard time believing nobody has noticed. Even your own roommate looks at you like I do. Hell, all of the guys at the gym practically trip over their own feet watching you.”
I turned away from him. “Okay, now I know your lying.” I couldn’t help but wonder if he was right about Camden. I’d never noticed any looks from him other than ones of annoyance. Could he possibly be attracted to me? No, I wasn’t even close to his type, and I refused to entertain the idea. Luke was just trying to be complimentary. Camden tolerated me because we lived together, that was it.
He casually shrugged. “Again, you’re seriously selling yourself short.”
We both unpacked the dinners. Luke and I sat for a long time enjoying each other’s company. We talked about our college classes, and the professors we’d shared over the past couple years. He was two years older than me since he was in a master’s program, which meant, despite having the same teacher, we’d never be in class together. We talked about how we grew up. He had an older sister who he saw pretty often, and his family still did Sunday dinners. I admired that and wished that I could have had a family who was so tight-knit. When I told him about my mom and Sarah, he listened intently. I saw what looked like sympathy flash across his face at one point, and it made me withdraw slightly from my story. I kept out some of the harder details, like my mom’s dating cycle and how I was more of a parent to Sarah than she was half the time. I didn’t want him to feel sorry for me. This was the hand I was dealt in life, and I was embracing it. Regardless of the topics we shared, I was feeling closer to Luke than I had over the past few dates. We laughed at his stupid jokes, and it was turning into an all-around great time. The whole time we talked, he was touching me in some way or another, whether it was a gentle brush of my hair behind my ear, laying his hand over mine, or leaning in and kissing my lips.
Luke was lying on his side with his body propped up on his elbow. He glanced up at me through his thick dark blond lashes. His eyes were flirty when he said, “So I brought a Frisbee out, do you want to toss it around a bit before it gets too dark?”
My tummy did flip flops at the way his eyes were smoldering. “Sure, that sounds like fun.”
He stood and held his hand out. When I took it his palm was slightly rough but warm to the touch. It gave me chills even though the air was muggy. I tipped my head back to look up at him. He was slightly taller than Camden, but still, I was so short I had to look up at almost everyone. Luke held my hand as we walked out to an open spot near the pond. He gave me a slight squeeze before he released me, and we walked in opposite directions.
“Don’t go too far. I can throw a Frisbee, but I’m not sure I can promise it will make it to where you’re standing,” I casually joked.
He smirked. “Just hold your hand out like this.” He bent his wrist and flipped it out without letting go of the plastic disc, to show me how to do it. “The Frisbee will do the rest of the work.” Luke lightly flicked his wrist and the disc came sailing in my direction. He did it so easily and precise that it came right to me, and I caught it with grace.
I laughed. “What are you, some professional Frisbee thrower?”
Luke’s face lit up. “As a matter of fact, in high school I won an award for the discus throw in track and field.”
“Show off,” I shouted. I tried to mimic how he had done it only seconds earlier, but I flung it practically straight up, and it came crashing back down almost in front of my own feet. “Oh come on!” I laughed. Luke was chuckling, the back of his hand covering his mouth. “Are you laughing at me?”
He shrugged. “Well, you’re pretty cute. You get this look of concentration, and then you somehow managed to toss it to yourself. I can go get another one if you want to play a solo game I guess.”
I teasingly glared at him across the open space. Luke barked out a laugh. I threw the Frisbee and it at least went in his general direction this time. He caught it after taking a few steps to his left. I loved the way his eyes danced when he was playing around with me. His long tan legs easily moved around as we continued our game. Luke would brush his blond hair out of his face every other throw, and it looked so masculine that I found myself watching him, intrigued by whatever move he made next. Did he know such basic movements made women gushy? He must, by the way his stare had turned from fun and playful to heated and tense. Luke caught the Frisbee after this last toss, and he made the few short strides across the grass to stand in front of me. My heart picked up its pace. The air between us was heavy, and the feeling between my legs indicated that he was affecting me.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” Luke asked, his voice a little deeper than normal.
“I don’t know, you’re just… beautiful,” I said breathily.
“Beautiful?” He made it a question, but he wasn’t offended by the slightly feminine compliment.
My head was tipped back, and I was looking into his cerulean blue eyes. I knew my chest was moving up and down with my breathing because he glanced down and then back up again. Luke brought his hand up and pushed his fingers underneath my long hair and behind my neck. We’d kissed before, but it was always short and sweet. This felt different. The way he was looking at me, I could tell he wanted me. His fingertips were lightly stroking the sensitive skin on my neck. I watched in awe as he slowly bent forward and pressed his lips to mine. It was soft at first, but when I sighed, he pulled me to him and melded my body to his. My eyes fluttered closed, and I let him set the pace. His tongue ran along the seam of my lips, and I opened, granting him access. The warmth of his mouth was inviting, and he tasted like the potato chips we had earlier. I licked the little bit of salt that was lingering on his lower lip. He groaned at my exploration. His kiss was adoring and passionate. It made my body respond in a way that was begging me to let him take me back home and do whatever he wanted to me. But was I ready to go there? In this moment, my answer was yes. He was attractive, kind, and he’d done nothing but made me feel wanted. This wasn’t like some high school relationship where I needed to take things slow, because I was still a virgin and wanted to save myself for marriage. I’d already been with three other guys before, and now I was in college. I was an adult, and this felt right. I made the decision quickly. Before I could chicken out, I pulled back slightly, with my eyes still closed.
I whispered to him, “Come home with me. I need to be with you.”
He pressed his forehead to mine, his breathing labored. I could feel how aroused he was against my stomach. “Are you sure? I don’t want you to think this has to go any further right now.”
I opened my eyes and saw the bright shining blue of his watching me. “Positive.”
He blew out a breath and leaned back. “Let’s pack up and head out then. Besides, it’s getting pretty dark.”
I nodded, and we walked back to our picnic area and cleaned up. When we got in the car, he took my hand and kissed my knuckles so tenderly. I smiled at him, and we started making our way back to my apartment.
On the way there, my mind wandered to Camden. I hadn’t really taken him into consideration when I made the offer for Luke to come stay the night with me. Was it wrong for me to bring a guy to the house with the intention of doing more than just hanging out? As quickly as that thought came into my mind, I brushed it aside. Of course it was. But Camden had already brought home at least a half a dozen girls and never once thought if I’d care that those tramps were in my space. He did whatever he wanted, so I was going to do the same. My only hesitation was when I remembered the look that Camden gave Luke in the kitchen. I didn’t want any repeat episodes of a pissing match. In fact I was hoping that he would either already be in his room, or that he’d have left to go do something and wouldn’t even see us.
As we pulled up to the apartment, my nerves kicked in. It shouldn’t be bothering me so much that I was bringing someone home. We walked up the steps to my front door, and I quietly unlocked the door. I was trying to be as discreet as possible. If Luke had noticed what I was doing, he didn’t indicate it. I looked at him over my shoulder, and he smiled at me. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say he looked a little nervous himself. What did he have to be nervous about? Luke was perfect. Perfect body, perfect looks, perfect moves…hell he was even a perfect kisser. Maybe I was just reading him wrong.
As we stepped inside, it was notably dark, but I heard a faint beating noise from upstairs. Camden must be up in his room listening to music. I closed my eyes and exhaled. Thank God! Grabbing Luke’s hand I weaved him through the downstairs, and we climbed our way up to my room. When I pulled out my keys, Luke raised his brow in question.
“Don’t ask,” I mumbled.
Just inside my door I turned on the light and shut the door behind him. He was standing still, taking in my personal space, but his brows were furrowed.
“What’s the matter?”
“Where’s your bed? In fact, where’s all your furniture?”
I shrugged. “I’m still saving to get it all. When I moved out of my mom’s house, I didn’t take any of my things with me besides my clothes. It’s really not a big deal.”
He regarded me carefully. “But you’re sleeping on an air mattress, Keegan.”
“Yeah, I know. Is that a problem?”
“Well, yeah. I can’t believe that Camden hasn’t even offered to buy you furniture. A girl like you shouldn’t be staying in a room with nothing in it. In fact, I’d be happy to go and buy-”
I held up my hand and cut him off. “No, you’re not buying me anything. Now can we move the subject on to something more pleasant? Otherwise I’m going to lie down and get some sleep.” I didn’t like that he was even offering. What was it with all these boys trying to fix me?
He’d been standing with his hands on his hips, trying to assess if I meant what I said. I raised my brow, silently goading him to try me. As quick as he could turn me on, this subject had been a mood killer. His graceful square jaw ticked as he clenched his teeth. I could see the war battling within him to be the hero here, but I didn’t want a white knight. I wanted him to look at me like he had out at the park. I wanted Luke take me in his arms and be with me. Whatever his decision was, he’d made it. Stepping forward he grabbed my elbow and slid his hand down until he reached my hand. He pulled me to him and wrapped my arms around his back.
“Fine, I get that you are proud and want to do this on your own. But if you ever need any help, please know that I’m here. All you have to do is ask.”
I tilted my head to the side. “That’s sweet, Luke. I appreciate the offer. Now can we please, like, kiss or something? My knees went a little weak in the park, and I’d like to see if you can do that again.”
His answering grin was all I needed. His mouth came crashing down to mine, and clothes went flying. He walked me backwards until my feet hit the air mattress. When I stumbled back, and my butt hit the bed, I giggled. I was ready to enjoy this.
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The next morning I was lying there wide awake. Last night wasn’t at all what I was expecting. Luke was wonderful in every way, but when he pushed inside of me…I felt nothing. There was no spark, no chemistry, nothing! I mean, don’t get me wrong. My body responded the way that it should when it’s been touched and caressed in very intimate places. I even had an orgasm from the sensations, but it fell completely short for me. It was more like a formality than a passionate meeting of bodies. I was almost ready to cry, because something was missing. In the middle of Luke thrusting, I’d briefly wondered if Camden could hear us. I wanted to know if he was jealous, if he wished he were Luke. When Luke’s pace started to change, I put my head back in the game, because he was clearly close to coming, and I wasn’t even close to being on par yet.
Looking up at this handsome, blond-haired man who I was entangled with, I wondered if there was something wrong with me. I shouldn’t have been thinking about my roommate while naked and going to town with someone else. That thought was just wrong! In fact, I was going to do this again. I liked Luke. He deserved to have all of my attention and not just part of it. Well, that was if he wanted to have sex with me again. I couldn’t just assume that I was all Miss Super Porn Star and everything he’d hoped for.
“What’s going on up in that gorgeous head of yours?” Luke’s groggy voice sounded beneath me.
I raised my head from his chest and looked at him. “Mmm…you’re awake. Nothing worth talking about.” I gave him a small smile.
He quirked a brow. “You sure?”
I nodded, my chin brushing the light dusting of hair on his pecs. “You sleep okay?”
His mouth tipped up. “I slept quite well, thanks to you. In fact, maybe air mattresses are the way to go. This sucker is pretty comfy.”
I laughed softly. “Yeah, regular beds are overrated.”
His beautiful mouth curved into a grin, and he tapped my nose with his finger. “You’re cute in the morning.”
I curled my lip. “Meh… I’m going to pretend that you can’t see the makeup that I’m sure is smeared under my eyes, and that it doesn’t look like a bird is nesting in my hair.”
He shook his head. “You don’t see yourself like I do.”
I tilted my head. “Dodger said the same thing to me.”
Luke chuckled. “Well maybe we’re on to something.” He started to sit up, so I moved. “Listen I don’t mean to cut out on you, but I have to get to work in an hour, and I still need to go change my clothes.”
“That’s fine. Do you want me to cook you any breakfast before you go?”
He cupped his hand on my cheek, and I leaned into it. “Nah. I’ll grab something on my way home.”
Bending down he placed the sweetest softest of kisses on my lips. Luke stood up and moved about my room getting dressed. I looked at his killer body completely unabashed. I was pretty sure I sighed dreamily. He looked over his shoulder and winked at me. Busted.
I got up from bed too and tied my ratty yellow robe on. I made note that I needed to replace this thing. It’d seen better days.
“I’m going to walk you out.”
Grabbing my hand we went downstairs, only to be met by the smell of bacon and a shirtless Camden and Dodger. I didn’t know why I’d forgotten that Dodger was going to be coming over to go for a run. He’d asked me to join them, and I declined, saying there was no way I could keep up. I was getting healthier, but in no way was I capable of their stamina.
Luke bumped into the back of me when I paused at the bottom of the steps. Both guys stopped what they were doing and looked up at me. Dodger’s shoulders were moving up and down, and I knew he was laughing. I could only assume I was never going to hear the end of this from him. Camden, on the other hand, had a different expression. His mouth was closed, and his eyes zeroed in on the robe I was wearing. I caught a very subtle and brief rising of his brow, before it went away, and he looked like his usual grumpy self. Okay, keep moving, Keegan. Just as we passed the breakfast bar, Luke’s hand slid to the small of my back in a possessive manner.
“Hey Dodge… Camden.” Luke was friendly toward Dodger, but his greeting to my roommate was brisk and cold.
Both boys nodded at him. I made quick work of walking him to the front door so I could say goodbye. When he stopped dead in his tracks, I heard Camden quietly saying, “Nice, doing the walk of shame.” I turned and saw a very irritated Luke. Even I bristled.
“What did you say?” Luke’s voice was low and threatening.
Camden looked up from his cooking bacon and stared directly at Luke. “I said, how nice, doing the walk of shame.”
“Shut up, Camden,” I hissed.
He didn’t even look at me. Luke’s body was tense. I wanted nothing more than to shove him out the front door and deal with this on my own. My face was enflamed, and I hated that not only was one Brooks brother here to witness my overnight guest leaving, but there were two of them. And now the macho pig, Camden, couldn’t bother keeping his mouth shut?
Wonderful.
Luke attempted to shrug it off in his casual easygoing way. “Yeah well, not all of us can be so lucky to be with someone like Keegan.”
I looked up at him and smiled. That was a sweet thing to say.
Camden’s nostrils flared. Did we hit a sore spot? He grunted and said, “Keep on walking Luke. Maybe you’ll get lucky, and she’ll open her legs for you again sometime.”
Ouch, talk about a dagger to the gut. That was all it took. Luke lunged toward Camden, and Dodger jumped between them. He pushed Luke back before he was able to land any solid hits on his brother. I was standing there shaking like a leaf. Not from being cold or scared, but because I was furious. I couldn’t believe that Camden would say something so hateful. Out of everything that’d come out of his mouth in the past month and a half, that was the worst. He made me sound like I was easy, like I was just like every other girl that he brought home. Luke was the first guy I’d brought into this apartment. How dare he make me feel like a slut when he was the one carting women in here by the truckload?
Dodger was seething too. He glared at his brother and said, “What the f*ck Camden? Since when do you talk about women like that? Keegan is a good girl, and you know it.”
Camden brushed off his comment and stood tall, his muscles bulging like he was flexing. The look on his face screamed that he wanted this fight. He was begging for it.
Luke leaned in as close as Dodger would allow, and he pointed his finger in Camden’s face. “You ever talk about her like that again, you’ll be lucky if you wake up in a hospital bed. I see the way you look at her. We’re not blind. You want her. She’s not like anyone else you’ve ever been with, and it’s driving you mad that you can’t have her. So you treat her like shit because you don’t know how to deal with it.” Camden actually growled. “Here’s what’s going to happen, you so much as look at her wrong or say something hurtful to her again, and I’m coming for you, Brooks. There’s no question about it.” Luke straightened his shoulders, rolling them to loosen some tension. He looked over at me, his eyes softening. He mouthed the words, I’m sorry, before making his way to the door.
I stood there in shock. My emotions rolled around from hurt and extreme anger, to pity and confusion. I couldn’t even process what Luke had just spewed. Never had Camden indicated that he was into me… right? I wanted to march up to him and slap him across the face for being so ugly to me. And for some odd reason, I wanted to do the same to Luke, but that was because I didn’t like the way he threatened Camden. Holy moly what a weird way to feel. I should be thanking him for standing up for me. I really needed to sort out my emotions. I shook my head and looked at Luke who was heading for the door.
“I’ll call you later Keegan. Oh and Camden, why don’t you buy your roommate some f*cking decent furniture. I can’t believe you’d let a woman sleep on an air mattress for a month and not at least help. You’re a real piece of shit.” He walked out the door, slamming it. The sound startled me.
Swallowing hard, I timidly looked over at Camden. I noticed that his eyes went from confused to angry in less than a few seconds. Oh no… why did Luke tell him that? Camden shook Dodger off of him and took a step toward me.
“What’s he talking about?” I kept my eyes on the ground. I could feel the anger emanating across the short space. “I said, what the f*ck is he talking about?” I stilled at the clipped tone of his voice.
“Cam… chill out, you’re scaring her.”
Camden turned and started taking the stairs two at a time. Something in me snapped to attention. Shit he was going to my room. I didn’t want him in my personal space. It was private, and he didn’t deserve to see it. I started moving forward to chase after him. Dodger was hot on my heels. When I reached the top step, I saw Camden heave one quick shoulder into my door and break the lock. When he stood back up, I saw the look on his face. It was pure rage.
Oh. Shit.