Chapter 26
My life changed in very little ways in such a short period of time that it all added up to this monumental deal, at least to me. Cam had spent all day Sunday with me and I’d woken up this morning to a good morning text from him.
Before I even had a chance to break the news to Brit and Jacob about the status change between Cam and I, they saw it firsthand while we waited outside for Brit to finish her cigarette before heading into Whitehall on Monday.
Cam came out of nowhere, slipping up behind me and wrapping his arms around my waist. I stiffened for a fraction of a second before forcing myself to relax. He pressed his lips to my cheek, and the shiver had nothing to do with the cold air. “Hey there.”
The cigarette fell out of Brit’s mouth.
Jacob blinked once, then twice, and then again. “What the…?”
I gripped Cam’s forearms as he trailed his lips to my ear, blazing a path across my skin. “I think Brittany’s going to catch her shoe on fire.”
My gaze dropped and I broke free from his hold. “Oh, my God, Brit, your shoe!”
She glanced down and gave a little shriek. Kicking the lit cigarette off her shoe, she jumped back. “I almost burned to death. And it would’ve been your fault!”
“My fault?”
“Yes. Because you didn’t tell me about this.” She gestured wildly at a grinning Cam. “That!”
“Are you two, you know?” Jacob pointed at us. “Together? Together?”
I didn’t get a chance to answer. Cam spun me around and kissed me, right there between the two buildings. It was no friendly peck on the lips. When our tongues touched, my bag slipped off my arm and hit the frosted ground.
“Holy crap,” Jacob muttered. “I think they’re going to make babies.”
Cheeks flaming, I pulled back. Cam looked absolutely shameless as he pressed a kiss to my forehead. Over his shoulder, I saw Steph and her friend, gaping at us. Guess she didn’t get the memo either.
“I got to catch up with the professor before class begins, so I’ve got to run,” he said, backing up. “See you after class?”
“Yes.” My lips tingled, along with various other parts of my body. “See you then.”
When I turned back to my friends, both of them stared at me like I just flashed them my goods. Bending down, I picked up my bag. “Okay, before both of you start yelling at me, it just happened, like yesterday and I hadn’t had the time to say anything.”
Brit folded her arms. “You haven’t had a second to call, or I don’t know, send a text message?”
“We sort of hung out all day yesterday, went to dinner and then—”
“Did you guys have sex?” Jacob grasped my shoulders, giving me a little shake. “Oh my God, girl, details—I needed details. What is the size of his—?”
“We didn’t have sex.” I smacked his hands away. “Geez, we just got together yesterday. Give me some time for that.”
“I would’ve been screwing him since August,” Jacob advised.
I shot him a bland look.
They drilled me on what happened as we headed in to Whitehall and through the beginning of class. By the time I left them to wait for Cam outside, I was sure I’d smoothed over my friend fail.
I stood just outside of the awning, leaning against one of the pillars. I probably looked weird, because of the beaming smile plastered across my face, but I hadn’t really stopped smiling since yesterday morning.
My smile slipped an inch when I saw Cam coming out of the doors, Steph attached to his side. The only thing that kept me from acting like a tiger and pouncing on her was the fact that Cam didn’t look too thrilled.
Steph tossed her glossy mane of hair over one shoulder as they approached me. “Hi,” she said with I thought was a whole butt load of false cheer.
“Hey,” I replied, holding her gaze.
Cam slipped up to my side, threading his fingers through mine. “Your class let out early?”
I nodded. “Just a few minutes ago.”
Steph was glaring daggers through our joined hands. “Are you going to be at Jase’s party next Saturday, Cam?”
There was a party? As stupid as it was, I so did not like the idea of Cam going to a party where Steph would be. Wrong. Wrong. But an ugly feeling snaked through me whenever I thought of those two hooking up in the past.
“I don’t know yet.” Cam squeezed my hand. “Depends on if Avery wants to go.”
Her perfect mouth dropped open, and I think I loved Cam. “If Avery wants to…? Whatever.” She stalked off, joining the girl I’d seen her with at the Halloween party.
I looked up at Cam. “Well, she didn’t seem too happy about that.”
He shrugged.
We started up the hill, toward Knutti. “So you guys weren’t more than just friends with benefits?”
Cam sent me a sidelong glance. “We hooked up every once in a while, but like I told you this weekend, I haven’t been with anyone since I met you.”
“I know. It just seems like she wanted more.”
“Wouldn’t you?”
“Geez, we really need to work on your confidence.”
Cam chuckled as he pulled me to his side. We huddled against the wind whipping down the hill. “I can think of a few other things we can work on.”
“Perv,” I mumbled even though my mind was right there with him.
He pressed his lips to my temple. “Guilty as charged, sweetheart.”
#
Cam didn’t go to the party at Jase’s Saturday night. He hadn’t even brought it up and I wasn’t sure if I should have. I felt a little guilty about him not going, because I didn’t want to interfere with his friends, but he didn’t seemed bothered by the fact that he was missing out on an epic game of beer pong.
We went out to dinner in a nearby town and then came back to my place. If I had any doubts about the seriousness of our relationship, there were vanquished that evening.
Cam had brought Raphael over to my apartment.
Nothing got more serious than allowing a tortoise to crawl across your kitchen floor.
“He needs to get his exercise,” Cam said, sitting in front of my fridge, legs spread. “If not, he just gets fat and lazy, sitting in his shell.”
“Poor Raphael.” I picked him up and turned him back around, so he was heading toward Cam. “It has to be boring in the aquarium.”
“It’s a terrarium,” Cam corrected. “And he has a rocking terrarium. Got him a new one for his birthday.”
“You know when his birthday is?”
“Yep. July 26th.” He paused, eyeing me. “When is your birthday?”
I crossed my ankles. “Uh, you have a while until you have to worry about that. When’s yours?”
“June 15th. When is yours, Avery?”
This was about to get awkward. “It was January 2nd.”
Cam leaned forward, his brow raising. Several seconds passed as he stared at me. “I missed your birthday.”
“It’s not a big deal,” I said, waving it off. “I went to the Smithsonian and then I got sick, so it’s probably a good thing you weren’t around.”
His expression tensed. “Aw, man, that’s why you said you wanted to go there on the second. You were alone? Shit. I so feel—”
“Don’t.” I held up my hand. “You don’t need to feel terrible. You didn’t do anything wrong.”
Cam watched me for a few more moments, expression sheltered. Finally, he said, “Well, there’s always next year.”
I smiled at that. Next year. Wow. Thinking that far in advance was a little scary and exciting.
After a little while, Cam scooped the turtle up and stood. “Be right back.”
While Cam took his pet back to his apartment, I rushed into the bathroom and quickly brushed my teeth. I was done seconds before he came back. He pulled the wool sweater off, draping it over the back of the couch. The gray shirt that had been on underneath stretched over his broad chest and when he stretched before he sat down, the shirt rose, exposing a span of taut skin.
My heart rate kicked up as I watched him from the hallway. Cam and I kissed—a lot—and he liked to cuddle, so in a week, I’d grown use to him having his arms around me and his lips on mine, but we hadn’t done anything like we had Thanksgiving night, even though I imagined that he wanted to. So there was many nights I went to bed, thinking about him, and while I could get some relief from what was turning into a constant low simmering ache, it wasn’t enough.
He wanted me.
I wanted him.
We were together.
And I trusted him.
Biting down on my lip, I toyed with the edge of the sweater dress I wore. I’d taken off the boots and tights when we’d gotten back and now tiny bumps spread across my bare legs.
Was he waiting for me to make the first move? He seemed so… careful with me, as if he was worried that I’d run away from him. I wanted to run to him. Cam glanced over at me, brow raised. The room was dark with the exception of the glow from the TV. “You going to come over here or stare at me the rest of the evening?”
My cheeks flushed as I pushed away from the door. I could do this. I didn’t need to wait on him to make a move.
Gathering my courage, I walked over to him. He stared up at me with those extraordinary eyes as he lifted a hand. I placed mine in his, but instead of sitting beside him, I climbed into his lap, straddling him.
Cam immediately straightened, his hands flying to my hips. “Hey there, sweetheart.”
“Hey,” I replied, heart pounding so fast there was a good chance I was going to have a heart attack.
His gaze dipped, thick lashes shielding his eyes. “Did you miss me this much? I was only gone a few minutes?”
“Maybe.” I placed my hands on his shoulders as I lowered myself down. My grip tightened as I felt his arousal pressing against the softest part of me.
His hands traveled up my sides slowly, so slowly that I thought I would die by the time he cupped my cheeks. “What are you doing?”
I wetted my lips and his lashes lifted, revealing a deeper shade of blue. “What does it look like?”
“I can think of a few things.” His thumbs moved over my cheeks. “All of them have me extremely interested.”
“Interested?” My breaths were coming out fast and short. “That’s good.”
Then, because it seemed like he was letting me take the lead on this, I brought my head down to his. Our lips brushed once, twice, and then I pressed mine to his more firmly. He followed me, our kisses becoming deeper, slower, and infinitely more as his tongue tortured mine in a way that had me shaking and wanting so very much more.
His hands slid back down in a slow, languid pace, causing my back to arch into the movement. Even though the only experience I had with this was what we’d done Thanksgiving night, it seemed like my body knew what to do. I rocked my hips and his hands tightened on my waist. A shudder worked its way down his large body, and it was both a bit frightening and a lot exhilarating.
One of his hands balled in the material of my dress, inching it up my thighs. The other drifted back up, over my front and then across my breast. He cupped me, his thumb smoothing over the tip, teasing the hardening peak through the clothing. A moan rushed me and it came out, a sound that seemed to thrill Cam.
“You liked that?” he asked, his lips brushing mine.
Did he really need confirmation? “Yes.”
His thumb moved in a slow, tortuous circle over my tip. I tried to catch my breath as his lips left mine. He nipped at my chin and then down my neck. My back arched further, pushing my breast further into his hand as my hips rolled again. The sexiest sound rumbled from his chest as he leaned back and looked at me.
“Tell me what you want, sweetheart.” His hand moved to my other breast. “Anything. And I’ll do it.”
There was one thing I needed from him. “Touch me.”
Cam shuddered again, and the action made me hot. “May I?”
I nodded, having no idea what I was agreeing to, but I trusted him. Both of his hands were on my shoulders, sliding under the wide neckline of my dress. I stilled as he slipped the material down my shoulders, exposing my bra. He kept lowering the dress, until I could pull my arms free and the material bunched around my waist.
“Beautiful,” he murmured, trailing his fingers along the lacy edges of my bra. “Look at that blush. So f*cking beautiful.”
My response was lost as he lowered his head, closing his mouth over the tip of my breast. Through the thin satin of my bra, his mouth worked me as he gripped my hips, pulling me against him harder. My senses were overwhelmed from each hot pull of his mouth and the feel of him there, pressing against my core. My hands fluttered to his head as mine kicked back. He moved to my other nipple and a teasing bite had me crying out.
I was lost in him, surrounding to the feelings he was stirring inside me. I already felt close to toppling over the edge and when his hands dropped to my thighs, running up under the hem of my skirt, I tensed in the most wonderful way.
His lips scorched a path up my neck, teasing my lower lip. “Tell me something, sweetheart.” His hand moved to the inside of my thigh, making tiny circles that came close to my core. “Have you come before?”
My entire body flushed and when I didn’t answer, his hand moved further down my thigh, away from where I wanted him. Damn him. “Yes,” I whispered. “I have.”
“By yourself?” he asked, moving his hand back up my thigh.
I wiggled closer, and he groaned. Dropping my forehead to his, I closed my eyes. “Yes.”
As a reward for answering his question, one long finger skimmed over the center of my panties and my entire body jerked in response. The knot in my belly tightened and his finger trailed back and forth in a feather light touch that drove me crazy.
Desire clouded my thoughts, and I knew I wanted to make him feel what I was. I wasn’t completely oblivious on to the how to. I slid my hand down his chest, over his flat stomach. I hesitated at the band on his jeans.
Cam stilled and then nipped at my lip. “What do you want, Avery?”
“I want to… I want to touch you,” I admitted, surprising myself. “But I don’t know what you like.”
He made that sound again that had me trembling as he placed his other hand over mine. “Sweetheart, anything you do is something I’m going to like.”
“Really?”
“Hell yeah,” he said, shifting back so that there was space between us. “Whatever you want to do to me, I’m going to love it. You don’t have to worry about that.”
Embolden by that statement, I flicked the button of his jeans open and then pulled down his zipper. Holy crap. I gasped at the sight of hard, pink flesh. No boxers. Nothing. Cam went commando.
Cam chuckled at my discovery. “Easy access.” And then he reached down, easing himself out.
I couldn’t help but stare and I felt like a goober for doing so, but there was something entirely hot about seeing him like this, knowing that he wanted me and I welcomed him. I hesitated though and while he said I could do anything and he would enjoy it, I doubted that and I wanted to please him. I wanted to make him feel good.
I watched his hand wrap around the base and stroke up. “I’ve thought about you,” I whispered.
His hand stilled. “How?”
“When I… touched myself, I thought of you.”
“Holy f*ck,” Cam growled. “That is the hottest thing I’ve ever heard.”
Cam kissed me then, harder and rougher than before. It didn’t scare me. If anything, it excited me more. He guided my hand to him and I wrapped my fingers around his thickness. He jumped against my palm and his chest rose sharply.
He said something against my mouth that I couldn’t make out and then he moved my hand up the length of him and then back down, establishing a rhythm that I kept up after he let go of my wrist. With his hand free now, it clasped the back of my neck as his other returned to the center of my thighs. Both of us were breathing fast when he cupped me through my panties. His palm pressed against the bundle of nerves as his fingers pushed into my heat, and I was lost. As he kissed me deeply and as I stroked him, I rode his hand. He thrust into mine, the movements small but forceful. His body shook as I felt the familiar tightening in my core. The knot unraveled, spiraling out through me. I came hard, his name a harsh whisper. His hand stayed there, rubbing me slowly through my panties as tremors rocked my body. And then he followed, his body thrusting up and spasming.
Forever seemed to pass before Cam gently pulled my hand away. I was limp and sated as he tucked me against his chest, holding me close, his heart pounding as fast as mine. He dropped a kiss on the lids of my eyes and then on my parted lips. We didn’t speak in the aftermath and I learned that sometimes words weren’t necessary.
But in the back of my head, I knew there were words I needed to say. Truths that should be spoken before we went any further. Things I needed to deal with.
“Hey,” Cam said, his voice soft. I’d tensed without realizing it. “You okay. I didn’t—”
“It was perfect.” I kissed his jaw, wishing I had a switch on my brain. “This is perfect.”
I just hoped it lasted.