Tempting Cameron

chapter Six


It was hard to plan an adventure when one of the participants was laid up with injuries at home, her ribs cracked, her head battered and bruised and her spirits generally down.

“Hold still,” Cameron commanded, impatiently waiting for her to stop moving.

Chloe squirmed, driving him crazy, but damn it, he had to do this. It would help the healing process tremendously and lessen the chance of scarring, at least according to the woman at the natural supplement store down in Oakwood.

“It hurts.” She hissed when he touched the cut just above her eyebrow. “What are you putting on my face anyway? It smells awful.”

He did his best not to react to the scent of the salve he was coating each of her scrapes and cuts with. But Chloe was right. The stuff smelled like absolute hell. Sharp and minty, with hints of…damn, he had no clue but it was bad.

“The salve came recommended. It’s from a line of the most highly regarded natural products on the market.” That’s what the saleswoman had told him as he handed over his credit card with a wince. The tiny jar of salve had cost him a ton.

And he was rubbing the greasy, smelly stuff all over Chloe’s pretty face.

At least it afforded him the chance to do right by her. Oh, and gave him the opportunity to sit close to her, his face close to hers as he carefully rubbed the salve on her wounds. Even with the cuts and bruises, she was stunningly pretty.

Long, thick eyelashes surrounded those dark brown eyes as she watched him; her nose was pert, the tip curving upward so subtly, the average person wouldn’t notice. But he did, sitting this close.

And then there was her mouth. It was the stuff of dreams. All lush and pink, a little bit pouty. Memories came to him, her intoxicating taste, the way she opened to him so easily, and he blinked. Hard.

“Something in your eye?” she asked with a frown.

Yeah, you, he wanted to tell her but he kept his mouth shut. This go-around, he brushed the cream over the long, ragged cut on her cheek. They were all uncovered—doctor’s orders that they needed to breathe—and every time he looked at her, Cam was reminded how lucky she was she hadn’t suffered worse injuries.

And yet again, reminded that the accident was his fault.

“Thank you,” she murmured when he put the lid back on the salve and set it on the coffee table beside him where he sat perched on the edge. She sat primly in the overstuffed chair across from him, her hands in her lap, her posture perfectly straight. She’d changed out of the clothes she’d worn earlier. She was now clad in a bright blue, oversized T-shirt: the neckline was so big it slid off her shoulder, revealing the red, lacy strap of her bra.

That bra strap was driving him to distraction. Wondered more than once if she wore it on purpose.

Not to mention those little khaki shorts. They revealed plenty of long, sleek thighs, those bare legs bumping into his every time he leaned in and tended her wounds. She was bruised there, too, with nicks and cuts on her knees and calves. He wondered if she was bruised and battered all over.

He wondered yet again what she looked like naked…

“You’re welcome,” he said. They still sat incredibly close to each other and he breathed her in, absorbing her delectable scent. Her hair was pulled into a sloppy knot on top of her head, which he thought was a damn shame, considering how much he liked it down. Her elegant neck was exposed, though, and he wanted to lean over and press his mouth to that delicate spot where her neck met her shoulder.

“Now that you’ve fed me and taken care of my battle scars, what’s next on your agenda?” She sounded so hopeful, the look on her face so open, so engaging, he could forget all about his wanting to push her away. All that macho crap that he wasn’t good enough for her, could never be good enough for her.

It’s only temporary, man. You need to do right by her, make sure she heals, then you’ll bail. But if in the meanwhile, you show her a good time, she probably won’t mind. Hell, you want to show her a good time. Don’t deny it.

Cam frowned. That rotten voice inside his head pissed him off sometimes.

“What’s wrong?” she asked softly, breaking through his thoughts. “You’re frowning.”

She was perceptive. Of course, when they were sitting so close, it was easy to decipher his moods. “If you weren’t injured, I could take you out somewhere.”

Her brows rose. “You’d let yourself be seen in Lone Pine Lake with me on your arm?”

Well, he would…

He shot her a look, causing her to lean over and sock him lightly on the shoulder. “Hey, it might be fun, having an illicit affair with Cameron McKenzie,” she explained.

“Are you suggesting a secret, illicit affair between us?” Hell, he didn’t know what else to call it, let alone how to define it. And it might not be a bad idea that whatever was happening between them stayed on the down low. Might keep some of the nosier citizens of Lone Pine Lake out of their business.

Chloe shrugged, the movement sending her shirt falling lower, revealing more of her slender arm, offering him a glimpse of her lacy bra. He literally broke out into a sweat. And she was so damn casual talking about this, which tripped him out. “Listen, I know you’re not going to stick around here for long,” she said. “And I know you’re afraid I’m looking for something serious, which couldn’t be further from the truth.” She bent her head, kept her gaze on her lap. “I sort of remembered what I said to you at The Tree that night.”

Fear seized his heart in its tight grip. Swallowing hard, he asked, “What did you remember?”

“I was…pushy.”

In a cute way, he thought. In a sexy, irresistible way. “You weren’t that bad.”

She lifted her head, her gaze meeting his. “I propositioned you.” Her voice lowered to a whisper. “I’ve never propositioned anyone in my life.”

“Well, that’s a damn shame,” he drawled.

Her cheeks colored. “Stop. I don’t recall much of the conversation but I remember telling you something about adventurous nights. Yeah, that was so me propositioning you and I never do that sort of thing.”

“So you’re telling me you don’t want that. With me.” He could walk away from her right now. End this flirtation that was screwing with his head and his body, because yeah. He throbbed in all the right places and he had no business asking her to take care of his, uh…problems.

“I don’t know what I’m saying.” She shook her head, her delicate brows furrowed, her lips pursed in a tiny frown. “Okay, I know what I want but I’m too embarrassed to admit it.”

This sounded interesting. “Tell me, Chloe. It can’t be that bad.”

“It’s silly.”

“I won’t know until you tell me,” he coaxed.

She blew out a harsh breath. “Fine. Remember the summer before your senior year, when you were dating Melanie Michaels?”

A summer he’d rather forget. The summer he’d fallen in love with Melanie, only for her to rip his heart out of his chest and stomp it into the ground. All for an older guy, some jackass who was in college and had a freaking brand new convertible. “Yeah, I remember,” he said somewhat bitterly.

He’d believed they had the perfect relationship. And Melanie had shattered that illusion to bits with a few choice words.

“I was so jealous.” She pressed her lips together and shook her head. “I can’t believe I’m admitting this but I wanted that. So badly.”

“Wanted what?”

“What you and Melanie had. You treated her like gold. Took her everywhere. Hung out in your father’s boat on the lake at night under the stars, bought her ice cream at Mitchell’s Landing. You guys were together everywhere that summer. Like my favorite teen romance books come to life.” She blew out a harsh breath. “I sound like a stalker, but the whole town saw you two that summer. Plus, I spent a lot of time with Jane.”

He remembered. Chloe had been over at his house almost every day during the summer, unless Jane was over at hers. “We broke up pretty badly two weeks before school started.” He’d taken Melanie’s virginity in the middle of the lake on his dad’s boat in mid-July. By early August she’d already grown bored with him. Started avoiding his calls, and then bam.

She dumped him.

“I know,” she said somberly. “I guess what I’m trying to tell you is, I want a sweet summer romance as my adventure.”

“A sweet summer romance,” he repeated. It sounded like a cheesy made-for-TV movie.

“Yes. With lots of dates and nighttime boat rides on the lake, kissing each other under the stars.” She sighed dreamily. “I never had that.”

“You never had a boyfriend in high school?”

“No one that counted, all short-term stuff. A date here and there. I didn’t have my first serious relationship until college.”

He remained quiet for so long she finally spoke again. “It’s a stupid idea, huh? I should’ve never mentioned it.” She started to get up but he placed his hands on her slender knees, keeping her in place.

“It’s not a stupid idea.” A little quirky, but definitely not stupid. “We won’t be able to keep it secret, though. Not if we go out the way you described.”

“In public, we can just be friends, right? Two people who’ve known each other for a long time hanging out.”

Was she that clueless? The gossips would have them engaged by the end of the summer. “They’ll read into it. They always do.”

She shrugged, the bra strap slipping now. Damn it. “Let them. I really don’t care.”

He found that hard to believe but decided not to argue. “So you want me to bring you wildflowers I picked along the road and take you for a cheap burger dinner over at Mitchell’s. Can’t be The Tree because it’s a sweet summer romance and that place is a trashy bar.”

She laughed, her cheeks flushing. That he could make her blush astounded him. “Exactly.”

“And you want me to hold your hand and tell you all my hopes and dreams for our forbidden future? Oh, and take you out on my dad’s boat with a blanket so we can lie on the bow and watch the stars while I feel you up?”

That described pretty much everything he’d experienced with Melanie that summer.

Her cheeks burned bright pink. “Is that what you did with Melanie?” she asked.

“That and a whole lot more.”

“Oh.” If her cheeks could catch on fire, they would. “Well, I have one condition if we’re really going through with this…adventure.”

“Yeah? What is it?” He was warming to the idea. Sounded simple enough and it wasn’t a hardship, spending time with Chloe.

“No sex.”

…

Chloe waited for Cam’s reaction, fully prepared for a hell no. He hid his shock well—that was a good sign. She saw it in the flare of his green gaze, though. He hadn’t expected her to say that.

“No sex, huh?” he finally asked, his expression neutral. As if they were negotiating a movie date and their preferences.

She slowly shook her head. “I’ll get too attached.”

“Right…” He still gripped her knees, those big, warm hands now stroking her skin. A distraction she didn’t want to stop. “I hate to dash your teenage dreams, but Melanie and I were engaging in lots of, err, sexual activity that summer.”

Of course they were. They’d been the golden couple. Young and beautiful, hand in hand or their arms around each other—she’d envied them so much, it had been painful. How she’d coveted a relationship like theirs, so seemingly pure, full of innocent first passionate love. As a couple they’d been so pretty, so perfect.

Always she’d put herself in Melanie’s place. Cam’s hand sprawled across her shorts-covered butt, their mouths constantly connected, gazing at each other all dreamy eyed.

Oh yeah, she wanted what she’d never had. It was probably the silliest idea she’d ever come up with but damn it, she had simple requests, enjoyed simple pleasures.

But sex with Cam would be taking it too far. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to be with him; she just knew he would eventually pick up again for his next assignment. He always did, while she never planned on leaving. Giving her body to Cam would lead her to giving him her heart. She was already halfway there. It would make her love him too much.

Make it that much harder for her to watch him go. And he would definitely go…

“Well, we’re keeping it clean,” she said primly, shifting her knees so he let his hands drop. She immediately missed his touch. “Sex only complicates things.”

He snorted. “I’ll say.”

“So why complicate? Kissing is simple.” Not really, but she wasn’t going to not kiss him. She’d already indulged in that temptation.

She wanted more.

“And you like kissing.” His gaze dropped to her lips.

“Don’t you?” He was good at it—okay, freaking fantastic at it—but if he said he didn’t like kissing, she might need to call this off after all.

No matter how much it would break her heart.

“I like kissing you,” he said simply.

Everything within her went warm and liquid. “Okay. Well…that’s good.”

His gaze still lingered on her lips. “Want to practice? Make sure we’re compatible?”

“Haven’t we kissed enough already to see we’re pretty compatible?” She laughed nervously, saw that he was definitely not laughing, and she stopped. “You’re serious.”

“Aren’t you serious with this sweet summer dating thing you suggested?”

“Um, yes.”

“All right then. I’ll agree to it but first, we need to make out.” He leveled her a look. “For a long time.”

She coughed. “You’re suggesting an extended make-out session?”

“Exactly. Isn’t that what you want? I saw that covered swing you have on your back patio. We can sit on it, smooch for a while, and stare at the moonlit lake. That’s how summer romances usually start, right?”

“Smooch for a while?” That he used the word smooch made her smile. “Okay,” she agreed quietly.

“Sounds pretty damn romantic to me.” He stood. “Stay here. I’ll set up the swing, then help you outside.”

“I can walk, Cam. I’m not that laid up.” She tilted her head back, watching him. Was Cameron McKenzie a secret romantic? And why was he so willing to agree to her idea when not a handful of days ago at the wedding, he’d said he kissed her because of some strange impulse?

It made no sense.

“You need to take it easy so you don’t hurt anything worse. And don’t worry,” he said, his gaze gleaming with that bad boy sizzle again. “I won’t make any sudden grabs or moves. Don’t want to hurt your ribs, you know.”

“I said no sex, Cam.” Kissing always led to groping, which could always lead to…

“You mean I can’t even cop a feel? Whoa, you’re tough.” He shook his head, whistled low.

“You want to cop a feel?” Her voice came out as a squeak again. Lord, she was making an absolute fool of herself in front of this man.

“There are so many things I want to do to you, Chloe, I can’t mention them in public, let alone in private. I might shock you.” His gaze darkening, he turned away from her and headed toward the back porch. “Be back in a few,” he called.

Leaving her all aflutter.

…

Cam had moved the portable swing she bought last summer so it sat on the very edge of her brick patio, facing the lake. He led her out onto the patio, his arm guiding her, his pace slow, since she wasn’t moving too quickly. She still felt like she’d been beat up from the inside out.

And now she was a jumble full of nerves. Imagine her gathering the strength to tell him what she really wanted. Imagine him actually agreeing—his one condition that they make sure they were compatible enough via a long kissing session.

She still couldn’t believe this was happening. They’d kissed a few times—she thought they were pretty dang compatible—but if he wanted to kiss her some more, she wasn’t about to protest.

“Here you go.” Cam was ever the gentleman, guiding her toward the swing, helping her lower her stiff and sore body onto the bench seat. At least the cushions were thick and comfortable, and he’d rolled up the shade so she could lean her head back and see nothing but stars.

Exactly what she’d asked for.

“You have a terrific view,” he said as he settled onto the seat next to her, his arm extended along the back of the cushion behind her.

“I know. It was more than half the reason why I bought the place.” She stared out at the lake, the moon shining upon the water, making it shimmer. Above them she heard the lonely hoot of an owl sitting in a pine and the soulful howl of a coyote sounded from the mountaintop to the east.

All sounds she was familiar with, didn’t know how she’d cope in the city if she were ever forced to go back. She’d tried that in college and had been miserable the entire four years she lived in Sacramento. She was a small town mountain girl, born and bred.

Which made her sound corn fed and ridiculously stubborn. All the self-doubt she’d forced out of her system came rushing back. “Why are you agreeing to this?”

His startled gaze met hers. “Agreeing to what? Us seeing each other?”

She nodded her reply.

He studied her for a long, quiet moment, licking his lips before he answered. “Have you ever denied yourself something because you didn’t believe you deserved it?”

“Yes,” she whispered. Longing whispered through her. Was he saying he didn’t think he deserved her?

“And then you finally realized there’s no shame in taking what you want? That maybe, just maybe, you earned that right to have a little fun?”

Her entire body leaned toward his. “Everyone earns the right to a little fun.”

“I agree one hundred percent.” He smiled, the sight of it sending a zing of pleasure into her blood. “Now tell me. How long have you lived here?”

She forced herself to focus on the conversation, forget all of that sexual tension he conjured up between them with a few choice words. “I bought it almost two years ago. It was in foreclosure and I got a great deal. I couldn’t pass it up.”

He toyed with a stray tendril of hair that fell near her ear, twisted it around his finger before letting it go. “It’s one of the original rentals, huh?”

She nodded, his finger brushing against her ear. She bit back the gasp that wanted to escape at his touch. “I’ve been working on it a little bit at a time. Redid the kitchen first because it was a wreck.”

“Impressive. You did it all by yourself?” His finger had abandoned her hair, had moved on to trace down the length of her nape. A shiver stole over her, her entire being focused on that narrow spot he touched.

“Alison and Mac helped me a lot. Especially Mac. Your brother is pretty handy.”

Cameron snorted, his hand dropping away from her neck. Disappointment filled her. She’d made a mistake, mentioning Mac. For whatever reason, Cam seemed jealous of the relationship she had with his younger brother. Which was silly, considering there was nothing between them beyond a fond, long-abiding friendship.

“Next I’m going to redo the bathroom,” she forged on, wanting to forget mentioning Mac. Hopefully Cameron would, too. “That’ll be a long process but I already have a plumber picked out. I think we’ll start it in the fall.”

“Why not now, when you have the time?” His arm slipped so it settled around her shoulders, heavy and warm. She held her breath, surprised when he nudged her closer to his side.

“Well, we were supposed to start this next week but I postponed it because of the accident,” she answered breathlessly. She was nestled so close to him, her thigh pressed against his. He had on cargo shorts that were long, hitting him at the knee even when he sat, but she could still feel the muscular warmth of his flesh through the thick fabric.

She studied him covertly, admiring his handsome features. Strong square jaw lightly covered in stubble, full, generous mouth that knew how to kiss every thought out of her head. His green eyes had smoldered just seconds ago, when he talked about denying himself what he wanted.

Those words had left her hot and bothered. He was definitely something she wanted. She just had no clue he actually wanted her, too.

What made him change his mind?

He remained silent for a long moment, his fingers now stroking along her shoulder, the one bared by her top. She’d chosen the shirt with him in mind, along with the sexy red bra. Wanting to tease, she supposed, which was crazy considering her no-sex rule.

And now he was the one who teased, slipping his finger beneath her bra strap, gently stroking her skin. Her breath hitched in her throat. When was he going to kiss her? He was driving her crazy with need, making her already reconsider that stupid rule she’d established…

He rocked the swing with a push of his feet and they swung back and forth slowly, both of them silent, the sounds of the forest at night surrounding them. Raccoons lived nearby and were probably lurking in the shadows, waiting for a chance to come out. She knew this because they kept trying to get into her garbage cans and made a mess of things. Deer often came to graze farther down the hill, closer to the lake, but they usually made their visit at sunset.

She loved living here. And she liked that he liked her home, too.

“You have very soft skin,” Cam murmured, drawing lazy circles on her shoulder and upper arm. “Silky.”

She remained quiet, not sure how to answer. Maybe he wasn’t looking for an answer. Perhaps he was trying to seduce her. Which was silly, considering she was a sure thing, kissing-wise.

“Do you own a house?” She felt as if she knew nothing about him beyond his past. Oh, and what she read and saw in magazines or on the Internet. But that didn’t count. And if she was going to reveal bits and pieces of herself, it was only right he return the favor.

“No. I had a loft apartment in Brooklyn but I let the lease go after I had the—after I left Afghanistan.”

He hesitated and she wondered why. “What happened to all of your things?”

“In storage. I didn’t own much anyway. I’ve been on the move pretty much since I left here.”

“I can’t imagine that. I have too much.” She laughed softly. “Too many shoes, too many books, too many coffee cups.”

“You’re a collector?”

She laughed again. “Either that or a hoarder.”

“Ah, I doubt that. You seem pretty neat.”

Chloe glanced up at him. “Have you ever watched that hoarding show? It makes me want to toss out half of everything I own and clean everything else until it sparkles.”

“A good motivator, then.” He looked down at her, his expression full of amusement. Goodness, he was handsome, his light brown hair falling across his forehead, those pretty green eyes locked on her, his mouth soft…sexy. She sorta couldn’t get over it, having him this close. Knowing she’d kissed that delicious mouth and was about to again. “And I’ve seen the show. You are definitely not a hoarder.”

They gazed at each other in the darkness, the moon their only light. It was nice, having a real conversation with him. He was being relatively open, considering who she was dealing with, and the words flowed easily between them.

Not to mention she thoroughly enjoyed sitting so close to him, his arm around her, his fingers lightly touching her. It was…sweet.

Romantic.

“Thanks for humoring me,” she whispered.

He frowned. “Humoring you?”

“With the whole I want a sweet, romantic summer thing. It’s silly, I know.”

“It’s not silly.” Reaching for her, he traced the contours of her face, careful of her scrapes and abrasions. “We could have fun with this.”

His hand on her face felt like heaven, absolute heaven. Releasing a shuddering breath, she closed her eyes. “We could?”

“Oh yeah.” He touched her mouth, his finger sliding across her lower lip. “Your conditions will force me to be creative.”

She liked the sound of that. Keeping her eyes closed, she enjoyed his touch, her breath coming faster, her head becoming light. He slipped his fingers beneath her chin and tilted her face up as she waited breathlessly for his kiss.

But he surprised her. Brushing his mouth against her forehead, he pressed sweet butterfly kisses along her hairline that made her heart flutter. She sighed when he kissed the tip of her nose, the very edge of her chin. Then each corner of her mouth, until the anticipation within her was so great she wanted to shout at him to just do it already.

“Open your eyes, Chloe.”

She did as he asked, found him watching her, his lids heavy, his lips parted and damp, as if he’d licked them in anticipation of tasting her. “I don’t want you falling for me,” he murmured. “I don’t want to break your heart. I couldn’t stand myself if I hurt you.”

Oh, lord. She was so sick of everyone trying to protect her. “I’m a big girl, Cam. Didn’t I already say that?” If he turned her away now she would kill him. “Maybe you should be the one who’s worried. I don’t want you falling for me, either.” She smiled and leaned in, his warm breath fanning across her lips. Let him chew on that for a while. This couldn’t all be one-sided. Maybe they both could fall for each other…

Completely.

…

Chuckling, he brushed her mouth with his, a brief kiss that he could’ve almost believed never happened. “Too late.” The words left him before he could stop them, not that she was paying much attention.

He kissed her, hot and deep and wet and with plenty of tongue. Lots of tongue, though he was careful not to touch her anywhere else. For fear of hurting her and afraid he’d break her no-sex rule because damn, this kiss could be the perfect prelude to an amazing night between the sheets.

The sexy little sigh that escaped her when they both came up for air had him going back under for another one. This kiss was hotter, wetter, longer than he planned. She tasted so sweet, like passionate, delicious woman and he never wanted to stop. Just keep on kissing her until the both of them were spinning, spiraling out of control.

But he promised he wouldn’t let it go that far. And he wasn’t about to break his promise to Chloe. He needed to do right by her. If her friend Alison knew what he was doing, she’d flip. Probably reveal his dirty little secret, too.

Damn scary. He needed to come clean and soon. Though he wasn’t motivated purely by guilt. Being with Chloe, having her in his arms, kissing her…it definitely wasn’t a hardship. He liked this woman.

Probably too much.

She murmured his name, her hand tentatively brushing his jaw, her thumb smoothing over his skin. Her innocent touch sent his senses reeling, his body hardening, and he took the kiss even deeper.

He wanted to drive her out of his system. Just purge her so he wouldn’t be so damn compelled to do this every time he was near her.

“So do you think we’re compatible?” she asked breathlessly, long, long minutes later.

His breathing ragged, he nodded. Swallowed, tried to calm his racing heart. “F*ck yeah, we are.”

She laughed and kissed him again. This one quick and sweet and heady enough that he cupped the side of her face to keep her there, wanting more. Always wanting more. “I think so, too,” she whispered against his mouth.

“Good.” He kissed her. “Let’s do this again soon.” He sounded eager and for once, he didn’t care.

“Tomorrow?” she asked hopefully.

“Definitely.”