“I like this conversation.”
Shaking my head, I bent and reached for my bag, but Cam shot to his feet and grabbed it before I could get my fingers around the strap. I sighed as I held out my hand. “Give it to me.”
“I’m trying to.”
I shot him a disgusted look.
Chuckling, he stepped forward and laid the strap over my shoulder. His fingers brushed my neck, and I couldn’t stop my body from jumping at the slight touch. He stepped back and picked up the flashlight. “See? I was just being a gentleman.”
“I don’t think you’re a gentleman,” I grumbled as my fingers tightened around the strap. “But thank you.”
He swiped his notebook off the ground and we headed back to where his truck was parked, passing the now empty bench. He shone the flashlight when we hit the field, lightning our path. I guess to prove me wrong, he opened the door for me when we stopped in front of his truck. “Milady.”
“Thank you,” I said, a little more appreciative sounding than before.
Instead of closing the door, Cam leaned against the frame and placed a hand on the edge of the open door. “So, what about it?”
“What about what?”
He eyed me with the same intense interest he had earlier. “Go out on a date with me.”
I stiffened. “Why?”
“Why not?”
“That’s not an answer.” Yanking the strap on the seatbelt, I busied myself with securing it. My hands were shaking, so I kept missing the latch.
“What kind of question was that? How am I—hey, it’s just a seatbelt. Not that hard.” He leaned over, taking control. His hands brushed over mine, and I jerked back against the seat. He paused and looked at me, those lips usually tilted up, started to tip down at the corners. Something flared in his eyes. I don’t know what it was, but it was gone as he snapped the seatbelt in place. He didn’t move back, though. “Why shouldn’t we go out on a date?”
I strained back against the seat, my hands curling into fists in my lap. It wasn’t that I was that uncomfortable with him being so close. It was that I was uncomfortable with the way I noticed every slight touch of skin or look. “Because… because we don’t know each other.”
His lips tipped up again. I decided I liked them like that over the frownie face. “That’s what a date is all about. Getting to know each other.” Cam’s eyes dropped to my mouth. “Go out on a date with me.”
“There’s nothing to know about me.” The words came out in a heady whisper as my chest rose sharply.
He tilted to his head to the side. “I’m sure there is tons to know about you.”
“There’s not.”
“Then we can spend the time with me talking.”
“That sounds like fun.”
“Oh, it will be more thrilling than watching Raphael cross a road.”
“Ha.”
He grinned. “Thought you’d like that.”
I felt the side pocket of my bag vibrate against my leg once. A text message? Probably from Jacob. I wanted to reach for it, but I would end up smacking my head off Cam’s. Not something I wanted to repeat. “Can we go yet?”
“Can we go on a date?”
“Good God, you don’t give up.”
“Nope.”
I laughed, couldn’t help it, and his smile spread in response to the sound. “I’m sure there are plenty of girls who want to go out on a date with you.”
“There are.”
“Wow. Modest aren’t you?”
“Why should I be?” he shot back. “And I want to go out on a date with you. Not them.”
“I don’t understand why.”
His dark brows rose. “I can think of a few reasons. You’re not like most girls. That interests me. You’re awkward in this really… adorable way. You’re smart. Want me to list more?”
“No. Not at all,” I told him quickly. I needed to nip this in the bud. Reputation aside, he was a hell of a lot more than I could ever hope to handle. He would expect things I couldn’t give him. Holding a conversation with him was difficult enough sometimes. “I don’t want to go out on a date with you.”
Cam didn’t look surprised by my response or undaunted. “I figured you’d say that.”
“Then why did you ask?”
He finally—thank God—backed away and gripped the side of the door. “Because I wanted to.”
“Oh. Well. Okay. Glad you got it out of your system.”
His brows knitted. “I haven’t gotten it out of my system.”
Oh no. “You haven’t?”
“Nope.” He flashed a charming grin. “There’s always tomorrow.”
“What about tomorrow?”
“I’ll ask you again.”
I shook my head. “The answer will be the same.”
“Maybe. Maybe not.” He reached out and tapped the tip of my nose. “And maybe you’ll say yes. I’m a patient guy, and hey, like you said, I don’t give up easily.”
“Great,” I muttered, but…oh, oh man, there was an unfamiliar stirring in my chest.
“Knew you’d see it that way.” Cam tweaked the tip of my nose, and I swatted his hand away. “Don’t worry. I know the truth.”