Very. Bad. Idea.
He completely ignored the warning klaxon now blaring in his head. In that moment, with the alcohol a pleasant hum in his brain and her standing there in that red dress looking both disheveled and sexy, he would have done anything for her.
“Absolutely.”
Chapter Five
Eva fumbled her key before getting it into the slot and shoving down the handle to open her room’s door. She weaved inside and found a light switch that turned on the bedside lamp. But the light made her feel self-conscious and she wasn’t quite sure what to do with herself as she faced Cam. He’d paused at the threshold, his hand on the door jamb for support. His gaze swept over the room, taking in the rattan furniture and the windows that offered a 180 degree view of the ocean. Then his eyes locked on the king-sized bed.
Her stomach did a funny flurry thing as she set her key card on top of the mini-fridge positioned in a nook between the bathroom and the main part of the room. She opened the fridge and grabbed two of the hotel’s ridiculously priced bottles of water. “We should probably have some water or we’re gonna hate ourselves tomorrow. We can sit out on the balcony and…talk. Or something. Whatever.”
Cam hadn’t set foot in the room and his gaze was still fastened on the bed. She wasn’t sure if he’d even heard her rambling.
“Cam?”
His throat worked, and he closed his eyes for a moment as if in pain. “You know, I should go. I have…” He waved a hand in a vague motion behind him.
“Oh. Of course. It’s your brother’s wedding. I’m sorry. Don’t worry, I’m fine now.”
“No, it’s not—” He met her gaze for a bare instant, only long enough for her to notice the heat in his eyes. He cursed, and his voice came out thick. “I should just…go.”
“Okay.”
He hesitated, then stepped back. “See ya,” he said before the door fell shut.
“Yeah.” Her shoulders sagged under the brutal weight of disappointment. “See ya, Cam.”
She stood rooted to the spot for a long time, until she realized tears had blurred her vision.
Dammit, she’d just taken an all-expenses paid trip to self-pity land, which included such fun rides as the self-doubt roller coaster and the insecurity-inducing house of mirrors.
“Ugh.” She swiped a hand over her eyes. “Pull up your big girl panties now, Eva.”
She returned the water to the fridge then forced herself to move, but only made it as far as the end of the bed. She sank to the plush mattress and stared at her bare toes with the fuck-me-now red pedicure her sister had insisted on before she left D.C.
After a few minutes, the quiet in the room began to press her down, made it hard to breathe.
Oh, God, she had wanted Cam to stay. Wanted to feel his hands on her again, his mouth against hers. She’d wanted…things that she shouldn’t want in conjunction with him. Most of all, she’d wanted him to make her forget everything, which wasn’t fair for so many reasons. Besides, she’d already monopolized most of his evening when he had family obligations.
And even telling herself all that, it hurt like hell that he’d walked away.
As her eyes began to tear up again, she dove for the TV remote and switched on the set. The local news came on, and she flipped through until she found an all-music channel playing country. She turned the volume down until Lady Antebellum’s Need You Now was little more than white noise in the background.
Okay, this wasn’t so bad. Now that she didn’t have to listen to herself think, she could handle this. She needed to deal with the alcohol in her system or she’d wake up with a killer hangover. No problem. She’d draw a bath in the Jacuzzi tub, gulp down some Tylenol and a few bottles of water, then just enjoy a relaxing night. By herself. Because Preston sure as hell hadn’t wanted her. And Cam—
Well, it was better that he didn’t want her like that, right? She bombed at the whole dating thing, and how many times had Cam told her he wasn’t looking for a committed relationship? Sex with him would only end in disaster, and she didn’t want to lose the only solid, stable thing she had in her life. So, yes, it was a good thing he didn’t want her. It was.
Now if she could just convince her libido of that.
Exasperated with herself, she stood and reached under her skirt to finally yank off the damn thong.
Ah. So much better.
She wadded the horrible excuse for underwear and shot it toward the garbage can, but a sharp rap on the door made her jump and threw off her aim. The thong landed artfully on the desk lamp.
Who the hell…?
She reached through the slit in her dress and rested her hand on her gun. She’d felt naked without it so, much to her sister’s dismay, she’d made sure the dress would hide a slim thigh holster. Thank God. Unexpected knocks on hotel room doors usually didn’t end well.
She peeked through the peep hole.
Cam.