“While a pervert gets off to your voice on the end other of the line?”
“For the most part, they’re not pervs. They’re just lonely and…” She shrugged again, this time with less sass in the movement, and focused on the TV screen. “Well, I know a thing or two about being lonely.”
“Aw, Shel.” Eva wrapped an arm around her shoulders and squeezed. “I’ve been thinking. The house is gonna be very quiet when you move out.”
Shelby sat up, eyes wide. “Really?”
“Yeah. So…maybe you’d want to stick around.”
With a sound that could only be described as a squee, Shelby tackled her to the couch in a hug.
“Thank you! I’ll pay rent this time,” she promised. “As soon as I start at the coffee shop, I’ll help with the bills and buy groceries. I’ll make you proud of me.”
Eva nodded, afraid that forming a verbal response would end in a sobbing fit—and unlike her mother, she did not cry prettily. It was all red eyes, blotchy face, and snot, and once she started with the waterworks, she found it hard to stop.
As gently as she could, she peeled Shelby’s arms from her around her neck and then cleared her throat. “How about a movie?”
“Ooo, good idea. I recorded Sharknado. Sharks and tornadoes in a SyFy original movie…you can’t go wrong.”
“Yeah,” Eva had to admit, “sounds pretty awesome.”
“I know, right? Awesomely horrible. Which calls for hip-widening junk food. And wine. White for you, red for me. We might as well class it up.” Full of boundless energy, even in the middle of the night, Shelby sprang up and disappeared into the kitchen.
“Let Poe out so he can bask in the B-horror movie glory with us,” Eva called after her and, a moment later, Poe flew out to perch on the arm of the sofa. She smiled and scratched the bird’s chest. “You have a pretty good mama, you know that, buddy?”
Poe squawked as if in agreement.
Eva succumbed to exhaustion half way through Sharknado, and her dreams swirled with images of Cam. They were both in the movie, covered from head-to-toe in mud, running from the horrendous CG animation, and he threw himself in front of an attacking shark while shielding her from the winds of a tornado.
Then in the twisted time warp of dreamland, they were at Maguire’s, and he gracefully bowed to her superiority in the game of darts before trouncing her in a pool match.
At his condo, in his shower, his mouth set fire to her nerve endings as his body took hers to new heights of erotic pleasure.
And then, she again saw the stark betrayal in his eyes when she’d admitted she was actually considering Preston’s proposal….
Eva jolted awake early in the afternoon to an empty house, and every cell in her being demanded she find him. She’d apologize. Hell, she’d grovel if that’s what it took. Because she’d come to a stunningly obvious realization somewhere between Shelby’s come-to-Jesus talk and the shark tornadoes: she never would have chosen Preston over Cam.
Never.
Cam made her laugh. He took away her control. Made her body sing with exquisite pleasure. Tied her up into jealous knots. Made her trust him. Alternately relaxed her and riled her up with just the sound of his voice. Made her happy in a way that nothing else in her life ever had. And she loved him to distraction. It was terrifying—a free fall, and she had no control of the parachute—but it was past time she told him what he meant to her.
If it wasn’t already too late.
She hurried through a shower, tossed on some clothes, and was in her car before she remembered his ring. Leaving the engine running, she ran back inside and found it where she’d left it the night before on her dresser. She slid it onto her finger and, yeah, it belonged right there.
What would he say when he saw it? Her pulse kicked with an odd mix of trepidation and anticipation. Well, she’d find out soon enough.
Eva drove to his condo first, but Vaughn’s Hummer sat in the driveway, and the space beside it reserved for Cam’s 4Runner was empty. She floored it past the condo without stopping—didn’t want to see Vaughn before she found Cam—and continued on toward the Wilde Security office, which was the only other place he’d be if he wasn’t out on a case.
And there was the 4Runner, parked in one of the spaces in front of the office. From the looks of things, he was the only one there right now. At least she didn’t have to grovel in front of his brothers. She would if it came to it, but she’d much rather have this conversation in private.
Except, now that she was here, trepidation was kicking anticipation’s ass. She stopped her car just inside the parking lot entrance to calm her nerves.
What if he rejected her? It was nothing less than she deserved.
Through the swirling snow, she saw him leave the office and jog to his SUV, head bowed against the wind. He opened the door, and she saw her chance to talk to him slipping away.
Now or never.