Chapter 24
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
natalie
IDECIDED TO WAIT for Cameron outside.
Early June in Boston deserved to be treasured. The blooming trees, the gentle breezes of summer before the stifling heat rolled in, the people milling about in the evening, heels clicking on the cobblestone.
I took a sip of my wine, hoping it would calm a few of my nerves around seeing Cameron.
I felt more jittery than last time. Maybe because I had downtime to think about everything, which didn’t happen often.
Possibly my expectations were higher, too, since I knew exactly what was in store for me.
Or it could be because the teasing scrape of lace against my skin was reminding me what I’d put on beneath my cotton dress.
After dropping Chloe off at Noah’s a couple of hours ago, I decided why not.
Why shouldn’t I treat myself to a little shopping spree, pick something up that made me feel sexy and desirable when I put it on?
Being a responsible mom didn’t mean I couldn’t indulge in something that was just for me, right?
That was exactly what this whole thing was with Cameron; I might as well play into it.
Now I was wearing lingerie for what felt like the first time in my entire life, feeling a little uncomfortable.
Not because I was self-conscious about how I looked—honestly, I’d never felt more confident in something—but because the material cutting into my skin made me squirm with how tight it was.
It seemed to be finding dips and curves on my body I didn’t know existed and carving into them.
Hopefully, Cameron would peel it off quickly once he got here.
My glass of wine only lasted five more minutes, which aligned perfectly with Cameron’s arrival, who strode up to the front of my house at exactly eight o’clock. As promised.
He wore a dress shirt and slacks again, making me wonder if he’d ended up at the office on a Saturday or if that was the only outfit that he owned outside of his short running shorts.
Not that it bothered me; he looked so fucking good with his shirtsleeves rolled up, veins twisting across his smooth brown skin as he held a paper bag in one hand.
He stopped short when he realized I was sitting outside, eyes sweeping over me. When he spoke, his voice had a husk to it.
“Next time you want to sit outside at night, call me, and I’ll come earlier.”
I flicked my eyes up in pretend annoyance. “I’m perfectly safe on my front steps, and it’s barely dark.”
He made a grunting noise but came to sit next to me, settling himself on the concrete stair.
We were quiet for a long moment, the air vibrating with a new frequency now that he was here.
Suddenly, my skin also felt stretched too tight beneath the lace, my breathing shallow.
The sweet sounds of summer were hidden behind the humming in my veins and the pulse in my throat, which hammered so loudly I wondered if Cameron could hear.
“We should get you a little table and chairs. So you don’t have to sit on the ground,” he commented thoughtfully, oblivious to my struggles as he pointed to the small cobblestone patio beside my front stoop.
The area was slightly overgrown with bushes I’d been planning to trim and a little flower garden I’d been meaning to plant something in.
But it was more space than a lot of similar-style homes had outside, so I was grateful for it all the same.
“The ground’s not so bad,” I replied, even though what he said sounded nice.
Maybe one day, I’d get around to it. “I usually sit here because you can see a sliver of the sky through the trees.” I pointed above us, and Cameron tipped his head back, following my finger.
“And sometimes the stars pop up. Although with all the light pollution in the city, it needs to be a really clear night.” Tucking my knees to my chest, I wrapped my arms around them.
“I like to sit here when I have a spare second, try to catch a glimpse. Doesn’t happen often, though. ”
“Did you stargaze a lot growing up in Minnesota?” Cam asked, surprising me with the question. We hadn’t talked about where I grew up since that night at Mulligan’s, but he remembered. Or maybe he knew because of Noah.
“Sometimes,” I answered. “My dad worked nights as a security guard, but occasionally, he’d have one off.
He’d pile blankets into his pickup truck and drive us out into a field to stare at the sky.
He’d tell us stories about them, and Theo, in particular, would eat them up.
You could definitely see more stars there, but you also had to contend with the state bird. ”
“State bird?”
“Mosquitos.”
That pulled a chuckle out of him, and he swatted a hand in front of his face where a bug appeared, as if called when it heard its name.
“They can be hard to escape in the summer.”
“Yeah,” I agreed with a sigh and then pointed to the paper bag in his hands. “What’s that?”
“Tacos.” He lifted a brow. “Did you think I was kidding about spicing your night up?”
I mimicked his expression. “Are we also working on the case? Because then I might need to change my undergarments.”
If I’d misunderstood his intentions about tonight, I was going to be very disappointed.
“Don’t.” A flare of heat crossed Cameron’s face as his voice dropped. “The only reason you’d need to change would be to take them off.”
Oh, thank goodness.
“I thought you might like having that honor.”
Cameron cleared his throat, gripped his knees, and stood.
“Inside.”
It was only one word, but it did something to me, reminding me of the short, hot commands he’d given last week when I was in his bed. And Lord, I was desperate to experience that again.
But I was also finding that teasing a stoic man like Cameron Bryant could be a lot of fun, too.
My lips cocked to the side. “Are you sure you don’t want to wait until the stars peek out? I could tell you some stories.”
Cameron didn’t miss a beat.
“Is that really what you want right now?” He slung his hand in his pocket and leaned down, speaking in a way that had the hair rising on the back of my neck.
Brusque but sensual and smooth at the same time.
“I certainly wouldn’t mind sitting here with you all night long, Natalie.
But did you invite me over so I could stargaze? Or so I could fuck your needy pussy?”
I pressed my lips together, struggling to keep a straight face when he talked like that. “Technically, I think you invited yourself over.”
“Oh, you’re mouthy tonight.” His eyes glinted. “We’ll have to fix that.”
My stomach flipped, a clear indication that I was in for a treat.
“Inside, Mama,” Cameron said, his voice lower and a touch more demanding. And this time, I didn’t dare say anything back. I stood on legs that felt like jelly and opened the front door, slipping inside. Cameron followed, and I heard the click of the lock when he turned it behind us.
My footsteps faltered, my breath hiccupping as my stomach hurtled into my throat. It was the anticipation. What it meant to hear him close the door, closing us in together. Alone again.
Cameron’s hands shot out, steadying me while gripping my hips. My knees grew weak as he pressed himself into me from behind, his head dipping to my neck.
“You good?” he murmured, lips flirting with my racing pulse point.
Tipping my head, I looked over my shoulder at him. Our eyes connected, tangible, frenzied energy running between us as I nodded, biting down on my lip. Cameron’s gaze dropped to my mouth, and he swore beneath his breath. Unable to break away, I reached back, cupping my hand behind his neck.
He knew what I wanted. There was a headiness to his gaze as he watched me.
“Natalie,” he rasped. “If I kiss you here, we’re never making it up the stairs.”
“That’s okay,” I said with a laugh but forced myself to break away and lead him further into the house, trying to ignore the electric current running through my body.
When I turned to face Cameron fully, he stared me up and down. Then he dropped the paper bag on the coffee table, and it landed with a thud.
“Dinner can wait this time,” he said, and it was the first time I’d really noticed a hint of unsteadiness in his tone.
“I’m okay with that, too,” I breathed while my fingers toyed with the hem of my shift dress, wondering if I could summon the confidence to take it off. I suspected I could, considering how Cameron’s gaze continued to dance over me, staring hungrily, spurring me on. “Do you want to see?”
“Do I want to see?” Cameron repeated, a touch of disbelief in his voice. “As in, do I want to see you take your dress off?”
I nodded, and Cameron shook his head with a rueful smile.
“I must not be doing my job well enough if you honestly have to ask that question.”
“Well, I didn’t hear from you after last week,” I countered, revealing a bit of vulnerability and worry without even really meaning to.
Cameron’s grin quickly dipped into a frown. “We talked on Monday.”
“About work.”
Cameron slipped his hands back into his pockets, seeming to choose his words carefully. “I was trying to give you time and let you set the pace of this. But then I saw you yesterday, and you said you were free, and…”
“And what?”
His expression appeared pained. Desperate. Everything that I’d been experiencing for the last week, making me feel less alone. “And touching you again is all I can think about, Natalie.”
His words sank into my bones, and the flood of emotions they elicited dictated my next actions. Peeling my dress over the top of my head, I let it fall to the floor. And then I stood in front of Cameron with nothing on but a red lace bodysuit, vibrant against my pale skin.
“Please touch me,” I whispered, and a distinct rumbling came from Cameron’s chest. His jaw clenched, and then his fists did, too. I could see them through the fabric of his pants, like he was forcibly holding back, even when I told him not to.