Chapter 25
Twenty-Five
Logan
It’s been almost an hour since Camden left me at my car in the arena parking lot, and there’s still no sign of him at the townhouse. The place is dead quiet, save for the occasional creak of the foundation settling, and it’s making me uneasy.
I know he mentioned needing to head back in for something he forgot, but he should be back by now. Unless maybe he ran into my uncle and they got to talking?
But then why isn’t he answering his texts?
As if sensing my worry, my phone buzzes on my mattress beside me, and I grab for it immediately.
Camden: Can you help me in the rec room?
I let out a little scoff after my relief subsides. Because of course he’s already here, and I’ve been lowkey panicking for no reason. The real question is what the hell he’s doing down in the rec room.
I know in the era of my brother and all his jock-mates living here, it was party central.
Pretty sure they somehow got a keg down there at one point—at least I hope that’s what the stain in the back corner is from.
But since they all graduated and left, I don’t think I’ve ever seen Camden set foot down there.
Come to think of it, I don’t know if I have more than a handful of times either, outside of movie nights with the girls.
Me: Why didn’t you tell me you were home? And why do you need me to come down there? Did the girls turn it into a woman cave or something before they left for the night?
Camden: Can you do anything without asking a bunch of questions first?
My lips curl into a smirk, all frustration gone, and I lift my phone and start recording a voice message.
“Oh, is that an issue? Because it’s a trait that’s rubbed off from spending so much time with you.” I pause, grinning when I notice my double entendre, before deciding to add, “Rubbing off in more ways than one, apparently.”
I hit send before I can think better of it.
The banter between us has become more flirty and dirty as of late, and I’m really enjoying it. A lot. He has a way of bringing it out of me just by being his quirky, happy self. It’s infectious, making it nearly impossible to resist having a bit of fun right along with him.
His reply is also a voice message, and it has my lips rolling inward as I hit play.
“You never fail to surprise me with that dirty mouth, Little Reed,” he muses, his voice low and seductive as it comes through the speaker.
He laughs then, the husky sound going straight to my dick.
“I don’t know why, when I’ve seen firsthand what that mouth can do, and it’s quite filthy.
But I’ll sweeten the deal for you, all right?
If you come down here to help me, maybe a little later you can take a turn rubbing off on me instead. ”
A little zap of lust slices through my stomach at the picture he’s painting, and I’m off my bed and down in the living room in two seconds flat. It’s a slightly embarrassing reaction, but what can I say? The promise of sex will always win out—especially when it’s with Cam.
Though, I do have half the thought to go back upstairs and put his jersey on again and let him play out that little fantasy of his.
Pulling open the door to the basement, the first thing I notice is the lights are off, but there’s a faint glow illuminating the room below, as if the television is on. Except there’s no sound.
What the hell?
Slowly, I creep down the stairs, not sure what I’m expecting to walk into. But it sure isn’t the sight that greets me once I reach the bottom. Because there, on the floor in front of the sectional, is a makeshift nest of blankets and pillows. And at the center of it all is Camden.
My gaze shifts from him to the television screen, which has Death Note, of all things, pulled up, and a warm, tingling sensation forms in my stomach.
“What’s all this?” I ask slowly.
Cam runs his fingers through his hair, the sandy-blond strands almost white in the TV’s lighting. Gone is the sexy, cocky guy who just sent me filthy promises via voice note. Now, he just looks like a nervous virgin, his gaze shifting between me and the floor where he’s sitting.
“Uh, well… You spent Valentine’s Day watching me play hockey, so now…I was hoping to try watching an anime with you.”
The heat in my stomach spreads through my torso and out to my limbs, like an electrical current is coursing through me with each thrum and beat of my heart. And it’s impossible to speak because of it. Hell, I can barely breathe as he motions toward the TV sheepishly.
“I asked a couple guys on the team who watch them, and they suggested this one to start with. I’m sure you’ve probably already seen it, though, since you watch them a lot, so if you want to try something else—”
I shake my head, finally finding my voice.
“No, this is a good one. It’s one of my favorites, actually.”
“Yeah?”
His eyes light up a little with the question, and I damn near choke on the emotions welling in my throat. So I simply smile and nod while dropping down on the pillows and blankets beside him.
He scoots over a little, making more room for me, before placing a few small boxes in my lap. The contents rattle around when I pick the first up, only to read the word Raisinets on the outside. Same with the other two.
It’s all I can do to stare at them before looking back at Cam. His gaze is already on me, watching silently, before he nods at the box with his chin.
“Lexi said you really like them, but she didn’t tell me what kind of chocolate, so I got all three.”
I hold his gaze for a moment, bracing myself for a joke about my choice in candy—something I’ve been teased for since I was a kid. But it never comes. He just waits, more concerned about selecting the right thing. And I know it’s stupid to care about something so trivial, but it means a lot.
Everything about this means the fucking world.
I’m forced to clear my throat, thanks to it closing in on itself again, and shove away my emotions as best I can. But the tingling warmth spreading through my limbs remains, like my blood flow has increased tenfold due to my heart swelling in my chest.
“Thank you,” I say, the words still a little raspy. “I’m not picky when it comes to chocolate, though. So you were safe no matter what.”
I rip open the box, catching his grin as he watches me pop a few in my mouth.
“You’ve got a sweet tooth, I take it?”
I shrug, a little smirk pulling at my lips. “Sometimes. Other times I prefer snacks of the salty variety.”
His nostrils flare, very clearly picking up on my innuendo, but despite the heat now roaring in his gaze, he chooses not to comment on it. Instead, he grabs the remote, ready to start the show.
That’s when I notice he’s pulled up the subbed version, with the voice acting in Japanese.
I silently steal the remote, switching to the dubbed version instead, that way the voice actors are speaking English, and he won’t have to worry about reading the subtitles.
It’s not my preference, but I’d rather him enjoy his first anime instead of fighting to understand what’s happening.
After hitting play, I toss the remote aside and lean back against a stack of pillows propped up by the couch. Cam does the same, and within seconds, he has his arm loosely slung around my shoulder, the warm, musky scent of his cologne or bodywash invading my senses.
And damn if it doesn’t smell good. Like a winter cabin in the forest.
I tuck myself deeper into the crook of his arm, happily munching on my candy and watching the show like I haven’t already seen it multiple times.
But maybe it’s a good thing, since Cam asks a few questions here and there for clarification.
He actually seems more engrossed than I thought he’d be, his focus never leaving the screen as the plot begins unfolding.
Episodes pass rather quickly, and at some point, the two of us end up lying side by side on the blanket-covered floor, our bodies plastered together with my head tucked in against his neck.
His fingers trail lightly up and down my arm, skating over the skin in a way that normally sets my nerve endings ablaze, and yet, I’m strangely calm and at ease.
Though, maybe it’s from listening to the smooth, steady cadence of his heartbeat beneath my cheek.
When the next episode ends and I check my phone for the time, I realize just how late it’s gotten—and how many hours we’ve spent down here like this—despite feeling as though no time has passed.
“You wanna go to bed?” Cam asks, and I find him looking at the time too. “I didn’t realize it’s already after two.”
“You know I’m a night owl. But if you need to get some rest after the game tonight, that’s okay.”
He offers a faint, answering smile before pressing a kiss to the side of my head and turning his attention back to the screen.
It’s the simplest bit of affection, nothing about it overly sexual or suggestive, but it has my pulse racing and fingers tingling where they rest on his stomach.
Itching to slip under his shirt and feel his skin on mine.
And the more I linger on the thought, rather than the show on the screen, the louder it becomes.
Until it’s all I can think about.
I want to drag his mouth to mine and kiss him senseless. To straddle his hips and show him just how grateful I am—not just for what he’s done here, but for earlier this evening too, with the reassurance about the drawing I gave him.
For the safety and security he’s provided, the trust and faith he’s given me in return.
For just him.
I shift up on an elbow, realizing the only thing stopping me is myself, and his gaze slices to me when he notices the movement out of his periphery.
“What’s up? You change your mind?”
“Yeah,” I murmur before throwing my leg over his waist.
I lean down, every inch of our torsos pressed together, and find his lips—homing in on them like a beacon in the dimly lit room. I kiss him slowly, taking every emotion filling me like a well and pouring it into him where our mouths are fused.