CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
By seven the next evening, Asher’s house had been transformed into the most cheerful haunted mansion Cameron had ever seen.
Black tinsel had been draped over everything that would stand still, along with cobwebs, fake blood, and tattered cloth bandages.
Scarecrows, jack-o-lanterns, spiders, bats, and even headstones—it looked like Halloween had thrown up everywhere, but it was still pretty damn cool.
A dozen tables lined the walls of the game room, which Cameron learned had been one half of an actual ballroom when Asher had first purchased the house.
With the arcade machines, game tables, and furniture removed, he could kind of picture it.
When the party planners had slid back the wood panels that separated the game room from the den, he’d been wowed.
Every type of finger food imaginable covered the tables, as well as smoking cauldrons filled with a bright green liquid Cameron had yet to find the courage to try.
He had, however, been eyeing the chocolate fountain since he’d seen the party planners bring it in, and he’d been slowly making his way to the table since the party started.
Unfortunately, he kept being stopped and detained by people he knew or people who wanted to know him .
He hadn’t even realized Asher knew so many people, and he couldn’t imagine why any of them would want to talk to him, but he smiled politely and nodded when appropriate.
Around the third or fourth time it happened, Cameron realized something kind of sad.
Asher knew a lot of people, but none of them were actual friends.
Most of them, he’d met through either his agent, Becca, or Luke, and none of them really knew anything about him.
Becca was there, though Cameron had barely recognized her in her Wicked Witch costume, complete with fake nose and warts.
Luke dazzled as a woodland nymph, even if Cameron had blushed at the extraordinary amount of skin showing.
The guy wore what basically amounted to a tiny tutu made of twigs and leaves with a matching crown and a pair of flip flops.
Cameron’s parents were there as well, dressed as Cinderella and her dashing prince.
Natalie had arrived with Nico, and while she’d gone all-out in her zombie bride costume, Nico’s only concession had been to don a fedora and a trench coat.
Even Maddie had deigned to grace them with her presence, dressed as a super creepy Wednesday Adams.
For reasons Cameron couldn’t understand, Asher had also invited Raine and Kieran from the club. Both had arrived as Spartan warriors, and while Cameron wouldn’t say it out loud, Raine definitely pulled off the look a lot better than his friend .
Derek had arrived late, and he’d brought Tyler with him to the surprise of literally no one. They even sported themed costumes as Robin Hood and the Sheriff of Nottingham.
“Are you sure they’re not together?” Luke asked, eyeing the pair while he munched on a ladyfinger that looked just like a severed lady’s finger, complete with nail polish.
It was fucking disturbing.
Cameron smirked around a sip of his punch, doing his best to ignore the way the liquid clung to the side of the glass like blood. “Nope. Just friends. Tyler is straight.”
“Right.” The single word dripped with sarcasm and disbelief. “They know they’re not actually fooling anyone, right?”
“They know no such thing, and we are not going to burst their bubble. They’ll figure it out eventually.”
“Whatever you say.” Luke snatched the glass from Cameron’s fingers and brought it to his lips. The face he made was priceless. “Oh, honey, that’s terrible.”
“No shit.” Nico joined them, holding up his own glass of punch. “Where’s the alcohol?”
“There’s an open bar out on the patio.” Cameron chuckled when both men perked up at his words. “Enjoy.”
Luke hurried off toward the open doors that led outside, but Nico stayed, his head cocked to the side. “I don’t get it. I mean, you’re a vampire, but what’s with the suit? ”
It had taken Cameron two hours to get ready for the party, but he liked the result. Hair combed smartly to one side, fangs in place, enough makeup to choke a drag queen, all pulled together with a tailored Armani suit.
“I’m a bloodsucking lawyer.”
Natalie’s high-pitched laughter reached him before she did. “I get it. Clever.” She bounced over and flung her arms around his neck. “That’s actually really funny, Cam.”
He returned her hug with a frown. “You don’t have to sound so surprised. I can be funny.”
“I’m sure you can.” She patted his shoulder as she rose on her toes to look out over the crowd. “Where’s Asher?”
“He’s around.”
Nico arched an eyebrow at his answer. “What’s the look for?”
“What look? I don’t have a look.”
He most definitely had a look, and that look probably said he wanted to murder Asher. The guy had it coming, though, and no jury in the state would convict him.
“Oh. My. God.” Staring at a spot over Cameron’s shoulders, Natalie’s eyes grew wide and her mouth dropped open. “Wow.”
Cameron sniffed, but refused to turn.
“That’s…um…that is…” Nico pressed his lips together, and he looked to be having a hard time keeping a straight face .
“I know.” Dropping his head, Cameron rubbed the back of his neck with a groan. “He’s fucking hot.” And therein resided the problem.
That bit of information proved too much for Nico. Grabbing his side, he doubled over, laughing so loudly he startled a couple of women passing by him.
“Didn’t he call Scott Tarzan?”
Cameron didn’t turn, but he did glance over his shoulder.
“Yes,” he answered through gritted teeth as yet another person boldly lifted Asher’s loincloth to see if he had anything on underneath it. Knowing he wore a skimpy thong that hardly covered anything didn’t appease Cameron in the least. “He thought it was hilarious.”
It really wasn’t funny at all. The scrap of fabric over his dick, a golden wig of long, matted hair, and about a gallon of baby oil had been all he’d needed to ensure Cameron walked around in a constant state of jealousy and arousal all fucking night.
Add in his satisfied smirk, and it was all Cameron could do not to climb him like a jungle gym and screech at anyone who came near him.
“He’s coming this way,” Natalie remarked with a devious grin. “Maybe you should get him a drink. He looks thirsty .”
“Damn,” Luke said a little breathlessly when he appeared at Cameron’s side again, cocktail in hand.
“It is a madhouse out there. I barely escaped.” His sea-green eyes flickered over Cameron’s shoulder, and his lips stretched into a grin.
“Damn!” he called, loud enough for half the block to hear him. “Work it, honey!”
Strutting the rest of the way across the room, Asher came to a stop directly in front of Cameron with a cocksure smile. He waited, making sure he had Cameron’s attention, then slid his palms down his glistening chest while he thrust his hips, making his loincloth bounce.
“You like?”
“I hate you,” Cameron muttered, doing his best to glare. His dick, however, liked a lot. “You do know my parents are here, right?”
“I already said hello. Your mom asked if she could be my Jane.”
Of course, she did. Traitor.
“I’m sure my dad loved that.”
“He said he’d arm wrestle her for who gets to be Jane.”
That didn’t surprise him, not even a little. Most of the time, he loved having parents with big hearts and open minds. This was not one of those times.
“I need a drink.”
Setting his punch glass down on a nearby table, Cameron strode off toward the patio doors, confident his Tarzan would follow him.
~
Asher had expected Cameron to be embarrassed by his Tarzan costume. He had hoped the guy might even be a little turned on by it. The jealousy, he hadn’t anticipated, but damn, it was hot.
Without a word to anyone, he walked away from the group, his long legs eating up the distance between him and his prey. Jesus, Cameron looked gorgeous in his black suit, and Asher couldn’t wait to peel him out of it.
Catching up to him just as he reached the line at the bar, Asher wrapped both arms around him, pulling him back against his chest. “You are so fucking sexy when you’re mad.”
“I’m not mad.”
“Jealous?”
Cameron turned in his arms, tilting his head back to look up at him. “Maybe a little. Can you blame me?”
Considering he’d had similarly unkind thoughts to anyone who had wandered too close to Cameron during the night, he understood completely. “You don’t need to be jealous of anyone. For me, you’re it. You’re all I see.”
“God, you are so sweet.” His hand came up to press against the side of Asher’s neck, and he arched forward to brush their mouths together. “I l—”
“Mr. Dare?”
“What?” Asher snapped, more annoyed than he should have been by the interruption.
“Oh, Oz, hello.” His stomach clenched, but he managed to stay relaxed.
“Oz, this is my boyfriend, Cameron Stone.” He snaked an arm around Cameron’s waist, keeping him close.
“Cameron, this is Ozias Benton. His company handles the security for all of my parties.”
“Nice to meet you.” Extending his hand, Cameron tried to step forward, but Asher held him in place.
“Likewise.” Oz took his offered hand in a brief grasp, then dropped it to focus on Asher. “Mr. Dare, I need to speak with you in private.”
His hand linked with Cameron’s, Asher followed Oz to a quiet area near the edge of the pool.
Even in late October, the temperatures still hovered in the upper seventies.
He probably should have left the pool open for the party.
At the very least, he could have made the hot tub accessible.
No, not a good idea. He didn’t want a lot of people in makeup mucking up the water.
“Ash,” Cameron whispered, giving his hand a hard jerk. “Are you listening?”
Crap. Oz. Right. “I am now.”
“A reporter arrived at the front gates about half an hour ago,” Oz explained. “Said she was on the guest list, insisted we let her in. Naturally, we turned her away.”
Asher nodded that he was listening, but he had a bad feeling about where the story was headed. “Okay, what’s the problem?”
Oz looked uncomfortable when he answered. “There’s about a dozen reporters and photographers camped out in front of your house, Mr. Dare. They don’t look like they’re going away anytime soon.”
“Can’t you have them arrested for trespassing?” Cameron asked.
“No.” Rubbing his palm over his shorn scalp, Oz shook his head. “They’re not technically on private property. The best we can do is clear a path for your guests when they leave and try to keep them from getting mobbed. I’m sorry.”
“Thank you,” Cameron said when Asher still hadn’t spoken. “Go ahead and start getting things in place. We want to make sure everyone is safe.” His expression turned dark, and his voice lowered an octave. “It would probably be bad if someone ran over a reporter.”
Oz smirked. “It would be a terrible shame.” Adjusting his earpiece, he turned to Asher. “Don’t worry about anything, Mr. Dare. We’ll take care of it, and I’ll be back to check in with you once we have everything in place.”
Asher made a jerky movement of his head that he hoped conveyed his thanks, because his whole body had gone numb. It was starting. It was really happening.
“I thought we’d have more time.”
“I know.” Taking his hands, Cameron waited for him to make eye contact. “Everything is going to be okay.”
“You can’t know that.”
“I can.” His smile was confident, his posture relaxed. “I do. We’ll just take it one day at a time. ”
Inhaling deeply, Asher held the breath for a count of three, then released it slowly through his lips. “We?”
Bolder than Asher had ever seen him, Cameron smirked before grabbing his face and pulling him into a heated, possessive kiss. “Yes, Asher. We .” He brought their mouths together again, pressing as close to Asher as he could get without climbing inside his skin. “I’m not going anywhere.”