Chapter 5
CHAPTER FIVE
CAMILLE
We both head back inside and take turns showering.
He asked me to go first and left me another sweatshirt and sweatpants that I know won’t fit, but I’ll get creative.
I roll up the bottoms and use the strings at the waistband to tie around me so they don’t fall off.
I hide the first hoodie. I’m not ready to part with it.
It forever holds a very special memory now.
Holy shit.
I have never come that hard. In. My. Life.
Brian once tried to get me off during a makeout session, but he got weird about it and chased my orgasm away. Asking him to go home after wasn’t fun. He thought for sure I’d sleep with him and made that known.
My West. He’s been carrying that heavy darkness all by himself all these years. As he told his story, I felt the shame he coated over himself like a dingy, too big and heavy coat.
I couldn’t allow him to keep seeing himself that way. I know him. Even with our time apart, I know that man’s heart. I know his soul.
The last thing I expected was that first kiss. But once his soft lips touched mine, something right fell into place. It wasn’t awkward. It was gentle, intimate, beautiful. Then we caused my body to soar.
I wanted to have all of him. I wanted him inside me so bad.
I cover my face and groan. “You begged him to fuck you.”
“I almost did.”
I jump and spin around, tripping over air and catching myself on the living room couch.
“Um,” I stutter. Shit. I shouldn’t have said that out loud.
His hair is wet and combed back. His Henley stretches over his chest and shoulders in sinful ways. And those low-slung jeans. Not too baggy. Fitted just right that I can almost make out the imprint of his impressive dick.
“Little Pixie,” his deep voice warns. He tips my face up with his finger under my chin. “Stop looking at my dick like you’d eat it for dessert.”
“I would,” I whisper to myself, only, judging by the flare in his nostrils, I most definitely said that out loud.
“We need to talk.”
I sigh. “Uh oh.” Please don’t say you regret what happened.
We sit on the couch. My heart eases somewhat when he sits with our thighs touching. West takes my hand. His thumb caresses my skin, tracing small veins.
“You regret it?” I ask. I have to know.
His head snaps up. “No.” I exhale. “God, no.” He turns his body into me and cups my cheek while still holding my hand. “Nyx. What you gave me the honor of experiencing with you out there will forever stay with me.”
He whispers, “My goddess. How was I supposed to resist you?”
“Don’t,” I say.
“I don’t think I want to,” he confesses quietly. “But Styx.”
Ah. Cold wash of reality.
“He can’t dictate who I want to be with.”
West searches my eyes. “And you want that? To be with me? We haven’t seen each other in over six years, Cami. What if what you’re feeling is residue from the past?”
“Do you trust that I know my own mind? My heart?” This is important. I need to trust that he, too, isn’t seeing the young girl, teenager, then young woman he once labeled his best friend’s sister.
The hand at my neck pulses. “I do. Trust you know your own mind.”
The way my body relaxes tells me I needed that more than I knew. “Thank you,” I say. “Then know, while we have a different type of history, that history aided in this connection we feel today. I’ve never felt what you do to me physically with anyone else before.”
I can tell that pleases my caveman. I softly laugh.
He combs his fingers into my hair and holds on. “Do not doubt what I’m about to say, Camille Lane.” He leans in till we’re almost nose to nose. “I haven’t yet been inside you, and I already know, when I finally do, I’ll come harder than ever before.”
My lungs stutter as I hitch a gasp. My core squeezes, wanting to be filled. By West. I’m wet with the promise.
“But first, we need to focus on keeping you safe,” he pivots. “And we need to take this slow.”
I frown, to which he grins and kisses the corner of my lips.
“Patience, Little Pixie. I don’t want to start this wrong. I don’t want us to be a secret.”
“But Drew is unbearable and will fight this. I’m not going to wait around for him to get his head out of his ass to be with you.” Hell, no. I’m not waiting till my brother is okay with this to finally have all of West.
“He’s my best friend, Nyx. He’s been a brother to me. I want to respect that as well as honor what’s happening here.”
I sigh. “Well, when you sound all reasonable and shit, I guess that’s valid.”
Laughing deeply in his chest, he kisses me for real this time. I kiss him harder, gripping his Henley, pulling him in closer.
“Fuck,” he whispers against my lips. “You’re gonna torture me until, aren’t you?”
“Gotta keep you wanting more, Ironwood.” I wiggle my brows suggestively.
He throws his head back and laughs harder, and damn, it’s a sight to behold. “Wow. That one is just,” he shakes his head.
“You love it. Don’t lie. Men love being praised for having big dicks,” I smile, kissing his laughing mouth.
He exhales, looking at me in a way I’ve never been looked at before. It stalls the beats in my chest. He tucks a loose strand of hair behind my ear.
“You were there, all along,” he whispers more to himself.
“Funny, how timelines and life work. Some things need the right time before lightning strikes.” I shied away from my childhood crush, but now, I’m thankful that some cosmic string was working a hand of fate I couldn’t have predicted.
This won’t be easy. And it may appear fast, but our wandering souls were ready to click into place.
Three knocks at the front door have us not moving a muscle.
“Fuckhead,” my brother calls out. “I texted you all morning. Open up.”
“Shit,” West’s head sags. “He doesn’t even know you’re in town.”
I stand and pace the space between the L-shaped couch. “Okay, okay. You open, and he’ll see me, and I’ll say, Surprise!”
West stands and looks over his shoulder.
“If you’re naked, I don’t give a shit. Open up!” Drew bangs on the door. Then we hear him say to himself. “Probably in the back.”
“Fuck, he’s coming around,” I hiss.
West takes my shoulders. “We need a story. Fast. You came to town. Why didn’t you go home? Or call to tell him? Hell, why are you in my house?”
I look left, watching the large, floor-to-ceiling window panels and back doors. “The renovation,” I say. West frowns. “I’m helping you renovate the bar for the Fall Festival. I just came to town this morning and came straight here to discuss plans.”
“Where’s your car?”
“Fuck. Okay. I had an accident coming here, and you passed me on the road and brought me here?”
Drew’s tall, muscular frame turns the corner down below the stone foundation. I jump back, putting space between West and me. Drew stomps up the stairs in his usual manner. We left the back doors open with the fire pit outside.
“Bro, I passed the bar thinking you’d—,” my brother pauses mid-step when he sees me. “Cami?”
“Hey, Drew-Bear. Surprise,” I put cheer in my voice and run over to hug him.
He returns the hug, but confusion lines his body. I lean back, holding his arms, then slap his chest. “Don’t give my surprise away to the folks, okay?”
Drew is staring at West. “Why is my sister here? Alone. At your place?”
“Hey dickhead. I’m right here.” I punch his shoulder, which probably feels like a mosquito bite to him. Damn beastly mountain men.
Those hazel green eyes darken as he looks down at me. As if they couldn’t get darker, they flick up to the bruise and stitch at my temple.
“Take a breath before you give yourself an aneurysm.” I lightly smack his stomach. “Hey.” His angry gaze focuses on me. “Geez. Have you done a colonoscopy yet? Might do you some good.”
“Jesus, Nyx,” West coughs a laugh.
I smile. “This?” I point to my head. “I got this packing boxes. I tripped like an idiot, and the corner wall met my temple. I’m fine.” Concern bleeds into his features. He reaches up and gently passes his thumb over it. “I’m okay,” I say softly. “I promise.”
“And you’re here because?”
I roll my eyes. Thank goodness I’ve been kept up to date on town news.
“Nora and I chatted the other week about me moving back home. She’s organizing the Fall Festival, and I wanted to volunteer to keep myself occupied.
That’s when I found out about West’s bar.
I offered to use my degree and help renovate it for the reopening. ”
“You’re moving back?” That at least steers him away from other discrepancies.
“Mom and Dad know. You, on the other hand, are one busy biker dude. I figured I’d surprise you when I came home.”
He looks at West. “You knew and didn’t tell me?”
“She wanted to keep it a surprise,” West confidently plays the role. “You want coffee?” He turns to make a fresh brew.
“Yeah,” my brother grunts.
He puts that giant arm over my shoulder and steers me back inside. “Where’s your car? I didn’t see it. And what the fuck are you wearing?”
Shit. Shit. Shit.
West’s back stiffens. I’m wearing his clothes.
“Paint spill,” I practically shout. “I was swatching colors at the bar when one of the cans fell off the bar and covered my clothes. This was the best West could do.”
Holy shit. I’m gonna pass out trying to keep from hyperventilating.
“Such a clutz,” Drew grumbles, fucking with my hair.
“Stop,” I push him off. I always revert to a kid around this idiot.
West serves him coffee, and we sit at the kitchen bar with West leaning against the back counter, sipping coffee. I have a feeling he doesn’t normally drink more in the afternoon, but he wants something to do with his hands.
Momentarily forgetting my car is missing, we make small talk. I ask about our parents, how the MC is doing, which had West and Drew trade strange, heavy looks. Then my brother hits me with a plot twist.
“That shitstain you dated came to see me.”
West’s stare is like a million tiny needles on the side of my face, but I’m frozen, eyes locked on my brother’s shoulder as he continues, turning my world on its axis.