Chapter 37 Cam
CAM
Iread it twice, processing.
Emily, tucked against my side on the couch, lifted her head. “Everything okay?”
Rain streaked down the windows, turning the world outside into a blur of gray. A sappy romcom played on low volume on the TV. Neither of us had really been watching it.
“Uh, yeah. Mom says she’ll drop the girls back at five.” I showed her the screen. “And she’s cleared to start babysitting again next week.”
She sat up a little more. “That’s great. I’m really glad her knee’s doing better.”
“Yeah, me too.”
“I’ll miss hanging out with the girls though, not gonna lie. They’ve kind of become my favorite people.”
My heart squeezed at the sweet smile that curved her lips. “They’re gonna miss you too. But you know you’re still welcome here whenever you want, right? You don’t need babysitting as an excuse.”
“Good to know.” She shifted away, pulling a cushion to her chest and watching the tv screen absently. “The timing is pretty good, anyway. I really need to buckle down on my portfolio. This just gives me more time to work on it.”
“Portfolio?”
“Yeah.” She ran her fingers through her hair. “Didn’t I tell you about it?”
“You didn’t. What’s it for?”
“It’s for an art scholarship at Appalachian State, partly funded by our company. It’s kind of a big deal.” She made a face.
“How big are we talking?”
“I have to submit five completed pieces and right now I’ve got two I’m actually happy with. And like, eleven that make me want to burn my brushes.”
“Two is better than zero.”
“Yeah, I guess.” She kept her eyes down, picking at a thread in the cushion.
Uh oh, her mood had just taken a dip. “Tell me what you’re thinking.”
“I’m just... I don’t know if I’m ready for this, to be honest.”
“You don’t know unless you try.”
“That’s what I keep telling myself. But it’s a super competitive program, so even if I’m lucky enough to win the scholarship, I’m probably not good enough for the actual program.”
Anxiety threaded through her words, that overthinker spiral starting to kick in. “Hey.” I tilted her chin up so she’d look at me. “I’ve seen your work. You’re plenty talented, Em. The way you captured that sunlight, the colors you used... that’s not something you can teach. That’s instinct.”
“You really think so?” The uncertainty in her eyes was heart-rending.
“I know so.” I brushed my thumb across her cheek. “When’s the deadline?”
“Two months. Which sounds like a lot of time but really isn’t when you factor in that I’m basically starting three pieces from scratch.”
“Then it’s good my mom’s taking over again. Gives you time to focus.”
“Yeah.” She bit her lip. “I’m still gonna overthink it though.”
“That’s allowed.” I leaned in and kissed her, soft and slow, pouring reassurance into it.
Her eyes were dark and heated when I leaned back. “You know what helps with the overthinking?”
“What?”
“This.” With her hand at the back of my neck, she pulled me in again, kissing me deeply, hungrily, until I was drowning. Then, climbing onto my lap, she said against my lips, “So I might need to come over quite a lot, if that’s okay with you.”
I chuckled. “I’m a strong believer in the arts, so I’m happy to do my part.”
Her answering laugh made my heart squeeze. “I appreciate it.”
She kissed me again, slow and deep, letting the heat build between us. Her hands slid into my hair, and I gripped her hips, pulling her tight against me.
When I was sure she was drenched with need, I slid her shirt up, and over her head before reaching for mine. The air felt cool against my skin for half a second before her hands were on me, warm and eager, tracing the lines of my chest and shoulders.
I took my time unhooking her bra, watching her face as I slid the straps down her arms. Her eyes were dark, pupils blown wide, lips parted as she watched me look at her.
“God, you’re gorgeous,” I murmured, taking my time kissing my way down her neck, across her collarbone. I cupped her breasts, thumbs brushing over her nipples, and she arched into my touch with a soft moan.
“Cam,” she breathed, her fingers threading through my hair again, tugging just hard enough to make me groan.
I took one nipple into my mouth, swirling my tongue around it while my hand worked the other. The little sounds she made drove me absolutely fucking crazy. Her hips were moving against me, seeking friction, and I was already hard as hell just from kissing her.
“I need…,” she gasped. “Please.”
I shifted our position, laying her back against the cushions and settling between her thighs. The new angle pressed my cock hard against her in a way that had both of us sucking in sharp breaths.
“Patience,” I said, even though I was barely hanging on myself.
“Screw patience.” She was already working on the button of her jeans.
I helped her, sliding them down her legs along with her underwear, taking a moment to appreciate the view. Hair spread across the cushions, chest rising and falling rapidly, skin flushed pink from her cheeks all the way down to her breasts, thighs falling open in invitation.
“Beautiful,” I said, running my hands up her legs, feeling the muscles quiver under my touch.
She reached for me, pulling me back down into a kiss that was all heat and urgency. Her legs wrapped around my waist, and I could feel how ready she was, how wet, even through my jeans.
“Off,” she demanded, tugging at my waistband. “These need to be off.”
I pulled back just enough to shuck my jeans and boxers, pulling a condom from the back pocket. Emily watched me the whole time, her hand sliding to her clit and Christ, that sight alone nearly did me in.
I knelt between her legs but didn’t touch her yet. Just watched as her fingers moved, slow circles that had her breathing getting faster, her hips shifting restlessly.
“That’s it,” I said, my voice raspy. “Show me what you like.”
Her eyes locked on mine, pupils blown wide, and she bit her lip as she worked herself. The flush on her chest deepened, spreading down her stomach.
“Cam,” she breathed, her other hand coming up to cup her breast.
“Keep going. You’re so fucking beautiful like this.”
Her rhythm picked up, her thighs trembling, and I could see she was getting close. Her head tipped back against the cushions, eyes closed, lips parting on a moan.
“Don’t you dare finish without me.”
Her eyes snapped open, meeting mine with a wicked smile. “Then you better hurry up.”
I tore open the condom wrapper with my teeth, rolling it on as quickly as my shaking hands would allow. Then I was back over her, catching both her wrists in one hand and pinning them above her head.
Her breath hitched, her eyes going even darker. “I fucking love it when you do that.”
“I know.” I positioned myself at her entrance, the head of my cock nudging against her. “Look at me.”
She did, and I pushed inside, inch by torturous inch, watching every flicker of pleasure cross her face until I was buried completely.
“Fuck,” I breathed, pressing my forehead to hers, my grip tightening on her wrists. “You feel so good. So perfect.”
I pulled almost all the way out before sliding back in, finding a rhythm that had her gasping my name. The rain outside got heavier, drowning out the sounds we were making. No mean feat, because Emily wasn’t exactly quiet.
Her body clenched around me, pulling me deeper, and I knew I wasn’t going to last long. I angled my hips, hitting that spot that made her cry out, and slid one hand between us to stroke her clit.
“Right there,” she gasped, her whole body tensing. “God, don’t stop.”
I didn’t. I kept the same pace, the same pressure, watching her face as pleasure built and built. Her breathing went ragged, her eyes glazed, and then she was coming, her back arching off the couch, my name a broken cry on her lips.
The feel of her pulsing around me pushed me right over the edge. I buried myself deep and let go, pleasure whiting out everything else for a few perfect seconds.
I let go of her wrists and wrapped my arms around her, rolling onto my side with her tucked against me. For a long moment after, we just lay there. Breathing hard. Tangled together. The rain still falling outside.
Emily’s fingers traced lazy patterns up and down my back, and I pressed a kiss to her shoulder, her neck, anywhere I could reach without moving.
“We should probably get dressed before your mom shows up with the girls,” she said eventually, though she didn’t sound particularly motivated.
“Probably.” I didn’t move.
“Cam.”
“Five more minutes.”
She laughed, the sound vibrating through both of us. “Fine. Five more minutes.”
I lifted my head to look at her. Her hair was a mess, her lips swollen from kissing, her eyes soft and satisfied. There was something else there too, something that looked a lot like contentment.
“You know one weekend isn’t going to cut it, right?”
Her gaze turned a little feral. “No?”
“Definitely no.”
“But how will it work? With the girls and everything?”
“No idea, but we’ll figure it out, if you’re interested.”
“Oh, I’m very interested.”
“Glad to hear it.”
I kissed her again, soft and sweet, and held her close while the rain continued to fall and the clock ticked down toward reality.