Chapter 22 Ellie
Ellie
My eyes bulge out of my head. Holy CRAP.
This isn’t the first time I’ve seen Camden shirtless. I’ve seen him in nothing but boxers sporting a boner, so I know how ripped and sexy he is.
But this is the first time I’ve seen his chest all wet and glistening like this and…god, it makes him look even hotter.
The moisture from the beer highlights all the hard lines in his broad chest and abs. So many hard lines.
My gaze trails down his abs to the hard lines flanking along the sides of his stomach. Wow. Those are nice.
He looks down at himself, holding his sculpted arms at his sides.
“That went pretty well for your first time,” he jokes.
When I don’t laugh, he looks at me.
I bite my lip and hope that my cheeks aren’t bright red. But my entire body is on fire just from looking at him…just from seeing him up close.
Quit drooling and clean up the mess you made all over him.
I step forward and press the towel to his chest.
“I’m so sorry, Camden,” I say again. “I probably ruined your shirt.”
“It’s okay. I’ll get it dry cleaned.” His tone is so easy and unbothered. God, he’s so cool and unflappable. What I would give to be more like him and less of an awkward, nervous mess.
I’m rubbing the towel against his chest furiously. “I’ll pay for it,” I say.
He chuckles. “No, you won’t. It’s not a big deal.”
I don’t say anything. I just keep drying his chest with the towel.
“Um, Ellie?”
“Yeah?”
He winces. “You can stop. You’re giving me a rug burn.”
I look up at him, then drop the towel and touch the red spot on his pec. “Crap. I’m sorry.” I gently press my fingers against his hot skin. “I should get you some ice, or…”
Softly, he wraps his massive hand around my wrist. “I’m fine.”
I still at how low and rough his voice is.
When I look up, that’s when I realize how close we are. Our bodies are touching. I can feel the heat from his skin scatter all over me. Our faces are just a few inches apart.
There’s a flash of something hot and intense in his eyes as he gazes at me. It sends goosebumps flying across my skin. My tummy flips.
I swallow hard. “I’ve really done a number on you tonight,” I say, trying to lighten the thickness in the air between us.
The corner of his mouth quirks up. “Have you?”
I nod. “I spilled beer all over you. And I groped you on the dance floor.”
Amusement flickers in his eyes. “It wasn’t so bad.”
His gaze falls to my mouth. He licks his lips, and that familiar faint pulse reappears between my legs.
I want to kiss Camden. So, so bad.
But I can’t. Because we’re just friends.
I watch as he runs his tongue along the seam of his lips. He leans closer to me, closing the space between our mouths even more.
There’s barely an inch between us now. He lets out a shaky breath. It’s hot and wet when it lands on my skin. My mouth waters.
Something takes hold of me. Maybe it’s all the wine and beer I’ve had. Maybe it’s because we’re standing so close. Maybe it’s because no other guy has made me feel this turned on by just looking at me and being around me.
“Ellie,” he rasps. The sound of my name on his lips, that low, rough, whispered voice, the pleading in his tone, it’s all too much.
I tiptoe up and kiss him.
His hand cups the side of my face, and he hums against my mouth. Oh. I like that. I like that a lot.
His free hand slides from my hips to my waist, pulling my body against his. The muscles in his torso are so hard, and his skin is so hot. The warmth from his body surrounds me as he towers over me. He’s all around me.
I breathe in and get a whiff of his cologne, which is the most intoxicating blend of pepper and wood. I don’t really care for the smell of those things on their own. But maybe it’s the way they mingle together on his skin that makes me like it so much.
His tongue glides along the seam of my lips, teasing my mouth open. Gently, he laps at my tongue. My knees go weak, and that pulse between my legs intensifies. Whoa.
I’ve kissed Camden twice, and each time he’s made my clit pulse.
His massive thumb glides along the hinge of my jaw. I shiver at his touch, how it’s soft and sure all at once. How it feels like he’s taking his time tasting me and touching me.
I whimper into his mouth, overwhelmed by everything about him.
I reach up and tug a hand through his hair. He usually leaves his thick, floppy, chestnut hair messy and falling into his eyes. But he slicked it back for the wedding, and it looks so damn handsome.
The way I’m tugging my hand through it, I’m messing it up. But judging by the groan Camden lets out, he likes it.
I smile against his lips. A second later, he does too.
“You like pulling my hair?” he growls against my mouth.
I nod and hum.
“Pull all you want, baby. Pull harder, if you’d like.”
That pulse lands between my legs once more. Baby.
I like hearing him call me that. It’s so sweet and affectionate. And a little sexy too.
I reach my other hand up and pull again. This time, he lets out a growling sound.
He kisses me harder, then starts to suck my tongue.
I’m instantly lightheaded at just how dirty Camden’s mouth is getting.
My hands fall to his chest, and I press my fingers into the hard flesh. He drags his mouth along the slope of my neck. My eyelids flutter when I feel the soft scrape of his teeth along my skin.
“Fuck, baby. You’re so soft. So sweet too,” he says, his mouth on my shoulder. He licks my skin and starts gently sucking.
I whimper. Tingles fly across my skin. There’s an unfamiliar pressure between my legs now. It feels hot and achy, and it’s making my head spin.
His mouth lingers at that spot on my shoulder, right above the end of my collarbone. He teases his tongue along the sensitive skin and gives me another gentle bite.
I gasp.
“Did I find your spot, baby?”
“Um…yeah…I think so…”
I press my eyes shut, that hot, intense feeling inside of me building more and more.
It feels so good and so overwhelming, that my brain is fuzzy. I can’t form a single coherent thought. All I know is that Camden is an insanely good kisser.
I try to steady myself by straightening my legs, but I lose my balance and fall backwards. I land sitting on the bed. I gaze up at Camden, embarrassed. But he just smiles.
He reaches down and swipes my hair out of my face. “You’re fucking adorable.”
He leans down, cups my cheek in his hand, and gives me another long, slow, teasing kiss.
I pull him down onto the bed so we can make out some more. Our hands are all over each other. I grab at the hard muscles in his arms and chest and abs. His hand slides up my shirt, his warm palm skimming my stomach.
“Hang on, let me get a condom,” he says softly.
When he leans away, I freeze. Oh. He wants to have sex.
My entire body goes rigid. Of course he wants to have sex. He’s a sexually active, normal, twenty-five-year-old. He has sex all the time. Why wouldn’t he want to have sex after making out?
But I’d bet anything that if I tried to have sex with him right now, he’d be so weirded out by me. A virgin.
He’d be so turned off by how inexperienced and awkward I am.
I swallow hard. I’m suddenly cold all over.
“Are you okay?” he asks, his tone soft and gentle.
I bite my lip, my nerves going haywire. I nod, then shake my head, then nod.
His eyebrows crash together in confusion. “Ellie, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” I say quickly, pulling my shirt down. I cross my hands over my chest and tuck my feet under my legs.
Camden blinks at me, clearly not buying it. I don’t blame him. I look like I’m trying to shrink into myself.
I clear my throat. “I just, um…I wasn’t really planning to…”
I look at the foil square in his hand and work up the nerve to officially kill the mood.
He looks down at the condom. A second later, recognition flashes in his eyes.
“Oh.” He tosses the condom on the other bed. “Sorry, we don’t have to have sex. I just thought that you wanted to.”
I shake my head. “I don’t. I’m sorry.”
His blue eyes are big as he looks at me. He blinks and his brow furrows. He tugs a hand through his hair like he’s trying to figure out how to navigate this.
My entire body feels like it’s being poked with needles. I want to disappear. I want to crawl under the bedsheets and hide forever.
I pull the comforter back and slip underneath the covers.
“I’m going to sleep,” I say quickly. I turn away from him and face the wall. I ruined the moment. I made things so uncomfortable, and I now can’t even look at Camden.
I close my eyes, hoping he takes the hint.
A second later, I feel the mattress decompress as he stands up. I hear him walk into the bathroom, shut the door, and flip on the shower.
I let out a breath, tears burning in my eyes. As I will myself to go to sleep, I wish for the millionth time that I could be normal like everyone.