Chapter 8
Cameron
C ameron turned to watch Sophia go.
That interaction hadn’t been bad. Not at all.
She’d smiled at him. She’d flirted. That was the girl he’d fallen for in Texas through and through. His heart yearned to follow her to her friend and pull her into a dance for himself. She was the light, and he was an unsuspecting bug that couldn’t keep his eyes from her.
The way she swayed her hips when she moved. The sound of her laugh.
That smile.
Oh boy. That woman was going to be the end of him.
In those few moments when they’d been standing beside each other, he’d forgotten all about the pain she’d caused him when she’d left him high and dry after agreeing to another date.
He’d forgotten about the ache that had been dug into his chest when he realized she had refused to give him her name and a way to contact her.
In that moment? He’d gone back in time when anything was possible.
Cameron watched her from his position against the wall. His arms were folded, and he had lifted a boot to rest it against the wall at his back. From this distance, he could observe her and pretend that they had something more.
Eventually, he’d wear her down. He’d make her believe they were good for each other—just as soon as he figured out why she was pushing him away.
There had to be a reason. No, he didn’t know her as well as he wanted to, but he knew in his gut that she wasn’t the type of person who would do something so heartless.
She glanced in his direction and their eyes locked for a few moments. She smiled before turning back to her friend. At one point that friend shot a peek at him, too. Then Sophia laughed at what her friend said.
They were talking about him, and he didn’t mind at all.
Cameron winked at her when he caught her stare.
She rolled her eyes, and the thrill of the chase returned.
She wasn’t going to be able to ignore him for long.
She’d come back. There was a pull they had to each other.
It tethered them together like nothing he’d ever experienced before.
She belonged to him, and he belonged to her.
Now that he’d found her, he wasn’t going anywhere. Whatever it took, he would get them back on track.
“Hey, cutie. I haven’t seen you here before,” a feminine voice purred at him.
He didn’t have to look at the woman to know that she was a little shorter than he was.
“You here alone?” There was a pout to her voice and for a brief second, his focus darted to her.
She was blonde and had full lips. She had a more slender frame than Sophia did, and her eyes were a pretty shade of blue, but she was no Sophia.
He grasped her hand and pulled it away from his shirt. “I’m not here alone.”
Her eyes flickered with desire. “Really, well… would you like some company?”
Cameron’s attention shifted to where he’d last seen Sophia, but she wasn’t there. He straightened and scanned the room as he released the girl’s hand. “No thanks. There’s actually someone else…”
She reached for him again, but this time he shoved off the wall and moved away.
“Thanks, but I’m not interested.” He offered her an apologetic smile before moving away from her and searching the room.
Where had Sophia gone? He caught sight of her friend on the dance floor with a guy.
But no Sophia. She might have gone outside for some air.
Or she might be dancing. She could have gone to the bathroom.
A wash of anxiety splashed over him as he thought back to the guy who was clearly ignoring her request when she’d said she wanted water. Sure, the guy might have been harmless, but he might have had ulterior motives, too. There was no telling what kind of man he was.
The way Sophia drew people in with her smile meant she could be welcoming all sorts of miscreants. He had this gut-wrenching feeling that she needed protection despite what she’d said earlier—though he would never have said so himself. He couldn’t afford to scare her off or push her away.
Moving through the crowds of people who were now swarming onto the dance floor for an upbeat country song, Cameron’s focus continued to dart from one side of the large space to the other.
The people were now dancing in lines and moving as one. Someone bumped into him, nearly knocking him off balance. He couldn’t see Sophia in the waves of people. That didn’t surprise him. She didn’t seem like the type to enjoy a choreographed line dance.
There were only a few individuals on the edges of the room as they took a break from the physical requirements of the dance.
Still, no Sophia.
He frowned. While he could hang out right beside the bathrooms, he didn’t think Sophia would appreciate finding him stalking her like that—even if he’d made the excuse that he wanted to ask her to dance next. They hadn’t had a chance to dance yet, and that was the main reason he’d asked around.
Roman had mentioned his sister came here frequently, but the look on his face when he mentioned it made it clear he didn’t approve of Cameron’s interest. It was unclear if he disapproved because he wanted to protect Sophia or if he wanted to protect Cameron.
The song was nearing its end by the time Cameron moved to the door that opened out onto a balcony on the back side of the space.
He heard her voice before he saw her. Turning the corner, he froze.
Sophia had both of her arms draped around the back of some guy’s neck.
She was staring up at him like he was a superhero.
Cameron couldn’t see the guy’s face, but he could see the way Sophia looked at him, and it made his blood boil.
Watching the two of them was utter torture. He could remember what it felt like when she looked at him like that. It chased away the darkness and made him believe he could do anything. His fingers curled around, forming a fist as he heard the man’s chuckle. There was no deciphering their words.
Sophia’s eyes snagged on Cameron, and her smile widened before she turned her attention to the lucky cowboy who had his hands at her waist. She tilted her head in that flirtatious way that could snare any man with a heart.
As the cowboy lowered his face toward Sophia, her eyes shifted to Cameron.
It was brief and might have been hard to see for anyone who didn’t know Sophia well, but she attempted to pull back from the guy.
The smile on her face looked strained, like she was regretting the position she was in.
Her gaze shifted to Cameron once more, and that was all it took for him to launch forward.
He laid a heavy hand on the cowboy’s shoulder and jerked him backward.
“Cameron!” Sophia gasped. “What are you?—”
“Hey, man—” the cowboy said.
Cameron ignored them both as he grasped Sophia’s hand in his own and pulled her away from the man who had nearly kissed her. “Who was that?” he ground out.
She tugged on his hold of her, but he refused to release her. Instead, he pulled her through the crowd. They passed by her friends, who called out her name, but he didn’t stop for them.
“ Cameron ,” her voice was indignant and fueled with irritation. “What are you doing?”
“That guy,” he huffed as they burst through the front door. “Who was he?”
“No one.”
He pulled her to a sudden stop, and his eyes narrowed on her.
“That guy doesn’t mean anything to you, and you were just going to…
what ? Let him kiss you?” He could hear the fury in his voice, the betrayal too, but he didn’t care—especially when he noted the flicker of regret in her gaze. But even that reaction quickly faded.
She yanked her hand from his grasp. “It’s none of your business who I kiss or don’t kiss. You’re not my boyfriend.”
“Neither is he.”
“Exactly. And I’m allowed to kiss whomever I want to?—”
He pointed at the truck. “Get in.”
Her eyes darted to the side, having just realized that he’d stopped at his vehicle. “What?”
“Get in the truck, Sophia. I’m taking you home.”
She barked out a laugh. “You can’t be serious. I didn’t come here with you.”
“I’m aware. But I’m taking you home.”
She folded her arms and defiance flickered in her eyes. “No.”
He arched a brow. If he really wanted to, he could throw her in that truck himself, but he would rather she got in all by herself. Taking a deep, calming breath, he lowered his voice so it resembled less of a growl and more like a plea. “Get in the truck, Sophia.”
That defiant streak faltered. “Why?”
Cameron couldn’t tell her that he had been blinded by jealousy and that was the only reason he wanted to remove her from this place—that there were far too many red-blooded males to make him comfortable.
He couldn’t tell her that he was in love with her and had been for five years.
She’d laugh in his face. So he went with the only reason that might make a difference.
“You’re being reckless.”
“Reckless?” she said, stamping a foot. “I’m not reckless.”
“I’ve been watching you tonight. You’re definitely not paying attention.”
She huffed this time, her voice surprised and maybe a little disgusted. “You’ve been spying on me?”
Cameron opened the door and motioned for her to get in, but she shook her head. He took a step toward her so she would focus on him. “What would your brother say if I told him about the guy who wouldn’t listen to you? Or that other guy? You didn’t want him to kiss you, did you?”
She glared at him, but she didn’t deny what he said. Sophia didn’t even try to move away from him.
He inched his face closer to hers, his voice lowered to that husky tone she remembered from before. “But what about me? Would you pull away if I wanted to steal a kiss from you? Would you fight me off if I claimed your mouth for my own?”
Her lips parted, but she didn’t utter a word.
Still, he moved a little closer. “Because I don’t think you would. Do you know why, Red?”
“Why?” she whispered.
Before he could tell her, a couple approached, the girl laughing aloud at something her date had said.
Sophia took a step backward. She looked at the couple, then shifted her attention to him.
The glare returned, and she pushed past him to climb into the passenger seat.
Without a word, she pulled on her seatbelt and faced forward.
He watched her for a moment, and then he shut the door.