20. Cameron
Knowing she’s coming home with me tonight is the only thing keeping me rooted in this bar. Since we’re celebrating her birthday, I’m determined to make it a night she’ll remember. She and I have the entire night ahead of us, and I won’t cut short time with her family on her special day.
As we dance to a few more songs, it hits hard just how much I’ve missed having her in my arms. Holding her close is one of the best feelings in the world. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve dreamt of this possibility but given our situation, I’ve always held back.
She’s like a ray of sunshine after the gloomiest of storms. Putting things on hold since the start of summer has been torture. Now that she’s made her feelings public, I’m determined to find a way to keep her.
Eventually, we return to the table, and I order us all another round of drinks. This time, I order a Coke, and Lizzy chooses water for now. When we’ve all got a drink in front of us, Raven clears her throat and addresses the elephant in the room.
“So… exactly how long has this been going on between the two of you?”
“It’s not what you think,” Lanie jumps in, and Raven throws daggers her way.
“What do you mean?” Sloane interjects.
Sighing heavily, Lizzy states, “It’s truly a long story…
so before any of you get your panties in a wad, or decide you need to defend my honor…
you should know Cameron and I actually met last semester in Portland.
No… he’s not taking advantage of me. Nothing’s happened since we’ve been in Seaside, until tonight… which as you saw… I initiated.”
“But… you work for him!” Sloane interjects.
“Uh… we kinda all do,” Ryker muses, clearly wanting the inside scoop.
A beautiful smile forms as her eyes meet mine. “When we met, we had no idea how small our worlds would be. Trust me… It’s way smaller than you think. We cut things off when we left Portland, neither knowing we’d end up in Seaside of all places.”
Before Lizzy says another word, I reach for her hand on the table, link it with mine, and show them exactly where I stand.
“I had no idea any of you were connected to Lizzy. Hell, I got the shock of my life when my mom picked her of all people as the top candidate to be Emilia’s nanny.
At the time, your sister and I made an arrangement to put our feelings aside for the summer…
and I swear on Emilia’s life… Nothing nefarious has happened between us since she started working for me. ”
“Look,” Lizzy says, regaining control of the conversation.
“I really like him. Sure, Cameron and I have a lot to work out, but nothing needs to be settled tonight. Seriously… you know as much as we do about where this is going… you can give me the tenth degree after Cameron and I have figured things out… but give us time to do that… Okay?” she trails off.
“Does Emilia know?” Sloane asks.
“Not yet,” I admit. “But when the time is right, she will.”
“That makes sense,” Lanie agrees.
“Look, I know this is an extremely unusual situation… Given you all work with me in one way or another. But I give you my word… I will always keep our professional lives professional. I won’t treat any of you any differently, and the decisions I make at work will reflect what needs to be done for the sake of the job. ”
Inhaling deeply, I search for the right words to explain everything adequately.
“From the day I met Elizabeth Lancaster, my life has flipped upside down. She’s not only captured my heart but has completely stolen my daughter’s, too.
I’ve tried like hell to deny my feelings, but now that she’s let hers be known, there’s no way I’m letting her go. ”
“Point taken.” Jax nods in understanding. “I’m, by no means, speaking for the rest of her family, but I for one appreciate your directness.”
Finn adds, “If Lizzy’s happy, then I’m happy… but I’ll give you the same warning I got when I started seeing Raven. It’s not the colonel you should worry about should shit go sideways… these sisters are a force to be reckoned with, and you can officially consider yourself warned.”
This makes the entire group burst into laughter, and any remaining tension dissolves instantly.
Grinning from ear to ear as she shakes her head, Lanie demands, “Enough with the heavy talk… we’ve got a birthday to celebrate!”
*****
“I thought we’d never make it home!” I growl between kisses as we fumble through my front door.
“No… kidding,” Lizzy pants as she claws the hem of my shirt, pressing her lips to mine. “Mmmm… Need… You.”
Running my hands along her back, I kiss along her jaw to that spot under her ear that drives her wild. “You’ve got me,” I promise on a deep exhale.
From the moment she claimed me with that kiss on the dance floor, an undercurrent of pent-up tension has been building between us. By the time we left the bar, I’m wound so tight, I might explode. I need this woman more than I need my next breath.
I nip, suck, and lick along her collarbone as her hands roam my body. Her silky-smooth skin makes me burn with desire. When I feel my shirt tug against my back, I reluctantly break our connection and hastily pull it over my head, then toss it to the floor.
Heat flows through me as I watch her eyes widen with hunger. My dick jumps in my jeans when I catch her tongue sliding along her lower lip.
Fuck, that’s sexy.
Memories of just how talented that tongue of hers is makes my cock grow even thicker. The vixen catches the movement and smirks in the most seductive way.
“If you’re gonna ogle, it’s only fair I get a show, too…” I warn.
“Wha…?” she starts, but I cut her off.
“Strip…” I challenge, toeing off my shoes. After I’ve kicked them aside, I add, “I wanna see that sexy ass of yours… naked. Start with your shirt.”
Forcing myself to remain frozen in place as she crosses her hands over her waist is torture. My pulse races when she reaches for the hem of her blue V-neck and slowly drags it over her head, revealing the sexiest royal-blue bra I’ve ever seen.
It’s the perfect contrast to her sun-kissed skin. It’s satin and lace and forms to the contour of her curves perfectly.
When she tosses her shirt on the floor beside mine, she stops and stares.
God, her tits are fucking perfect.
They’re round and full and heave with every breath she takes.
The longer I stare, the harder her nipples pucker through the sheer lace.
Groaning, I run a hand down my face.
When I can’t take it any longer, I step closer. “Fuck, you’re gorgeous, Elizabeth.”
A slow smile spreads across her face, and she darts her tongue along her lower lip, driving me wild. “You’re not too bad yourself, Cameron.”
The way my name rolls off her lips sends tingles racing up my spine, and my muscles contract in anticipation.
No one in this universe holds a candle to the woman before me.
Not only is she hot as hell and makes my cock turn to steel with just a simple look, her beauty shines from the inside out.
I know for a fact she gives as good as she gets, and I can’t wait to spend the night with her in my arms.
It takes everything in me to hold my ground and not devour her right this very instant. For the longest time, we just stare at one another, letting the tension between us grow so thick, I can barely breathe.
I’m one second away from throwing my patience to the wind and undressing her myself when she lifts a brow and challenges, “You gonna drop those pants of yours?”
Fuck, this woman might be the death of me.
But if it’s a game she wants, I’ll play along.
Slowly, I reach for the fly of my jeans and pop the button free.
I don’t miss the way her breath hitches as I torturously lower the zipper in a measured pace. My pulse thunders in my ears as I push the dark denim over my hips and let them drop to the floor. In only my boxers, I step out and challenge, “Your turn.”
After kicking off her shoes, she seductively mimics my motions, giving me the hottest strip tease imaginable.
Her jeans hug her curves. She adds the sexiest shimmy to get them over her hips before dropping them to the floor.
Standing there in her black high-cut cotton underwear and lacy blue bra, she grins adorably and takes my breath away.
All willpower disappears as my eyes roam over her.
“You’re fuckin’ perfect.”
But she’s still too far away. Reaching for her hip, I pull her closer.
The moment our lips touch, an inferno ignites.
Her arms fling around my shoulders, she fists my hair, and her lips crash onto mine. Standing to my full height, I pull her up my body until her legs wrap around my waist. Then, I kiss her back for all I’m worth.
She feels fucking incredible, and I can’t get enough.
I need more.
I want to devour her right here in the entryway, but the thought of licking every square inch of her on a soft bed has me hightailing it to my bedroom. Once we’re at the foot of my bed, I lean forward and lay her on the mattress, then stand to take this moment in.
Holy fucking hell, she’s breathtaking.
Splayed out on my bed, her soft, brown hair fans around her face, and her freckled cheeks are flushed. In this light, her hazel eyes look greener than I’ve ever seen before, and I’m mesmerized by the sexy smile playing at her lips.
When she starts shimmying up the bed to make room for me, I reach for her legs and stop her. “Not so fast, sweetheart,” I murmur, dropping to my knees. “I’ve waited way too long, not to taste every inch of you.”
Running my hand down her silky-smooth leg, I lift it slowly and kiss, lick, and suck my way to her inner thigh.
She squirms in anticipation when I reach her center, and it drives me wild.
I swipe my tongue along the edge of her underwear but skip right over the place I know she needs it most. She drags out my name as a plea just before I reach for her other leg and repeat the process.
“Cameron… please…”