22. Cameron
By the time I return from the bathroom with a warm, wet washcloth, Lizzy’s fast asleep. She’s lying on her back, practically in the same position I left her just moments ago.
“Hey, Liz,” I whisper, brushing loose strands of hair from her face.
“Hmmm,” she moans but doesn’t open her eyes.
“Let me wash you up,” I suggest, leaning in and kissing her cheek.
Having no barriers between us is fucking phenomenal.
I’ve never gone without a condom, but I think our intense connection has everything to do with my feelings for Elizabeth, rather than being without one.
Unfortunately, the aftermath of letting myself come inside her is much messier. I need to take care of this.
“Babe?” I ask, hoping she’ll wake, but it’s no use.
When she still doesn’t respond, I quickly use the warm washcloth between her legs.
“Hmmmm…. Thank you,” she moans, then curls in on her side once I finish.
Glancing at the clock, I’m relieved to find I’ve still got hours until my sister’s due with Mills. There’s plenty of time to crawl in with her and take a nap.
Reaching for my phone to set an alarm, I realize it’s nowhere in sight.
Fuck, where did it go?
Hopefully, I didn’t miss a call from my sister.
Hell, it had better not be dead.
Quickly retracing our steps from last night, I search for my phone.
God, that strip tease was one of the hottest things of my existence.
As I make it to the hallway, I can’t help but laugh at the scene we left behind in our haste to get to my bedroom.
“Holy shit, it’s like a reverse scavenger hunt.”
I make quick work of picking up our discarded clothes. There’s a sock here, a shoe there. Eventually, I get to the foyer where I find what I’m looking for—my jeans.
With an armload of laundry, I fish through my pocket and drop my keys and wallet in the bowl where I usually keep them. When I finally get to my phone, I’m relieved to see the battery is at eighteen percent and most importantly, I haven’t missed a call.
When I finally return to my room, I’m relieved to find Lizzy hasn’t moved a muscle. I quickly pick up the clothes from in here, putting mine in the hamper and neatly folding Lizzy’s, then placing them on the dresser.
Before climbing into bed, I set my alarm and place it on my charger.
Pulling back the covers on my side, I slide into bed behind her.
My bed smells of her. Sexy and sweet with a hint of vanilla spice.
Her warmth makes the soft sheets even more inviting.
I can’t remember the last time I just snuggled with a woman.
Sliding an arm under her pillow, I pull her against my chest.
Her soft, silky skin feels heavenly against mine.
Instinctually, she slides closer, grabbing my free arm, and snuggles into it.
I swear, I’m not trying to be sexual, but our bodies fit as if she was made for me. She pulls my hand until my elbow rests comfortably over her hip, and my forearm lays between her perfect breasts along her sternum. She’s hugging my arm, and my hand rests with ease, cupping her cheek.
I’m not sure I’ll be able to sleep, but feeling her breath against me, my body relaxes. Closing my eyes, I focus on matching my breathing to hers. She’s so soft and warm. I don’t ever want to let her go.
*****
The whir of a garage door opening has me bolting up in bed.
Frozen in place, I take a moment to process what I’m hearing.
Yes. That’s the garage door.
But who’s here?
“What’s wrong?” Lizzy croaks.
Ignoring her, I reach for my phone.
“Shit, I’ve missed three calls.”
Swiping it open, I find they’re all from my sister, along with a few texts. Apparently, my phone’s been on silent.
“Fuck, Emilia’s home,” I say, bolting from the bed as if my ass is on fire. “We need to get dressed.”
Rushing to my dresser, I quickly grab a pair of sweats and hastily pull them on, then grab the first t-shirt I can get my hands on.
“Where are my clothes?” Lizzy whisper shouts frantically as she stands and looks around the room. It would almost be comical if I weren’t in pure panic mode.
There’s no way I want Emilia, or my sister for that matter, finding out I’m with Lizzy by walking in on us naked in bed.
“Right here,” I say, tossing them to her.
“Wh… what do you want me to do?” she says as she hops up and down, pulling her jeans on.
Pausing at the door, I grin. “Get dressed, Beautiful. I’ll buy you a few minutes, but it looks like you’re meeting my sister today. Oh…” I gasp when I fully take her in, “You… Uh… May wanna do something with your hair.”
Frantically, she pats it down, but it does nothing to tame it. “What? Why?”
Triumphantly, my chest puffs out. “You look as if you’ve been completely ravaged in the best possible way.”
Her jaw drops to the floor, and she chastises me properly, “Cameron!”
“Dadddyyy! I home!!!” I hear Milli call through the house, and the pounding of her feet follows.
Running a hand through my own hair, I grin. “I’ll intercept my speed demon.”
Lizzy’s frozen in place, jaw hanging open.
Taking two quick strides to close the distance between us, I quickly pull her in for the briefest of kisses. “It’ll be okay, Liz. Just take your time.”
Pointing to the en suite bathroom, I teasingly pop my hand against her ass. “Go. Make yourself look less ravaged, woman.”
With that, I quickly step out of my room, shutting the door behind me.
Emilia rounds the corner, just as I reach the end of the hall. “Daddy!” Her eyes are wide as she launches herself into my arms. “I missed you!”
Pulling her in for a hug, I admit, “I’ve missed you, too, love bug.”
Pulling back, she squishes my cheeks between her chubby hands. “Where were you?”
Walking further away from my bedroom, I say, “In the bathroom. What are you doing here?”
“We tried calling,” my sister adds once she’s in view.
“Sorry. I think my phone was silenced.”
Looking me over, my perceptive sister smirks. “Obviously.”
“Everything okay?” I ask when her eyes narrow.
“I should ask you the same thing,” she says in return.
Shit. She knows something’s up.
“Silly Daddy!” Milli shouts, shaking her head.
“What?” I lean in and boop her on the nose. “What’s silly?”
Poking me in the chest, she states, “Your shirt’s upside down.”
“Upside down?” I ask, glancing at it for the first time.
“I think she means inside out,” Megan deadpans as her eyes narrow perceptively. “What did you do, get dressed in the dark?”
Well, fuck. I was so worried about Lizzy, I never looked at myself. “I guess I wasn’t paying attention.”
“Obviously.” She snorts like only an older sister can. Then her perceptive eyes look me over closer. “Having a lazy weekend?” Something behind me draws her attention, and her face turns into a wide grin, and she rolls her eyes.
Milli squirms in my arms, and excitement rolls off her in waves as she yells, “My Iz! You’re here!”
The moment Milli’s feet hit the floor, she races to Lizzy like she’s the most special person on the planet.
Same kid. Same. I light up like that when she enters the room, too.
Lizzy bends just in time to scoop my daughter into her arms. Squeezing her in a tight hug, she asks, “Hey, Mills! Did you have a good time with your Aunt Megan?”
“I did. I saw the princesses on ice and went to the zoo!”
Lizzy’s interest is genuine when she asks, “What was your favorite?”
“I love Rapunzel. Her dress is bea-u-ti-ful,” She drags it out into several syllables.
“I’m sure it is,” Lizzy agrees. “What about the zoo? What kind of animals did you see?”
“I saw the giraffes. They have loooong necks that go way up here.” She reaches as high as she can into the sky. “It was a lot of walking. There were also otters, like here. You know… The ones that clap when we visit?”
“You mean the ones at the aquarium?” Lizzy clarifies. “I haven’t seen any along the beach, have you?”
Milli’s eyes widen in shock. “They live on the beach, too?”
Oh, how I’ve failed my child.
“Technically, yes. But it’s rare,” Lizzy quickly explains. “I think some were spotted in Cannon Beach last year, but I never saw them.”
“Can we see them again?” Milli pleads, looking from Lizzy to me.
“Not today, Mills. Aunt Megan is here, and you’ve already had enough adventures for the weekend.”
“She’s not the only one who had adventures,” my sister mutters so that only I can hear as she steps beside me.
I don’t dare look at Megan, as I’d hate to draw attention to her comment and embarrass Lizzy.
“My Iz take me, Daddy?” Milli asks, drawing my attention back to her.
“I can take you after swimming one day this week,” Lizzy promises.
Stepping around me, my sister approaches Lizzy. “Hi. I’m Megan. You must be Iz.” My sister looks pointedly from Lizzy to me and back to her. “Milli’s told me so much about your adventures together this summer.”
Shit. I didn’t introduce them—and she’s obviously wishing I’d told her more.
“I’m sorry, Megan. This is Elizabeth Lancaster… or Lizzy as she prefers to be called. Mills claims her as My Iz, as you can see.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Lizzy.” Megan reaches out and shakes her hand.
“Nice to meet you, too.” Lizzy smiles, setting my squirming daughter on the floor. “Are you staying in Seaside long?”
“Just until tomorrow. I’m flying out of PDX on the red eye to JFK.”
“Cameron said you were a pilot. Do you live in Portland, too?” Lizzy asks with interest.
“No. I live in Denver. But I like to see these two as often as I can. Though, it’s much easier when they lived closer to a major airport.”
“Not all of us have the luxury of being a jet-setter,” I mumble. “I might be out in the sticks, but Seaside’s not as bad as I thought it would be. In fact, it’s growing on me.”
“Oh, I’m sure it is.” Megan smirks and glances to Lizzy again.
Yeah, I don’t miss her double meaning.
She wouldn’t be my older sister if she didn’t pitch me shit. Even now, I’m relentless when I meet any guy she dates. I may be her younger brother, but I’ve always kept an eye on her and inserted myself when needed.
I will neither confirm nor deny an incident that involved hopping over the back of a couch to separate my sister and her high school boyfriend while they were watching a movie. Megan was pissed for weeks and never lets me hear the end of it.
What can I say? She’s my sister, and I’m the protective asshole brother when the role needs to be filled.
I’m brought out of my trip down memory lane when Milli shrieks, “I go potty!” then starts for the hall.
“Need help?” Lizzy offers out of habit, I’m sure.
“I got it,” I volunteer, but Milli stops me.
Stomping her foot stubbornly, she demands, “I want My Iz, Daddy. I miss her.”
“What am I? Chopped liver?” I grumble before thinking better of it.
Don’t get me wrong, I love Emilia’s connection with Lizzy, but it doesn’t mean she should be on butt duty—especially on her day off. Turning to Lizzy, I assure her, “I can take care of this.”
Lizzy waves me off. “No. It’s not a problem. I’ve got this. Enjoy this time with your sister.”
My heart squeezes tight in my chest as I watch Lizzy disappear down the hall, effortlessly chasing after my daughter. From the moment we met, I’ve felt a strong connection to her, and witnessing their bond only hits me in the feels harder.
“Bro, you’ve got it bad.” My sister sighs once Lizzy’s out of earshot.
“What are you talking about?” I ask dismissively.
“First, I’ve never seen you look at anyone the way you’re looking at her.
Not even Olivia, that girl in high school you were crushing on for years.
I know for a fact Milli loves her with all her heart.
She couldn’t stop talking about her the entire weekend.
Not to mention that Mom raved about her when you first hired her. ”
“But…” I draw out, waiting for the other shoe to drop.
“But…” Megan mimics, drawing it out longer for emphasis. “You need to be careful. You know you shouldn’t shit where you eat.”
“It’s not like that,” I quickly spit out.
“What’s it like then, Cameron? I’ve never taken you as the fall for the nanny guy . You’re smarter than that and more importantly, I’m not dumb. I’m sure you’re not celibate, but since Emilia was born, you’ve never brought a girl around either.”
“It’s not what you think,” I grunt out defensively. “Lizzy and I have a past—that I’ll explain after Emilia goes to bed. But I swear on my daughter’s life, nothing has happened again until this weekend.”
“If shit goes sideways, it could be disastrous,” Megan points out. “Mom told me how hard it was for you to find a nanny in the first place. Milli already thinks she walks on water. Are you sure you want to risk this for whatever is going on between the two of you?”
I love my sister, and I know she means well. But she can’t be further from the truth with her assumption.
“Look, it’s still new but rest assured, I’m not looking to fuck things up anytime soon. I know what’s at stake for both Milli’s and my heart. Trust me, I’ve tried to stay away but after reconnecting this weekend, that’s just not an option.”
“So, what’s different, Cameron?” Megan asks, all sense of censure gone.
“That’s a good fucking question,” I muse more for myself than her.
Megan’s eyes fill with concern as she waits for me to come to my own conclusion.
Sighing heavily, I admit, “Fuck, you’re right. I was a player before Emilia. But you know as well as I do, the moment she entered my life, it’s always been her needs above mine.”
“You’re an incredible father, Cam,” Megan assures me, squeezing my arm.
“The thing is…” Shit, how do I put my feelings into words? “Elizabeth Lancaster is the first person ever to make me feel like I want more with someone.”
“Cameron, she’s young … And your child’s nanny ,” Megan points out. “This could really end badly… For all of you.”
“It could end badly…” I admit. “But the thing is, Megs, I don’t think it will. Like I said, Lizzy and I have a history. But I swear, I didn’t know the only person who’s caught my attention in my entire adult life was the top person Mom chose to be Emilia’s nanny.”
“You like her,” Megan states matter-of-factly. There’s no judgement, just truth in her words.
“Megs, I’m pretty sure I more than like her. I’ve been falling for her for months, and it took her claiming me last night to finally act upon it. She’ll only be our nanny through the end of summer. We have a lot to work through, but I’m certain she’s worth it.”
“Wow,” Megan whispers in awe. “I never thought I’d see the day.”
“You and me both, Megs.” I sigh heavily. Then a new thought hits like a ton of bricks. “Elizabeth Lancaster is special. Even though I know the risks are high, I’m certain I’d have even more regrets if I didn’t take a chance on her.”