Chapter 12
“Have you done this before?” Cam asked between bites of his eggs.
Emma smeared butter on her pancakes. “Yeah, have you not?”
“No.” He pierced his sausage with his fork. They decided to load up on breakfast this morning because Henry had sent out a group text last night telling everyone to get their rest because he had booked them with ziplining today.
She looked up at him. “Really? That surprises me.”
“Why?” He was thankful they’d fallen back into their normalcy this morning. Last night, after they’d both showered and changed, room service had brought up their food and he could tell Emma was trying to avoid any further conversation. She even went as far as to turn on a movie while they ate.
He had only laughed and let her. However, he did earn an appreciative look of shock when he’d told her they could switch sleeping arrangements for the night. He let her have the bed and he took the couch, though his back and neck were now regretting that decision.
Any thoughts of tantalizing her more were quickly smothered by the sound of her snoring. He’d laughed at how fast she fell asleep after her head hit the pillow.
“I know your friend said you need adventure in your life, but from what I saw in your pictures, it looks like you already have a lot.”
He raised a brow. “And how many times have you looked me up online?”
She realized she told on herself and gave a small smile and a simple shrug. “I needed a quick way to find out who I was fake dating. It seemed to work well enough that first time.”
He laughed, swallowing another bite. “How many times have you looked at my profile?”
“Twice.” She smiled between bites, then said with a mouthful. “Maybe more.”
Cam grinned. “Well, as I’m sure you know, life online is not always the same as in person.”
It was her turn to arch a brow. “Things not good back home?”
He chuckled. “No, they are. Thankfully so. But lately, it’s been as if more and more of my friends and coworkers are settling down.” He thought for a moment. “I guess I’m in that phase of getting older where even though I have great friends, it takes more planning to get together and we can’t always do it as often. Before, we’d send a text or expect to see everyone at the same bar every Friday night. Then we’d plan a trip every few months or something.”
Cam took another bite before continuing, Emma still eating as she listened. “We still do those things whenever we have time, but typically we try to get together for dinner every other week and it’s harder to align schedules to vacation together. I think Nate was probably trying to live through my experiences while he works himself ragged lately,” Cam joked. “Which Katie has already lectured me to never listen to his advice again.”
Emma laughed at that. Cam had been telling her more and more about his friends the past couple of days. They sounded like her kind of people, all caring, fun, and didn’t take life too seriously. Then again, she’d never really allowed herself to get close to anyone outside of Lulu and her family, Aunt Mel, and her ex.
The thought hit her like a gust of wind. It was true, she realized. She’d never been good about letting people in. Allowing them to get too close. Interesting.
“I have a feeling Katie is probably right on this one,” she said.
He nodded dramatically then laughed. “Honestly though, it’s not been too bad.”
The statement sent a single butterfly floating through her stomach. She’d done her best to avoid any of the flirting from last night.
“Do you have your phone on you?” Cam asked.
She looked at him questioningly. “Yeah?”
He rolled his eyes. “Don’t look so worried,” he joked. “Can I look at your profile? It seems only fair. Besides, we should probably be following each other like a normal boyfriend and girlfriend.”
Emma knew the feeling that panged her was disappointment as she pulled her phone out. She’d scrolled his photos more times than she would admit, and yet he hadn’t even bothered to look her up. This was all the more reason why the intense heat of last night was a bad idea.
She handed over the phone and Cam took it from her with a grin. “Password?”
She told him and then watched as he found the app he was looking for.
“You’re awful trusting to let me have full access.”
She took a drink of orange juice. “I’m not worried. I have nothing to hide.”
“No nudes?”
“Nope.”
“No embarrassing messages?”
“None. I’m an open book.”
“Too bad,” he joked, earning a smile from across the table. Damn, he enjoyed those smiles, though he tried not to let her know he was paying that close attention. Instead, his lips spread into a grin as he opened Instagram and saw his face pop up on the screen. “Looky there,” he said while turning the phone around.
Emma started to lean forward to see then instantly realized what was on the screen. Shit, she’d forgotten she’d been looking at his profile yesterday to waste time while waiting for Lulu to come out of a store.
She made a face to suggest she wasn’t embarrassed and shrugged her shoulders. “I’ve got to do research,” was her only response.
“Mhmm,” he replied. “I think you just like seeing me shirtless in my summer photos.”
“Please, I get enough of that here.”
“Don’t act like you don’t enjoy the view,” his voice lowered, caressing down her cheek and neck from across the table. “I saw you eating me up with those chocolate eyes.”
“Like the way you were trying not to drool on me in the pool?” she countered back.
He leaned forward, holding her gaze with his. “It’s not my fault you were leaning into me like you couldn’t get enough.” Her nostrils flared, a slight movement that set him on fire.
“You keep telling yourself that,” she countered. “I was just making it look real.”
“Oh?”
She shrugged and leaned back, like someone without a care in the world. “Don’t get your hopes up, Cam. I’m a good actress, that’s all.”
He leaned back too, giving her one last look before turning his attention back to the phone in his hand, clicking the little follow button for her. “Well, I guess I better step up my game today. I’d hate for us to fail because I wasn’t living up to your skill set.”
Though Emma looked relaxed and in control, she felt anything but. That comment felt like a promise and she wasn’t sure she could handle the full attention and impact of being treated like Cameron Wright’s girlfriend.
◆◆◆
“I’m so excited,” Lulu said as she tightened her harness straps the way their instructor had shown them.
Cam lifted his arms overhead as he gave a stretch. The bus ride had been comfortable, but he was ready to be moving again.
“It’s going to be a blast.” Emma stepped into her leg straps.
Asher approached them with his gear. He turned toward Henry. “What made you decide on ziplining?”
Henry scratched his chin, then shrugged. “I saw it listed as one of the activities to do here and thought why the hell not? It sounded fun.”
Cam chuckled and nodded. “Sounds like a good enough reason.”
“I actually booked this the first night we got here, but didn’t want to tell anyone in case they tried backing out.” Henry gave Lauren a pointed look.
“Don’t look at me,” she laughed. “I’m down for having fun.”
“But what if it messes up that beautiful hair before you snap a photo?” Lulu teased.
Lauren shoved her sister lightly. “I don’t give you shit for your job, so don’t give me shit for mine.”
Emma tossed her arm over Lauren’s shoulder and spoke conspiratorially. “You know she’s only on edge because poor Dan got smart enough to leave the pool before the rest of us.”
Henry turned away. “I don’t want to hear anything,” he said as he left them to their shenanigans and went to talk to the instructor.
Emma let out a bark as Lulu tossed her helmet at her. “Shut up. You heard him say he had plans, but we’re meeting for dinner tonight.”
“Ooh la la,” Emma taunted, causing Cam to laugh at the immaturity and carefree nature of it. “Lulu’s got a date. Lulu’s got a date,” she sing-songed.
Cam and Asher both laughed and shook their heads as both Emma and now Lauren, too, began chanting it at Lulu.
“I don’t know why I put up with either of you.” Lulu went back to her straps, purposely ignoring them.
“Because you love us.” Emma wrapped her arms around her friend and brought her in for a big hug. “And you’re stuck with us, so there’s that.”
Lulu laughed.
“You’re up next,” their guide said from where Henry was still standing next to him.
The group on the platform had thinned out, which meant it was about their turn. Cam slid his harness on and tightened it, then put his helmet on his head. He saw Emma finishing with the last of her strap, and he went to bend down to pick up her helmet from the ground.
When she stuck her hands out for it, he ignored them and placed it on her head, leaning forward as he began adjusting the straps under her chin.
“I can do my own helmet, you know,” she whispered to him.
He gave her a wicked grin as he leaned in close, his back toward their group, watching as her eyes grew wider. Whenever he could feel her breath across his lips, he whispered back. “Yeah, but if I let you do that, I wouldn’t be doing a good enough job acting, now would I?”
He leaned back before she could comment, and he was very aware of the eyes on them. Emma quickly recovered her composure, likely realizing what that looked like to everyone else as well.
Before she could say anything, the guide was leading the way for them to climb the platform and she felt Cam’s rough and solid hand slide into her own, his touch feeling like having something returned that she didn’t know was lost.
She quickly shut that idea out of her mind, but the butterfly from breakfast returned with friends as he squeezed her hand and she saw that devilish grin cross his face.
Oh, he was enjoying this, she realized. Well, two could play at that game, she decided.
She returned the squeeze, then gave him a mischievous smile of her own. Game on, Emma thought as they approached the platform where they’d zipline from.
Once they were all up there, their instructor went over the details again, first double-checking that everyone did indeed put their gear on correctly.
Emma could feel the buzz set in, the tingly sensation that coursed through her each time she did something exciting. She’d learned that experiences like this gave her the kind of giddy joy that she didn’t get anywhere else.
Whereas Lulu enjoyed drinking anyone under the table and dancing all night for days on end, it was this kind of fun that Emma craved. She’d rather wake up in the dark, drive several hours, and hike miles to catch a beautiful sunrise. Or spend months on end planning and saving for a trip that included an itinerary that would take her skiing, exploring snow-covered mountainsides, and then spending her afternoons in a cafe with a coffee and a good book.
When the guide asked who wanted to go first, she stepped forward, her excitement like a bubbling energy that was going to spill out if she didn’t start soaring over St. Croix’s rainforest soon. However, that much-welcomed buzz came to a crashing halt when Asher stuck his hand out in front of her and spoke up.
“Maybe we should let one of the guys go first,” he said.
“Why?” The question came out rude, and for the first time, she didn’t care what people thought of her in comparison to being left behind for Lauren.
He let his hand drop, unfazed by her tone. “To make sure it’s all good.” His response was simple and some might even call him a gentleman for it, but all Emma wanted to call him was an ass. Which she was close to doing if it weren’t for Cam stepping up next to her and putting his arm around her shoulder.
“Nah,” Cam spoke up. “If anyone should make sure all is good for the rest of us, it should be Emma. Besides the fact that she’s the most experienced”–not to mention that they just witnessed seven people go down the line just fine, but he didn’t waste his breath on that–“I may need her to catch me on the other side,” he said with a wink at his pretend girlfriend, who he noticed looked like she might shove Asher over the edge at any moment.
“You’re up,” Henry said to Emma, his tone having that no-nonsense the matter is decided seriousness to it.
She nodded, stepping forward and out of Cam’s embrace. He ignored the cool that set in beside him on this hot summer day where she’d previously been. Instead, he stood there and watched as the guide hooked her to the line and he could practically feel the electricity humming off of her.
Emma was like a goddess meant for adventure, he realized, her dark hair braided back, her shoulders the most relaxed he’d ever seen and she was full of vim and vigor. When she looked back at them, her eyes landing on his, and that smile one of the widest he’d ever seen before she saluted and took off, he felt the irreversible impact it had on his heart.
Yes, he watched with a protective intensity as she went sailing over the life-ending drop of that canopy of trees, but unlike Asher, he knew you didn’t put a woman like Emma in a cage to wilt. You let her bask in her drive and joy for life, and then you buckled up and hung on as you dove in beside her.
Which was exactly what he planned to do as he cut off Lulu who tried to go next. If anyone was going to witness the unleashed happiness coursing through that beautiful woman at the end of this cable, it was going to be him.