Chapter 27
Rafe
Lori’s charity event is taking place on Saturday night, and Cam, being the dutiful son he is, heads over early to help his mom. And by “help,” I mean he’s stopping her from freaking out at the volunteers.
These sorts of events have always been the bane of my social life, because they’ve forever been an excuse for Mom to dress me up and show me off with Laura.
Mom invited her tonight, and I’m not sure if it was out of habit or in hopes of getting us back together, but Laura declined, so it’ll be the first event I’ve been to without her that I can remember.
And when people ask where she is, I’m going to tell them we broke up. If that doesn’t get the word to spread, I don’t know what will.
My new plan for tonight is to hang out by the food and drink the night away with Campbell.
We chose matching suits to wear, and I’m even a little nervous as I change into mine, style my hair, and put on my cologne. Even though no one but us knows it, this is basically our first date in public, and I plan to steal all the touches and kisses that he’ll allow.
Sex might not be my thing, but being close to Cam is.
I drive to the town hall where Mom and Dad are already waiting, going over last-minute details with Lori and some of the other members of the town council.
Cam is across the room, leaning against a tall table with his arms crossed. He’s wearing the same navy dinner jacket and pink tie as me, and his light hair is a sexy tangled mess as usual. Thank God he left his hat at home.
His eyes look blue green in this light as he watches me approach.
“Fancy seeing you here,” I say.
“Wow, if I’d known you were coming, I would have dressed up or something.”
I drop my voice. “You look as gorgeous as when you left home.”
“Sorry to say”—he points at my outfit—“this is a definite downgrade.”
“Thanks,” I say flatly.
Cam shrugs. “What can I say? Naked is a good look on you.”
I laugh at my idiot. “Glad you think so.”
“It’s not like I’ve been subtle about it.”
“That’s true.” I prop my chin in my hand. “Will you stay with me tonight?”
“You don’t want to hang out with your friends?”
Tanner and Royce have tickets, and I think Auggie said he was getting some for him and Leon. “Of course I do. But I want you with me too.”
The look he gives me has me aching to kiss him. To take his hand or pull him close. “Tonight is going to be torture,” he whispers.
“I’ll reward you when we get home.”
Cam’s right, of course—the night is torture. Somehow we’re able to keep our hands to ourselves for the most part, but whenever no one is paying attention to us, I reach over to brush fingers with him, or to touch his back when I pass, or to lean in and whisper ridiculous things in his ear.
To his credit, Cam’s on his best behavior. He’s his usual overconfident self, but unlike me, he keeps hands off. I wish I could break him, but I get why he doesn’t want to cross any lines. With every lingering touch, it gets harder to pull away.
Servers are walking the room with trays of champagne, and even though I don’t really like the stuff, drinking is helping the night go faster.
Tanner and Royce hang out with Cam and me, and thankfully, Royce seems to be completely over his grudge. I didn’t blame him, but I’d be lying if I said I’m not happy to see that tension gone.
“Oh, hey, that’s me,” Tanner says, nodding toward the small platform where Dad has introduced him. “I’ll be right back.”
We watch on as Tanner takes to the makeshift stage and announces the prizes the fire department has donated for the auction. Tanner is in his element, giving something in order to make the town better. To make people happy. It’s always been his thing.
Dad has spread the auctions out over the course of the night, and just like with all the others, people stop to watch and bid. They go overboard in my opinion, but as long as they’re having fun and the money is spent well, who cares?
I empty another glass of wine and blink against the sudden burst of bubbles. It’s making me sleepy, and I find myself wondering whether or not I can sneak away when Dad calls Cam up onto the stage.
And holy shit I didn’t know he was still doing this.
I was willing to put money down that Cam would have talked his way out of being auctioned off, but after a quick fuck my life look in my direction, he heads toward Dad. Cam isn’t the first person to be auctioned off for a date tonight, but he is the first person I’ve cared about being auctioned.
“And here he is,” Dad says. “Our very own nurse, Campbell Taylor. He’s got a big heart and a bigger personality. Will we start the bids at fifty dollars?”
Oh. Hell. No.
I go to start forward, when Mom appears and loops her arm through mine, steering me away from Royce. “There you are, sweetheart. You can’t sit in the corner all night. Come on, let me introduce you to—”
“One hundred dollars,” someone says.
“One hundred and fifty.”
“Two hundred.”
No, no, nope. I know this is for charity. I know this is all a bit of fun, and that everyone knows Campbell is gay and the women and men bidding aren’t taking it seriously, but even though it’s harmless, him going on a date with someone else when I’m the one who wants to take him out isn’t fair.
I pull my arm from Mom’s. “Sorry, there’s something that needs my attention.”
“Where are you going?”
I don’t bother to keep my voice down as I walk away. “To bid on my boyfriend.”
I’m not sure if she says anything else as I approach the stage. He’s up to three hundred and fifty, but I’m not interested in getting into a bidding war. I have last month’s commission to blow through, and I’m sure as hell about to.
I lift my hand. “A thousand dollars.”
My bid does what I intended it to. The few people bidding immediately stop, and I get the attention on me that I wanted.
Tonight, I’d planned to make sure everyone knew Laura and I are over.
But apparently, they’re finding out about my relationship at the same time.
Sorry, Cam.
The time was right.
His eyes are huge as he stares down at me, but after a few beats of silence, he lets out a laugh.
“Ah …” Dad looks around. “Any other bidders?”
Of course there aren’t.
And even if there were, I’d be ready to outbid every one of them.
“Okay.” He points at me. “Sold …”
Cam leaves the stage, looking confused and slightly bewildered as he approaches, but he ignores the way people are watching his every move. “A thousand? Really?”
“Just making sure no one else thinks they have a chance with you.”
“Except everyone knows the auction is for fun.”
I smile and loop my hand around his tie when he’s close enough. “Maybe, but I wasn’t playing.”
“A thousand, Rafe? You’re going to start rumors.”
“Good.” I tug him closer. “Let’s start some more.”
Before Cam can try to come at me with logic, I press against him and brush our lips together. It’s more restrained than I want, but I lean into him, almost whimpering when Cam cups my face and kisses me back.
Knowing we have an audience has me pulling back too soon.
He brushes his thumbs over my cheeks. “That’s one way to get the word out.”
“Seemed good at the time.”
“You just couldn’t wait, could you?”
“You said you were okay with going public when we were sure this was it. I’m sure.”
“And how do you know I am?”
I almost laugh. “You’re right, you’ve done such a good job keeping it a secret.”
“Someone should make me a spy. Or a ninja. Yeah, definitely a ninja.”
“Would it kill you to concentrate? I’m trying to claim you, here.” I rest my forehead against his. “And I hated the thought of someone else getting to have a date with you when I’m dying to take you out and can’t.”
“You know the bidding was only up to three fifty, right? You heard that?”
“I wasn’t messing around.”
“Enjoy wasting that money, did you?”
“You’re never a waste.”
“Aww …” He strokes my cheek. “Ready to go home, baby?”
“So ready.”
“Good. I’m sure you mentioned something about a reward?”
“Spending a thousand dollars for your time wasn’t enough for you?”
“Oh, Rafael.” Cam wraps an arm around my shoulders as we head for the door. “All that proves is that you’re an idiot. You already get my time for free.”
I moan in protest at the constant tapping, and it takes me a minute of groggily blinking at the ceiling before I recognize the sound. Someone is knocking on the front door.
My fingers rake through the hair on Cam’s chest, and I press a kiss to his shoulder. “Someone’s knocking on your door.”
“They’ll come back later.” The knocking gets louder, and he sighs. “Fine, I’ll get up.”
I greedily drink in his long naked form as he leaves. “Ah, Cam?”
He shoots me a quizzical look, and I point at his ass.
“Pants.”
“Good idea.”
He grabs a pair of sweats and tugs them on as he walks out the door.
I hear murmurs from downstairs, and a minute later, Cam is calling for me.
Urg. We were having such a good sleep-in.
I grab a T-shirt and some shorts, then slowly make my way downstairs. It’s not until I reach the living room that I shake the tiredness.
“Mom?”
Cam walks back through with two coffees, and as he passes over mine, he hesitates. I lean in and give him a soft, quick kiss. This is his home—he’s not going to feel awkward here.
Mom takes her coffee from him with a soft thanks.
“What are you doing here?” I ask.
“Last night was … a shock.”
“A shock? Why?”
Her gaze flicks to Cam. “You’ve already moved on.”
“Once more without the judgment in your tone would be nice.”
“No judgment.” She quickly shakes her head. “You’ve just been with Laura so long … I never … I just …”
“We’ve been unhappy for a long time. A long, long time.”
Her forehead wrinkles under the force of her frown. “I never knew.”
“I told you.”
“All relationships have rocky moments, and you’ve always seemed so happy until recently.”
“Well, I wasn’t.” I take a seat on the couch opposite her, and Cam joins me, hand slotting into mine. “But I am now. I like Laura. I think she’s great—it was never about that. We just weren’t right for each other.”
“But you and Cam …”
“The most right I’ve ever felt.”
She takes a long breath. “I’m not sure what happened between you both when you were younger, but I saw it, Rafael. He did something to upset you, and you never got over it. Then with Laura, you were like yourself again.”
“Because she was a good friend. And Cam didn’t do anything. We grew apart. If anything, I hurt him.”
“How …”
Cam clears his throat. “I’ve been in love with Rafe since we were kids. He was my first and only.”
Her lips form the words love. “This isn’t just an experi—”
“No.” I cut her off because I’m not giving room for that thought to grow. “This is real. And it’s still too early, and there’s no way ever to know for sure, but if a forever person exists for me, it’s Cam.”
“Maybe this is a rude question,” Cam says. “But why aren’t you happy for him? It’s not hard to be supportive.”
“Excuse me? What do you think I’ve been doing all these years? I’ve done nothing but show my support for him and Laura, and now he’s telling me it was never real? If that wasn’t, how can I believe this is?”
“There’s a huge difference between support and pressure.”
“Pressure?” She lets out a hollow laugh and presses her hand to her forehead. “I wanted you to know how much I loved her. My parents were always so standoffish, I didn’t want that for you.”
“Well, you way overshot it.”
“So how do we fix this?” she asks.
“Well, first you accept that Laura and I are done. Second, stop talking about weddings and children and let me do things at my own pace.”
“I can do that.”
“Can you?”
“Yes.” Frustration crosses her expression. “I’m sorry for getting excited, but you also never said anything.”
“Because it’s hard to talk to you.”
“Well, I’m willing to try if you are.”
The knot I’ve held inside for so long starts to loosen. “Really?”
“Of course. You’re my baby. I love Laura, but I will always love you more. And if Cam makes you happy …” She spares a small smile his way. “I’m sure I’ll love him too.”
“Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me yet. But I’ll try.”