21. Cameron
Cameron
It was late when Cam got back that night and the apartment was dark apart from a few pools of soft light.
There were plates that had been used for dinner drying on the rack by the sink.
He cursed. So much for wowing Mary by taking her out to dinner.
Hadn’t he brought her here to continue their hook-up?
Not to end up working late and leaving her to cook her own dinner.
All was silent. He had a momentary lurch of wondering if she was even still here.
He went upstairs and relief flooded his gut when he saw a shape on his bed. He went closer, shucking off his jacket and throwing it onto a chair. She was on her back, still wearing her jeans and top, clearly having fallen asleep.
After all, they hadn’t slept much the night before and it was now the middle of the night, Irish time.
As if sensing him, she stirred and opened her eyes, blinking a little. He sat down on the bed beside her and she looked at him, eyes widening.
‘I didn’t want to startle you.’
She came up on one elbow. ‘I lay down for a second, I must have dozed off. I wasn’t sure which room to pick ...’
Cam leant forward and pressed a kiss to her mouth before pulling back. ‘You’re in exactly the right place.’
‘Did you eat?’ she asked. ‘I hope you don’t mind, but I made something for myself.’
‘I didn’t mean to neglect you like this, I had intended on taking you out for dinner.’
She shrugged minutely. ‘It’s fine. I enjoyed cooking up some pasta. I could do some for you if you like.’
He shook his head. ‘I had takeout at the office.’
Her mouth made a little moue. ‘Now that’s not very healthy, is it?’
This kind of banter was unprecedented for Cam, as was inviting a lover to stay with him, but he hadn’t even thought twice about it. He liked finding Mary on his bed. The thought of her somewhere else was not an option.
Something she’d said earlier had lingered all day. ‘I’m sorry you don’t have your folks to share in your success.’ For a moment, he’d desperately wanted to spill his guts to her, tell her the whole sorry story. Because he knew she’d get it, even though her experience had been different.
He’d never really felt that need before but it was as if she’d touched on a wound, making it throb a little.
And something else – seeing her here against the backdrop of this admittedly quintessential bachelor-pad penthouse apartment was making Cam see it with new eyes.
He realised he’d never really felt comfortable here. It had always felt empty. Lonely.
Wanting to punish her a little for causing such introspection, he reached out and put a hand on her waist, fingers relishing the feel of her curves. She made it less empty, that was for sure. Less lonely? prompted a little voice. Cam ruthlessly ignored it.
‘How are you feeling since earlier?’
She looked shy again. ‘I’m fine ... I think I just had a ... moment.’
He knew. She’d caused him to have a moment ever since he’d laid eyes on her. ‘Do you feel like fooling around a little?’
She grinned. ‘Fooling around?’
‘Yeah, you know, making out ... I promise we won’t go past second base.’ He said this as he found the bottom of her top and then soft bare skin, sliding his hand up over her waist until he could cup the heavy, plump weight of her breast.
He pulled the lacy cup of her bra down and thumbed her nipple, making it come to life, hardening into his fingers and palm. He could taste it already and his mouth watered.
She lay back, eyes wide and breath coming in little pants. ‘All right, then, but don’t go too far, OK?’
Cam took his hand off her and efficiently divested himself of his own clothes before coming back on the bed and dispensing with Mary’s layers, with her help, lifting her hips to shimmy off her jeans, unhooking her bra and tossing it aside. A bubble of lightness rose up inside Cam.
He grabbed the protection he’d taken out of a drawer and rolled it onto his already hard body, saying, ‘Oh, don’t worry, little lady, I’ll be sure to stop before things get too far.’
‘I’m not little,’ Mary said, sounding almost defensive.
Cam looked at her and moved between her legs, spreading them with his own. He knelt before her, feeling for a second like he was about to worship before a queen.
He cocked his head a little and tried to ignore the way his actual cock was twitching with the need to be sheathed in her hot, tight body.
He could see the glistening folds of her sex in his peripheral vision.
For a second, he had a superstitious notion that if he actually looked directly at her there he might turn to stone. So he didn’t.
He let his gaze move over her, taking in the wide hips, soft belly, a waist he could span in one hand, and then up to the – frankly – mind-blanking beauty of the most luscious breasts he’d ever seen, tipped by those brown nipples, making his palm itch to squeeze one generous mound of flesh ...
but he forced his gaze up to her face and traced over the delicate jaw, the full lips of her mouth, straight nose, huge brown eyes. High cheekbones.
‘No,’ he said. ‘You’re not little – what you are is a lot stunning and sexy, and sensual, and so mind-bendingly beautiful that I can’t think straight when I look at you.’