Chapter Twenty-Four
The black hallway gave way to brilliant daylight, and cold air rushed over Amelia’s face like a menthol balm.
Fresh air had been so desperately needed that she almost pushed past Beth as they exited the warehouse.
Amelia’s cheeks and neck were hot. Her thoughts were unsteady.
Perhaps she was embarrassed, but more than that, she was na?ve and suddenly in a world that she’d only read about in sexy books.
A headache lingered at her temples. They traipsed across the well-kept parking lot—which made sense if rich people had their sex parties on site—and slid into the back seat of Beth’s Lexus. If only she could hide there. Please, please don’t let anyone talk to me.
Camden and Beth chatted as though they hadn’t been inside Esme’s house of sex.
Their voices faded away until all she could focus on was the box Esme had given them.
Yes, of course she enjoyed her private time with Camden.
And, yes, she’d been the one to initiate the conversation, to ask for what she wanted.
But Amelia was a vanilla, lights-off kind of girl, except for that time she asked him for what she wanted and that other time he’d pinned her to the wall and dropped between her legs.
But all that was in the realm of standard sexiness.
Blindfolds and feathers were simple but very much out of her comfort zone.
Did Beth know what was in the box? Amelia couldn’t even see it. Camden had tucked it safely out of view in the front passenger seat.
“Do you have a designer you like?” Beth asked.
Amelia jumped. “Uh.” She caught Beth glancing at her in the rearview mirror. “Me?” She wore a lot of department-store dresses that blended into the background of events. Her look was professional and unremarkable. No one was supposed to notice her at work. “No.”
“What about you?” Beth asked Camden.
He chuckled, seemingly unaffected by the mask and feather they’d been charged with exploring. “I wear whatever is provided for the job and don’t care who makes it.”
“Oh, come on. You two aren’t any fun.”
“I think we’re plenty of fun,” Camden drawled. “This might be the best gig I’ve ever had.” He glanced over his shoulder and winked. “You having fun?”
An instantaneous heat rocketed down her spine and into her cheeks. He must’ve noticed her blush and took it for an answer.
They were going to attend a party at which clothing was optional.
How would this help her find Hailey? Simple: Hailey attended clothing-optional parties.
Her sweet, introverted sister and responsible and quiet brother-in-law worked with a dominatrix.
They’d partied and played, and now Jonathan was dead. Was this a good idea?
The Lexus accelerated onto a highway. Camden messed with Beth’s dashboard until music flowed from the speakers.
He was at ease everywhere. Every person and conversation was effortless.
He would probably take his clothes off at a party if the situation worked for him.
Maybe he’d done so for work in the past.
She wanted to take her clothes off with him alone. She needed to feel his arms around her again. His touch erased the worries and grounded Amelia in a way she’d never known possible. She felt as if she could breathe in a new, better way.
Going to bed with Camden was more than she could have hoped for.
Now, they had a blindfold and feather to play with.
Chill bumps rushed down her back. He would know what to do.
She could close her eyes and let him work his magic.
Even better, they could both be active participants.
Again, he would know what to do. Warm thoughts rolled deep into her stomach, tightening desire in her core.
“Do you like full-length gowns or short and strappy?” Beth asked.
Amelia blinked hard. Beth checked the rearview mirror expectantly, waiting impatiently for her to answer. Dress discussions were the business at hand. They had an assignment—sort of. And Beth was ready to talk business. Amelia had to be too.
“I usually dress to blend in.”
“Doubt that’s possible, babe,” Camden tossed out as though Beth weren’t sitting next to him.
Her eyes flashed to him. “I work in event planning.” Fire ignited in her cheeks for the hundredth time. “I probably have a dress that would work if you can share details.”
Beth laughed. “Nothing will work if you try to blend in.” She glanced at her again in the mirror. “Do you like your hair better in updos or down?”
“Up and out of the way.”
Beth bobbed her head back and forth, contemplating options as she hummed. “Up and sexy. I have ideas.”
Amelia’s nerves skyrocketed and stayed stratospheric as Beth and Camden chatted calmly on the way back to their new safe house. He pointed at a highway exit advertising every store under the sun. “We need to make a pit stop.”
Amelia spotted the sporting goods store and understood where they were going. Knowing what had caught his eye made her smile. Twenty minutes later, he returned to their idling car with a football under his arm and a plastic bag in hand.
“Hungry?” He offered Beth a drink and a granola bar then handed Amelia the bag, which was filled with snack options. “Take this.”
Hunger wasn’t anywhere on her mind, but they hadn’t eaten in a while. She peeked at the options. He’d raided the shelves by the checkout area and, by the looks of it, bought one of everything.
“You need to eat, Amelia.”
He liked taking care of her. That made her insides feel gooey.
She decided on a chocolate peanut butter protein bar and bottled lemonade.
The first bite was unappetizing, or so she thought.
The truth was she was famished. By the time Beth dropped them off at their one-bedroom condo, Amelia had uttered a grand total of no more than ten words, but her blood sugar and sanity were within normal ranges.
Camden set Esme’s gift box on the coffee table. Just as in the car, no matter where in the small condo she walked, the box had her attention.
“You doing okay?” He tossed the football to himself and dropped onto the couch. “You’ve been pretty quiet.”
She side-eyed the box and tilted her head toward it. “You don’t feel like that thing is sucking the oxygen out of the room?”
His smile reached his eyes. Camden lofted the ball.
She caught it and tossed it back with far less amusement. “How did she know we slept together?”
“You’re gorgeous. How could I resist?”
God, could she stop blushing? His dark eyes burned as hot as she felt. Camden rolled the football between his hands then tossed it aside. “Amelia, come here.”
His voice rolled over her skin like the silk ties hidden in the box might. She shivered and moved to his side. Camden took her hand and tugged her gently onto his lap. “If you don’t want to, all you have to say is no.”
“I know.”
Camden brushed her hair off her shoulder and, with the tips of two fingers, gently touched her chin and directed her toward his face. His eyes warmed her insides. “You’re in control of everything. Dealing with Beth. Searching for your sister. Sleeping with me.”
Her heartbeat rushed. “I know—”
His finger caressed her bottom lip. “You’re in complete control.”
But she didn’t control the erratic drive of her heart, nor the way her insides came to life when he barely touched her.
Existing in the same space as him was an aphrodisiac.
Amelia let her eyes slip shut. His fingers drifted down.
Breathing became a chore. Her lips parted with a gasping exhalation, and pinpricks of shivers cascaded across her neck as he caressed her sensitive skin with fingertips down, down, down her neck—and pulling away.
“Anytime you want to stop, sweetheart, you tell me. It’s that simple. Do you understand?”
Yeah, she understood. Would he get back to business? She didn’t want to think about anything other than the way he made her come alive.
“Tell me with your words.”
“I understand,” she whispered. “I promise.” Could he please touch her again?
Camden inched back. The space between them grew as quickly as her desperation. But he melted her with that trademark smoldering gaze, reached for her, and pulled her down until they lay on the couch, face-to-face.
Amelia was a perfect fit against his body, as though they’d been sculpted to cradle one another.
His hand rested on her hip. Her leg rested on top of his.
His palm explored from her hip to her thigh, massaging and stroking the back of her leg.
His lips took hers and nipped the bottom one.
Shooting stars of need blazed a path through her insides.
She wanted his teasing kiss all over her body just like the night before.
She pressed herself closer. He kissed along her jaw and nuzzled against her neck.
“If you could do this,” she whispered, “until I forget everything, that would be amazing.”
His smile curved against her skin. Camden skirted his hand under the hem of her shirt. Goose bumps jumped, and a moan caught in her throat.
“Cam, the way you touch me…” So good. So right. He was so everything without trying to be.
Only in that moment did she realize that in the past, she’d cued up a mental list of to-dos while in bed that went something like “First kiss. Then touch. Neck kiss. Throat kiss. Chest touch. Remove clothes. Get to the good stuff. Be done with it all.” That wasn’t the case anymore.
His hypnotic ability slowed her mind to everything except them.
His touch feathered over her breast. Heat followed in its wake, a tingling awareness blooming under his fingertips.
Her nipple beaded and pressed against his hand.
A soft gasp escaped her lips, her back arching instinctively, seeking more.
She squirmed. Her skin prickled, hyperaware of every nerve ending as need coiled low in her belly.
Her pulse quickened, racing faster as he sinfully played.
“Lift up,” he said.