Chapter 14
IZZI
Izzi had hung her pyjamas and Cameron’s soggy coat in the utility room next to the two from last night and was sitting in the kitchen wrapped in his dressing gown feeling snug as she inhaled its spicy cinnamon scent and tingles fizzed across her skin.
She was naked under the fluffy towelling again and could feel a low buzz of awareness humming in her body as her mind kept drifting back to her dream.
She’d checked the garden a couple of times, seen a light on in the cabin bedroom and guessed Cameron had returned to the house to pick up his tools when she’d been upstairs.
It had been difficult to see or hear anything above the roar of the storm, but she imagined she’d heard banging.
Knew he wouldn’t appreciate her going to help, so couldn’t do much more than wait it out.
She jumped up from her comfy spot on the barstool when Cupcake finally scampered into the kitchen, shook himself and launched into his bed, then she watched Cameron slowly follow him in.
He was soaked and still wore only his boxers, which were now clinging to his hips, emphasising everything they were supposed to be covering.
Her eyes glued themselves to his large length – his long, hard length – and she gulped, her eyes widening. Wasn’t he supposed to be cold?
Cameron cleared his throat and she quickly grabbed the fuzzy terracotta bath sheet she’d brought from upstairs and offered it, trying not to ogle him as he quickly dried off and then wrapped it low on his hips.
Izzi breathed out slowly as her eyes seemed to glue themselves to his chest and she watched an errant trickle of rain slide down his stomach into the dark ruffle of hair that arrowed into the top of the towel.
He looked better than she’d imagined in the dream and she nibbled her bottom lip, then heard him suck in a breath.
When she forced her eyes upwards, he was staring at her, his irises black and intense. ‘See something interesting?’ he asked, his voice growly and a little amused.
‘I, um.’ Izzi pressed her hands to her suddenly hot cheeks. ‘I—’ She glanced over her shoulder. ‘Should probably go back to the cabin now?’ It came out as a question, and she wondered if she was subconsciously giving Cameron a choice.
Stay or go, kiss me or don’t, devour me, ravish me, do whatever the hell you want with me – what would he choose?
He gave her a dark look and shook his head slowly.
‘I stopped the roof leaking, but it’s only temporary.
The cabin isn’t fixed enough to sleep in.
’ His eyes bored into hers. They were liquid pools of heat, and she could see goosebumps dancing across the surface of his skin.
Doubted it was because of the cold because the same thing was happening to her.
‘Soooooo.’ She frowned and her eyes dipped to his mouth.
‘So you’ll need to stay here in my house,’ he said and she knew he was still focused on her because she could feel the scorch from his stare. It was like she’d been sitting in the sun for hours and she tipped her head up to meet his gaze. Felt the warmth of it on her cheeks.
‘In—’ She wanted Cameron to tell her he wanted her in his bed. Knew he’d probably only been seconds away from doing exactly that earlier when they’d been eating.
But she’d got cold feet. Had broken the mood before going to bed and wrapping herself around him in her dreams. The memory flooded her mind and her mouth went dry. She tried to remember all the reasons why this was a bad idea.
She was keeping secrets from him. She’d be leaving Honey Haven in three months – although he’d probably grow bored of her before then and break her heart.
Her aunt Regina had always hated her, and Izzi hadn’t felt like anyone had loved her since her mother died.
It bothered her that she still hadn’t shared about her mystery relative.
If he found out, he’d think she was lying.
But her body didn’t seem to care. It wanted Cameron.
Wanted him with a ferocity she’d never experienced.
She should be afraid, but she’d been lost before, been alone since she was twelve – so the idea of letting someone in, of enjoying the moment when she could, made perfect sense. Life was painful, you had to grab the good when you could.
She wondered if Cameron knew what he was doing to her because it took him a full half minute to respond to her question.
When he did, he dropped his gaze to the dressing gown and she wondered if it was gaping open.
If he wished it was. ‘I’ve got a spare room I can make up,’ he said awkwardly. He didn’t look happy about the idea.
‘That won’t be necessary,’ she blurted. ‘I mean, well.’ She scrubbed a hand over her face, let out a long breath and checked her watch. ‘I need to be at work in less than two hours. I don’t want to put you to any trouble.’
The comment was ridiculous considering she’d already got him out of bed to tell him about the leak.
Not to mention the fact that he’d just spent half an hour outside fixing the roof wearing nothing but his underwear.
Considering he was wet, probably freezing and…
‘You should go to bed, if you’re tired.’
He gave her a half-smile and the intensity of it made her insides swirl.
‘I’m not tired anymore, Izzi. Not even a little.
I can stay up with you if you like?’ He moved around the breakfast bar, putting distance between them.
Distance she didn’t want. ‘Coffee?’ he asked, opening the cupboard where she knew he kept the instant.
‘How about I make us something more palatable?’ She skirted around the counter until she was standing beside him, close to the pristine coffee machine she suspected he’d never used. She hadn’t used it either, but it was similar to the one in the Candy Apple Café, so she’d be able to figure it out.
‘Why don’t you?’ His voice was rough. ‘Maybe you can teach me how to use it too.’ He nodded at the machine, or it might have been at her, she wasn’t entirely sure. ‘Seems crazy having something this perfect in front of me and not—’ He paused. ‘Touching it.’
She turned to stare at him, then made a surprised choking sound. ‘Um, I couldn’t agree more,’ she gulped, giving him a wide-eyed look and trying to communicate with her eyes that she was talking about him.
He turned then and folded his arms, scouring her so thoroughly that she stopped breathing for a moment.
‘What’s happening here, Izzi?’ His voice was raw, maybe even a little vulnerable.
‘Because I might be wrong, but I feel like something is and I don’t want to play games.
Things will be better if we’re upfront.’ He swallowed and for a moment she thought he was going to back away; instead, he scrubbed a hand through his hair, leaving it spiky and ruffled, like he’d just got out of bed.
‘Well, I…’ Should she tell him she wanted him? Tell him she’d dreamed about him and wanted to make it real?
‘We kissed yesterday and I wanted more,’ Cameron continued his voice gravelly.
‘I thought you did too and I know it was me who pulled away.’ His eyes narrowed.
‘But then today, this evening I thought…’ His eyes darted to the breakfast bar where they’d been sitting earlier, and she knew exactly what he was thinking. ‘You were staring at me and…’
‘I got nervous and ran,’ she admitted, dropping her gaze. ‘It was a mistake. I like you. A lot,’ she said quietly.
She wanted to be honest about that at least – there were enough secrets between them.
Hopefully, temporary ones, but they were still there and she felt guilty about them.
Was it odd that she was starting to feel more of a connection with this man than her own flesh and blood?
She wished she could tell Cameron everything, but something held her back.
Perhaps it was just the idea of disappointing her relative, of having them turn away from her.
Besides, she wasn’t doing anything wrong.
Having family again wouldn’t change anything between them.
He scrubbed a hand over his chin, drawing attention to the dark shadow of stubble, and she had a sudden image of him between her legs, tongue pressed to her as those prickles teased her skin. She shut her eyes.
‘Look at me, Izzi,’ he said hoarsely. ‘I can’t tell you what I want if you aren’t.’
She opened her eyes. She was used to meeting things head on, to dealing with them – there was no point in hiding from this. Especially since it felt almost inevitable. ‘What do you want?’ she asked.
He stared at her. ‘I want you, Izzi,’ he said roughly.
‘I don’t think I should. It’s a bad idea – one of my worst and that’s saying something.
’ The edge of his mouth kicked up, and she couldn’t keep her eyes off it.
Couldn’t help imagining how it had felt pressed against hers.
‘But I can’t stop thinking about the way you taste, I can’t get the feel of you off my skin and I’ve been trying.
’ He brushed his thumb and forefinger together and she remembered how it had felt when he’d been stroking his way up her leg, the rough calloused pads that had set her skin aflame.
He stepped closer and she could smell him – cinnamon and cloves – the scent she thought she’d invoked in her dream, but which must have been a memory. Her heart thumped at twice its normal speed, and she could almost feel her blood pulsing around her body as anticipation and need raced through her.
He laid a gentle palm on her cheek and lifted her chin. ‘I’m not going to tell you exactly what I want to do to you, I’m only going to say it’s going to be good. Do you want to feel good, Izzi?’ His voice rose with a promise she’d be insane to say no to.
‘Yes,’ she hissed the words between her teeth, feeling the heavy weight of them in her mouth as she tried to tell him with her eyes exactly what she wanted from him.
He nodded. ‘Then let’s just promise each other there’ll be no regrets,’ he said roughly. ‘We’ll do this thing, let it run its course and try to stay friends.’ His eyes sparkled.
‘Friends with benefits?’ she asked, smiling.
‘I suppose.’ He chuckled and the sound of it made her even hotter. He stared at her for what felt like hours, scraping her face with his eyes, studying her so thoroughly she began to feel stripped down and vulnerable.
Then he nodded, scooped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer, before setting his mouth to hers.