Gabrielle
I’ve been patient. I really have.
But if I have to go another day without having Cam—the way I want—I’m going to lose my mind.
And tonight is the perfect night. With the good news he got at his appointment, we don’t have to sit in a pit of anxiety anymore, we can celebrate.
And honestly? I’m tired of waiting for him to make the first move.
So I’m making it for him.
I adjust the thin straps of my lingerie, smoothing my hands down the sheer fabric, trying desperately to push down my nervousness.
This is Cam.
I know exactly how he feels about me, and I know he wants this just as badly. There’s no reason for me to overthink it.
I hear a knock at my door and take a deep breath before walking over and opening it slowly. Cam stands there in a fitted black button-up with the sleeves rolled up, his eyes immediately sweeping over me before narrowing slightly in confusion.
“Why are you still in a robe?” His brows furrow. “Gab, we’ve got a reservation in an hour.”
I smirk, stepping closer. “Yeah…about that.”
His suspicion grows as I reach for his collar, pulling him down just enough to press a slow, lingering kiss to his lips. His hands instinctively find my waist, and I can feel the hunger in his touch as he’s still trying to figure out what’s happening here.
I pull back just slightly, my lips barely brushing against his. “You look so good,” I murmur.
His eyes flick between mine, and I can feel him catching on. “What’s going on in that devious little mind of yours?” he asks, his voice lower now.
I smile, stepping back and reaching for the tie of my robe. “I just think…I’d rather celebrate your good news…here.” And then I let the fabric slip from my shoulders, pooling at my feet.
Cam goes completely still.
I’ve never seen a man look so wrecked and so desperate at the same time. His jaw tics, and his hands clinch at his side now as he leans against the door, eyes glued on me.
“Gabrielle,” he says, his voice tight. “What—” He shuts his eyes for a second and breaths in. “You’re killing me.”
I tilt my head, biting my lip. “That bad?”
His nostrils flare, his eyes devouring everything in his line of sight. “Not bad. Dangerous…very dangerous.”
I step closer, pressing my palms against his chest, feeling the rapid rise and fall of it. “Okay? And I like danger, so what’s stopping you?”
He exhales harshly, stepping toward me and gripping my hips. “I’m supposed to be making this special for you.”
I arch a brow, reaching up to trace my fingers along his jaw. “This is special, Cam. We’re celebrating. And if you make me go another day without—” I shake my head and huff a little. “I think I might actually go insane waiting any longer.”
“What about dinner?” he asks, his voice strained.
I drag my fingers slowly down his chest, my nails just barely scraping against the fabric. “We’ll order takeout.”
Cam mumbles several curse words under his breath.
Then the tether completely snaps. In one swift motion, his hands grip the back of my thighs, lifting me effortlessly as I wrap my legs around him.
Our mouths crash together in a desperate kiss as he kicks the door shut behind him.
I thread my fingers into his hair, tugging just enough to hear that low groan I love.
And ugh, I need more.
He carries me straight into the bedroom, dropping me onto the bed beneath him. His hands roam, explore, and memorize every inch of exposed skin like it’s territory he knows but wants to relearn again.
With his hand firmly around the side of my neck, he kisses me like he’s been starving for this. And maybe he has. I know I have.
His lips move down my neck, teeth nipping just enough to make me shudder. Then his hands move to grip my thighs as he comes back up to kiss me.
I smirk against his lips. “Do you remember our last time, Cam?”
Cam gives me a low, rough laugh, his lips brushing the back of my neck as his hands start slipping beneath my lingerie. “Gabrielle,” he murmurs. “I’ve thought about the last time I had you for the last twelve years more times than I’d like to admit. But this will be nothing like last time.”
I arch against him, teasing, “Oh yeah?”
He grins against my skin. “Yeah, Gabrielle. I was sixteen. I had absolutely no idea what I was doing, just that I wanted everything with you.” He shifts, pressing himself against me, making my breath hitch. “But trust me when I say I know exactly what I want to do now.”
I melt.
I am putty in this man’s arms.
Every single place his hands touch feels like it’s being set on fire. Like he’s branding me with every slow, deliberate movement of his fingers.
He moves with intention—teasing, tormenting, unraveling me. He’s in no rush, and that might be the most torturous part.
His lips trace a path back down my neck, lingering just beneath my jawline before trailing lower. My back arches instinctively, chasing the warmth of his mouth, but he only chuckles—low and dark—before gripping my hips, holding me still.
“Patience, Gab,” he murmurs against my skin. “No rushing this.”
I whimper. Actually whimper.
And Cam looks entirely too pleased with himself.
He watches me carefully, drinking in every little reaction, every soft gasp, every shiver he pulls from me.
“I’ve dreamed about this a lot,” he confesses against my skin.
I squeeze my eyes shut, barely holding on to reality right now. “Cam…”
He hums in an answer, his lips moving lower, his hands tightening around my hips. “I need you to know, Gabrielle,” he murmurs, pressing a kiss to my inner thigh. “No one else has ever made me feel the way you do. No one else has ever been able to unravel me the way you do.”
His words do something very dangerous to the deepest part of my heart.
He finally gives in, and I completely fall apart under his touch.
* * *
Cam smirks down at me, his fingers tracing lazy patterns along my back.
“Nothing has ever lived up to my memories of you, Gabrielle.” He tilts his head, brushing a kiss against my forehead, his lips still curved into a dazed smirk.
“It’s actually insane what I’ve always felt for you.
It’s like you did witchcraft on me when we were kids to make me so obsessed with you. ”
I laugh, but my heart also clenches at the honesty in his voice.
His fingers skim my waist, his lips brushing against my temple. “You’re all I ever want,” he murmurs. “I could die a happy man after that.”
I smack his chest. “You aren’t dying anytime soon, so there’s plenty more.”
He grins, rolling onto his back, pulling me on top of him. “Oh yeah?”
I raise a challenging brow. “Yeah.”
His smirk turns devilish. “I mean, if you’re offering, I can go again.”
I laugh, swatting his chest. “Okay, relax. I worked up too much of an appetite. I think I need to eat first.”
Cam chuckles, pressing a kiss to my shoulder before sitting up. “I’ll call in some food.”
I stretch, sitting up with him. “I’m gonna hop in the shower.”
His gaze darkens. “Want some company?”
I smirk, standing up slowly. “Are you gonna be able to focus long enough to order if I say yes?”
He reaches for his phone, already dialing. “Give me two minutes. Maybe three.”
I shake my head, laughing as I walk toward the bathroom.
As I close the door behind me, I hear him rush through his order on the phone, trying to speed it up as fast as possible.
I roll my eyes, biting back a grin.
Cameron Hayes is everything I’ve dreamed of. Even after all of this time apart, he still lives up to every expectation I had in my head.