Tease (Take It Off #2)(24)
Author: Cambria Hebert

Cam wasn’t happy, but that was just too bad.

He also wasn’t very happy when he had to leave me in the care of Roxie so he could go home and get ready for work.

I really wanted to take a nap, but I knew if I did, Roxie would be checking on me every five seconds and getting up for work would be a pain so I took a shower instead.

The cool water felt good as it washed away what was left of the sand and the sea from the morning. I washed my hair gently, wincing when the spray came into contact with the bump. After that, I distracted myself with thoughts of Cam and me in my bed this morning.

Kissing him was like the first bite of really fattening ice cream. Like lying in bed and listening to the sound of a thunderstorm or being a kid on Christmas Eve. Sinful, comfortable, but thoroughly exciting.

He stirred up so many different emotions in me at the exact same time it was a little frightening. But not necessarily in a bad way. I’d never met anyone like him before. Someone who was casual but knew what they wanted out of life. It’s like he knew exactly where he was going, but he wasn’t in a hurry. He didn’t drive himself crazy trying to get to the end goal of his plan.

I liked that.

The way he looked certainly didn’t hurt anything either. My God, his body was the total package. Lean but cut, tan, and smooth. He moved with the grace of an athlete (surfing does a body good) and he smiled like a guy with some kind of naughty secret.

And that dimple… I wanted to lick it.

I’d never felt so attracted to a guy. I’d never felt the kind of sexual charge that coursed through my body whenever he was around. It was so strong that I knew if he hadn’t stopped things this morning, I would have slept with him. I wouldn’t be a virgin anymore.

He said he didn’t want to rush things, but my body didn’t care about how fast we moved. My body felt like it had been waiting an entire lifetime for someone to make me feel like this.

What about my head? My heart?

My head told me waiting wasn’t a bad thing. My head told me every girl should be cautious.

And my heart… my heart whispered that he could be the one. It told me I wasn’t in love with him, not yet, but it was only a matter of time.

If Cam had only wanted one thing from me, his actions would have told me so. Yes, he would have driven me to the medical center; he might even have stayed. But he wouldn’t have followed me back into the exam room. He wouldn’t have paid the bill. And as silly as it was… my mind kept picturing that heart he drew on my cup of lemonade.

It appeared that my heart and my body was ganging up against my brain and trying to overthrow it.

After my shower, I pulled on a white T-shirt dress, thinking it would show off the little bit of tan I got this morning at the beach. I dried my hair into a smooth, straight style and then curled the pieces around my face to feather out over my shoulders.

When I was putting on my makeup, someone rang the doorbell. I peeked out of my bedroom and glanced toward Roxie’s room. Her door pulled open and she stuck her head out. “You expecting someone?” she asked.

“No. Are you?”

Roxie shook her head and bit her lower lip. “Do you think he followed me?”

“Who?”

“Craig.”

Unease slithered through me. “Was he mad you moved out?”

She nodded.

Judging from the look on her face, I wondered if he did more to her than cheat. “Go back in your room,” I told her, walking toward the door.

If it were Craig, I would lie and tell him he had the wrong apartment. Times like this, I wish I had one of those peephole things in the door.

“Who is it?” I called out, deciding I was too chicken to open it and see.

“It’s Cam.”

I let out a relieved breath and pulled open the door. “Hey, sorry about that.”

“What’s the matter?” he said, his eyes narrowing on my face as he walked inside.

“Nothing.”

Roxie opened her door and looked out, the relief on her face plain.

Cam looked at me with a lifted brow. “Nothing?”

“We thought it might be Craig,” Roxie explained.

His lips thinned. “Does he know where you are?”

“I didn’t tell him.”

“What are you doing here?” I asked, trying to change the subject.

“I came to drive you to work. You can’t drive, remember?”

I didn’t bother to point out that Roxie and I both worked tonight and at the same place.

“How’s your head?” he asked, running those onyx-colored eyes over me.

“It’s good. I’m just going to grab my stuff. I’ll be out in a sec.”

I turned back toward my room and ignored Roxie who was watching us intently from her bedroom door. If she teased me about Cam later, I would tease her about Adam.

In my room, I finished up my makeup, sprayed my hair with hairspray, and grabbed my duffel, which was still packed from the night before. On my way out of the bedroom, I picked up my phone and remembered I forgot to call my mother back.

I hit her name in the contacts and the phone started ringing. I had to admit, I felt a little relieved when her voicemail came over the line.

“This is Veronica. Leave a message.”

Beep.

“Hey, Mom, sorry I missed your call earlier today. I’m heading into work now, but I will call you in the morning and we can catch up. Tell Daddy I said hi!”

Then I disconnected the line and shoved the phone in my bag.

“You ready?” Cam said from just behind me.

I jumped, putting a hand to my chest. “You snuck up on me!”

“You were on the phone. I was trying to be quiet.” His eyes sparked with mischief.

“You know Roxie could have taken me to work.”

His eyes darkened. “Is her ex some kind of threat?”

I wrinkled my nose. “I don’t know. I didn’t think so…”

“But when I knocked on the door, she got scared.”

I nodded. “I knew he was a dirt bag, cheated on her and stuff, but she never said anything about him hurting her physically.”

“Think she would tell you?”

I thought that over. “Maybe not. We haven’t known each other that long.”

“Maybe she shouldn’t live here.”

“Shh!” I shushed him, my eyes flying to the door. “I am not kicking her out!”

“It might not be safe.”

“I’m perfectly safe. Our doors lock and this apartment is on the second floor.” I crossed my arms over my chest. “Besides, where else is she supposed to go? And I like her.”