Chapter Twenty-Two

Scarlett

I’d tried on three different outfits, and none of them seemed to work. I had no idea what to wear to a family dinner with the man I had slept with a couple times and who now wanted nothing to do with me. It wasn’t a situation I was familiar with. Hannah suggest casual sexy. My idea of casual sexy was probably not the same as a fifty-year-old woman’s, or however old she was. She looked damn good for having a son Cameron’s age.

I ended up going with a good pair of jeans, with no tears or distress, and a light sweater. I wasn’t going to worry about the sexy part. Cameron had made his feelings on the subject pretty clear on Monday. I wasn’t going to dwell on it. Well, I was going to try not to dwell on it.

After wiping my sweaty palms on my jeans, I flicked my hair back over my shoulder and headed for Cam’s house, carrying the bottle of wine. My stomach felt like I had been on a wild roller coaster.

“Relax,” I mumbled. “This is just dinner.”

Ella answered the door, smiling and looking pretty in a blue dress. I immediately felt underdressed until Cameron appeared behind her.

“You look nice,” he said with a friendly smile.

I looked at him wearing jeans and a T-shirt and instantly relaxed. Adults could wear jeans; little girls wore dresses.

“You look very pretty,” I told Ella, watching her smile bloom as she looked down at her dress and smoothed it out.

“This is the new dress Grandma bought me. I want her to see me wear it,” she said in an adult manner.

“Well, I think she’s going to love it!” I told her.

The little girl beamed with pride.

“I think we’re ready,” Cameron announced.

He helped Ella and me into his truck before climbing inside and backing out of the driveway. I inhaled deeply, loving the smell of his cologne in the confines of the truck. It was very manly with a hint of a citrus scent. It reminded me of licking his chest and sucking on his neck while inhaling that same masculine scent.

We pulled up to a simple ranch-style home in a quiet neighborhood. The yard was tidy with little gnomes positioned near the front door. Cameron knocked on the door once before barging in.

“Grandma! I’m here!” Ella called out.

An older gentleman I took to be Cameron’s dad judging by the similar features came out of a room, his arms open wide to receive Ella’s eager hug.

“There you are, pumpkin! Grandma’s making a feast! Why don’t you go see if she needs any help?”

Ella nodded and bounced out of the room.

“Dad, this is Scarlett. Scarlett, this is my dad, Jacob.”

Jacob extended his hand and squeezed my own in a firm grip. “Good to meet you, Scarlett. Ella has told us a lot about you.”

I gave an anxious smile. I could only imagine what my little girl had told her grandparents. “Thank you. It’s nice to meet you.”

“So, you two are neighbors?” he asked, eyeing Cameron carefully.

Cameron nodded and smiled. “Yes, Dad, neighbors. Scarlett’s joined us for pizza, and we’re friends.”

His dad was looking at him with a great deal of scrutiny. “Is that so?”

Cameron shook his head and looked at me. “My dad is a former detective. Forgive him if he interrogates you during dinner. He can’t seem to help himself.”

“Jacob, leave those kids alone,” Cameron’s mother, Judy, said, coming into the living room and wiping her hands on a checkered apron. “Come into the dining room. Dinner is almost ready.”

I handed her the bottle of wine. She inspected the label and raised her brows in surprise.

“I didn’t realize you were that Morgan family!” she said.

Jacob grabbed the bottle of wine and then looked at me. “This is your family’s winery?”

I nodded sheepishly. My parents were wealthy; I wasn’t. People assumed a lot about us simply because they knew our name. Rarely was any of it true.

“I’m excited to try it. Cameron, will you grab the glasses out of the hutch, please?” Judy asked.

“Is there anything I can do?” I asked, wanting to feel helpful.

“You can help me toss the salad together. The chicken is just about ready. Ella is setting the table, and then we can eat,” she said with a smile.

I turned to look at Cameron and noticed him watching me with an odd look on his face. I raised an eyebrow in question, but he only smiled in return.

I worked alongside Judy before helping Ella set the table. Cameron delivered me a glass of wine, which I sipped, cherishing the flavors blossoming in my mouth. I didn’t like to brag, but my parents were very good at their craft.

Judy and Jacob were both sipping from their own glasses, making all kinds of sounds of enjoyment.

“This is just fabulous,” Judy cooed. “It could become a dangerous habit when it tastes this good.”

We all laughed and sat down to eat.

“I think we may have to splurge and buy this more often,” Jacob said with approval as he held up his glass for a refill.

I beamed. “I can get you a huge discount.”

“That would be great!” Judy said gleefully.

“Just what you need, Mom, easy access to wine,” Cameron said dryly.

“Son, I need the wine to put up with you and your father,” she shot back.

He grinned in response.

“So, how long have you lived next door to Cameron and Ella?” Jacob asked.

“Only a couple weeks,” I answered, hoping he didn’t ask too many more questions about why I had moved and what I was doing in a big house by myself.

“Really. What brings you to Nashville?” he asked, and I immediately looked to Cameron for help.

“She’s a music producer,” Cameron answered for me.

Jacob nodded. “Then I guess Nashville is the right place to be.”

“The day she moved in, I gave her a rash of—”

“Cameron!” Judy scolded, stopping the curse word from leaving his mouth.

Cameron cleared his throat, looking properly chastised, and I nearly burst into laughter. He towered over his mother, but she still had the power to keep her child in check. It was cute and endearing. I loved how much respect he had for her.

“Anyway, her moving truck was parked in the street. She and her friend, both about the same size, were standing inside the truck staring at the furniture and boxes like they expected them to magically waltz into the house. I was a jerk, I’ll admit, and told her to have it out of the road within four hours,” he said with a smile.

His mother shook her head with shame. “I thought I taught you better than that. You could have offered to help.”

He chuckled. “They looked like they had it all under control. Besides, I had to go to work.”

“I didn’t know he was a cop at the time. I just thought he was the leader of some vigilante neighborhood watch. Trust me when I say I had that truck unloaded with an hour to spare with the help of a couple friends.”

“At least someone knew how to properly behave,” his mother said, narrowing her gaze at him.

He shrugged a shoulder. “I can’t be everyone’s hero.”

I smiled and thought he had definitely been my hero a couple of times already. We finished dinner and had dessert before Cameron announced it was time to get Ella home to bed.

“Thank you for having me over. You’re an amazing cook, Judy.”

She hugged me and sent us all on our way. I felt happy, truly happy, as we rode home. His parents were kind and had welcomed me with open arms and I was only the neighbor. Cameron was clearly close to his parents, which said something about his character. I liked that he treated them with respect and evidently cared about them.

“Want to come in for a drink?” Cameron asked when I started to head for home.

“Sure. One drink,” I said, more to myself than him.

He winked. “One drink.”

“I want Scarlett to read me my story,” Ella said as Cameron dug out her pajamas.

He looked at me, and I could see the discomfort in his eyes.

I shrugged a shoulder. “I don’t mind if it’s okay with you.”

“Are you sure? I mean, she’ll be fine if you don’t.”

“It’s okay. I’d love to read a good bedtime story. You pick it out and tell me when you’re ready,” I said to Ella, who was sporting a big grin.

“Brush your teeth, and Scarlett will be back in a few minutes,” Cameron ordered.

He closed the door to her room.

“Is it okay? I mean, if you’d rather I not, I totally get it,” I said barely above a whisper.

“It’s fine. I don’t mind a bit. Do you want more wine or a beer?”

I scrunched up my nose. “I’d be okay with some water.”

He shrugged. “Suit yourself.”

Ella opened the door, holding a book in her hand. “I’m all done.”

“Be good. One story and then bed,” Cameron said in a gruff voice that contradicted the look of love on his face.

Ella grabbed my hand and led me to her twin bed with a pretty pink comforter. I pulled back the blanket and let her climb in before I sat down next to her.

“This looks like a good story,” I said, checking out the cover of the book.

“It is! My daddy reads it to me sometimes.”

I settled in and read the story, making sure to use plenty of inflection in my voice to make the story more fun. She giggled at my antics.

“You’re the best reader! I want you to read me my story every night!” she said when I finished.

I chuckled. “I think you can read this book all by yourself. I heard you saying the words with me.”

She grinned. “Not all the words.”

I winked, patted her head, and left the room. I found Cameron right outside her doorway.

“Were you eavesdropping?”

He was smiling. “I was. You did a great job. Really good. Thank you.”

I shrugged. “It isn’t hard. I liked it.”

“I’m glad. Give me a minute. I’ll meet you in the kitchen,” he said before going into Ella’s room.

I left them to say their good nights in private. The bottle of wine was on the kitchen counter. I decided it looked good and one more glass of wine wasn’t going to make me drunk. I had been drinking wine since I was a teenager. Not in copious amounts, but acting as a tester for some of the blends.

He came into the kitchen as I was pouring my glass. “Changed your mind after that bedtime story business?” he teased.

“I like this brand.”

“Oh, but we both know it isn’t as good as your family’s wine.”

“Of course not.” I grinned.

“I didn’t realize that was who you are. I mean, it doesn’t change anything, but I had no idea.”

I let out a long sigh. “I don’t usually tell people. It makes people weird.”

He was looking at me, and I could tell he hadn’t heard a word I’d said. The intensity in those blue eyes sent a streak of fire through my veins.

“Cam?” I whispered.

A split second later, his mouth slammed against mine. I set down my glass and threw my arms around his neck. There was a fire burning between us that would not be squelched. I had to have him, and judging by the way he was devouring my mouth with his, he felt the same way.

“My god, I’ve waited to do this all night. I don’t know what you do to me, Scarlett. I’m so fucking hot and hard,” he groaned against my ear as his tongue lapped out, licking my neck.

“Me too,” I muttered, unable to form a coherent sentence. “Me too.”

I thought about stopping what was about to happen, but I couldn’t. My body was aching, and only he could soothe the ache.