Camden
It had been a while since we’d stayed at Riley’s apartment. The fact of the matter was the Batmobile wasn’t safe there on the street, and I hated having to take an Uber home in the mornings just to get my car. I enjoyed staying in bed with her as long as possible, and both our offices were closer to my condo, so eventually we just stopped debating about it and Riley brought over a few big bags filled with everything she’d need to stay at my house indefinitely.
I’d been planning on talking to her about just giving up her apartment, but now that we’d put an offer in on a house, it seemed pointless—we’d both be moving soon.
I’d just popped the top off a Guinness and started pouring it into a frosty mug when my phone vibrated against the granite of my countertops.
**Your girl needs a little extra attention tonight. She’s had a rough day.**
Hadley and I had a pretty good relationship. She was a good friend to Riley and I could tell the girls cared about each other a lot, so by default, I liked her a lot too. But we hadn’t often texted each other, so her message caught me off guard. I read it again, and then again, and it made all kinds of red flags go up in my mind.
I hadn’t heard from Riley all day, which wasn’t necessarily worrisome—I just figured she’d been busy. But after Hadley’s text, I was anxious.
**Anything in particular I should be concerned about?**
I sent the text off and waited for a response, sipping my beer.
**Just talk to her when she gets home. She’ll tell you.**
**Okay. Thanks for the heads-up.**
**That’s what I’m here for.**
When Riley walked in the door an hour later, I had everything set up. The lights were off, but the entire front room was lit with candles. Her favorite Chinese takeout was waiting at the table, and I had a cold six-pack of Hef waiting in the fridge. I’d also found Girls Just Want to Have Fun on Netflix, all cued up and waiting for her to relax on the couch.
So, when the door opened and she walked in, I enjoyed the confused look on her face. I also enjoyed watching the confusion melt away and a softer expression take over: love.
“What are you up to?” she asked with a smile when she found me standing in the kitchen leaning against the island.
“Waiting for you.” I watched as the smile grew wider, knowing if there had been more light I would’ve been able to see the blush take over her cheeks. It was so easy to affect her.
“Is that Chinese I smell?” She dropped her purse on the island and came to me, pressing her hands against my chest and then resting her weight against me, our bodies aligning as she melted into me.
“You’re my favorite bloodhound,” I joked.
“Hey,” she cried, slapping me playfully.
“You could smell Chinese food from a block away.”
She shrugged and looked up at me. “It’s my superpower.”
“How was your day?” Immediately at my words, the laughter in her eyes disappeared and worry took over. I squeezed her closer. “What’s wrong?”
“We need to talk.”
“Well those certainly aren’t good words.”
“No, it’s fine. We’re fine.” She tried to reassure me, but still, my pulse spiked. Something was up. “Let’s get some food, and then I’ll tell you everything.”
“So, let me get this straight. Rose is taking you to Arizona, you’ll be working in the town you used to live in—where your mom lives still—and this worries you, correct?”
“Yeah….” Her voice lacked the enthusiasm any young professional should exude when their boss gives them such great news and feedback.
“Babe, that’s amazing. Why aren’t you more excited?”
“Excited? Camden, we just made an offer on a house. Now doesn’t seem as though it’s the best time to be hopping between Portland and Paradise Valley.”
Her shoulders dropped and that sexy bottom lip of hers jutted out. I knew she was about two-point-five seconds away from losing it. I pushed my chair back and crooked a finger at her. At my gesture, she practically bounced out of her seat and came to me. My hands met her waist when she was close enough to touch and I guided her down on my lap. She wound her arms around my neck and laid her cheek on my shoulder. I hadn’t known Riley for years, but I knew her better than anyone, and in that moment she needed me to offer her reassurance. Somewhere along the line, in her past, she’d managed to convince herself she was subpar, that she wasn’t deserving of the very best.
I pressed my lips to her forehead and rubbed my hand up and down her back.
“No crying, okay? I can’t handle it when you cry. It makes me want to smash things.” She laughed a little and I knew I was on the right track. “This is incredible news, Riley. You should be so proud of yourself. Rose is obviously impressed with your work.”
She leaned her head back and pressed her lips against mine. Nothing compared to a kiss from Riley, so I took advantage of her mouth and took the kiss a little deeper. She didn’t complain. In fact, she seemed to enjoy it, if the moaning and groping was any indication. When we finally broke apart, she whispered, “How’d you get so good at all this relationship stuff?”
“I’m not good at relationships, Riley. I’m good at being with you. With you is the only place I need to be.” She nodded, but there was still worry in her eyes. “What else is bothering you?” I asked, tucking a stray piece of hair behind her ear.
She took a deep breath, seeming to try and calm herself, but then she spoke. “I never wanted to go back to Arizona. I hate it there. And not only does she want me to go back to Arizona, but also back to the same city I lived in when I went to high school.”
Ah, that was where the insecurity was coming from. Riley had explained to me how high school had impacted the way she viewed the world—it had even affected our relationship in the beginning—but Riley wasn’t the kind of woman to let something stand in her way.
“So don’t go,” I said bluntly. “Tell Rose no.”
I watched as she took in my words and I knew she was mulling them over in her mind, thinking about all her options. Finally, she shook her head.
“Rose picked me for a reason, ya know? I feel like I owe it to myself, and her, to at least go there and see if it’s a good fit. Right? Don’t you think?”
“I do,” I replied with a grin. “Arizona is just a place, and the people there are just people. They don’t have to have any control over you.”
She inhaled deeply, then exhaled, and nodded. “That’s what I’m hoping for.”
“How long will you be gone?”
“A few days.”
I gripped her hips with my hands and picked her up, then rearranged her so she was straddling my lap. “Sounds like we’re going to have to figure out some sort of Skype situation.”
She giggled again, but that time the laughter reached all the way up to her eyes and her head fell back as her whole body shook with it. “You think you’re going to get lucky with some Skype sex?”
“Oh, I know it.” My hands slid up the backs of her thighs until the globes of her ass were in my palms. I lifted her as I stood and walked her back to the bedroom. She yelped at first, surprised by the movement, but by the time I was in the hall, her mouth was on my neck.
“The Chinese food,” she rasped against my skin between kisses.
“It’ll keep,” I said right before I tossed her into the middle of my king-sized bed. “If you’re going to be gone for a few days, I’m going to need to put in some serious work to make sure you don’t forget about me while you’re away.” I peeled my shirt over my head and let it fall to the floor, then started on my pants.
“And how do you plan on doing that?” Her words were panted with sharp breaths, and I knew if I managed to get my hands on her right that second, I would find her already wet.
“Take off your clothes and I’ll show you.”