CHAPTER NINETEEN
If she was a cat, she’d be purring.
Scarlet snuggled against Cameron’s chest, loving the solid feel of him and the spicy, woodsy scent of his aftershave. He gently stroked her hair and she relaxed completely, practically melting into the mattress.
She hoped she made Cameron even one-tenth as happy as he made her.
He pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Stay right here. Don’t move.”
He slipped out of her arms and off the bed. Without his warmth, Scarlet’s skin instantly cooled, and she shivered. She pulled the sheet around her as she sat up. “Where are you going?”
“To my office. I’ll be right back.”
Bemused, she watched him leave the bedroom. For the first time she noticed that his naked backside was several shades lighter in color than the rest of his tanned skin. And what a backside it was. Silky skin stretched across taut muscles. Her fingers itched to touch him again.
A moment later he returned, a sketchpad and a pencil in hand. He sat on the edge of the bed, his gaze darting between her and the paper. Scarlet clutched the sheet, wrapping it a little more securely around her breasts. “What are you doing?”
“Drawing you.” His hand flew across the paper. “I want to capture you in this moment.”
Scarlet put a self-conscious hand to her tousled hair. “I’m a mess, Cameron. I probably look like a scarecrow.”
“You look beautiful, like a woman who’s just been made love to, thoroughly and completely.”
His words made her smile. They were said casually, his attention riveted on his sketchpad, his face a study in concentration.
“Well, that makes sense, since I happen to be a woman who has just been made love to, most thoroughly and completely. Good job, by the way.”
He looked up at her with a quick grin before returning his attention to his drawing. “Glad you enjoyed yourself.”
A boldness she didn’t know she possessed gripped her. She let the sheet slip down her body to reveal her breasts. “Oh, yes. I enjoyed myself very much.”
He frowned at her. “You’re distracting me.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.” She threw back the sheet and sat totally naked on the bed, her legs tucked beneath her. “I wouldn’t want to discourage the pursuit of the arts.”
Now she had his attention. “Come on, Scarlet. You’re not playing fair.”
“Oh, really?” She unfolded her legs and then spread them wide. “Am I a bad girl? Maybe I should be punished.”
In one swift move, Cameron dropped his sketchpad to the floor and jumped on the bed, trapping her beneath his big body.
“Yes, you’re a very bad girl. And I have a suitable punishment in mind for you.”
Scarlet was breathless with desire she thought had been fully sated only a short time ago. But it seemed she couldn’t get enough of Cameron. “What punishment is that?”
His erection nudged at the opening to her body, but stopped short of sinking inside her. His teasing drove her mad with desire. She lifted her hips, desperate to have him enter her.
“I have my ways.”
She had to agree that he did. Did he have any idea what he did to her? One look at the smug grin on his face told her he knew exactly what he was doing.
Cameron slid down her body, kissing every inch of her skin as he went. He stopped to suck hard on her left nipple before doing the same to the right. Scarlet almost flew off the bed. The sensation tittered on the edge of pain but stayed firmly on the side of ecstasy. Wetness pooled between her legs and she squirmed beneath him. She wasn’t above begging at this point. “Cameron, please.”
He lifted his head from her breast, looking at her with one eyebrow raised and a smirk on his face. “Please, what?”
She groaned. “For God’s sake, fuck me!”
His finger found her opening and he plunged inside. Scarlet arched her back and pushed against his hand.
He kissed his way around her breast. “Is this what you wanted?”
“Yes, yes.” She was breathless, her heart racing. “But I want more. So much more.”
He put another finger inside her. Impossibly stretched, she was at her breaking point.
She’d never had better sex.
“Is this enough?” he whispered.
“No, not enough.”
“We can’t have you unfulfilled.”
To her dismay, he removed his fingers. Before she could utter a protest, he slid down her body to the apex of her thighs, pushed her legs apart, and covered her pussy with his mouth. He licked and stroked and sucked until she was a mass of writhing need.
Then, his tongue found the sensitive nub of nerves that sent her over the edge. Her orgasm exploded out of her in wave after wave of rapture. She heard someone scream and with a start, she realized it was her.
But Cameron wasn’t done. He stayed with her, sucking and licking until another orgasm began building once more. This time, when it came, she was more prepared for it. She savored the bliss of her release and the exquisite sensations Cameron had wrung from her body. She had no idea she was capable of feeling such pleasure.
It was all Cameron. She’d never experienced this with any other man.
All too soon, Cameron kissed the inside of her thigh and rolled away from her, leaving the bed as he affixed another condom. Scarlet couldn’t do much more than whimper. She was boneless, her limbs as liquid as jelly. She’d never been more completely sated, or happy, in her life. Despite everything going on with Tessa, and despite everything still unsaid between her and Cameron, she’d never known more blissful, joyful happiness.
Because she was in love.
“You’re smiling.” Cameron returned to the bed and covered her body with his, his breath warm against her ear. His big hand gently caressed her breast.
“Am I?” She could feel her smile stretch across her face. “Maybe that’s because I have an amazing lover who knows how to please me.”
“Oh, yeah?”
“Oh, yeah.” She opened her eyes and laughed at the self-satisfied look on his face. “I shouldn’t have told you that. You’re probably going to be insufferably smug now.”
“I’m simply pleased you’re satisfied.”
Oh, yes. Completely satisfied. “I’m pretty pleased about that, too.”
He kissed the end of her nose before straddling her and settling between her thighs. Though she’d thought herself exhausted and completely done, her body began to stir once more at the feel of his erection pushing against the opening to her body. She laughed out loud.
He gave her a bemused grin. “Why are you laughing?”
“Because I can’t believe I want you again. I can’t seem to get enough of you.”
The look of amusement left his face. He tenderly caressed her face. “I can’t seem to get enough of you either.”
She loved him more in that moment than she’d ever thought possible, more than she ever thought she was capable of. She lifted her hand and ran her fingers through his thick, silky hair. It was on the tip of her tongue to tell him she loved him, but fear held her back. What if he didn’t feel the same? What if this thing between them was only about sex for him?
Instead, she made herself smile. “We’re pretty amazing together, aren’t we?”
“Yeah, we are.”
Their lovemaking was less frenzied this time, but no less satisfying. They explored each other’s body, discovering where each liked to be touched, caressed, kissed.
When they climaxed together, it was the most beautiful thing Scarlet had ever experienced.
Hollowness slowly replaced her earlier fulfillment. A refrain played over and over in her head.
I don’t want to leave him.
The next morning, Cam followed Scarlet’s car back to the lodge, his body still buzzing from the night before. She was amazing – beautiful, funny, smart and sexy as hell. The things they’d done to each other…
He shifted in his seat, his erection pushing painfully against the zipper of his jeans. After they’d made love that second time, he’d picked up his sketchpad and finished his pencil drawing. He didn’t fully understand his compulsion to draw her. He’d never drawn any other woman he’d slept with, but Scarlet was different. He’d needed to record the sexy toss of her disheveled hair and, especially, her smile of satisfaction after making love.
He was probably stupid to become so involved with her when he was in the middle of a battle for his daughter. But he couldn’t imagine saying goodbye to her either. He needed her and not simply for sex.
Was he in love with Scarlet?
The thought sent a cold shiver of fear down his backbone. He’d thought he’d been in love with Laura, and she stomped all over his love and his life. He’d nearly drunk himself into oblivion when she’d taken Tessa and left him.
It wasn’t fair to compare Scarlet with Laura. But they did have one thing in common; Scarlet was going to leave him, the same as Laura had. But at least this time, he knew it was coming.
He’d be smart about this. He wouldn’t let himself get too close. They could have some fun and some great sex while she was in Minnewasta, and part as friends when she left.
A niggling voice in his brain warned that he was fooling himself, but he pushed the voice aside, not wanting to acknowledge it. He had a game plan.
They reached the cottages and parked next to each other on the side of the road. Scarlet got out of her car and walked towards his truck. Cam got out and closed his door.
She looked toward the cottage she shared with her sister. “I’m not sure what to say to them.”
“You called Maggie last night. She knows you were with me.”
“Yes, but…” She bit her bottom lip, her brow furrowed in worry. “What do I tell them? Maggie asked if this meant we were together, a couple, and I didn’t know what to say, so I didn’t say anything. What are we, Cameron? Lovers? Fuck buddies? Friends with benefits? What do I tell them?”
She made what they’d shared sound so vulgar. “I’m not sure you have to tell them anything. We’re consenting adults, and what we do is no one’s business but ours.” He cupped her cheek. “But if you want to tell them something, say we enjoy each other’s company. And as long as you’re in Minnewasta, we’ll continue to see each other.”
She stared at him, her blue eyes unblinking in that unnerving way she had that completely veiled her thoughts. Then she nodded, wrapping a strand of her hair around one of her fingers and tugging on it. A flash of disappointment raced across her face.
She quickly recovered, released her hair and gave him a smile. “That sounds…reasonable. Let’s go have breakfast.”
She stepped toward the cottage, but Cam stopped her with a hand on her arm. “Wait a minute, Scarlet. The last thing I want is to hurt you, but this, this thing we have together, is all I can offer. If it’s not enough for you, maybe we should end it right now and agree to go our separate ways.”
He held his breath as he waited for her reply, unable to read her thoughts as she stared at him once more. He was surprised by how much he feared she would agree and tell him they were finished.
At last, she smiled. “I agree with your proposition, Mr. Hainstock. I needed to know where we stood. I’ll tell my sisters we’re together, for now. Why shouldn’t we enjoy each other while I’m here?”
Cam let out a relieved breath. “Good. Now let’s go have breakfast. I’m starved.”
When they walked into the cottage, everyone was seated around the table. A sense of déjà vu hit Cam when they all stopped talking and turned to look at them, the way they had the last time they’d slept together and arrived for breakfast the next morning. He didn’t much like the family knowing about their sex life, but he could live with it. Scarlet, however, might not be able to, no matter what she’d told him.
“Good morning, everyone,” Scarlet said. “Why don’t we get a couple of things out in the open right now? Yes, Cameron and I slept together, and we’ll continue to do so until I leave here in a few weeks.”
Cam stifled a grin. Her directness surprised the hell out of him.
“So I suggest you get used to it and keep your opinions to yourselves. Now, what’s for breakfast, Maggie?”
Maggie blinked at her a couple of times before getting to her feet. “I can make omelets for you, if you like.”
“Thank you. That sounds great.”
Cam caught Scarlet’s hand and gave it a squeeze. The little voice in his head screamed that her casual approach to their relationship wasn’t what he wanted at all, but he ignored it. He’d been left behind before, but at least this time he knew it was coming.
At least this time, he couldn’t be hurt.