Riya fought a yawn as she stepped from her car. It had been a long two days and she wanted nothing more than a hot shower and her bed. Food would be nice but it wasn’t much of a blip on her radar. She’d pushed it hard to make it back here.
I can’t believe I didn’t take another day to recoup from that trip.
She opened the trunk and withdrew her bag. As she lifted it free, a grunt slipped free. “Christ, this is pathetic if even my bag feels horribly heavy.”
Slamming the lid, she yawned again and trudged up her walk, keys in hand.
“Where have you been?”
She screeched and jumped bringing up the mace on her keychain and spraying it in the direction of the voice that scared the shit out of her.
“Damn it, Riya, it’s me Cameron! What the fuck did you, oh hell that shit stings.”
“Cameron? Oh, shit. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry but what the hell did you think was going to happen when you jumped out at me?” She fumbled with the lock and pushed the door open before ushering him inside.
He had his hands over his face and the curses wouldn’t stop coming. “I didn’t jump out at you.”
She dropped her bag, kicked the door closed and guided him back to the bathroom. “Stop touching your face, that’s just going to make it worse.”
He dropped his hands and she grimaced over the red already on his face. He blinked repeatedly and squinted at her.
She turned on the water and filled her sink. “You need to submerge your face in the water. Make sure to open your eyes a few times once in the water.”
He didn’t argue with her, just allowed her to help him.
After a good twenty minutes of flushing out his face she handed him a towel to dry off with. “Well?” she questioned.
“Still burns but it’s better. I can tolerate it much more. Now can you tell me why you just pepper sprayed me?”
She slanted her gaze at him. “Because you frightened the shit out of me and I’m a woman who lives alone and isn’t expecting a man to freak me out, outside my own place.”
“I’d apologize but I think I got the shitty end of the deal here.”
“Shouldn’t’ have frightened me.”
“Where were you?”
Riya sighed and took the damp towel from him, replacing it with a dry clean one. “I was at a job interview.”
“What?” He took the towel and put it against his face. “What job interview?”
“I’m not going to school for shits and giggles, Cameron. I am doing this to get a job.”
“Where are you looking? Here in the city?”
“No. Other side of the state.”
He gripped her wrists and drew her between his legs.
She did her best to ignore the dampness around his collar and how wonderfully he filled out his shirt.
“Where?”
“Mastonville.” She held his gaze. There wasn’t anything for her to feel bad about. She was moving on with her life.
“That’s completely on the other side of the state.” He cupped her chin. “Hell, it’s damn near in the state over.”
“It is in both states, so what?”
“I don’t want you to go.”
“I’m not working at the diner for the rest of my life, Cameron. I’ve been working for this for a long time. I have a job offer and I’m taking it. They don’t care I’m not done with school yet, they know I’m in and are looking forward to me being part of their company.”
“You were just going to leave,” he accused.
“I just got home. If I were just going to leave, I wouldn’t have come back. Don’t take that tone with me.”
He kissed her.
She shut her eyes and responded. Leaning into him, she enjoyed the moment. At least until she realized what was happening. Once again, Cameron was making her forget any and all common sense.
He pulled away. “What about us?”
“There’s not an us, Cameron. Didn’t we go over this already?” She moved away from him to try and keep her head on straight.
“Why are you moving away from me?” He pushed to his feet in a flawless motion and prowled toward her.
Every step she took back, he mimicked her using a forward motion. Until she was in her bedroom and unable to go anywhere else, thanks to her bed. She nibbled on her lower lip and watched him.
Even with his face that still suffering the effects of her pepper spray, this man did so much to her. On so many levels. With the bed, he’d been in with her at her knees and unable to move back, she held his watery gaze.
Cameron took another step closer to her.
She locked her knees.
“I don’t want you to go, Riya.”
“I’ve already agreed to the job.”
“So you’re running and not giving us a chance at all.”
Damn him for trying to put this all on her. With one deep breath, she shook her head. “No, I’m taking control of my life, making decisions for me, to better my life. Not anyone else’s. I loved my mother, still do, but everything was on hold because of her. And since she’s been gone these past two years I’ve been playing catch up and my ship has finally come in. I’m going. I’m sorry it’s not what you want to hear but it’s what’s going to happen.”
“And if you’re pregnant?”
“Not anything I can do about that now, so I’m not worrying about it. If I am, I am. Don’t worry I’ll let you know.”
He pinched the bridge of his nose and went to touch his eyes.
She smacked his hands away.
“What?”
“Don’t touch your face. Your hands still aren’t clean.”
“Sorry.” He put them into his pockets. “Can we talk about this?”
“Nothing more to say, Cameron. I leave within the week,” the words felt dragged out of her and broke her heart but it was the truth and she couldn’t, no she wouldn’t, put her life on hold for the slight possibility of having him declare his undying love for her.
“What would keep you here?”
She shook her head. “Nothing. I’m going.”
“So that’s it, then?”
“In regards to my leaving, yes.”
He muttered something that sounded a lot like, “We’ll see about that.”
αβ
Cameron wanted to shake her until she came to her senses. How was it he saw it clear as day what should be between them but she didn’t? Or wouldn’t? There was so much to discuss with her but right now, with his frustration so high and his face still flaming, he just wanted to yell.
That would get him nowhere.
Tugging off his shirt, he tossed it to the chair in the corner and hopped on her bed, crossing his ankles.
“What are you doing?”
He grinned, despite the pain he experienced. Riya was so adorable when angry, but right now, he didn’t want an angry Riya, he wanted the woman he had in bed the night the power had gone out. The one full of passion and who couldn’t get enough of him. “Staying until the pain is gone, so we can talk.” He patted the bed beside him. “Come to bed. You look exhausted.”
“I’m going to take a shower and I want you gone when I come back out.” She vanished into her bathroom.
“I’m not going anywhere,” he said lacing his fingers behind his head.
When he woke up later, she was curled up against him, the room completely dark. It didn’t matter, she was where he wanted her to be. In his arms.
Cameron glanced at his watch and found it was around two in the morning. Riya didn’t stir as he untangled from her warm body. He moved to the doorway and withdrew his phone. Placing a call, he waited for the phone to be answered.
“This better be fucking important,” Carter barked.
“Climb out of bed and meet me at the diner.” He hung up the phone, swiped his shirt, and headed out to meet his brother.
Within thirty minutes, he toasted his brother with a cup of coffee when he saw him.
Carter slid into the booth across from him. “Why the hell did I leave a warm bed with my woman in it to meet you here in the early morning?”
“She’s moving,” he blurted out, stirring his drink then taking another sip.
“What?” Carter waved over a waitress. “Coffee hon, please. And a breakfast special, eggs over easy and bacon with wheat toast.”
She nodded and walked away.
“Explain that to me,” Carter urged.
“I just found out tonight after she pepper sprayed me.”
His brother snorted and waved a hand at him. “Wait, she what? God, I love that woman.”
“She said I scared her.”
He dumped a bunch of sugar into his coffee. “And did you?”
Cameron shrugged. “I suppose, I was waiting for her by her door.”
“Lurking in the dark, no doubt.”
Well, when it was put that way. He shrugged. “She should have fixed her outside light, then she would have seen me.”
“You’re the one to blame for that. You got what you deserved, be glad she doesn’t carry a weapon.”
“I’m glad but damn it all, did you hear me? She’s leaving. Moving to the other side of the state. Mastonville.”
Carter’s thick brows drew together. “Why and when?”
While they ate, he filled his brother in on what was going on. As he finished telling, he shook his head. “What am I going to do?”
“So, the whole blurting out that she may be pregnant didn’t fix all your issues?”
“Explain to me why I come to you for suggestions and help?”
“Because I’m the smarter, better looking brother.”
Cameron rolled his eyes. “I’m serious, Carter. I don’t want to lose her.”
“Have you thought of going to where she is going to be?”
“Move? I have a career here.”
Carter poured himself another cup of java. “And she’s about to begin one there. The choice is yours, Cameron. If you want her so much, then go where she is. It’s not like the family is going to disown you for moving. Yes, they’ll be upset but they’ll understand.”
“Am I foolish for following after a woman who’s repeatedly told me that she doesn’t see a future for us and can’t believe I want anything to do with her?”
“Love makes us foolish. If that is where your heart is then no, it’s not foolish. Go after her, prove to her you’re not the arrogant womanizer the entire city views you as.”
“Kind of harsh, don’t you think?”
Carter gestured around the place. “Look at the women in here and you tell me. You may have stopped looking at them but they’ve definitely not stopped staring at you.”
“It could be you they’re looking at. After all, you’re the better looking one. According to you anyway.”
“I’m taken.”
“So am I.” Cameron hated how he was viewed, it used to not bother him at all but now, it was nothing but more heartache. “But she doesn’t believe it.”
“She’s heard of your exploits, many have. You have to earn her trust, like I did with Gina. We broke it off and have to work hard to get it back.”
He grunted and shifted on the seat. “How the fuck am I supposed to do that, with her all the way across the goddamn state?”
Carter dug into his wallet and dropped some bills on the table. “Figure it out. You know I’ve got your back no matter what you decide to do. And when you leave, our parents will back as well, especially if it means they get another daughter and you stop whoring around. Night, little brother.” He walked away leaving Cameron all by himself with the rest of his food.
Remaining until his plate had been cleaned, Cameron thought about what Carter had said and what he knew deep down he had to do, if he wanted to keep this woman in his life.
αβ
Six months later
Riya made her way down the steps from the building and across the front walk toward her waiting car. The sun was brilliant without a single cloud in the sky. The slight breeze ruffled her hair as it spilled down from the banana clip confining it the best it could.
The tap, tap, tap of her heels as she moved over the bricks were nearly muffled out by the traffic going by, but for some reason it wasn’t as busy as it typically was. “I can’t wait to get home and get out of this suit.”
Her one downfall she’d discovered with the job, she had to put on business attire to do this job. Didn’t make sense, she worked in a small cubicle and didn’t see people much other than those around her and she was fairly confident they wouldn’t give a damn if she wore fuzzy bunny slippers or not.
But she wore the suits and heels because the money was amazing and she actually enjoyed her job. A lot. She’d made some friends and had gone out on a date or two. Nothing serious, just to go out and see how badly Cameron had ruined her for others.
He’d done a number on her because she would become bored with them within a few minutes. They just didn’t have what it took to keep her attention.
She rounded the corner and halted suddenly, as if she’d slammed into a cement wall.
Am I seeing things?
There, leaning against the side of her Honda was none other than Cameron Liaci. He wore a suit and damn—was he wearing the hell out of it.
Women walking by slowed and stared, nothing new there.
Riya shifted her bag to her other hand as she closed the rest of the distance to him. “Hello, Cameron. What are you doing here?”
He raked his gray gaze up and down her form and whistled. “Damn Riya, you’re looking fucking hot.”
She flushed and shook her head. “So you came all this way to pay me a compliment? Long drive for that.”
One side of his mouth curved up in that signature sexy smile he owned. “That’s not why I’m here. I came for you.”
Riya shook her head. “I told you I was moving here and I’m settled. I’m not going back.”
He pushed away from the door and neared. “I know that. I heard you loud and clear on that. So, I came to you.”
Her heart fluttered at his words seconds before her brain chimed in with: Are you sure that’s what he meant? This is what gets you into your situations because you think with your heart and not your brain.
Not what she wanted to hear but necessary.
“Well, I’ve had a long day and want to get home. Want to meet for coffee?”
That sexy grin morphed into the one that made her ready to hand over her panties. “Your place.”
To buy herself some time, she gazed around. “I don’t see your truck.”
“It’s not here. I had someone drop me off.”
“Who is here with you? Carter? Some woman?”
He drew her close and put them nose to nose. “No woman, no Carter. One of the guys from the station. Give me your keys. I’ll drive as you look dead on your feet.”
She did feel exhausted and so she handed them over without argument. He held the door for her and she slid over the cloth seat with a sigh. He folded his body behind the wheel and following her directions, took them to her place.
“Come on in,” she said, leading the way inside. “Help yourself to whatever’s in the fridge, I’m going to change.” Without a look at him, she headed for her bedroom and pulled out a comfortable set to wear.
She’d untucked her shirt and was reaching for the zipper on her skirt when his large hands covered hers.
“Allow me.”
Her head tipped to the side and gave him access to her skin as she breathed heavily. “Cameron.”
“Let me make this clear for you, Riya. I moved here. I want you, however you’ll take me. If that means I have to prove myself to you for years, I will.” He lowered her zipper in one steady pull. “ I. Only. Want. You.”
“You followed me here?”
“You didn’t come back home, so I applied to this department. They gave me a station to work at and my downtime belongs to you.”
Her skirt dropped down her legs to pool at her feet.
“Trust me, sweetness. There’s no one for me but you. Please give me a chance.”
The smooth material of his slacks brushed against the backs of her calves and his cock pressed against her ass.
“We’re not done talking about this,” she whispered as she unbuttoned her shirt then turned, so they were face to face.
“Of course not. Your clothes are over there.” He pointed but never took his eyes from her face.
“Okay, so it’s pointless to put them on if you’re just going to take them off. I’ll put them on after.”
“You know I love you, right, Riya?”
“I’m starting to get that picture, Cameron.” She pushed up to kiss him as she undid his shirt.
He dipped his head, brushing his scruff along her skin as his left hand sank into her hair near the nape of her neck.
She allowed her eyes to close. Truly, what else did he have to prove? He moved across the state for her.
That had to count for something. A lot…Everything?
She’d focus on it later, right now, she had something more important to do. She wrapped her arms around him and parted her lips as Cameron backed them toward her bed.
I did say much later, right?
Riya had a strong feeling her evening would be filled. And she didn’t want it any other way.