Standing in front of the mirror that hung on the back of my closet door, I placed a calming hand on my belly, but it did nothing to loosen the knot of disquiet growing inside.

Tonight was date number two with Camden, and unfortunately we were on our own with no buffer to make it easier. I didn’t even have the armor of my regular clothes. If it hadn’t been for Sabrina showing up at my house an hour and a half ago and forcing me into one of my new outfits, I probably would have freaked and changed into a frumpy skirt and loose blouse in order to shield myself. However, my sister knew me too well and led a preemptive strike before I could go that route. She helped me get ready and bailed about five minutes ago, giving me no time to undo her hard work.

At least the black floral-patterned top I was wearing was loose and flowy by design, but there were cutouts on each shoulder, the neckline showed about an inch of cleavage, and my evil sister had forced me into a pair of black leggings that hugged all the way down.

She helped me style my hair, and I did my makeup the way the lady at the mall taught me, using dewy pinks on my eyes and cheeks for a natural pop of color. I managed to line my upper lids with a coal eyeliner without blinding myself, and paired it all with some mascara and a touch of lip gloss. The soft pink suede booties on my feet rounded out the entire look. Truthfully, I looked pretty good, but I was still an anxious mess.

“Just relax,” I told my reflection. “You look good. You can do this.”

My reflection didn’t talk back.

“Great. And now you’re talking to yourself. You’re about five cats and one hand-knitted sweater away from spinsterhood.”

My reflection crossed her eyes and puffed out her cheeks just as my doorbell chimed. I turned away from Mirror Sutton and yelped, “Shit.”

It was like a bomb of butterflies exploded in my stomach. I wanted to turn on my bootie-clad feet and run screaming out the back door, but it was useless. There was no turning back now.

“Coming,” I called when the doorbell chimed again.

Shutting my eyes, I ran my sweaty palms down my thighs and pulled in a quick, calming inhale before blowing it past my lips. Then I reached for the knob and pulled it open.

I didn’t know what Camden was expecting when that door opened, but if the expression on his face and the triple full-body scan he did weren’t indication enough that he was shocked, the mumbled “Holy fuck” sealed it.

* * *

Camden

Sutton’s cheeks turned as pink as the flowers on that sexy-as-fuck top she was wearing. “Uh, hey. Come on in. I just have to switch out purses real fast and I’ll be ready to go.”

She turned and headed for the rustic, antique credenza against the short wall that separated the entry from the living room, and he somehow managed to pull his eyes from her luscious apple ass to take in the rest of her place. Camden was just as surprised by her house as he was by her the instant she opened the door.

Walking in to find the place so warm and inviting was the last thing he expected. The open concept allowed him to see the kitchen, living, and dining area from the entrance. The furniture wasn’t new, but it was great quality, comfortable, with a lot of heavy wooden pieces that had obviously been restored with a great deal of love and care. Colorful rugs lay on the distressed wood floors. Bright, fluffy pillows were strategically placed on the overstuffed cream couch and chairs. Even the squat-based lamps on the antique end tables were painted with bright designs. Her house was the antithesis of the woman whose wardrobe consisted of gray, black, white, and brown.

The same dark hardwood theme carried into the kitchen with deep cherry cabinetry that stood out against the white backsplash, but the marble countertops with veins of gray pulled it all together. No doubt about it, Sutton had an eye for interior decorating.

The house wasn’t small, but it wasn’t huge either. What it was was a home. The whole place invited you to come in, kick off your shoes, relax back with a beer, and make yourself comfortable. It had the very same feeling of the house he grew up in, the same feeling he’d struggled to find while looking for a place of his own.

“Ready.”

Her voice pulled Camden from his exploration, and when he looked back at her he was hit all over again, like a sledgehammer to the chest. Just looking at her made his skin itch, his cock hard, and his brain glitch. The last being the only reason he could think of for what he said next.

“What the hell’d you do to yourself?”

She jerked to a stop and rocked back on those shit-hot shoes of hers. “I….” Lifting a hand, she patted at her hair. “You don’t like it?”

Fuck. He was a goddamn idiot.

“No. Hell no. You kiddin’? You look fuckin’ phenomenal. I’m just surprised is all. I never expected….”

Her made-up eyes cast down as shyness spread over her features, and Christ, it was cute as hell. “I just thought… I mean, I didn’t… I figured I’d need to change my look if I was gonna make this work.”

“Nothin’ wrong with how you looked before.”

When one of her brows hooked up like what he’d just said was ludicrous, he couldn’t help but laugh.

“Really?” she asked disbelievingly, crossing her arms and pushing her tits up. Jesus, who knew she’d been rocking a stripper’s body beneath all those virgin clothes? “Because I remember you referring to me as… what was it? A nun’s frigid sister?”

There was no holding back his wince. She’d gone all out on their first date to make the shit between them look believable. Hell, she’d even gone all out this time, buying new clothes and getting her hair done to pull off the lie. The least he could do was be the first to finally let go of their bullshit so they could move past it without so much animosity between them.

She’d done her part, so it was time for him to extend an olive branch.

“Look, I think it goes without sayin’ that we started off on the wrong foot. What do you say we put all that shit behind us and start over?”

Her head tipped to the side, all that chocolate and gold hair spilling over her shoulder and down her arm. Camden could still remember just how soft it felt when he’d touched it a week ago, and his fingers itched to reach out and take it in his hands once again. “Start over?”

Unable to help himself a second longer, he reached out and took her hand, pulling her closer. “Yeah. Like we pretend we didn’t start off hating each other for reasons that don’t make a goddamn bit of sense. How about it?”

“I didn’t hate you,” she said, a fire sparking in those hazel eyes that made them burn more gold than green.

“You totally did, baby.”

“I did not,” she insisted petulantly.

A smile tugged at the corner of Camden’s mouth as he asked, “Are we really fighting about this?”

Sutton’s fingers clenched around his, a gesture that seemed almost instinctive, like she still hadn’t realized they were holding hands. “I never hated you,” she said, biting her lip and giving a tiny shrug. “I didn’t particularly like you, but I never hated you. Besides, you hated me first.”

“What?” His chin jerked back into his neck. “That’s not even close to right. If I remember correctly, I was perfectly polite the first time we met.”

A loud, surprised laugh bubbled up. “Are you kidding?” she asked in bewilderment. “Polite isn’t exactly what I’d call it. You stomped up to my desk and barked, ‘Camden Knight for Tate,’ then sat down like you owned the damn place. Totally entitled. How is that polite?”

He couldn’t recall that meeting or what had been going on that day, but that didn’t sound like him at all. “I must’ve been having a bad day.” He used his hold to pull her another step closer to him. “First impressions aren’t everything, cutie. If you’d given me a chance, maybe I could’ve apologized, but you were ice from the jump. You wanna tell me why?”

This time she bit that lip so hard he worried she’d draw blood. Lifting his hand, he rested his fingers beneath her chin and used his thumb to pull it clear of her teeth so she didn’t hurt herself. She had some of the softest skin he’d ever felt, and pulling his hand away was hard as hell. But he did it, for his own sanity if nothing else. If anything, the last few weeks had taught him just how destructive women could be.

“I was just taking some of my own issues out on you. Sorry about that.”

Curiosity tugged at him before he was able to push it back. “Don’t mention it. Like I said, this is us starting over.”

Letting her go, he put a step of distance between them and held out his hand. “I’m Camden Knight. It’s nice to meet you.”

Her smile lit her entire face, taking cute to beautiful in an instant. “Sutton Briar,” she replied, giving his hand a shake.

“Sutton. I like it. So tell me, Sutton, you wanna go on a date with me?”

Her laugh filled the room, a sound he’d never heard in the two years he’d known her, and he couldn’t help but stare.

“Sure,” she answered on a giggle. “A date sounds good. You wanna go now?”

“Now works,” he answered with a grin. “Just so happens my schedule’s clear.”