By the time I left Sabrina and Bryan’s, I was so drained that I worried I wouldn’t be able to make the drive back to my house. Their constant hovering and worried glances had driven me absolutely crazy. They watched me like they expected I’d lose my shit at any moment and collapse into myself like a dying star.

Trying to convince them I was okay was an impossible task. No matter how often I said it, the words didn’t penetrate their stubborn heads. But the truth of it was I meant it. I was okay.

Hell, even I was surprised about it.

I’d dreaded telling that story since it happened. For years I feared having to open up and tell anyone about that night. I thought it would destroy me, that reliving that night would reopen an old wound and I’d bleed out.

But I didn’t.

And it was all because of Camden. He’d staunched the flow by holding me in his arms as I talked. He kept pressure on the wound by providing me security like I’d never had before.

By the time I was finished pouring it all out, I wasn’t nearly as raw as I’d expected to be.

He’d made it okay. He’d made it safe. But most of all, he made me see him in a totally different light, and there was no stopping the thoughts that had been bombarding me the past couple of days. To be honest, I was relieved when Sabrina finally had enough and demanded to see me, for no other reason than it meant I had an excuse to put some space between Camden and me. I couldn’t think clearly when he was around.

And I hadn’t been able to think of anything else for most of the day. Admittedly, the football game hadn’t helped. I kept imagining what Camden would look like in those pants, bent over, about to snap the ball, those firm, muscular cheeks clear as day.

God, I was a mess. And this whole thing was a disaster.

Turning into my driveway, I let out a sigh of relief. My claw-foot bathtub was calling my name. The plan was to relax in a nice bubble bath with candles and a glass of wine. It was the perfect way to unwind, and hopefully clear my head of Camden and all the things I wanted from him.

I parked the car and threw the door open. I was halfway up the front walk when I looked up and jerked to a stop.

“Camden? What the—” The words lodged in my throat when he stood from where he’d been perched on the top step of my porch. The muscles in his long, strong body rippled beneath the pale blue of his T-shirt, and I struggled to pull my eyes away from the tantalizing view. “Uh, what are you doing here?”

Tucking his hands into the pockets of his well-fitting jeans, he rested his right shoulder against one of the pillars and studied me intently. “I wanted to see you.”

“God!” I cried, throwing my head back in frustration. “I don’t need your pity, Cam. Between you, Sabrina, and Bryan constantly hovering all weekend, I’m this close to losing my mind.” I lifted a hand in front of my face, holding my index finger and thumb a centimeter apart. “If that’s why you’re here, you can just leave. I didn’t tell you what happened so you’d feel sorry for me. And I’m not gonna break, despite what everyone thinks.”

Not that I could blame them for thinking that, really. After all, I did lose it in the middle of a crowded room. But I wanted to start healing. I’d poured my heart and soul out so I could take my power back.

“I don’t pity you,” he replied, his voice hard. “I’m here because I. Wanted. To. See. You.” Each word was punctuated with a step down until he was only about a foot away. The passion glinting in his deep blues stole my breath and made my skin tingle.

I wasn’t sure what to say or do to that, but before I had a chance to figure it out, I heard, “Yoohoo! Hello there, dear!”

My gaze shot over, past the small strip of grass that separated my driveway from my neighbor’s yard. Mrs. Whittaker, the small elderly lady who’d lived next door since before I moved in, was standing on her front porch, waving maniacally.

“Hey, Mrs. Whittaker,” I called back, returning her enthusiastic greeting.

“Is that your boyfriend, sweetie? He’s quite handsome.”

My mouth dropped open, but Camden’s reply drifted through the air before I had a chance to answer.

“That I am. Nice to meet you, Mrs. Whittaker.”

Even from a few yards away I could see the old lady’s cheeks flush at Camden’s attention. He really did have an effect on all women.

“My word,” she said breathily, placing a palm on her chest as she propped herself against her porch railing. “Such a gentleman. That’s a rarity these days, Sutton. You be sure to keep a man like that around, you hear?”

Cutting my eyes back to Camden, I gave him a withering look when I saw the cocky smirk stretched across his face.

“Yes, ma’am,” I replied, not wanting to burst her bubble. The woman had been confined to her house over a year now. She just had too much trouble getting around on her own, and there was no family close to come visit, or pick her up to venture out.

Once a month I took her to the market for groceries and to the salon to get her hair set. I did what I could to provide her company so she didn’t get lonely in that big house all on her own.

It amazed me that a woman stuck in seclusion more hours than not still retained so much optimism. I envied her that and told myself I’d be lucky to have Mrs. Whittaker’s outlook on life when I reached her age.

“You should bring him over for dinner one night this week, darlin’. These old eyes aren’t seein’ as good as they used to, and I need to size your young man up. Can’t have a no-good scoundrel with my sweet Sutton.”

Camden’s eyes flashed with barely contained humor as he mouthed, “No-good scoundrel?”

I hissed, “Shut it,” in return before turning back to my neighbor. “That’s a very nice offer, Mrs. Whittaker. Cam’s a really busy guy, but I’d love to come over for dinner one night.”

“Actually, my schedule’s wide open,” Camden offered with a wicked smile. “And as Sutton knows, I never turn down a free meal.”

“That’s lovely!” Mrs. Whittaker cried. “Wednesday it is. I’ll expect you both here by six. I prefer to eat early. I’m not as young as I used to be, and I need my beauty sleep. I’ll take care of dinner, but you be sure to bring wine. Red. I’ll be making steak.”

Camden lifted his hand and gave her a firm salute. “Yes, ma’am. We’ll be there.”

She clasped her papery hands in front of her chest. “Wonderful! Now, I have to get goin’. My soaps are about to start, and I never miss my soaps. I’ll see you two then.”

“Lookin’ forward to it,” Cam added.

“Have a great evening, Mrs. Whittaker,” I called as she shuffled along the porch and into her house, giving one last wave over her shoulder before she disappeared inside.

Once she was gone, I spun back around on Camden.

“How exactly does having dinner with my elderly neighbor help endear you to the media?”

“Fuck the media,” he spat before softening his expression. “Now, you gonna invite me in, baby? I’m fuckin’ starving, and the pizza I ordered twenty minutes ago is on its way.”

Looked like my nice, relaxing bath was going to have to wait.

I took a step closer, prepared to climb the front stairs, but he didn’t budge, his large body blocking my path. I glanced up and saw an intensity I’d only seen once before filling his eyes, making the dark blue go black.

My mouth went dry, my skin grew tight and itchy, and my hands began to tremble, making the keys clutched against my palm jingle uncontrollably. His close proximity was clouding my brain and making it impossible to think. The fantasies that had been playing on a constant loop in my head the past couple days came flooding back.

The spiciness of his cologne, the heat radiating off him, all of it was driving me out of my mind.

“Uh… e-excuse me.”

He shifted to the side, but only enough to let me past. My shoulder rubbed along his ripped chest and stomach as I passed and took the steps up to my front door.

It took two tries for me to get the key in the lock, what with him right at my back, impairing my senses.

The deadbolt finally gave, and I all but stumbled across the threshold.

“Careful, baby,” he murmured, grabbing my hips to keep me from falling.

The touch burned like fire through my clothes all the way down to my skin. I stood there, glued in place for several seconds while I struggled to get my bearings. God, he was just too alluring for his own damn good.

“I-I’m good,” I muttered, my voice coming out breathier than I’d intended. I took a step forward and turned in an effort to break our connection. And when I looked up into his eyes, I could have sworn I saw all the turbulent emotions I was feeling reflected back at me.

And I was suddenly hit with an idea.

Only time would tell if it was a good one, or if it was the stupidest thing I’d ever thought up in all my life.