“Nice, huh, I don’t think he’s ever been called nice. I’ll have to share that with him. He’ll think it’s funny.”
Bre got up and grabbed the empty pizza box to dump it in the trash. Looking at day-old congealed cheese made her nauseous. “How did you meet Jax?”
“Through some mutual friends. Jax, Alec and Marc were already playing together, and their guitarist quit to join some other band. The guys said they had a falling out, or a mortal personality conflict as they refer to it. We met for a trial run at Jax’s place and we clicked. It doesn’t hurt that Jax knows all these people in the industry, and even though he refuses to use his connections, I’m not too proud to drop his family connections in the right circumstance.”
“What connections?” Bre asked as she opened the dishwasher.
“His dad is some bigwig in the movie industry.” Cam followed her into the kitchen, watching her load the dishwasher. “I think he and his dad had a major blowout, but he got a sweet trust fund and loft in West Hollywood out of the whole thing, so I don’t think it bothers him too much.”
“Money isn’t a replacement for a parent.”
“Sure, Bre, if you say so.”
Bre tossed a dishtowel at him. “You can be so shallow sometimes.”
Cam wrapped his arms around her waist, lifting her onto the kitchen counter. “I know, but you love me anyway.” He leaned in to kiss her, and she curled her arms around his neck. “Mmm… I can’t believe you’re finally here.”
His hands drifted under the hem of her shirt while he nuzzled her neck, making her shiver with anticipation. With his hands brushing her skin, she melted into him, completely absorbed by the moment. He shifted away from her momentarily to pull her shirt over her head and unzip her skinny jeans. Pulling them down her legs, he slowly trailed kisses in their wake.
“As cute as you look in your shirt and those jeans, I definitely prefer you like this.”
“I need to take a shower. I look awful. I can’t believe I met your friends looking like that,” Bre said, shaking her head.
“After…” he whispered as he wrapped her legs around his waist and carried her to the bed.
Satisfied and utterly contented, Bre stepped out the steamy shower, smiling at the prospect of spending an entire month with Cam. She threw on a nightshirt, brushed her hair, and climbed into bed with Cam, who was already asleep. She curled into his body, wrapping her arms around him like when they were kids and she used to sneak into his room when her mother didn’t bother to come home. And just like when they were kids, Cam rolled over, pulling her close to him and tangling his fingers in her hair. Smiling at the familiarity of it all, she loved how even in his sleep he always managed to make her feel safe and wanted—both of the things she had too little of when she was growing up.
He was the one constant in her life. Everyone else came and went, but not Cam, and not his family. He shielded her from her mother’s whims and gave her an escape from her grandmother’s guilt-laden lectures. The thought of not having him or his family in her life scared her more than she wanted to admit. He knew all her quirks and she didn’t have to make any excuses for them or her family’s eccentricities or her insecurities.
Chapter Four
Bre pushed her sunglasses onto the top of her head so she could read the chalkboard menu behind the cash register. Unconsciously, she rubbed her temples and inhaled the smell of coffee beans in a pointless attempt to lessen the tension that had been silently building between her and Cam during the last seven days. A fourth of her trip to LA had elapsed, and she and Cam had hardly spent any time together. Their usual carefree relationship had degenerated into something she didn’t recognize, and every time they were on the verge of normalcy again, Cam would disappear for hours on a simple errand or come home late from work without bothering to call.
Last night she couldn’t bite her tongue any longer. Sure, she had questioned his whereabouts before last night, but last night her simmering discontent exploded into something uglier than she thought was possible.
The night started well intentioned enough. When he left for work, she made him promise to be home no later than seven o’clock, hinting that she had planned a surprise. He had kissed her and swung her around in a circle, promising over and over that he wouldn’t disappoint.
Then, like a doting girlfriend, she spent four hours preparing a five-course meal, complete with a coordinating wine for every dish. At 6:55, she sent Cam at quick reminder text and plated the grilled pork belly lettuce wrap and poured the Prosecco. At 7:20, she sent Cam other text that went unanswered. At 7:45, she called him four times and all four calls went directly to voicemail. At 8:30, she had finished the entire bottle of Prosecco and moved on to the French Chablis that was supposed to accompany her lobster bisque.