Down London Road (On Dublin Street #2)(68)

The insult to my brother was like a steel rod sliding into my spine. I straightened sharply, taking a step away from Cam. My eyes narrowed on her, and I tried to squelch the hurt in my chest  –  the hurt I felt any time she did or said something so selfish and uncaring, so lacking in parental concern. 'Did the gin not help you back up, Mum? Funny, it seems to help you with everything else.'

Her rugged cheeks were peppered with visibly broken veins and the little colour that was in them leached out completely at my comment. 'Don't you get smart with me because he's here.'

Taking a deep breath, knowing that if we continued at this pace, we'd end up in a huge argument in front of Cam, I softened my tone. 'Cole and I have lives, Mum. You need to watch out for yourself more now, okay?'

Waiting for a reaction, I stepped back so I could at least feel the heat of Cam behind me. I was grateful to him for keeping quiet and letting me deal with Mum in my own way. She got shakily to her feet, setting her mug on the table. 'I just needed a bit of help,' she answered quietly, hitting me in the chest with her words. Guilt wormed its way inside, despite my urgent battle against it.

I sighed heavily. 'If you're really desperate, phone me next time.' I could have punched myself for giving in.

'I will, darling.' She shuffled past us, her eyes on the ground. 'Nice meeting you, Cameron.' It was the nicest she had been to me since I confronted her about hitting Cole. Remembering how much I distrusted her, I felt deep regret at being even slightly polite to her. I shouldn't have given in, I thought bitterly.



       
         
       
        

Cam grunted in response to her, doing a fair impression of Cole.

I waited until she'd disappeared from the room, until we heard her bedroom door closing, and then my eyes slid to Cam. 'Well?'

His features had hardened. 'She's a manipulative cow and she knows just how to play you.' At that he turned on his heel and disappeared into the hall, heading towards the kitchen.

I followed him, my heart thumping in my chest. 'I told you how she is.'

'Yeah, one minute a bloody witch, the next completely normal and nice. It's deliberate. When she's a witch, you stand up to her. When she's nice, you give in and she knows it. She's playing you.'

Knowing that he was right and not really wanting to get into it with him on what had started out as the best morning ever, I began helping him make tea and coffee. We returned to the sitting room, having come to an unspoken agreement to put thoughts of my mum aside, and we both sat down on the couch. As soon as I did, Cam pulled me over his lap so that my legs straddled his thighs.

'What are you doing?' I asked, my lips twitching with laughter.

'Getting comfy.' He reached past me and grabbed our mugs, handing me mine.

I took it, completely bemused by our proximity. We were so close I could see coppery striations in the cobalt blue of his irises. 'You're comfortable like this?' I watched him as he casually took a sip of coffee, his other arm around my hip, his hand resting on the curve of my ass.

'Extremely,' he murmured.

Shrugging, I relaxed into him, taking a sip of tea.

And that was as long as I got to relax. The sound of the front door opening moved me into instant action. I attempted to dive out of Cam's arms.

He stopped me effortlessly with one arm.

'What are you doing?' I hissed, my eyes narrowed on him, my heart thumping hard at the thought of Cole walking in on us wrapped around each other without an explanation first.

'Um, what's going on?'

Too late.

I closed my eyes briefly, shooting Cam a death look when I opened them and then peering past his head to smile apologetically at my brother, who took up a good portion of the doorway with his height and increasing frame. His green eyes were narrowed on the back of Cam's head. They shifted to me. 'Is this what you wanted to talk about?'

I nodded and tried once again, unsuccessfully, to clamber off Cam's lap as Cole strode into the room. He walked past the sofa to the armchair and Cam smiled at him before sipping his coffee, completely relaxed except for the arm that bound me tight to him.

Cole sighed and dropped into the chair. 'You two together, then?' 

We answered in unison.

Unfortunately not with the same answers.

'Yes.'

'We'll see.'

As Cole's eyebrows rose, his eyes bright with amusement, Cam turned his head sharply to glare at me. 'We'll see?'

Bugger. Now he thought I didn't want this. I did want this. I just didn't want him to feel pressured in case that scared him off. 'I don't want us to feel rushed.'

'Bullshit. You don't want me to feel rushed. I thought we talked about that.'

I gaped at him. Cam wasn't known for his intuitiveness when it came to me, but apparently the more he got to know me the more he saw. Was I becoming predictable?