Cameron slapped a wad of cash down on the bill, then held out his hand to me.
“You have enough cash for that?” I took his hand and got to my feet.
“I believe in always being prepared.” He winked.
I melted. It was the stupid wink. Leave it to Cameron Richmond to make me feel like a school girl again.
“I could pick up the bill, you know,” I said. If I got my promotion tomorrow, I was pretty sure I’d be making just as much money as him. Maybe I should buy a car like his. On second thought, I should probably spend the money on upgrading my work wardrobe.
“I know. But this dinner is about apologizing to you, remember?”
“Yes. You’ve done a very good job of it. I forgive you.” I searched my mind, but the old grudge was gone. That night was ten years ago. We were both stupid children then. Yes, he’d acted badly, but he’d been young and scared of my brother. “Do you still care about the bro code?” I asked as we walked out of the restaurant.
Cameron laughed. “The bro code? No, not so much. I’m not a frat boy jerk anymore. My code these days involves matters of honor and honesty. Oh, and upholding the law and dealing ethically as a lawyer. When you’re old enough to know you wouldn’t sleep with your friend’s mom anyway, there really isn’t a need for a bro code.”
“But you would sleep with your best friend’s sister.”
Cameron paused at the valet stand.
I shouldn’t have said it. I’d brought my brother into this at the worst possible time. We were adults now. My brother was getting married soon. Surely he wouldn’t care who I did or didn’t sleep with.
“Never mind,” I said. “I like that you’ve grown up enough to stop following some skewed idea of bro-hood.”
The car pulled up, and Cameron opened the passenger door for me and grinned. “These days, I prefer friendship.”
“So do I.” I flushed. I barely knew what I was saying anymore.
I was going to have sex with Cameron again. That knowledge had my head spinning. I buckled into my seat and waited for him to get in his and close his door.
“Just to clarify, this is only a one night stand,” I said. “No strings. No attachments. Tomorrow we go back to reality and pretend this never happened.” This would be our chance for a do-over, and to set things right. That’s it.
A muscle in Cameron’s cheek jumped. “Understood.” He didn’t sound happy about it. I couldn’t shake the feeling that I’d missed something.
I shifted in the leather seat. My panties were already wet just thinking about what we were going to do. I wished he still had that sexy stubble to scrape against my thighs as he-
“Where are we going?” I asked. I didn’t recognize the buildings around us. This wasn’t the way back to the hotel.
“My apartment.”
I’d thought for sure he’d want to do this at my hotel room to make it feel more temporary. Going back to his apartment with him felt personal. I didn’t want this night to be personal. I wanted one last fling to get over him. I wanted proof that we would never work as a couple so I wouldn’t go back to Dallas and mope about what could have been.
His apartment was bound to be an unwelcoming bachelor pad, though. Odds were it would do an even better job of convincing me that we couldn’t be together. “Okay,” I said. “I guess the drinks there will be cheaper than the hotel mini bar.”
“I don’t know about cheaper, but they’ll definitely be nicer.” Cameron tapped his fingers on the steering wheel. His dark eyes were intent on the road so I couldn’t see what he was thinking. “I’ve got some wine I think you’ll like.”
I smiled. More wine. “That’d be nice.” I could already feel my tipsy buzz receding and I was going to need some liquid courage. Without it I might get scared and run to protect my battered heart.
This was the right thing to do. I needed closure, and I wasn’t going to get it by avoiding him. I’d regret it for the rest of my life if I didn’t go through with this and find out for sure what it was between us that kept drawing me back in.
He pulled the car to a stop in front of his apartment. I didn’t know New York City very well, but the building his apartment was in looked very nice. It was understated, like his car, but it had a quiet aura of luxury to it.
I liked grown up Cameron more than I’d expected. I’d never cared for men who felt a need to be flashy and show off. Cameron wasn’t embarrassed to be rich, but he didn’t need to make sure everyone knew it, either. I hoped I could manage my money as gracefully as he did. Maybe I should ask him for pointers. And would you do that before or after the sex? I asked myself. I told myself to shut up and accepted Cameron’s hand as I stepped out of the car.