Hot Commodity(31)

Cameron lifted his face, looking stunned. "Hate you? I don’t hate you. I might’ve been a little upset on our last encounter, is all. But I’m better now."

"You mean, you’re drunk now."

"Hey, whatever works." Cameron grinned and shrugged good-naturedly.

Olivia clenched her teeth. "And why are you drunk? The report I read said you were a recovering alcoholic."

His eyes flashed with heat. "It’s called none of your business."

She snorted. "Really? I thought it was called falling off the wagon."

For a fraction of a moment, his fingers tightened on her and his teeth clenched in a snarl. Fear raced up her spine, making her shiver. His eyes lifted at her reaction, and after he blinked a few times, regret filled his gaze. His grip eased, and his face relaxed.

"Anyway." He cleared his throat and glanced away. "I was wondering something. I need a little favor from you."

Olivia swallowed. "What?"

He turned back to her, his green eyes intense and enticing. "Well, I’m horny."

She pulled back. "Excuse me?"

He shrugged helplessly. "It’s the champagne. Does it to me every

time. I don’t understand it either. There’s just something about the chemical makeup that makes me want to…" He paused to shiver as if wracked by an orgasm.

Olivia’s imagination immediately brought up a picture of them in bed together, a very memorable, very vivid picture. It caused her to shiver too, and this time, it wasn’t in fear.

"Anyway, I’m dying to get laid," he said, making their conversation feel all too surreal for Olivia. "But the problem is now that I’m married, I don’t feel it’s right to go off and have an affair. Since it’s going to be a couple more months before this thing with us can be cleared up, I’d like to take my one last chance to have sex with my wife now, before we go our separate ways. And I don’t know about you, but I sure as hell can’t wait a few more months until the annulment is final."

"I don’t mind if you have an affair. It’s not like we’re really married anyway."

But Cam shook his head. "If there’s one thing my mama taught me, it’s not to cheat. So, I can’t, okay? It’s a moral thing."

Blinking because, well, she was bowled over by that kind of announcement, Olivia blurted out, "Well, I’m not going to sleep with you!" Realizing a second too late how loud she’d been, she glanced around, hoping no one had heard her outburst.

"Why not?" Cameron said not even seeming to care if anyone overheard. "It’s not like we haven’t done it before."

"We’re trying to get an annulment," she reminded through her teeth.

"Hey, I won’t tell if you don’t." Cameron sighed in delight as he moved his fingers against the base of her spine, making her suck in a breath. "Be a sport, Livy. It was good that one time. If there’s one thing I remember about our wedding night, it’s that we’re good together. Amazing, in fact. Crazy amazing. Amazing to the point of—"

Turning beet red, Olivia slapped her hand over his mouth. "Shh!" She glanced around to make sure no one was paying them any attention. "I can’t believe you’re talking about this to me in front of the entire world. With my mother watching."

When he playfully nipped her thumb, she jerked her fingers back.

"No one can hear us," he assured, tugging her a smidgeon closer. "So, what do you say, huh? Give me your room number. I can slip by after everyone else has gone to bed. Then we can stay up all night, playing hide-the—"

This time she ground her heel against his toe to shut him up. His step faltered, and he winced. She shook her head no and pulled out of his arms. As she turned to stalk off the floor, Cameron followed, sidling next to her. He took her elbow again and steered her in a different direction. When she realized he was returning her to Vivian, she resisted.

His grip tightened. "This is what you chose then, Olivia," he

murmured in her ear just as she lifted her face to take in her mother’s smirk of triumph.

"Didn’t step on your toes, did she, Banks?" Vivian asked cheerfully, obviously not catching the last few seconds of their dance.

"Not at all," Cameron lied smoothly. "I haven’t partnered someone so smoothly in nearly four weeks." His eyes slid meaningfully toward Olivia, and she blushed before glancing away.

"Good." Vivian beamed. "It’s nice to know all those dance classes I bought her actually paid off."

"Oh, I’d say you definitely got your money’s worth." Cameron took Olivia’s hand.