kindness. He could never in a hundred years be what Vivian was. His sour side didn’t seem to come naturally. It was like he forced himself to be rude, as if some emotional struggle was taking place in him, making him guilty about every smile he revealed, so he had to counter it with a snarl.
Apprehension attacked every nerve ending she possessed. Everything felt new and foreign. She was a long way from California, hundreds and hundreds of miles from the only home she’d ever known.
Ignoring her, Cameron rummaged through the books on the shelf until he came to one thick dictionary. But he didn’t seem interested in reading. Instead, he tugged it out of his way and reached into the open gap to extract a glass decanter filled with amber liquid.
Olivia rolled her eyes. Letting go of her suitcase handle, she strode toward him and jerked the container from his hand as soon as he’d taken his first swig.
"Don’t drink that!"
Wiping a drip that dribbled down his chin, he frowned. "Why not?"
Yeah, why not?
"Because…" Olivia sighed in irritation. She didn’t want him to think she was actually worried about him. She had a feeling he’d make fun of her if she showed him any tenderness. But, honestly, she didn’t want him to suffer any more. Despite how easily he could get her back up—not to mention how easily he got her back down on a bed—she was in his debt. He’d successfully removed her from Vivian’s life. The kind of gratitude that act inspired made her want to save him from himself.
"Horrible things happen to me every time you drink," she said, instead of revealing her compassion. "First, I ended up marrying just the man I wanted to avoid. Then, the next time I ran into you while you were drunk, my mother found out about everything and I lost the only home I’ve ever known. And now, I’m stuck here, clear across the country, doing God knows what with my life. I’m telling you, Bud, that’s not a very good track record."
"Maybe it’s just plain old me that’s bad luck for you," he suggested with a careless shrug.
He reached out to take the bottle from her but she held it away from him.
"You didn’t drink a drop all the way here from the hotel this morning," she said primly. "And no pianos have fallen on me yet, so I’ve concluded it’s the alcohol. Besides, I thought you were a recovering—"
"Yeah, yeah," he snapped. "I know." Cameron switched his scowl from the bottle to her. But as soon as their gazes meshed, he blew out a breath and closed his eyes. "Sorry," he said as he rubbed at his forehead. "You’re right. I’ve been imbibing more than I should lately. I’ll stop."
When he opened his eyes, his irritation was gone. He gave her a sudden seductive grin. "So, if I’m not allowed to drink, you’re going to keep my mind occupied on other matters, right?"
She rolled her eyes. "Is sex the only thing you ever think about?"
His eyebrows arched. "When I look at you? Yeah. Pretty much." He reached out and touched a sensitive spot on the side of her neck.
She shuddered, wanting to ignore the way her body responded and quickly stepped away. "Cameron," she groaned. "I’m serious. What are we going to do? What am I going to do? I can’t just stay here."
"Sure, you can. I’ve got plenty of bedrooms. You can take your pick—"
"No," she cut in. "I’m not talking about today. What am I going to do with the rest of my life?"
He shrugged, obviously unconcerned. "You can stay as long as you like. I don’t care."
She gritted her teeth. "I can’t stay forever. I have to decide what I’m going to—"
"Livy, honey," he said, reaching out to take her arm and pull her toward him.
For some reason, Olivia didn’t resist. She let him tug her into a warm, comforting hug, where she closed her eyes and sank into the blessed sensation.
"You don’t have to figure out your entire future tonight," he murmured, softly stroking a hand down her back. "It’s late. You’re tired. You’ve had a big day. Let me just show you to your room, and you can sleep on it. Tomorrow, while I’m at work, you can use my computer, cruise the internet, and try to come up with some ideas. Okay? Sound like a plan to you?"
She nodded her head against his shoulder. It sounded marvelous. Images of a huge, comfortable bed filled her mind, and all she wanted to do was close her eyes and dream the rest of the night away.
Cameron made an approving sound as she unconsciously cuddled closer. "Say," he murmured in her ear, his warm breath a subtle caress compared to his hand, which was sliding over her hip with hot, bold strokes. "You don’t really want to sleep all alone in some big scary foreign bed tonight, do you? Why don’t you just come with me to my room. I’ll keep you company. And then tomorrow, you can scout out the house and feel better about—"