Hot Commodity(60)

"If you really want to learn how to cook," he finally mumbled. "You should talk to my mother. That’s totally her forte."

When Olivia didn’t answer, Cameron glanced down and was surprised to see that she’d fallen asleep, curled against him with her head nestled against the inside of his thigh. A wave of tenderness struck him and he wanted to wrap himself around her and hold her until everything in the world was perfect.

But he stopped himself, even as he reached for a stray hair caught between her lips. He pulled back, untangled himself from her arms and legs and stumbled to his feet. Then he went and sought a drink, hoping to drown out the sound of his wife’s throaty cries from his memory, hoping it would keep him from feeling more toward her than he should.

~  ~

The next evening, Olivia once again tried her hand at cooking. After watching two cooking shows, she felt more confident about her skills. Once again, however, she and Cam ended up ordering take-out and had sandwiches delivered from a nearby deli. Their meal had just arrived and the two of them were seated in the kitchen, unwrapping their goods, when Cameron’s cell phone rang. Cameron checked the number.

"It’s Boston," he said, glancing her way. "Sorry. I should take this."

He waited until she nodded and waved him on. Then he answered. "Bos. What’s up? Did you get that bid dropped...Good, good. I think we need to…"

Olivia sat there a moment, listening to him talk. Swallowing down the bite she’d been chewing, she forced her gaze away and continued eating. She didn’t want to admit how touching it was to have him act worried about taking a call at dinner. Vivian had never worried about such a thing. She never apologized and never explained herself.

Cameron Banks was a hundred times the person Vivian could ever be. But soon, she had to leave Cameron too.

Something had changed between them though. Their lovemaking was becoming so—just that. Lovemaking. It wasn’t merely them getting down and dirty. It was like their souls had meshed right along with their bodies. It was as if he might possibly love her as much as she loved him.

The ringing of the doorbell caught both her and Cam’s attention. As she glanced at him, he mouthed, could you get that please?

Distinctly uncomfortable about answering his door, Olivia merely nodded and pushed to her feet. She stressed all the way to the entrance. What if it was some woman of his, come to give him a booty call? What if—she pulled open the door and froze.

It was worse.

His parents.

The couple standing on the other side of the threshold pulled back when they saw her. She knew exactly who they were from the pictures she’d seen of them. The pictures she was currently turning into a scrapbook.

Still lacking the ability to move, Olivia stared with wide eyes. The man and woman stared back a moment before Cameron’s father smiled, a light flirtatious grin that reminded her of Cam at his best.

"Well, hello there," he greeted her pleasantly. "Is Cameron around?"

Olivia licked her lips and was embarrassed to discover a glob of mayonnaise on the corner of her mouth.

Face heating, she slapped her hand over the spot and wiped furiously. "Uh, yeah," she answered in a muffled voice as she stepped aside to let them enter. "He’s, um, on the phone with Boston."

Though both parents nodded with understanding, neither seemed concerned about going to find him. They were far more preoccupied with studying her.

"We’re his parents," the man said. "I’m Chuck Banks. And this lovely vision here is my wife, Allison."

He stepped toward her and cordially held out his hand. Olivia shook it and then turned to Allison Banks. Cameron’s mother smiled shyly and offered her fingers.

Okay, this was surreal, Olivia decided. Meeting the in-laws. If only they knew who she was, they would in no way be so pleasant to her.

She wondered if she should introduce herself at this point, but what

in the world would she say? Hi, I’m the woman that trapped your little boy into marriage. Yeah, that’d go over real well.

"It’s nice to meet you," Allison said quietly, smiling at Olivia. "You’re...a friend of Cameron’s?"

Olivia paused. "Uh…" How to break it to them? "No, not quite. I’m…I’m…" Hmm.

From behind them, Cameron appeared. "This is Olivia," he said from the doorway.

Allison and Chuck turned back together to look at Cameron. Olivia frowned at him. He’d found some alcohol somewhere, she could tell it immediately by his smile. He only gave off that pleasantly content look when he had liquor in him. And he’d only been gone a few minutes. How had he found the time to talk to Boston and drink?