“Go. You’re wasting time,” Cam said after a few minutes.
“Fine.” She started walking toward the bathroom, stopping when she reached the door. “Why are you helping me?” she asked.
“Because you need help,” he answered, tilting his head to the side as if that were the dumbest question he’d ever heard and maybe it was.
“But you hate me…and last night…” She paused not sure how to describe what happened, especially with her mind still partially hazy from several shots of tequila. She exhaled loudly. “Last night you were mad about what happened between us on the dance floor.” She looked away quickly before she had a chance to see his facial expression. She didn’t want to see the disgust she feared might be there.
Cam walked to the closet next to the bathroom. “I don’t hate you—not even close. And I wasn’t mad at you.” He grabbed a few dresses hanging in the closet that she tossed in her bag at the last minute thinking she might need to dress up at some point during the month.
“Really?” she asked. Her voice sounded hoarse, anemic and a little bit needy. She didn’t like it one bit.
He stopped in front of her, cupping her face with his free hand. “Last night, I was mad at myself for taking advantage of you when you were drinking and I said some dumb shit afterwards. I’m sorry. It wasn’t my finest moment, but I really haven’t had many of those lately as you already know.”
His thumb whispered along her bottom lip, his eyes drugging her with their intensity and igniting shivers along every nerve ending in her body. “It won’t happen again. It will be our secret.”
She nodded unable to answer. He responded exactly as she would have hoped, but her stomach knotted uncomfortably and she felt…empty. Did the disappointment show on her face, in her eyes? Her mind told her to smile and be happy, but her body wanted her to drop to her knees begging for one more moment with him because she’d never experienced anything like that before last night. Her ex-boyfriend had hardly aroused any reaction in her, even when the relationship was shiny and new. Cam, on the other hand, made her feel everything with an intensity that stole her breath and melted her soul.
“Tay,” he said, his voice soft.
Normally, she hated that nickname and she only allowed her brother to use it, but she loved the way it rolled off of his lips, as if the simple syllable was dipped in warm amber colored honey. He devastated her willpower and common sense with that one syllable.
“Yeah?” she murmured, her body angling toward him involuntarily, and bringing their lips within striking distance.
He looked so sexy standing there with his messy blond hair and his perfectly sculpted face that she had to touch him. Cautiously, she placed her hand on his forearm, wanting to feel the slide of his skin beneath hers. When he didn’t retreat, she lazily traced the contours of his arm, to his shoulder, finally stopping at his neck where she felt his pulse pounding against her fingertips.
“Tell me to leave,” he mumbled lifting his long lashes, his blue eyes darker than normal and filled with an unspeakable gentleness and a whole lot of lust.
She shook her head. “Don’t leave,” she whispered. For some reason, she needed this moment with him, even though everything about him was bad for her. Sliding her hand to the back of his neck, she guided his head toward hers until their foreheads touched. Desire rolled off his skin burning into her and she decided she needed this more than anything—a good memory to chase away all the bad ones endlessly taunting her.
“Kiss me,” she said moistening her lower lip, remembering the feel of his silky lips molded against hers and needing to feel it again. She loved those lips. They made her forget everything.
He looked conflicted as he stared at her for an agonizingly prolonged minute. “No,” he whispered, but he took a few steps toward her until her back pressed into the doorjamb. His body aligned with hers in a way that made clear how much he actually wanted her. The heat from his body seeped into her bones, making her feel alive for the first time in years or maybe longer than that.
“Yes,” she whispered rocking her hips very slightly against his, testing the feel of his body against hers.
He groaned, but then he closed his eyes, inhaling deeply. “Tay, don’t do this. I’m not good at saying no. We both know it. That’s why you’re here.”
“Then don’t start trying now, because I don’t want to be good either. Not today. Let me have this,” she half-whispered. Opening his eyes, he lifted his forehead from hers, tilting his head toward the ceiling. She was prepared to beg. “It’s just a kiss, one more kiss. That's all I want.” Her voice broke on the last word.