Redeeming You(20)

She was absolutely right, but she was also entirely wrong. “I shouldn’t let this go any further between us.” Cam laced his fingers through hers. “I’m not in a place where I can offer you a relationship.”

He didn’t want to talk about Bre, but she was part of the reason he couldn’t find anyone he wanted to be with for more than a night. No one ever measured up to her, and he’d given up trying, but it was more than that. He had utterly failed with Bre and he didn’t like the idea of doing that to someone else, especially Taylor. She wasn’t hard and worldly like the women he met on tour looking for a night that they could tell their friends about, but nothing more.

“I’m not asking for one,” she responded quickly. She directed her attention to their entwined hands for a few prolonged moments and then looked at his face. “I just got out of really bad long term relationship, and I don’t want anything serious right now. I just want to have fun. No expectations.”

“Just some fun, huh?” he said trying to smile, but it felt forced. He said he couldn’t offer her anything, and now that she agreed, he wanted more than fun. Was there a middle ground? He’d tried fun for the last year and it left him empty, soulless. Besides, this was Alec’s sister, and every long buried, honorable instinct in his body told him she deserved more than fun—a lot more.

“So…no more weirdness,” she said, studying his face.

“None.” He leaned in and kissed her softly on her lips.

“Good, I’m glad we’re past that stage. On to the next.”

He laughed. It felt good having her in his life. He looked over his shoulder to the closed curtain and then smiling, he lifted her onto his lap.

“Hey,” she whispered in protest, but the smile spreading across her face told him she didn’t object.

Needing to touch her bare skin again, his hands slipped under the bottom of her shirt and her face went from playful to flirtatious in a matter of seconds.

And without saying a single word, his lips crashed into hers and all the simmering tension from her hotel room earlier exploded as though not a minute had elapsed. He couldn’t get enough of her. This woman was dangerously addictive.

His hands dug into her waist, pulling her closer, and just like that, he forgot that they were on the bus, less than ten feet from her unsuspecting brother. Before he knew it, they were kissing harder and hungrier than was prudent, given their location. He wanted to pull her sexy little shirt over her head and explore every inch of her skin, but if he did that he wouldn’t be able to stop until he had her naked under him, over him and every which way she’d let him.

He pulled away, taking in her lustrous eyes and glowing skin. God, he wished they were alone.

“That was probably a little too much with…you know.” She laughed softly and tilted her head in the direction of the curtain as her shirt slid off one of her graceful shoulders.

“I know. I’m sorry.” He traced her exposed collarbone, letting his fingers dip into the top of her shirt. Goosebumps pebbled on her skin with each soft caress. She was too responsive for her own good.

When his hands stopped moving, she slid off his lap and rested her head against his shoulder.

“Are you tired?” he asked, thinking of their crazy night.

She nodded.

“Go to sleep. I’ll turn the T.V. down.” He brushed her hair from her face and then repeatedly ran his fingers through her long hair, top to bottom.

“That feels good,” she murmured, her eyes heavy.

“Close your eyes.”

“Are you sure?” she whispered leaning into his touch, a small smile on her lips.

“Don’t worry. I’ll wake you if I hear anyone coming.”

“Thanks.”





CHAPTER SEVEN





Cam moved to the front of the stage for the guitar solo in the middle of one of her favorite Chasing Ruin songs, “Life the Wrong Way,” and Taylor couldn’t peel her eyes away from him. He played the guitar so naturally, as though it was an extension of his body and his soul.

When she’d watched Chasing Ruin in the past, she normally kept her attention focused on her brother because she liked seeing him happy, especially after the childhood they had, and playing the drums makes him happy even if nobody else could tell by looking at his serious face.

Tonight, however, Cam had every ounce of her attention and more. The crowd screamed, lights flashed, and she’d never seen anything as seductive as Cam moving to the music, his fingers flying over the fretboard, his arms straining and his muscles flexing. She could see the sweat dripping down the side of his head; it was beautiful.