She sighed when the driver opened the bus door. Thank God. A three-day stretch in Las Vegas meant her own hotel room, a lot more privacy and seventy-two hours to readjust her feelings toward Cam before they swallowed her whole.
As she walked through the automatic door to the hotel, she felt a hand at the center of her back and she shivered, already sensing to whom that hand belonged. The heat from his hand penetrated her thin gray cotton dress, and part of her wanted to lean into his touch to absorb every molecule of that forbidden heat, even though he had ignored her for days.
She quickened her pace to the hotel reception desk. Even with his evident indifference toward her recently, she suspected she lacked the kind of willpower essential to resisting Cam.
“We have adjoining rooms,” Cam said standing next to her at the counter. He handed his credit card to the clerk. “One is under Donovan and the other is under Taylor Reed.”
Her mouth dropped open. They discussed this earlier, and she remembered it, but she didn’t think he actually planned to go through with the silly idea. “I don’t think that’s necessary now,” she half-whispered as she looked over her shoulder to see if anyone could hear the conversation. “Everything is going really well. I can give you some space away from me. I think I can trust you.”
“Tay,” he said bending his head, so his soft blonde hair tickled the side of her face. “It’s very necessary.”
“What are you doing?” she asked, the air swirling with electricity, his eyes darkening noticeably.
“Trying to spend some time with you…alone, without prying eyes. I’ve missed you.”
“But…” she said, her voice trailing off. When he looked at her like that with a lazy grin on his face and his blue eyes warm with tenderness, she couldn’t remember why she wanted to avoid him.
Cam picked up two key cards off the counter and placed one into her hand, squeezing it tightly before he released her. “You’re in control, Taylor. I’ll follow your lead.”
And that’s what scared her. She didn’t have very much control over herself when it came to Cam. If he had shown her any interest in the last five days she would have gladly pulled him into some backstage cleaning closet and kissed him and more until she had her fill. Instead, he spent that time orchestrating every encounter so that they were never alone, or so it seemed to her. She hated herself for caring, for feeling hurt and abandoned.
“Fine, I’ll keep my side locked. You can keep yours unlocked if I need you for any reason.”
He smiled mischievously. “I’m counting on that.”
She pressed the elevator button more than once as she rolled her eyes. Of course, he interpreted it that way. “I meant for work.”
“I didn’t,” he said placing his hand on her lower back and guiding her into the elevator.
As the elevator doors closed, leaving them alone for the first time in days, he laced his fingers through hers, his thumb stroking the inside of her wrist. She wanted to pull away, but she didn’t. When it came to Cam, she was weak. She erected walls no one could penetrate, but Cam didn’t even need to try. She tore them down for him, welcoming him, in spite of the absolute awareness that he could devastate her.
“Why now? You couldn’t be bothered with me for days and now you suddenly want to be near me. Are you bored?”
He laughed. “I’m trying to respect you and your brother. I didn’t want you to be the subject of gossip or speculation. You can’t be mad at me for protecting your privacy and your reputation. I thought you’d be proud of my restraint.”
“I don’t care about that,” she said trying to pull her hand out of his clasp. She was frustrated that this thing—whatever it was—with Cam never progressed. It was like a dance: two steps forward, and five giant steps back. She really wanted something to happen, but she didn’t know how to get their relationship to move forward.
“I do.” He grabbed both of her wrists, pulling her forward. His grip wasn’t bruising, but firm enough to ensure he had her undivided attention. “Your personal and professional reputations are important. If you think I want your name dragged through the mud or people openly speculating not so nice things about you, then you’ve completely lost your mind.” He shook his head. “I’m not going to do that to you. You deserve more than that.”
When he closed the space between their bodies, she rested her head against his chest, inhaling his woodsy sandalwood scent.
“Why?” she asked a little confused with his need to protect her.
“Why what?”