Tiny Dancer(Divine Creek Ranch 13)(38)

“I know what it’s like for a man to love a woman with all his heart, because I saw it every single day while I was growing up.”

“Your parents?”

“Yes. My dad worships the ground my mom walks on.”

“Does she have him wrapped around her little finger?”

“Yes and no. He lets her think she does. She adores him and looks at him even to this day like the sun rises and sets with him. They’re actually kind of disgusting with the affection.”

“Disgusting, huh?” The wistful quality of her tone made him want to show her what it would be like to be the center of his universe.

“Kissing and hugging for no reason. Making out on the couch when they thought we were all in bed.” He let loose with a full-body shudder as he relived the memory, coming down the stairs as a teenager and catching them necking on the sofa.

Camilla’s giggle reverberated through her as he lathered her hair, ending with a sensual sigh as he massaged the shampoo into her scalp, careful to not create tangles in her long tresses. “Is that the kind of love you want?”

“With all my heart. But that kind of love comes with some trust. I’m going to earn your trust. Ben will too. He pushes you because he cares about you.” It felt good to say that with no doubt in his mind. She was theirs.

She seemed to mull that over for a minute before she opened her eyes and looked up at him. Sliding her hands around his biceps, she murmured, “I want to learn how to trust like that, but I’m scared.”

Quinten knew exactly how she felt. “I’ve been hurt, too, by someone I loved, baby. I do know how you feel.”

“You do? What happened?”

Quinten didn’t want to cloud the issue with his own past hurts, so he kissed her then said, “Let’s just try together. We’ll earn each other’s trust one day at a time. Ben, too. Give us a chance?”

“Okay.”

“And we still want to help you with your club.”

“That’s going to be hard. Balancing work and a relationship with the two of you.” He didn’t blame her for having doubts. She was probably thinking that Ben would always be as pushy as he’d been the night before. She didn’t realize that Ben hadn’t found it easy to walk her through her past hurts like that at all.

“We’ll make it worth it to you but we may mess up occasionally. We’re not perfect.”

“I know. Neither am I. It helps knowing you understand me. A woman doesn’t like for her man—men—to think that they have her all figured out.”

“Oh, trust me, baby, we know we don’t have you figured out.”

She giggled. “Turn around and I’ll scrub your back for you.”

Quinten laughed playfully as he turned for her. “You really just wanna play with my fine butt, don’t you?”

“You’re really good at diffusing heavy moments.” Camilla giggled, and his cock pulsed with excitement when he felt her bend downward behind him. “And just for that…” She gave him a love bite on his right butt cheek. Not hard enough to break the skin but hard enough that he jumped a little.

“Ow! Ooh—thank you!”

She chortled with glee as she threw the soapy puff at him. He closed in on her and backed her against the cold tile wall. She gasped and squealed as he tickled her until her cheeks were flushed, and then he kissed her. Hope grew stronger in his heart as she stilled and wrapped her arms around his neck. He lifted her off the tile floor and brought her up to eye level. He’d gladly start each day like this for the rest of his life. All they had to do was convince her it was possible.



* * * *



Ben rolled over and stretched in the dim room. The sound of Camilla’s giggle from the bathroom made him open his eyes and smile. The two of them must be playing in the shower. Memories of the night before came back to him, inspiring an erection hard enough to make him grit his teeth. She giggled again, and he contemplated joining them.

It’d taken her a while to fall asleep the night before, and Ben wondered why as he made a mental note to talk to Ethan in private. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt Camilla, even in an effort to help her. Some things were better off left in the past, and he could imagine how he’d feel if someone was picking at his old wounds. Lord knew he had them, too.

What would Ethan suggest? Ben smiled. He knew his friend well enough to know exactly what he’d say. Talk to her…gently.

Confident in his decision, he rose naked from the bed and went into the steamy bathroom. It had grown quiet in the shower again, and Ben’s cock hardened further as he guessed the cause.