Bender (The Core Four #1)(15)

Three hours and another movie later, Sarah was passed out cold. It was almost eight o’clock, and I needed to get her home. I stood up and stretched my arms high above my head. My back popped, and I groaned. It felt better after sitting so stiffly for so long. I refused to look at Camden when the movie was over. He had seemed on edge with me, and I wasn’t in the mood for another showdown tonight. Stepping over to Sarah, I was about to bend down to pick her up when Camden shifted and lifted her in the air before I even got a chance to. I raised a brow at him, questioningly.

“Open the door for me, would ya?” His voice rumbled, but no longer held the edge that it had earlier in the evening.

I went to the front door and opened it. Moving in front of him, I walked out to my car and heard him following behind me. Pushing the unlock button, the lights flashed in the dark parking lot. I opened the back door and watched how careful he was with her. The way he gently tried not to jostle her was almost endearing.

Almost.

When he closed her door he turned and faced me. His hard eyes had a softer feel, and yet they were still intense. A moment seemed to pass between us in the few short seconds we silently regarded each other. He began to open his mouth, but closed it, almost as if he’d thought better of it. Shaking his head, he opened my door and stood back on the sidewalk. I climbed in and started the car. When I backed out I watched in my rearview mirror and noticed Camden hadn’t moved. As uneasy as he’d made me feel since the moment I met him, I appreciated his help with Sarah, but it grated my nerves that I’d need to thank him for helping me out with her when I got home.

By the time I’d gotten Sarah back and tucked her in, I had exchanged a few words with my mom. She was yelling at me for keeping her out so late and said I should have just let her stay with me. It only served to flip a switch and tick me off. I accused her of only saying that because she wanted to go out and party, and she couldn’t if I was bringing Sarah back home. Her arguing escalated, and I decided that I no longer had to listen to it. I moved out for more than one reason, and this was one of them. It was almost eleven when I’d gotten back home. I was exhausted and ready to go to bed.

Walking into the apartment, the downstairs was completely dark. Camden must have either gone to bed, or he was out again. My stomach dropped at the idea of him being out with another girl, but I quickly squashed the disappointment. I had no claim to him, nor did I want one. He was my roommate, and that was it. Definitely wouldn’t be thanking him for helping me earlier. I fumbled up the steps and was just unlocking my door when the bathroom door opened. Camden stepped out into the hallway and steam floated out around him. He had a dark blue towel wrapped low around his waist, and there were still water droplets descending down his perfectly chiseled abs. There was a very defined V with a trail of dark hair that went beneath the towel. I found myself taking in every inch of his perfect form. And when I said perfect, I meant there wasn’t a single flaw to be found on him. I had no idea how long I stood there nearly drooling on the carpet, but when my eyes reached his, he had a half a smirk on his face. Oh God, please don’t gloat that I was checking you out, please. My overtired brain couldn’t take it.

Instead, he stepped forward till we were almost toe to toe. His dark chocolate eyes roamed my face, like he was trying to find something. I stood completely still allowing him to search my features. My breathing had picked up, and the rise and fall of my chest was a bit faster than normal. If he noticed, he didn’t indicate it. His breathing was still normal, and I sank a little that I didn’t have the same effect on him. Being this close, I couldn’t look in his eyes. I didn’t know what I’d see in them. Eye contact without anger felt too personal. I didn’t want to be personal with him. At least I didn’t think I did, so my eyes remained on his chest. But then he did something that seemed so out of character, it startled me. His left hand came up and he tucked a few strands of my blond hair behind my ear. It was so subtle and yet very intimate. I sucked in a gulp of air, and my knees almost buckled when I caught the scent of him. It was so clean and warm that it made me want to wrap myself up in it and get lost. I’d been in the shower plenty of times, and I knew what his soap smelled like. This was soap and something that was just him.

Intoxicating.

“Glad you made it back safe. You were gone for a while,” he said quietly, almost as if his words were going to shatter the trance he’d put me in.

I couldn’t speak. My mind was a blank slate, and no words could be formed. He’d officially rendered me speechless. Between his closeness, his scent, and the burning trail that his fingers left on my skin, I was lost. He had to know what he was doing to me. Nobody that looked like him didn’t realize how they affected people. In this moment, if he told me to jump, I’d say, “how high?”

Instead of reeling me in further, he broke the spell he had put me under. He quietly said, “Night Blue,” and he turned to walk into his bedroom.

When his door shut, I sagged against the wall. My poor little synapses were firing in all different directions, and I was trying regain my footing. What in the hell just happened here? And seriously, where had he picked up the name Blue? I shook my head and went into my room, locking the door behind me. It wasn’t that I didn’t feel safe, especially with Camden across the hall. But I wasn’t sure that I wouldn’t have some crazy dream and sleepwalk my way into his room and rape the man. He was getting to me, and I needed to nip that in the bud quick. His hot and cold behavior was too much. It had only been a week, and I wasn’t sure I could deal with it for an entire year without losing my mind. Dodger stating that there was sexual tension was laughable. I might have felt the urge for the first time tonight in the hallway, but there was definitely nothing registering on his side. Tomorrow, I was going to have to set him straight. No more Asshole Camden, and definitely no more Touchy Feely Camden. I wanted to be able to walk into my house and know who it was that I was going to be coming face to face with every day. There, it was settled. My nerves were shot, and my body was needy for something, but I had to ignore it. I’d settle it all tomorrow when I got up. Hopefully I’d catch him before he left for the gym. Closing my eyes, it took forever for me to nod off. When I finally did, I dreamed of towel clad Camden and all the naughty things I’d like him to do to me.