Hot Commodity (Banks / Kincaid Family #1)(27)

She opened her mouth to answer, but he suddenly noticed a certain ring on her right hand. The ring he’d bought her in Vegas.

"Hey," he said, reaching for it. "That doesn’t go there."

It looked for all the world like he was going to slip it off and set it back in its proper place on her left ring finger. Olivia ground her teeth. Of course, he had to go and notice she was wearing she stupid thing.

She couldn’t believe she’d put it on tonight. Actually, she couldn’t

believe she hadn’t taken it off since Vegas. But it was such a nice ring, and Olivia did love her bling. Besides, she’d been wearing it on the wrong hand anyway. Certainly, he wouldn’t think their marriage meant anything to her. He wouldn’t think—

"Cameron!" she hissed, curling her fingers into a fist to stop him from removing the diamond. "The annulment?"

"Oh, right." He smoothly returned to the subject at hand, letting the ring stay where it was for the present. "With everything going on, it’ll probably be a few months before Bos’ll be able to get to that."

"Months?" she squawked.

He lifted his brow. "What’s the hurry? Are you that anxious to run off and marry some other stranger?"

Olivia set her jaw and looked away. "I just want this over and done with as soon as possible. At least before Vivian finds out."

"Now, now. Don’t worry, Livy Love. I won’t tell anyone about our night in Vegas." He pulled her closer.

Olivia frowned. Livy Love? No one called her Livy, and they certainly didn’t call her Livy Love.

Abruptly, she noticed he’d bent his head so that his face was next to hers, their cheeks barely grazing. He loudly inhaled the perfume she’d dabbed behind her ear. "God, you smell good."

She tried to step away, but he held her tighter. "What’re you doing?" she breathed, feeling too drawn for her own good. "I thought you hated me."

Cameron lifted his face, looking stunned. "Hate you? I don’t hate you. I might’ve been a little upset on our last encounter, is all. But I’m better now."

"You mean, you’re drunk now."

"Hey, whatever works." Cameron grinned and shrugged good-naturedly.

Olivia clenched her teeth. "And why are you drunk? The report I read said you were a recovering alcoholic."

His eyes flashed with heat. "It’s called none of your business."

She snorted. "Really? I thought it was called falling off the wagon."

For a fraction of a moment, his fingers tightened on her and his teeth clenched in a snarl. Fear raced up her spine, making her shiver. His eyes lifted at her reaction, and after he blinked a few times, regret filled his gaze. His grip eased, and his face relaxed.

"Anyway." He cleared his throat and glanced away. "I was wondering something. I need a little favor from you."

Olivia swallowed. "What?"

He turned back to her, his green eyes intense and enticing. "Well, I’m horny."

She pulled back. "Excuse me?"

He shrugged helplessly. "It’s the champagne. Does it to me every

time. I don’t understand it either. There’s just something about the chemical makeup that makes me want to…" He paused to shiver as if wracked by an orgasm.

Olivia’s imagination immediately brought up a picture of them in bed together, a very memorable, very vivid picture. It caused her to shiver too, and this time, it wasn’t in fear.

"Anyway, I’m dying to get laid," he said, making their conversation feel all too surreal for Olivia. "But the problem is now that I’m married, I don’t feel it’s right to go off and have an affair. Since it’s going to be a couple more months before this thing with us can be cleared up, I’d like to take my one last chance to have sex with my wife now, before we go our separate ways. And I don’t know about you, but I sure as hell can’t wait a few more months until the annulment is final."

"I don’t mind if you have an affair. It’s not like we’re really married anyway."

But Cam shook his head. "If there’s one thing my mama taught me, it’s not to cheat. So, I can’t, okay? It’s a moral thing."

Blinking because, well, she was bowled over by that kind of announcement, Olivia blurted out, "Well, I’m not going to sleep with you!" Realizing a second too late how loud she’d been, she glanced around, hoping no one had heard her outburst.

"Why not?" Cameron said not even seeming to care if anyone overheard. "It’s not like we haven’t done it before."

"We’re trying to get an annulment," she reminded through her teeth.

"Hey, I won’t tell if you don’t." Cameron sighed in delight as he moved his fingers against the base of her spine, making her suck in a breath. "Be a sport, Livy. It was good that one time. If there’s one thing I remember about our wedding night, it’s that we’re good together. Amazing, in fact. Crazy amazing. Amazing to the point of—"

Turning beet red, Olivia slapped her hand over his mouth. "Shh!" She glanced around to make sure no one was paying them any attention. "I can’t believe you’re talking about this to me in front of the entire world. With my mother watching."