Redeeming You (Before You #2)(17)
“That’s the plan.” Her face shuttered and he couldn’t tell what she was thinking. He didn’t want her to be mad or hurt.
“Right…so whatever happened between us probably wasn’t the best way make those things happen.”
She tried to stand up, but he grabbed her hand, preventing her from leaving. “Let go,” she said through clenched teeth. “I get it. I was available, and you took what I offered. You don’t need another complication in your life right now. No further explanation is needed.”
“No, you don’t get it.” He leaned toward her and kissed her hard on her lips. She didn’t respond and he felt a rush of anger, disappointment and confusion. His emotions were all over the place. She made him crazy. He grabbed her chin. “Forget what you’re thinking right now, because whatever it is, you’re wrong.”
“Okay, why don’t you try to explain so I do understand?” she demanded, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
“I didn’t think I would like you, but I do.” He rested his elbows on his knees and braced his head in his hands.
“And that’s a bad thing?” she asked, shaking her head.
“Yes and no.” He glanced at her from the corner of his eye. She took his breath away with her dark hair and delicate features, so strong and fragile at the same time.
“Okay,” she said, one side of her lips curving up in a lopsided smile. “Don’t strain yourself, but you can keep explaining.”
“If you weren’t Alec's sister and the label didn’t hire you to keep track of me over the next month, it might be a good thing.”
“I agree. The timing is wrong, but I’m not worried about Alec. He won’t be a problem.”
“You’re not?” he said smirking as he lifted his head. “Because he kind of scares me when he’s mad, and he’s really protective of you.”
She nodded her head. “He doesn’t need to approve of my relationships. I’m old enough to make my own decisions, and sadly, if I waited for his approval, I’d be waiting my entire life.”
“But he’s my friend and the band—”
She held up her hand, interrupting him. “There’s no reason to tell him anything. There’s nothing to share right now. Maybe in a few weeks, we’ll change our mind, but right now we’re spending time together and it may go somewhere or it might not.” She shrugged. “And as long as I do my job and you avoid any additional negative publicity, what’s happening or not happening between us is our business, not Alec’s or anyone else’s. I don’t interfere with his personal life and I expect the same courtesy from him, even if he doesn’t feel the same way.”
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.