Almost Just Friends (Wildstone #4)(24)

“I’m going to hold you to that.”

They started walking up the hill toward the house.

“You doing okay with your brother and sister being back?” he asked.

She glanced at him, not expecting the personal interest in her life. Distractions weren’t supposed to do that. “Well, we haven’t killed each other yet, so . . .”

He smiled. “That’s good, right?”

“Yes.”

“You sound surprised.”

“I am. I guess sometimes I expect the worst.”

“Hard way to live,” he said.

True, and she gave a slow nod. Maybe she should start a list of how to have a better attitude . . .

“Have you and your sister had a chance to talk? Catch up?”

“Win’s not big on talking, at least not with me.”

He started to speak, but then stopped to pull something from her hair. “Why are you wearing pieces of glass?”

“Probably from that last call. The guy who . . .” She gestured to her face. “He walked through a glass door first.”

His smile faded. “You get cut?”

“No, and considering the last time you saw me I was wearing mud, this has to be somewhat of an improvement.”

He gave a very small smile. “I liked the mud. You looked good in it.”

She rolled her eyes, but stilled when he brushed something off her shoulder, then her collarbone. “Why are you grooming me like a monkey?”

“Monkeys do it to show interest.”

She paused. “I’m . . . not a good bet, Cam.”

He locked his gaze on hers. “That just makes us even.”

Okay, so they were on the same page. She liked that. A lot.

“You’re staring at my mouth again,” he said. “Last time you did that, you kissed me.”

She felt her pulse spike and bit her lower lip.

He studied her. “Or maybe you want me to kiss you this time.”

She reached up and touched his mouth. His lips were somehow both soft and firm. And warm and— His hand wrapped around her wrist, holding one of her fingers to his mouth so he could close his teeth over the tip. Sort of gently, sort of not. Sucking in a breath, she squirmed as heat bolted through her, and then went still when his tongue soothed the nip he’d just given her.

She actually shook with need. She wasn’t one to do this, to . . . yearn and ache, like maybe she’d pass out if he didn’t touch her. Mostly she rushed through her day for the simple pleasure of going to bed, which she did alone. Yes, she’d had relationships, even serious ones. But she had a problem with true intimacy that she could hide for only so long before she self-destructed and ruined the things that made her happy.

Ryland being her last example. The firefighter had told her he wanted more, he wanted her everything, and if she couldn’t give it to him, others would.

Apparently, that had been very true.

But this, a small voice inside her said, this isn’t like that. This, with Cam, wasn’t going anywhere. It couldn’t, so there was no pressure to think about the future, no pressure to make a promise to love someone when she wasn’t even sure she could. There were no what-ifs. There was no chance of hurting anyone, or worse, getting hurt. Buoyed by that realization, she stepped into Cam and ran her free hand up his chest.

“That doesn’t feel like a no,” he murmured.

“It isn’t.”

He stared at her for a single breath, and then pulled her into him and kissed her, a succulent, sensuous, delicious kiss with a lot of tongue that had her instantly forgetting about the stress of her job, her siblings, her life. Everything.

When they’d run out of air, they pulled back and stared at each other. “Still scary,” she whispered.

“Yeah.” He was breathing no steadier than she was, which was reassuring. If he’d been as confident about this as he appeared to be in every other aspect of his life, she might’ve had to hurt him.

By mutual silent agreement, they entered Emmitt’s house through the back door and into the kitchen, where Piper checked his vitals.

“Looks good,” she said, amazed to find her voice still husky, her body still humming. “And I brought a surprise.”

“Tell me it’s food,” Emmitt said.

“It’s food.” She pulled out the stuff from her duffel bag that she’d gotten on the way home. “How does breakfast for dinner sound?”

“Perfect,” Emmitt said.

Cam came up to her side. “What can I do?”

She smiled at him. “Just stand there and look pretty.”

Emmitt took a look at Cam’s face and laughed his ass off.

“I’m not pretty,” Cam finally said, as if she’d insulted him.

“Have you looked in the mirror?” his dad asked.

“Have you?” Cam countered.

“Yeah, and I’m pretty as hell.”

Piper laughed, but it wasn’t just that they looked alike. Both held their bodies in a way that conveyed confidence and an easy athleticism. And those matching intense eyes that could seem cold when they were thinking, but warmed when amused.

And in Cam’s case, she happened to know they also went scorching hot when he was aroused . . .

They also had the same square jaw, both scruffy at the moment, and matching facial expressions, currently dialed to Hungry Males. She imagined her siblings would be wearing matching hungry expressions about now too, but she’d texted them both asking if she should bring dinner and neither had responded.