Down London Road (On Dublin Street, #2)(59)

Smoothing my hands down over the arms that held me close, I burrowed back against him and let myself melt. ‘ ’Night.’

My butterflies actually woke me up, my eyes blinking open to find my cheek pressed against Cam’s bare chest, my arm thrown across his stomach, and his hand resting on the curve of my waist as I lay curled into him. The fluttering in my stomach only worsened.

Cam must have seeped into my subconscious, all my concerns and exhilaration waking me. There was my excitement at being with him, and yet the anxiety over throwing away a secure relationship with Malcolm for this passionate but nevertheless somewhat shaky relationship I’d developed with Cam. Unlike any man I’d met, he could rile me, piss me off, argue with me until we were blue in the face … all of which screamed ‘disaster waiting to happen!’

Yet I had to weigh that against the unbelievable chemistry between us, the awe-inspiring sex, his concern and consideration once he’d stopped being a prick, his patience, and how down-to-earth he was. I loved that he could admit when he was wrong, that he saw things in me no other man had, and that he had taken time to get to know Cole. I liked Cam. I really liked him, and I knew as I lay there that I would have lost the tiny sliver of self-respect I’d had left if I’d walked away from those feelings, if I had given up on them because of another man’s wealth and what it could bring me and Cole.

Cole.

I tensed a little, fretting at the thought of my brother. I didn’t have nearly enough saved for his future. I needed to go job hunting again, see if I couldn’t find something that paid better than Meikle & Young’s.

‘Whatever you’re thinking, I’m not sure I’m going to like it,’ Cam murmured sleepily.

I tilted my head back in surprise, my eyes meeting his drowsy gaze. ‘What?’

He squeezed my waist. ‘You were warm and relaxed, and then I felt your whole body get tense. What’s up?’

‘Worrying about my job. Worrying I should try to get something that pays better than Meikle’s.’

‘Never mind better pay. How about someone who treats you better?’

I made a noise of agreement.

‘So is that what you do first thing in the morning? Worry?’

Smiling at him, I nodded. ‘If you’re sticking around you’ll need to get used to it.’

He tightened his embrace. ‘If I’m sticking around, I’ll do my best to make bloody sure you never have to worry again.’

My breath caught. Damn, I hoped it wasn’t going to become a habit of his to say romantic crap that robbed me of speech all the time. ‘Smooth talker,’ I answered a little hoarsely, and his lips twitched with amusement, as if the arrogant bugger knew that his words liquefied my insides.

‘What time is it?’

‘I don’t know. I gave Malcolm back the Omega watch.’

‘That was good of you.’

‘It was the right thing to do.’ I winced, feeling a wave of remorse wash over me. It somehow didn’t feel right to be luxuriating in the heat of Cam and the happiness he brought me, while Malcolm was home hurting over my betrayal. ‘Do you feel guilty?’ I mumbled against his warm skin, my fingers absent-mindedly stroking the lines of his abs.

‘It’s difficult to feel anything but hard when you’re touching me, baby,’ Cam answered gruffly.

I chuckled despite myself. ‘Insatiable, are we?’

‘Apparently around you.’

‘More sweet talk. Am I required to repay you in some way for it?’

‘Now why would you assume you had to pay for it?’

I grinned teasingly. ‘Well, you’re not known for being sweet to me, Cam.’

His chest rose under my cheek as he gave a little huff of annoyance. ‘How long am I going to pay for being a bastard to you?’

‘Oh, I don’t know. I think it might prove useful as leverage in the future.’

His playful growl filled the room as he rolled me on to my back. At the sudden move, I giggled up into his now alert eyes, letting him pin me to the mattress. He nudged my legs apart. His face was still relaxed from sleep, the sexy curl of his upper lip soft and begging for attention. ‘Do you want to know why I was such a bastard?’

‘You’ve already told me why – ah.’ I ended on a gasp, feeling him hard and nudging insistently between my legs. My legs widened instinctively as he moved slowly against me, teasing me.

‘Truth?’ He lowered his head, kissing softly along my jaw until he found my ear. I shuddered at the tiny nip he gave the lobe, at the lick of his tongue against the bite. My chest heaved and my breasts brushed tantalizingly against his chest. My chest rose and fell in fast, shallow movements.

At the press of our bodies, Cam froze for a second, a guttural moan falling from his lips to land on a breath against my neck.

I brought my knees up, inviting him to take what we both so desperately wanted him to. He reached for the chest of drawers and rummaged around, then pulled out a condom.

As Cam put on the protection his usually cobalt eyes were almost black. ‘Truth?’

‘Truth,’ I whispered on a nod.

‘I wanted you and I couldn’t have you.’

My lips parted in amazement at the confession. ‘That’s why you were a bastard to me?’

‘I didn’t want to want you so badly, so when it appeared that you were someone I could never respect or want, I held on to that and ran with it. But you kept blowing all my preconceptions to smithereens, and I just kept wanting you more.’