The Paid Bridesmaid(43)

I wished him all the luck in the world. “Then he should probably tell his bride to stop trying to set everyone up.”

Camden nodded. “And he’s mad at me because I won’t do what he says.”

His words sent my pulse into overdrive, my nerve endings flaring and sparking, like they were trying to signal to him. Telling him to come closer.

Camden seemed to receive my message as he walked over to where I was standing, invading my personal space. My heart pounded slowly and loudly. Could he hear it? “Sadie is trying to matchmake us, isn’t she?”

The part of my brain that could still think realized that while she’d been whispering in my ear, encouraging me to date Camden, she hadn’t been doing the same thing to him. Even though I’d assumed she was.

That fire was back in his eyes, his voice again low and growly sounding, making the still functioning part of my brain short-circuit. “Now what do you want to do?”

I didn’t ask what he wanted to do. I had a pretty good idea.

The only problem was I kind of wanted it, too.





CHAPTER FIFTEEN


“Now we go back to our room,” I said.

His eyebrows lifted with interest and I realized what I had done.

“Rooms.” I emphasized the S. “Rooms. You go to your room and I go to my room and we get ready for whatever Sadie and Dan have planned for tonight.”

Why had I said room, singular?

As if I’d asked the question out loud Camden offered, “Freudian slip. You know how when you really want something but you’re telling yourself you don’t, and then you still say it anyways?”

“That’s not what’s happening here.” Time for me to go and get clear of all this mess.

I made sure my key was in my pocket and headed for the door, letting myself out into the hallway. I texted Troy, telling him the job was finished. When I reached the elevators, I realized that I hadn’t quite thought out my great escape plan. Camden approached and stood behind me, nearly touching me.

“Excuse me,” he breathed, his words hot against the back of my neck. It sent shivers of delight skating across my skin. Then he leaned forward, not quite touching me, but it was like I could feel every single cell of his strong frame surrounding me as he pushed the elevator button to go up.

He stayed put, somehow sucking up all of the oxygen surrounding us so that I couldn’t quite catch my breath. I thought I felt his nose against my hair, like he was breathing me in, but I didn’t know for sure. What I did know was that having him so close overwhelmed all of my senses, making them go haywire.

All I had to do was turn around. Just turn around and push up slightly and I’d be kissing him. It would be so easy.

I’d never wanted anything more in my entire life.

The bell sounded and the doors opened.

I let out a deep breath that I hadn’t been aware I’d been holding. Sadie’s stepdad and his fiancée were on the elevator, their arms crossed, her expression angry and his apologetic.

Camden sent me a “what’s going on?” look and I shrugged as we stepped inside. He pushed the button for our floor. Even though their mad vibes were uncomfortable, I was glad they were here. I definitely should not be alone with Camden in this tiny space. I’d seen too many music videos and perfume commercials so that I had a pretty good idea of the kind of trouble we could get into in an elevator.

“If you just let me explain,” Geoff said, and Maybelle immediately hushed him. I wanted to exchange another silent conversation with Camden about what was happening behind us, but figured it was better to keep my eyes trained straight ahead.

Geoff and Maybelle’s floor came up first, and Maybelle pushed past us, without saying a word. I heard Geoff say, “Sweetheart, wait . . . ,” and then the doors slid shut.

“What was that? Why do you think Maybelle was so angry?” Camden asked.

“Maybe he forgot to buy her the new Furby.” At his confused face I said, “What? That’s what I played with when I was a kid. I don’t know what girls her age are into.”

“Older men, apparently.”

I would not be swayed by his wit and charm. I would not.

The elevator doors opened and we started for our rooms. Rooms, plural, I reminded myself. “Do you think if Maybelle gets really mad she’s going to uninvite him to the prom?”

He laughed and then said, “I don’t know if she’ll go that far. Then she might have to give back her life-sized Barbie Dream Car.”

“You joke, but I could see her driving a pink convertible. I mean, if she has her license.”

We stopped in front of our rooms. Once again, his laughter, his jokes, had disarmed me and I’d forgotten myself. So much for my resolve to not ever be alone with him.

Although it wasn’t actually my fault—we were both going to the exact same place at the exact same time.

It was kind of my fault, though, for standing out here in the hallway with him instead of heading into my room.

“Here we are again,” he said.

“Yes,” I agreed, wondering why I was still standing there. “Just like last night. Only this time I promise not to spew all over the place like Mount Vesuvius.”

I thought that might make him laugh, ease the tension a little, but it wasn’t working. He moved closer. “And last night, you wanted to kiss me.”