The Paid Bridesmaid(67)

“Maybe . . . ,” I said, pushing forward, wrapping my arms around his neck. “Maybe this isn’t a time to joke.”

“I wish you were always this agreeable.”

“No, you don’t.”

“You’re right. I don’t. I like you just the way you are,” he said.

The anticipation was literally killing me. Even though a part of my brain was screaming that I was headed for a hormonal Chernobyl—that there would be a huge explosion and then a ton of fallout—I didn’t care.

I knew I should care. Maybe it was because the time we had left together would be so short that I was rationalizing why this would be okay, despite what I’d said to Krista. Or because I’d wanted to kiss him for what felt like an actual eternity that doing so suddenly seemed reasonable. Logical, even.

His hands pressed into my back. “Do you feel sick?”

Other than taking a total leave of my senses? “Nope.”

“Drunk?”

“Not even a little.”

“Good.” His lips made contact with my forehead, kissing me gently, almost like he couldn’t resist doing so for one more second. I let out a soft noise, loving the way that felt.

He pulled back. “Rachel, do you want me to kiss you?”

I was so focused on the physical sensations he was creating that it took me a second to register what he was doing. He was making sure I wasn’t impaired in any way and then giving me the option to say yes or no. He knew what he wanted and now he was telling me the rest was up to me.

There would be no backtracking on this, no “whoops, we made a mistake, I didn’t mean to put my tongue in your mouth, I was just caught up” kind of situation. I was here, so was he, and we were both agreeing to this.

The words just friends kept repeating in my head, reminding me of the boundaries that I’d set for myself and what I should be doing. But I forgot about everything else. About Sadie and Dan with his rules, about the wedding, the NDA, my responsibilities—everything beyond that door ceased to exist for me.

There was only here and now with him.

Pressing my fingers against the back of his neck I whispered, “Camden, I want you to kiss me.”





CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR


I caught a glimpse of his wicked grin, as if he were imagining exactly what he was going to do next. My heart leaped in excitement at what his plans might be. His phone started ringing in his pocket, but he didn’t seem to hear it.

“Your phone’s ringing,” I told him, disappointed that our moment was over before it had even begun.

He took it out of his pocket and threw it over his shoulder, where it landed with a thud on the ground.

I understood that gesture and had a burning need to know what he’d do next, now that he had his go-ahead.

Given what I already knew about him, would he tease me? Ghost his lips near mine without actually touching? Or would he brush his mouth gently against mine over and over again until he had me begging for more?

Would he softly explore my lips as we learned each other’s rhythms and how we liked to be kissed?

Or did he expect me to make the first move?

Camden slipped his hand up to my neck, holding me in place. Out of utter frustration I was about to ask him about his intentions when he pressed his lips against mine, making a sound that was a mixture of relief, gratitude, and desire.

We were like two asteroids colliding into each other. Slamming with full force, debris flying everywhere, cores melding into one another. There was intense velocity and a shock wave as his mouth devoured mine, and I feared that in the aftermath there wouldn’t be any part of me left. I’d just be tiny pieces of rubble all over the floor because his kiss was utterly destroying me.

Every move of his lips against mine set off a wave of pure starlight, filling me with a silvery, glowing warmth that made my whole body light up. Like I’d been living in darkness for my whole life and someone had just figured out how to flip the on switch.

That light quickly turned to a smoldering fire that made me feel raw with want and need, burning its way through me. I wondered if he was on fire, too.

His mouth was wild on mine, and he was making sounds in his throat that collapsed my spine, making it hard to stay upright. The explosion of nerve endings along the surface of my lips spiraled out, spreading that fire through every part of my body.

I marveled at how well we fit together, like a key fitting perfectly into a lock. Like we belonged together. Had been made for each other.

His kisses were so hard, so hungry, and full of a sureness that surprised me. No hesitation, no curiosity or wondering. Like he knew where we both belonged and it was here, with each other.

Krista had been right. There was no questioning the scorching chemistry between us.

I was desperate for him, and the way he shuddered against me made me think he felt exactly the same. I was a freaking saint for not kissing him before this. Somebody should have canonized me.

His mouth moved away, like my lips weren’t enough to satiate him. He started pressing kisses along my jaw until he reached the spot where it met my neck and ran his lips along the edge. I didn’t know it was possible to burn and shiver at the same time. My heart was beating so hard it was like it had turned my entire body into one giant drum.

I clung to his shoulders, loving the way he felt under my hands. There was so much strength there.