Shoulda Been a Cowboy (Rough Riders #7)(17)

Domini regarded him pensively. “So we would fulfill each other’s sexual needs and that’s all? No relationship beyond that?”


Hell no. Little did Domini know now that he’d uncovered this surprising side of her, after he got her in his bed, he’d never let her out. She’d belong to him. But his reassurance he wouldn’t attempt to turn this into a traditional dating relationship seemed important to her. It went against everything Cam was to lie. But because he wanted her with an acute ache, an unfathomable need, a sense of rightness he’d never felt in his life, he lied with a straight face.


“It’s a small town, Domini. If my truck is parked outside your apartment all night people will know something is goin’ on with us. Denial would just increase the speculation. So I ain’t gonna hide the fact we’re seeing each other. What we do when we’re alone together ain’t anybody’s business. I don’t tell locker room stories.”


“That’s why I trust you.”


“Okay, but I’m curious. Why don’t you want a relationship?”


“Because any kind of long-term relationship always falls apart. Always. I watched my parent’s marriage implode before they died. I saw my friends in the Ukraine marry themselves off to the highest bidder and they were no better off than a prostitute or a maid. I witnessed verbal abuse repeatedly in so-called Christian marriages and relationships, actions that were sanctioned by the church. And don’t get me started on the physical abuse issues Nadia suffered before she escaped that awful relationship. So I’ll pass on the trappings of marriage, because from what I’ve seen, it is a trap.”


Cam let her vehemence sink in. It chilled him to the bone.


“I’ll never get married, Cam. That’s not the life for me. Do you understand?”


No. “Completely. And we are on the exact same page, there, princess. I’ve worked hard to turn my house into my sanctuary, and it might make me a bastard, but I’m not eager to share.”


Relief softened the hard set to her mouth. “I’m glad. And I’m good with pretending we’re dating, when we’re really having lots of hot sex.”


“Which brings us back to my next question. What about birth control?”


A stark look briefly flashed in her eyes. “We are covered as far as no accidental pregnancy and I haven’t had a lover in three years, so no STDs.”


It’d been nearly that long on the “no sex” wagon for Cam too, but confessing the truth smacked of desperation. “So, we agree no condoms?”


“Yes.”


“Good.” Cam finished his beer. He set it on the table and stood. “I’m done talkin’. How about if I finish the rest of the tour?”


Domini clasped Cam’s outstretched hand and followed him back into the house.


Chapter Five


A house tour.


Maybe Cam would show her his bedroom. And then demonstrate how wickedly ruthless he can be in bed.


Focus, Domini.


That was nearly impossible when the ragged edge of Cam’s thumb continually stroked the inside of her wrist—an erotic touch she felt tugging between her legs. As they meandered the brightly lit hallway, Domini looked up to see skylights spaced a foot apart. “Those are unusual. I like them.”


“I had Chet and Remy add them. I can’t stand living in darkness.” He gestured to the bathroom. “Pretty much everything from here back is a total remodel.”


“Why not just build a whole new house?”


“I like the location. The house has a solid foundation. It just needed a little cosmetic work and someone to care about it.” He pushed open a door that’d been left ajar. “Spare bedroom.” The plaid denim bedspread hung off one end and pillows spilled onto the carpeted floor. “I see Keely managed to bail without cleaning up after herself again.”


“Do you really hate having people in your house?”


“Not hate. It’s just…I went from living at home to living in barracks and tents. I’ve never lived by myself. I tend to get protective of my space. My family doesn’t get that. So I had to state the rules about them staying away without a specific invitation from the moment I moved back here.” Cam opened another door and hit the lights. “Here’s my bedroom. We combined the two smaller bedrooms into a larger one.”


The bed dwarfed the room. Rising from each corner of the bed frame were thick wooden posts. A plain cotton quilt in a vivid bronze covered the massive space from headboard to footrest.


A pair of crutches were propped between the headboard and the nightstand. Contrary to what he’d said, Domini suspected the real reason Cam preferred to be alone in his house was so he could wander around minus his prosthesis without embarrassment.


Domini refocused on the furniture. A tall rough-hewn pine dresser, with wrought-iron accents, matched the nightstands book-ending the bed. An oversized, overstuffed corduroy recliner faced the window rather than into the room.


“What do you think?”


“I think I could crawl right into that puffy bed and take a nap.”


“Princess, when I get you in my bed the last thing we’re gonna be doin’ is sleeping.”