A Hunted Man (The Men of Halfway House) (13 page)

They reluctantly parted when Hunter's phone rang again.

"You should get that," Cam said in a hoarse voice. "And I need to get back to work before I get fired for mauling the customers." Cam withdrew from Hunter's arms with a grin.

The annoying phone stopped ringing.

Cam stood and adjusted himself with a wince. If he was anywhere near as turned on as Hunter at that moment, he could probably smash a brick wall with his hard-on.

"See you tomorrow?" Cam asked as he combed his hair with his fingers.

"You can bet I'll be here," Hunter replied with a teasing grin.

Hunter's eyes were drawn to the casual sway of Cam's hips as he walked away.

Cam turned and walked backward as he spoke. "Don't get here so late."

"I think I prefer late if I get to have lunch with you like this again."

Cam laughed and shook his head then turned to walk into the back room with a wave good-bye.

The sound of Cam's laughter was a song he could easily commit to memory. Hunter took a deep breath and tried to calm his racing heart. He hadn't kissed someone like that since he was a teenager with raging hormones.

Maybe Mondays aren't so bad after all.

The phone rang again and he knew he could no longer ignore Melanie's call.

"Hi, Mel," he finally said when he answered.

"Get your ass back here, please. We've got a stack of stuff to go through."

"I'll be there in a few. Bye."

He ended the call and returned the phone to its place on the table. He wasn't ready to leave just yet. He didn't even want to move and risk wiping away any memory of his kiss with Cam. He smugly smiled. Cameron had gotten just as worked up as he had.

Reluctantly, he rose from his seat and finished straightening out his suit. Bill walked toward the register from the back room and looked over to Hunter with a smirk. He was busted and he was damn sure not going to be embarrassed about it. Cam was going to be his. Period. One time wasn't enough.

He grabbed his briefcase and headed for the door. "See you tomorrow, Bill," he said over his shoulder with an extra perk in his step.

"Bet I will," was the last thing he heard Bill say before the man burst into laughter as Hunter exited the diner.

Cameron worked the morning rush with smooth, practiced movements. He couldn't stop thinking about Hunter and their kiss. Not only was it incredible to inspire that much desire in someone, but it was that last, completely unexpected, tender kiss that seemed to leave the greatest impression. He inhaled a shaky breath.

He hadn't realized how much he liked being kissed.

He reminisced about the way Hunter touched him and the way he let Cam touch
him
.

Cam hadn't known that type of attention, for someone to want to hold him so closely and not want to let go. Sure, he had kissed some guys as a teen and even had a boyfriend, but it was different. Based on his experience, having sex didn't necessarily include affection of any kind. It was sex, plain and simple, a discovery of bodies and sometimes awkward and usually too fast. His one boyfriend had never held his hand and rarely found the occasion to kiss. And he sure as hell never wanted to hold Cam or touch him unless he was getting off in the process.

Everything about Hunter was different. The way he smiled, the way his eyes danced with mischief. Most importantly, in Hunter's arms, the world could crumble around him, and somehow, Cam knew he would be safe.

It felt perfect.

It felt right.

Cameron closed his eyes and took a deep breath before tending to the next customer. It was dangerous to hope for anything, pointless to want something that would be taken away quicker than it had arrived. He could have easily misunderstood the signals.

He took another deep breath. No sense in hoping for something that wasn't there. He really liked Hunter, more than he cared to admit to himself, but he figured there was no way someone like Hunter would feel the same. Sex, sure—why not. He was human, very male, and had a libido that was bitching about being on hold for a decade. He wasn't bold enough to think it was mutual, but something in him continued to fight his resistance and demanded he dare hope for more.

It felt perfect.

Cameron looked up and his chest tightened when Hunter entered the diner. A grin spread across his face.

"Good morning, sir," Cameron said when it was Hunter's turn at the register. "How may I help you today?"

Hunter's smile grew and spanned the entire width of his face.

"Good morning. When do you take your break?" Hunter asked quietly.

"When the morning rush is over, in about ten minutes. You're really early today," Cam said in a hushed tone. He looked over to the other customers rattling off their breakfast sandwich orders to Bill.

"I couldn't stay away," Hunter said, leaning over the counter. "I've got a few minutes before I need to head back to the office. I'll just have a coffee and wait, if that's okay."

Cam eagerly nodded and swore his heart actually skipped a few beats. His body hummed. Hunter excited him and injected life into his dormant desire. He prepared Hunter's latte, told him he'd be with him in a few minutes, then began to complete the morning rush orders in record time. Finished sooner than expected, Bill left for the store to get some lunch supplies, and Lucy went to the back to start her lunchtime baking. Cam grabbed a bottled water, took off his apron, and sauntered over to where Hunter waited patiently in the corner.

He couldn't stay away.

Cam tried to control the hope that started to bloom.

He pulled out the chair and sat next to Hunter. Before he had a chance to settle in his seat, Hunter pulled the chair closer to him, dragging Cam along with it. Their knees bumped and an instant rush of excitement coursed through Cam's body from the accidental contact. He inched closer to Hunter, needing more. He reached under the table and tentatively placed the tips of his fingers on Hunter's knee, hoping Hunter wouldn't reject his touch. He needed the contact, to know that he was really sitting close to this man.

He took a slow, deep breath when he felt the fabric of Hunter's pants brush his trembling fingertips. It had been too long since he'd shared any level of intimacy with someone. His heart began to beat faster at the thought that a thin shred of material was the only barrier between his fingertips and Hunter's skin.

Hunter immediately covered Cam's hand with his own, laced their fingers, and positioned their hands so it rested firmly on the center of Hunter's thigh.

"Don't ever hesitate when you want to touch me," he whispered in Cam's ear.

The puffs of Hunter's breath against his skin made him gasp just as much as the words. Cam closed his eyes and tried to settle his breathing. His heart raced with excitement and his arousal pressed painfully against his zipper. He needed to keep himself in check, control this intense level of want that threatened to take over. Want for Hunter, closeness, affection, for everything and anything he cared to offer him.

It felt perfect.

Hunter placed a soft kiss on Cam's neck then nuzzled the sensitive skin below his ear.

Something in Cam shifted at that subtle gesture. The desire, the need, and even worse, the hope that Hunter wanted more contact with him kicked up his heartbeat and a stab of pain speared his lungs.

"Cam?"

Just breathe, count, something to fucking calm down.
His chest tightened and breathing became more difficult. A tingling sensation rose within and spread across his limbs.

"Cam, open your eyes and look at me," Hunter said gently, with a soft, yet firm, tone.

Cam opened his eyes and through the haze of want coursing through his body for this man and impending fear of losing control, his vision focused on the piercing silver eyes staring back at him.

"Match my breathing," Hunter coaxed, the authority in his tone replaced with concern.

Cam tried to focus, he looked at Hunter's lips to detect the intake of breath but hell, looking at those full, kissable lips was a huge mistake. His lungs constricted, robbing him of precious oxygen.

"Hunter," he barely managed to say between gasps, squeezing Hunter's hand tighter as the little oxygen that managed to enter his airway pierced his lungs like blades of ice.

He couldn't breathe.

He screwed his eyes shut, trying to push past the pain in his chest. Dizziness set in and his body started going numb.

A firm hand gripped his neck then pulled him forward. "Listen to my voice, and do what I say." Whispered only for him to hear, Hunter's voice brooked no argument.

Cam tried to focus on the soothing tone and the sounds of his words as they filtered through his body.

"Take a deep breath, hold it."

He inhaled shaky gasps of air then fought the pain in his chest as he held his breath.

"Now exhale."

Cameron did as commanded.

"Again," Hunter ordered. "Take a deep breath."

After a few breaths, Cam began to feel his legs and arms again as a prickling sensation traveled along his body. He could feel Hunter still firmly holding his hand under the table while the grip behind his neck remained steady. Each breath came more natural now, easier, more manageable. He opened his eyes and saw the stunning silver eyes that dominated his thoughts filled with concern.

"Okay?" Hunter asked, releasing the hold on his neck and shifting his hand to the side of Cam's face to stroke his cheek.

He nodded. "Sorry," he said, his voice shaking.

"Panic attack?" Hunter asked.

Cameron lowered his head. Something as basic as holding hands and getting this close to Hunter freaked him out, even after practically attacking the man the day before when they kissed.

He knew the trigger.

Hope.

Sitting with Hunter for more than a heated spur of the moment kiss meant a glimmer of a chance for greater intimacy, and he couldn't restrain the instinctive desire his body craved for affection.

"How did you know?" Cam asked.

"I have a Marine buddy who had a few episodes when he lost his parents and almost lost his brother in a car accident a few years ago. It was a tough time for him with everything going on. What triggered it for you?"

"You," Cam said before thinking of his words. Holding hands had never been his thing, then inside, he'd become accustomed to being guarded, keeping his distance from others out of sheer survival. He certainly wasn't used to someone
wanting
to touch him this way. "I'm not used to this," he said, tightening their clasped hands under the table.

"Good."

Cam looked up, perplexed. "Good I freaked out?"

"Good you're not used to guys coming in here and being like this with you during your breaks."

"Oh. Yeah, um…it's been a while."

"Me, too. I seem to lose myself in my work and tend to forgo a personal life," Hunter said, refusing to release Cam's hand.

"Good," Cam snapped with an unexpected stab of jealously.

Hunter smiled. "I suggest we do this more often."

"More often?" he asked, still trying to keep his heart rate in check and his breathing level.

"I can't have you freaking out whenever I get close to you, so how about I start coming to the diner twice a day. You know, to get you into the habit of seeing me more often," Hunter said with a teasing smile as he casually stroked Cam's hand with his thumb.

Cam pretended to consider the suggestion. "Only if it means more of this," he said, squeezing their entwined hands.

He didn't want to let go. Ironically, their joined hands had caused him to panic, but now the comfort seemed to soothe him back to his normal self.

"Deal."

"Why stop at twice? Just move into this corner so I've got you here all day."

Hunter laughed. The sound echoed through Cameron's body like a soothing balm.

Cam looked over to the counter and saw Lucy preparing her display for the lunchtime baked goods. She casually glanced over at them, smiled, then quickly looked away before walking back to tend to her cookies.

"I think Lucy likes you."

Hunter chuckled. "I think Lucy likes
us
."

Cameron smiled. He dared to stroke Hunter's thigh with his thumb.

Hunter reached over and delivered a chaste kiss on Cam's cheek. "I've got to go back to the office. I'll be back a little after the lunchtime rush."

Cam reluctantly nodded, not really wanting to let Hunter leave. They were sitting alone in the dining area, with the aroma of Lucy's baking filling the air. Cam inched forward and risked a quick kiss.

Hunter placed his hand on Cam's neck, holding him in place. He gently sucked on Cam's lower lip then slowly swiped his tongue to soothe the sting. Hunter moaned when Cam opened his mouth wanting more. Finally releasing their held hands, Cam gasped when Hunter's fingers brushed against his skin at the base of his spine, tracing a slow, circular pattern—damn, he liked that.

"It's just me," Hunter mumbled between kisses, probably trying to avoid another freak out.

They kissed slowly, tasting, exploring each other. Cam pulled away, trying to catch his breath. "I don't want to stop but—"