Beyond The Cage (24 page)

“You don’t have to,” I assure her.

She places her hands on my shoulders, giving me a somber stare. “I was so scared…when I saw that guy grab you…” She pulls me into her arms, wrapping me in a tight embrace. “I’m just glad you’re okay. I’m not letting you go through this alone.”

I return her hug, overcome with emotion. What did I do to deserve a friend like this? “We’re gonna grow old together, remember?”

“Damn right. Now, I’m gonna go pack.”

I watch her leave then walk to the chest of drawers. There, I see his cologne…the one I love. Picking it up, I take it back to the bed with me. I spray a little on my wrist and bring it up to my nose, closing my eyes as memories drift through my mind – the night we met, our first kiss, riding on the back of his Harley, our first time…

Why did I let myself fall in love with him? No. Why did he make me fall in love with him? How am I ever going to get over him?

I hear the door slam shut and wipe frantically at my tears. I can’t let Chels see me like this. Only, it isn’t her. Cameron races into the room, skidding to a halt when he finds me. He breathes a sigh of relief and stomps toward me with an angry glare. Shaking his head, he crushes me to him before holding me at arms’ length and giving me a stern look.
Oh
.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have left without telling you.”

He blinks and studies me closely. Brushing his knuckles against my cheeks, his expression turns to one of concern. I walk away, getting the last of my things and dropping them in my suitcase.

“I’m going home…tomorrow…without you,” I tell him as I zip it up.

My voice breaks on the last two words. He walks to the chest of drawers, opens a drawer, and comes back with my emerald ring.

“I don’t want it back. You can give it to
her
.”

I turn away from him so he doesn’t see the fresh tears in my eyes, pick up my carry-on off the bed, and place it on the floor.

“I’ll go stay with Chels tonight and get out of your hair.”

My feet are heavy as I drag them to the door. He grabs my hand, and I turn to see a desperate man. Falling to his knees, he wraps his arms around my waist, burying his face in my stomach. He tightens his hold when I try to pull away.

“I have to go,” I choke out.

He allows me to remove his arms, and I turn to leave.

“I love you.”

Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same. – Emily Brontё

Shocked to my core, the handle of my carry-on slips from my fingers and I spin on my heels.

“What did you say?” I almost screech.

He clears his throat nervously and rises from his knees. “I love you.”

He’s talking. I can’t believe it! And the first thing he says is that he loves me. The tears are flowing freely now.

“You don’t know how long I’ve wanted to hear you say that.”

He steps forward, reaching for me.

“And you choose to say it
now
? What, you think it will make the situation magically disappear?”

How dare he? Does he think he can manipulate me into staying by telling me what he thinks I want to hear?

“Nothing happened.”

“Because I walked in too early!” I yell.

“Jas!” Chelsea’s voice precedes her mad dash into the room. “Oh! Sorry…I heard voices and you shouting…” She looks suspiciously at him, and then me. “Wait…I heard
voices
. That was
him
?”

“Finally. He’s trying to convince me that nothing happened between him and the chit.”

“Jas…he’s telling the truth.”

“Don’t –”

“No…after I threatened to kick her ass, the trick admitted that she came on to him but he wasn’t having it. He was trying to kick her out when she dropped her dress.”

I shake my head in disbelief. I can’t believe she’s taking his side, all on the word of that bitch.

“That’s what I was trying to tell you that night, but you just Usain Bolted it outta there. After I saw what happened, Jared got her to admit that some guy paid her to do it. She said he approached her that night we first saw her. I guess we know now who that was.”

Shit. I played right into Mikhail’s plan.

“Look…” Chels continues, “I’m gonna go. You two need to talk.”

She steps out, closing the door behind her.

“I swear to you,” Cameron pleads. “Nothing happened or was going to happen.”

I look up at him in awe, watching his lips move, hearing the smooth baritone of his voice. He even
sounds
hot. Fuck!

“Why should I believe you?” I know I’m being stubborn, but I’m still angry.

“Jasmine…”

Why does my name sound so sensual rolling off his lips?

“I
love
you. You’re the only woman I need. Twice, I stood and watched as you walked away…I won’t let you do it again.”

He takes a step forward and I take one back. I can’t let him touch me. There’s no way I’d be able to hold on to my anger if I allow him to.

“The first time…I was so scared that I would hurt you. You don’t know what that was like for me. I haven’t been
scared
of anything since I was a kid. Not even when I was in the Marines.”

I watch him as he begins to pace in agitation. For a man who hasn’t spoken in years, he’s sure making up for it right now.

“I was fucking terrified!
Me!
I tried to stay away from you. I tried. The moment I made the decision, though, I knew I wouldn’t be able to do it. It killed me every minute of every day to not see you or hear your voice.”

He turns to face me once again, desperation written all over his features. I just watch him, trying to absorb everything.

“Every day, I got on my bike to come to you, but I’d talk myself out of it. I wanted to give you time to figure out what you wanted. I finally gave up because I realized that…I can’t live without you.”

His words are barely registering. His voice is like music to my ears – classical music…Beethoven, Mozart, Bach, Brahms, Chopin, Wagner, all combined to create one super, melodic, orchestral masterpiece.

“Jasmine?”

Huh?

He takes my hands in his and stares at me with pleading eyes.

“The other night…Melinda…she just walked in and was all over me. What you saw me reaching for was her dress…to pull it back up. Please, don’t do this. I swear…nothing happened.”

“Nothing happened?”

“
Nothing
. I haven’t even looked at another woman since the night I met you.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

My anger begins to dissipate. He looks so distraught…like he can’t bear the thought of losing me.

“When Chelsea told me that they took you…I almost died. If I hadn’t let you run out of there…”

Without warning, he pulls me into his arms and kisses me with a desperation that speaks volumes. He pulls away just as brusquely, leaving me reeling. Running a hand through his hair, he stares at me in frustration.

“I swear you listened to me more when I
wasn’t
talking.”

“Speaking of…what was that all about?”

“When I began studying Ninjutsu, Master Wu made me take a vow of silence in order to sharpen my other senses…physical and mental.”

How very anti-climactic.
That’s what I get for jumping to conclusions. “Here I was thinking you’d been traumatized or something. Why did you get so upset when I asked about your childhood?”

“I was mad at myself, not you, for not being able to talk to you.”

Oh. “So…you broke your vow for me?”

“You don’t know how much I’ve wanted to say to you…to tell you how beautiful you are…all the sweet nothings you wanted to hear…”

He reaches out to touch my cheek and I step out of his reach. Taking a deep breath, he pulls his T-shirt up, exposing his Chinese symbol tattoo.

“You wanted to know what my tattoos mean. This one means ‘fight’.”

“So what? You’re a frickin’ MMA fighter.”

“No. Not in the literal sense. It means fight hard for a dream…for what you believe in…what you love.” He drops his shirt and takes my hands once more. “I believe in
you
. I love
you
. I’m not losing you over this. I’m going to fight for you.”

As his words sink in, my heart begins a steady pitter-patter then escalates to a deafening pounding.
He loves me. He really loves me!
He wasn’t
just saying it to diffuse the situation. Or maybe I was too angry to
truly
hear him before. Now I do – loud and clear.

“You love me?”

“For years, the cage was my life. I lived it, breathed it, loved it. It was all I knew, all I saw…until you. You made me see beyond the cage to another, better life. And I want that life…with
you
.”

“You love me?” I’m stuck on that one piece of information, unable to let it go.

His lips curl up in a smirk as he realizes he’s finally gotten through to me.

“Of course. You’re pretty to look at, you cook, and you’re the bomb in bed. What more could a guy ask for?” he repeats my own words to me.

I swat playfully at his chest, and then launch myself into his arms. When he picks me up, I wrap my legs around his waist, and my arms around his neck.

“I’m the bomb in bed?” I smirk.

“The best I’ve ever had.”

“Oh, Cameron. I love you, too.”

“I know.”

It wasn’t cocky, just an affirmation.

“How?” I ask.

“You told me.”

“When did I do that?”

“Our first night at Babel,” he replies. “You were falling asleep, so I guess that’s why you don’t remember.”

“You knew all this time and you never said anything?”

“I wanted you to say it while you were fully conscious.”

“In the shower…is that what you wanted me to say?”

He nods, tightening his arms around me.

“Cameron…” I cradle his face and kiss his lips softly. “I love you. I love you, I love you, I love you.”

“You got me, babe. I’m down for the count.”

“When did you know?”

“The moment I saw those bruises and decided I had to protect you from
me
. I’ve wanted to tell you for a while. I just didn’t want to say it in a text or note…you deserve more than that.”

My heart swells with emotion and I try desperately to blink back the tears.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry I doubted you.”

“It’s okay. I know how it looked. If the situation was reversed, I know I would have killed the motherfucker.”

I believe him. I mean, he almost threw Jamal over the railing at the club just for touching me.

“I have something for you,” he states.

I raise my brows suggestively. “I bet you do.”

A fire burns in his eyes but he blinks, extinguishing it…for now.

“Later.”

I uncurl myself and watch as he walks to the chest of drawers once more. After rifling through a drawer, he comes back with an envelope.

“What’s this?”

“Open it,” he urges.

He looks a bit uncertain, so I pull out the document cautiously. It’s a receipt…of sorts.

“You didn’t!” I exclaim. “How did you even…”

“Your dad. I wanted to give it to you on your birthday, but…”

I can’t believe he did this…all my student loans…paid in full!

I throw my arms around his waist, squeezing him, and pressing my cheek to his chest.

“Thank you!”

He breathes a sigh of relief and kisses the top of my head. I step back and stare up at him lovingly.

“Now I’m gonna have to do something special for
your
birthday…which is just a couple weeks away. Know what you want?”

He smiles and points to me.
Are we back to this again?

“You already have me, silly.”

He shakes his head and points to me again. What? He falls to his knee before me, taking my left hand in his.
Oh, God. Oh. My. God! He’s proposing!
I shriek as he slips the emerald ring onto my finger.

With shivering breaths, I join him on the floor. As tears of joy stream down my cheeks, I take a page from his book and simply nod.
Yes!

“Say it,” he urges.

“Yes, I’ll marry you.”

“Fuck, I love you,” he mumbles against my lips before totally owning them. “I promise I’ll get you another ring tomorrow.”

I grab the hem of his shirt, not wanting to waste any time getting him out of his clothes. A ring is the last thing on my mind right now. He keeps our lips joined, parting for only the briefest moments to remove a piece of clothing.

“Make love to me, Cameron,” I plead.

He scoops me up and pushes to his feet, taking me to the bed. After laying me down horizontally, he slowly removes my remaining clothes and stares down at me, his eyes burning a trail down my body. His gaze is like a touch, and I writhe beneath it as my body pulses with need.

“Please…”

Leaning in, he whispers against my neck, “You’re so beautiful.”

I quiver as he presses his lips to my skin, moving at a snail’s pace down to my sternum. Sliding my hand through his hair, I try to urge him along, but he’s not having it.

“I love your skin, your scent…” Moving to the curve of my waist, he growls and bites into my flesh. “I fucking love your body.”

He buries his face in my neck once more, his warm breath sending shivers down my spine.

“Since I took that vow, I’ve never met anyone who made me want to break it. Not until you.”

I moan, wrapping my arms around his neck.

“Every time I got inside you, I wanted to shout every compliment I could think of.” Sliding his way back down my body, he parts my thighs. “You’re always so wet,” he says, gliding his thumb across my clit. “Your taste…” He slips his thumb inside me. “‘Honey’ is the perfect name, because you have the sweetest pussy I’ve ever tasted.”

“Oh, God…” I clench around his thumb, needing him inside me.

When his tongue swipes at my clit, my entire body trembles. “Cameron…” I grab a handful of his hair, pressing his lips into my pussy. As his tongue swirls, his thumb pumps in and out, intensifying the sensations racing through my body. He moans, pulling my clit into his mouth, sucking on my tender flesh.

“Fuck! I’m –”

He halts, ripping my orgasm away from me. I groan like a petulant child, and he leans over me again.

“Not yet. You’re going to come on my dick.”

Fuck. I thought his sex was great before, but add in that heavenly voice of his? Fucking amazing. “Yes, I need you in–” I moan as he enters me with one, smooth stroke. “…side me…”

“So fucking tight,” he groans.

“You’re really making up for lost time, huh?”

“I am. Before the night is over, you’re going to hear everything I’ve been holding in since I met you.”