Lexie (20 page)

“You don’t have anyone else?”

He shrugged. “There are some aunts and uncles out there. Maybe a cousin or two, but nobody I’m close to.”

She was quiet for a long while. “What was she like? Your mom?”

He stilled. “She was great.” He cleared his throat. He hadn’t talked to anyone about his mother since she’d died. Come to think of it, nobody had bothered to ask. “She always put me first. We didn’t have much money. I know it was tough on her raising a kid by herself. She held down two jobs to do it, but we were always a team.”

“So she worked all the time too?”

Cam took a minute. He’d never thought about that. “She was a waitress during the day and she cleaned offices at night, but she always made time for me. I was on my own a lot, but I pitched in with odd jobs to help out.”

“I bet she was proud of you.”

His throat tightened dangerously. “I bought her a house when I was twenty-six on the condition that she retire.”

Lexie tugged at the hem of his shirt around her legs. “Did you ever try to find your dad?” she whispered.

“I don’t want to.” He gentled his hand in her hair. “But I can understand how you must feel.”

“I just have so many questions.”

“Do you remember your parents at all?”

She shook her head. “From what Julian said, I must have been a daddy’s girl.”

She looked around the office, eyes blinking, and Cam felt a bit uneasy. Confidential information was strewn across the room. She didn’t need to see what he was doing for Underhill, not right now anyway.

“Is this how you live?” she asked. “Moving around from place to place?”

She wasn’t looking at the work. She was curious about him. Something warm unfurled inside his chest. He hadn’t allowed many people to get close to him as he’d scraped and clawed his way up in the world. It was a habit that had become ingrained.

But for her, he’d try to open up.

“Mostly,” he admitted. “I spend most of my time working on-site with clients.”

“Living in other people’s penthouses?”

“In whatever situation works best.”

“And your SUV?”

“It’s leased.”

“So there’s nothing of you here?”

He looked around, trying to see what she saw. There were his clothes, his laptop and his cellphone, but he got what she was saying. “It’s a good living.”

“But it’s not a good life. Don’t you ever get lonely?”

Their gazes locked, and he couldn’t have stopped staring at her if he’d tried. “I’m starting to,” he murmured.

Loneliness had never been something that touched him—until now. With the way he’d grown up, he’d learned to rely on himself. Hard work had proven to be the way to get ahead, and nothing in his experience had convinced him otherwise. He wanted to finish this work with Underhill, the sooner the better. He had a job to do, and he’d do it to the best of his ability, yet this time moving on would be more difficult.

He didn’t want to leave her behind.

He didn’t know if he could.

Wrapping his arm around her shoulders, he pulled her towards him. He caught her leg and hitched her up over him. She clutched at his shoulders for balance yet seemed surprised when she wound up straddling his lap.

Surprised and sexy as hell.

Cam’s cock throbbed. Giving in to the temptation, he slid his hands up her thighs and under his shirt. “Let’s make a deal,” he said. “You don’t feel sorry for me, and I won’t feel sorry for you.”

She shifted sexily under his touch, but she didn’t seem to know what to do with her hands. She started to lift them away but instead stroked them down his chest.

His breath shuddered. “Deal?”

Her big brown eyes fluttered up to meet his. “Okay.”

Cam’s pecs clenched when her thumbs brushed over his nipples. “Instead, we focus on making each other feel good,” he said tightly.

And, right now, his focus was turning downright laser-like.

Watching her face, he investigated higher under his shirt and found panties. She flinched when the elastic around the leg holes snapped, but her nipples stiffened under the fabric of his shirt.

“Deal?” he repeated.

Her body relaxed, nearly melting. “Deal.”

The room went quiet.

“Will you let me make love to you, Lexie?”

Her eyelids got heavy. Dreamy. Instead of answering, she leaned forward and kissed him.

Cam’s pulse jumped, but the contact felt too good to rush. They were going to do this slowly this time. Unhurried and unhindered. Doubts, hurt and betrayal were going to be left at the door.

He let his fingers glide back under her panties. His touch bit into the soft globes of her ass as he kissed his way up to her ear.

“You don’t know how hard it’s been for me to stay out of that bedroom.”

“Cam.”

He caught his name on her lips. It had taken him long enough to get it there, he didn’t want to waste it. Once he started kissing her, though, he couldn’t stop. Their lips clung and their tongues rasped. He kissed her for a good, long time, feeling every clench of her thighs and every shiver along her spine.

As much as he liked her wearing his clothes, he wanted skin. Nuzzling his way under her chin, he slipped a hand inside the shirt and cupped her breast. She fit into his palm perfectly, spilling out around his fingers. He squeezed and felt her butt grind against his lap.

“Tell me what you want,” he whispered. “Tell me what you like.”

“This.” She arched her back and slid her fingers into his hair.

He undid the shirt and pushed it off her shoulders. Her breasts were full and firm, sleek and soft. Just looking at her hard, pink nipples made Cam’s mouth water. Spreading his palm wide between her shoulder blades, he pulled her to him.

And latched on.

With a moan, he began suckling her. Suckling and nipping. He fondled and he licked. He kept at her until her stomach was quivering and her fingers were tugging at his hair.

“Ahhh,” she cried. “It’s too…
More
!”

He pushed the shirt off her entirely and turned with her in his arms. He laid her on the sofa. Papers crinkled, and he swept them onto the floor. She arched when she lay back and pulled out something that had poked her in the kidney. It was his phone. He tossed it nearly halfway across the room. Finally, she stretched out beneath him, and he let his weight come down atop her.

Her brown eyes were glazed as she looked up at him. “Do you orchestrate it so I always end up sitting next to you at meetings?”

He let one eyebrow lift. “It’s my job to make things happen.”

When he swiveled his erection in the cradle of her hips, her lips parted. “Things like this?”

“Definitely an outcome I’d hoped for.”

Her hands flitted down to cup his backside. “And all the times our legs bumped under the table or our shoulders brushed?”

“Strategic actions.”

“They worked.” She whispered into his ear, “They made me wet.”

Cam jerked as if someone had just kicked him in the butt, and she groaned as his hardness pushed between her legs. She undulated beneath him, and he quickly leveraged himself up off her.

Unzipping his pants, he shoved them down, along with his briefs. They fell on the floor on top of his shirt and a mess of wrinkled papers. Naked, he stood over her, arousal arcing through him. He wanted it all. He wanted to do everything to her…
with
her…

She laid back, her eyelids heavy as she looked up at him. Her gaze slid down his body and locked on his erection. Even that invisible touch nearly set him off. He was already stiff and pulsing.

Bending over her, he reached for her panties. “Lift.”

He peeled the little scrap of nothing over her hips and down her thighs. Coming down onto his knees, he positioned himself between her legs. She tried to sit up to meet him, but he spread his hand wide on her stomach and pressed her back down.

“This time I’m on top.”

As much as he’d loved letting her have her way the first time, he hadn’t gotten to touch her as much as he’d craved. Hooking his hand underneath her knee, he lifted her leg and draped it along the back of the couch. She jerked when he kissed the inside of her thigh.

“Easy.”

He nudged her other leg wider to make more room for himself, and she dropped her toes to the floor. Her foot arched as if she were wearing high heels, and he rewarded her with an open-mouthed kiss to her other thigh.

“Cam,” she said, breathing hard.

He didn’t give her time to get nervous or self-conscious. He simply bent down between her legs and settled his lips on her pussy. She rocked her hips upwards, and he slid his hands under her bottom to hold her there. Tilted upwards, she lay splayed beneath him as he began loving her with his mouth and his tongue.

Her whimper of delight filled the air.

God, she was sweet…responsive… He massaged her with his hands as he laved her sensitive flesh. With every stroke, he could feel her tensing and shaking.

She let out a cry when he penetrated her with the tip of his tongue.

“Oh God!” Reaching over her head, she gripped the arm of the sofa with both hands.

He went down on her harder then, burying his face in her soft, warm flesh. He ate at her, loving the shivers that ran through her and the way her hips jerked. Holding her down, he tongued her over and over again, alternately sucking on her clit.

Shudders were wracking her body when he finally moved up, kissing her stomach and stroking her sides. He cupped her breasts and nuzzled their tips with his nose. Enjoying the sensual feast, he nipped his way up her neck until he was positioned over her.

Looking down into her eyes, he shifted his hips. “Feel good?”

She could only moan.

He pushed into her, slow and deep. The fit was tight and wet. He gritted his teeth, and his eyes closed. It was so good. Almost too good.

His head snapped up. “Shit.” He pulled out of her fast. “Condom. Fuck. Let me just run to the bedroom.”

She pulled her foot off the floor and wrapped her leg around his waist. “I’m on the pill.”

He saw the question in her eyes. “I’m clean. God, you know I wouldn’t put you in danger like that.”

“I know.” She cupped his face. “Neither would I.”

Cam suddenly found it hard to breathe. “So?”

She tightened her leg, drawing him closer. It was all the encouragement he needed. He thrust back into her moist, tight heat. The sensation of her clinging to his bare cock nearly pushed him over right then and there.

“Fireworks,” she groaned.

He couldn’t have said it better. He started pumping forward and back. She surged with him, clenching at his back and trying to get him to pump faster.

He kept the rhythm slow. He wasn’t going to rush this.

She arched off the sofa and raked her nails along his shoulders. Her hair brushed against his arms as he tried to keep his weight off her, but she was persistent. She kept luring him until he dropped onto her, pressing her deep into the leather cushions.

“Want me,” she demanded, clutching him tight.

“I do.” He buried his face in the crook of her neck and began to ride her for good.

Sweat beaded their bodies as he thrust in and pulled out. Soft cries left her lips. His hips began rocking faster, and her cries became sharp inhales of air. He fisted his hands in her hair as their gazes locked. Her eyes were dark and glossy but totally focused on him. He dug his knees into the sofa as he sought better leverage.

Her eyes went wide when he found it.

Ramming into her, he took her deep and fast, until she let out a high-pitched cry and her eyelids fluttered closed.

She tightened around him, and Cam held on to her. She was so slick and hot. He felt the pulsations running through her and gave one last thrust, penetrating as far as he could go. Heat rushed over him and he came for what felt like forever, jetting in bursts. When it was over, he had nothing left. He let his weight fall down on her, and it took a long moment before he could catch his breath.

“Sexy Lexie is back,” he said hoarsely.

“Feel good?” she murmured in his ear.

He smiled in satisfaction. “Feel fantastic.”

They stayed there for a long time, wrapped in each other’s arms. The intimacy was heavy as Cam took her all in. She looked flushed and feminine. Sexy and content.

“Stay with me,” he said. “Move in here until you figure out what you want to do.”

Her eyebrows jumped in surprise. “I hadn’t thought about…” Anything. He could see it plain as day on her face. She’d been so filled with pain and anger, she hadn’t thought beyond the moment.

Well, he had and there was no way she was going back to that house. “So don’t think. Just take my spare key. Stay here for a while.”

“But Roxie.”

Cam nearly swore. That was one subject he’d hoped to avoid.

“Even this sofa is more comfortable than her pullout. I don’t think my back could take any more nights on that thing.”