Teasing Hands (13 page)

She nodded and kissed my cheek. “Understood.” Mom watched me with a small smile on her face. “Enough of the bad. Let’s talk about the new guy Hunter mentioned. Do we know him?”

“You do. In fact, I met him because of your pushing.” Her brows furrowed in confusion before they arched in understanding. My own smile grew.

“Oh, fuck,” Mom cursed, and I couldn’t contain my giggle. The prim and proper Susana Brooks dropping an F-bomb in casual conversation. Priceless. “Camden?”

“Yeah,” I said laughing, “but it’s new. Nothing serious. Just two people getting to know the other with no strings attached. Taking it slow.”
At an almost nonexistent pace
, I added mentally. “He’s sweet and—”

“Old,” Mom pointed out. “He’s at the very least ten years your senior baby
. What could you possibly have in common
?”

Oh, nothing.
Except, my nee
d
f
or his cock and the fact that my pussy wants it above all others.

“
Camden’s age means nothing to me.” Her brow rose skeptically, and my eyes narrowed. This was why I hadn’t felt the need to share. “We like each other. He makes me laugh and happy, and that should be more than enough for you to drop the age gap crap. Especially, with Dad being almost twelve years
your
senior.”

“Amanda, it’s not the same, and you know it. Things were different when I—”

“Save it, Mom,” I snapped and stood up to leave. Why did she always have to add in her two cents? For once, I’d like her to just trust my judgment.  “I’m not asking for permission here. Just sharing with whom my interest laid. It will never be Hunter and me. Never.”

“Agreed,” Mom
said through pursed lips. “Hunter doesn’t deserve you, but Camden is a man, sweetheart, and I don’t think you are ready for a relationship like that.”

Bending at the waist, I laid a kiss on her forehead and walked away. I stopped as my right foot landed on the first step and turned to face her.

“Thank you for the vote of confidence, Mom, but luckily what you think doesn’t matter. Not your choice to make. If I do or don’t, it will be my decision.” With that, I left her and carried my tired butt upstairs. It’s not that I wanted to be rude or hurt her feelings, but on this, I wouldn’t budge. This man had managed to burrow himself under my skin, and I didn’t want him to leave. There was something between us that grew with each interaction we had, and I wanted to explore that “what if.”

With my mind made up, I pulled out my phone from my back pocket and shot off a quick text to him.

Meet me in an hour at Bayside. ~gatita

14

“Going somewhere?” Mom asked me as we passed each other in the hall. It was Wednesday, and I was on my way to see Camden. He and I haven’t seen each other in two weeks, and my sexual urges were out of control.

When I’d messaged him a few days back, he was already out with friends, watching a ball game and having a few beers. He wanted to see me but had already made plans, and I wasn’t the clingy type to demand he come to me.

I almost wished that I was that kind of woman
. The type that would not take no for an answer because I yearned for his hands over my skin. For the way he pushed his fingers—maneuvered my body to his liking.

“What gave you that idea?” My reply had a bit of a bite to it.
Mom had made her displeasure on the subject known; she didn’t trust me enough to handle a relationship with a man like Camden. Thought I was too naïve.

She eyed the simple white romper I wore and smiled. “Heading to the beach with the girls today? That’s good; maybe they can talk some sense
in to you.”

“No, I’m not.” Her smile turned quickly into a frown. Looking down at the short, white linen romper I wore, I didn’t see what made her think I was heading to the beach. Yes, it was simple, but it was also tight and molded onto the flesh of my ass in a borderline indecent way. The top portion was strapless and tied in the center with a cute bow; it drew the eyes to my breasts without showing much skin.

Provocative, yet demure—innocent yet not—it was perfect for me to seduce Camden with and get him to give me the fucking I needed.

“Then where are you going?” I’d almost forgotten that she was here as my mind wandered to the endless possibilities this afternoon would bring.

“Since when do you need to know my every movement? I’m not child, Mother—”

“I know you’re not.” She sighed and gave me a small smile. “Please, just be careful, Mandi. I’ll butt out and keep my opinions to myself, but if you get hurt…”

Mom meant well, I knew this, but she needed to realize that nothing short of Camden telling me to fuck off would make me give him up.

Nodding, I leaned in and kissed her cheek before heading straight to the garage and my car. The drive over to the hotel this time was filled with delicious anxiety. Fluttering wings of anticipation took over my stomach, and the smile on my face never vanished.

You love him.

No, that couldn’t be it. Could it?

We didn’t know each other—interact enough
—
for me to feel this way. It took me almost a year to say I love you to Hunter, and even that was because he pushed and pushed until I said it back. Did I come to love him? Yes, I did, with everything that I was at that stage in my life.

It was sweet and new—young and unmarred by life’s unrelenting evils.

Valet parking was empty as I pulled in; the same kid from the previous times came towards me with a smile on his face. He noticed my grimace the closer he got and threw his hands up in the air.

“I swear on all that’s holy that nothing will happen to this beauty,” he exclaimed, and I couldn’t stop the laughter that erupted from within me. Little shit seemed all too proud of how he’d recognized my fear and tried to assuage it. “If it happens, any damage sustained
,” he spoke as if reading a manual, “I’ll pay for. Or my mom will, but she might kill me, so I’ll be extra careful.”

After stepping out of my car, I tossed him the keys, still giggling at his antics. “Okay. I’ll trust you, but one scratch and…” I trailed off, and he gulped. I walked toward the door of the hotel, my heart thundering in my chest with each step I took.

The palms of my hands began to sweat the moment the spa’s name—with its bold letters—came into view.  However, none of that mattered the moment my eyes landed on him standing outside. The same spot we’d met in the last time I was here.

His lips curved up into a wicked grin, and I bit mine. It was only when we were face to face that my body succumbed to the exhaustion of these last few days.

I’d pushed myself beyond my limit with all the drills we performed this last week. I gave the same intensity with the kids, as I did, when we decided to play some of the other athletes at camp. My body was sore, and it begged me to stay in bed today, but I needed to see him.

“What hurts,
gatita
?” He noticed right away and grasped my hand in his, pulling me to stand in front of him, close enough to him that I felt his body heat. Camden took in a deep breath once we stood less than a few inches apart; he inhaled in deeply and groaned. “Fuck, I’ve missed you.”

Those words were what I needed above all else. They gave me comfort in pursuing him—breaking down his walls until he let me in.

“Missed you.” I breathed in, and it was my turn to drown in his scent, a masculine smell so uniquely his that it drove me insane. “The last time we—”

“Shhh,” Camden put his finger over my lips. “Not out here. Follow me.” Before he pulled his finger away, I swiped the very tip with my tongue, just a small taste to hold me over until I had him alone and naked.

If there was one thing I wanted to get out of today’s session, it was leaving the room with his taste still on my tongue. I wanted to feel the weight of him—feel his girth stretching my lips to accommodate his size.

“Follow me.” Camden tapped my lips once in reproach before he turned around and walked back into the spa. He turned to face me before we passed the reception
area. Blondie sat behind the desk. She watched his every move with unrestrained hunger. “Sit,
gatita
,” Camden whispered low enough so only I heard. “I’ll be back in two.”

“Cam,” she called out before he could disappear. I didn’t like the way she said his name. It held too much familiarity, as if they knew each other outside of business hours. “Can I speak to you about our plans this weekend?”

My eyes snapped up at the mention of plans. What the fuck?

Camden hadn’t turned back to face her. He’d stopped walking, but other than that, he remained quiet. On the other hand, he hadn’t denied it either.

She looked at me with a smug expression adorning her face, triumphant in her quest to agitate me. It was one of those moments where I truly felt I had no hold over him. None, yet he controlled me with just a single touch from his teasing hands.

“Quit it,” Camden hissed out, bringing me back to the present. Her eyes and mine snapped toward his, his back still turned to the room. We had no clue if he was directing himself at her or me. “We have no plans, Cynthia.”

“Yes, we do,” Cynthia insisted in an embarrassed whimper. “The company’s employee…” I tuned her out after that. Stupid bitch. 

“
Fucking quit it. There is no
we
. No plans either.” Camden’s snarls of anger aroused me. I could feel the wetness pool in my miniscule panties and dampen my inner thighs. “You’re embarrassing yourself.” Without sparing her another word, he turned his neck and met my eyes. He smirked. “I’ll be right back, Amanda.”

Nodding, I stayed put and waited. Cynthia didn’t take long to strike. His footsteps had barely silenced when she opened her mouth to spew venom.

“You are nothing to him. Not a fucking thing, other than easy pussy. Enjoy it while you can.” Her words were meant to hurt, and had this conversation happened a year ago, I might have believed her. Now, her words meant shit.

“Who says I want more than his cock?” Her mouth dropped open, and she stared at me, wide eyed, no longer cocky, and sure of herself. “Maybe all I’m after is a good fuck.” A couple entered the reception area seconds after the word, “fuck” passed my lips. They smiled at me as I took a seat on the plush sofa and then turned to ask for Hunter.

Cynthia continued to stare at me; a mixture of anger and resentment overtaking her expression. She wanted to say something, I could see it clear as day, but she was fucked. Too many people in the lobby to witness her unprofessionalism.

“Is she okay?” the woman
who had taken a seat beside me asked, and I wanted to laugh. No, she wasn’t okay. Her bullshit plan to hurt me had backfired, and she’d felt the sting of my bite.

I laughed and turned to address her. “She’ll be fine. Just stunned from the story I shared with her
. Right, Cynthia?” My tone was saccharine sweet and dripping with innocence.

She snapped back to the present at the mention of her name and nodded, turning to face the couple and ignoring me. Just as well, because I didn’t give flying fuck about her either.