The Thing About Trouble Page 14

  She nodded and whispered, “Yes.”

  He worked his way back up and claimed her mouth in a kiss that rocked his world. She tasted like heaven, and the feel of her, the velvety wetness drove him mad. His tongue and lips created havoc, and she squirmed against him, chest heaving, color high.

  “You like that too?”

  “God, yes,” she uttered throatily, arching her back slightly so he had no choice. With one deft move, Cam pulled her sweatshirt over her head, and, sweet Jesus she was naked beneath it. Her breasts were softly rounded—just enough to fill his large hands—and he cupped them carefully, dipping his head and settling his warm mouth over her puckered nipple.

  She groaned, and he smiled, enjoying the moment. “I take it you like that too.”

  “Love it,” she replied, her hands now sunk into his hair, holding his head in place as he worshiped her with his mouth and fingers. She swelled at his touch, and he made good work of his long rough fingers, running the pads over her sensitive skin. Each time he did, she moaned and his cock twitched something fierce. He was heavy with need, and Cam had to take a moment to settle down. He was ready to go, but the woman in his arms needed to go slow.

  He kissed her again, a scorching touch that left them both breathless, and then he scooped her into his arms. He headed for the large faux fur rug in front of the fireplace. It was thick and soft, and he laid her down onto her back. She immediately reached for him, and they kissed, long, slow, and heated.

  She tugged at his shirt, and he tossed it.

  She grabbed for his belt, and his nimble fingers helped.

  He doffed his jeans and eased Blue out of her sweatpants. No black or red thong. Just a sweet pair of pink cotton panties. To Cam, they were the sexiest thing he’d ever seen. He bent over her. Reached for them. But then paused and looked up.

  “You ready for this?”

  “Yes,” she whispered, hiking up her hips so he could get the job done. Cam pulled off her panties and hoped like hell she couldn’t see him shake. He was so close to the edge, his skin wet with sweat, his muscles tight and corded. He massaged Blue from the bottom of her feet, up her calves and then her thighs. By the time his mouth followed his hands, her legs had fallen open and she was panting. He held himself over her, bending for another kiss, her soft wet lips ready for him. At the same time, he caressed the inside of her thigh and then slowly edged his fingers inside her.

  She immediately stiffened, and he felt the change. “Don’t stop,” she begged, but he knew she wasn’t ready. “Please, Cam.”

  He was stuck somewhere between moving forward and full stop.

  “Hey,” he whispered in her ear. “You okay?” Her body was wet and ready, but her mind wasn’t there. Not yet.

  “I think I need a minute.”

  He pressed a soft kiss to the corner of her mouth, noting the uncertainty in her eyes. “Like I told you. You’re calling the shots.”

  He eased his body off and pulled her into his arms.

  “There’s something wrong with me,” she whispered hoarsely.

  “No. Never think that. It’s your body. Your say.”

  She was quiet, tracing his jawline with her fingers. “No one gets me the way you do.” Her words were whispered. Urgent. “Sex has always been a problem for me. I never really cared for it. Didn’t know what the fuss was about. And now that I do care…” Her voice caught, and he hugged her close. “I want it to be good for you, and I…I don’t want to be awful at, you know, doing it.”

  He smiled into her neck. “Bluebell, I can tell by the way you react to me, when we finally get down to business, it’s going to be mind-blowing.”

  Long moments passed filled with fast-beating hearts and heavy breaths. Cam ached for her, but no way was he pushing it. If he had to wait weeks or months to finally sink inside Blue, he would. Because she was worth the time and respect. And never had it mattered more to him.

  “Touch me again.” She rose up onto her elbows and stared down at him. “Put your fingers inside me.”

  Cam kissed the tips of her breasts, eyes on her face as he slowly eased his fingers back inside her heat. Carefully, he massaged, crooking his fingers just so, seeking that sweet spot that would make her come. With his thumb on her clitoris and those long fingers deep inside her, Blue began to gyrate, moving with his motion, her breaths coming quicker as she began to moan.

  “I feel something,” she whispered.

  “What do you feel?” His voice was guttural, his control rail thin.

  “Oh, Cam…yes, just like that.” Her head flipped back, and she whimpered. He felt her tighten around his fingers, and he kissed her, taking her scream into himself as she came.

  “That’s it, Blue. That’s what I wanted to hear.” He grabbed a condom from his jeans and quickly slipped it over his aching cock. She lay there, legs open, desire glistening on her skin, and it drove Cam crazy.

  “You ready for more?” he asked hoarsely.

  Her answer was to touch him. To guide his cock straight into her. Cam didn’t go slow—he couldn’t. He rocked hard, and she met his thrust with equal passion. Legs locked behind his hips, her nails dug into his shoulders as she held on. They were joined in an ancient rhythm, their bodies melted together by desire and something stronger.

  “God, I can feel it again,” she said, biting his chest. It was a moment Cam would remember forever. The sound of her voice. The feel of her skin. The scent of their lovemaking.

  He held on as long as he could and then came, growling his pleasure as his body released. He felt her shudder one last time and rolled onto his back, taking her with him.

  There were no words. They didn’t need them.

  “I’m hungry,” she said lightly, tracing his chest with her fingers. He tossed her his T-shirt, and as she slipped it over her head, he pulled on his jeans. She settled on the counter while he heated up leftover pizza.

  “This is a good look on you,” he said, handing her a piece. Her mouth was bruised from his kisses. Her cheeks were red from the stubble on his chin. And her eyes glittered like blue diamonds.

  “I’m half-naked,” Blue replied, biting off the end of her slice.

  “Like I said,” Cam replied with a wicked grin. “Good look.”

  They ate in silence for a few moments, the quiet of the house enveloping them in a blanket of familiarity Cam wasn’t used to. Unnerved, he cleared his throat.

  “Tell me something about yourself I don’t know.”

  Her eyebrows shot up, and she paused, a slice of pizza halfway to her mouth. “I can recite the entire alphabet backward.”

  “Yeah?” He grinned at that.

  “What about you?”

  “I’m allergic to bees.”

  He could see her surprise. “That’s kind of dangerous considering your job.”

  “It’s why I carry an EpiPen when I’m working.” He paused. “What’s the one place you’ve never been that you’re dying to see?”

  She chuckled. “So we’re playing the question game.”

  He liked this side of her. Light and happy and sporting one hell of a sex glow. “Yeah. We are.”

  She settled back a few more inches, legs slightly spread as she watched him. It took everything Cam had not to let his eyes wander to the prize hidden in the shadows between her legs.

  “I bet if you asked that question to one hundred people, your answers would be places like Paris, Ireland, Greece, Australia,” she said slowly. “But I want to go to Sable Island.”

  “Sable Island?” Cam frowned. “Never heard of it.”

  She shrugged. “I don’t suppose a lot of people know about it. It’s an island off the coast of Nova Scotia.” She paused, a sly grin on her face. “You do know where Nova Scotia is, right?”

  “Sure do. What’s so special about this particular island?”

  “Well, aside from the fact that the natural beauty is breathtaking.” Her grin widened. “There are hundreds of wild horses running free.” Her voice caught, a
nd she looked away. “They’re untouched by humanity. Untouched by anything not meant to be there.” She shrugged. “I guess it sounds corny, but there’s something incredibly romantic about that kind of freedom. Nothing can touch them.”

  He wanted to kiss her again—and would have—but she looked up at him expectantly. “What about you? Where would you go if you could go anywhere tomorrow?”

  “Middle Earth.”

  “What kind of answer is that?” she asked with a chuckle.

  He leaned in. “You’re not a Lord of The Rings girl, are you?”

  “No.” She shook her head. “I’m not.”

  “That’s going to change.” He cocked his head. “Favorite movie?”

  “The Man from Snowy River.”

  “Sounds like a chick flick.”

  “It totally is. But there’s lots of horses. Yours?” She was looking at him like the pizza wasn’t satisfying her hunger. Made him want to bang his chest.

  “Goonies.”

  She dragged her gaze back up to his face. “Sounds about right.”

  He was hard again. So fucking ready to sink deep inside her and hold her close so that he could feel her frantic heartbeat and smell her arousal.

  “Are we through asking questions?” Cam stood back, and her eyes fell to the bulge between his legs. She licked her lips and was done for. Did she answer him? Who the hell knew? He slid his hands underneath her T-shirt, and seconds later, she was naked.

  With an animalistic growl, he scooped Blue into his arms and headed for his bedroom. It was going to be a long night, and for once, he was perfectly fine with that.

  18

  Blue was floating on a cloud.

  A cloud of lust and desire and warmth and satisfaction. A cloud of contentment and want and quiet moments. She’d never felt like this in her life. Never. What she’d shared with David had been kind and gentle and comforting. But this? This had her humming songs and daydreaming and smiling. It had her thinking things she had no right to be thinking, because all those thoughts had her wondering about tomorrow. Had her pondering the emptiness of her home. The quietness of the rooms. The beauty she didn’t care to enjoy—at least, not alone.

  It was a feeling she didn’t want to end, but it was also a feeling that made her nervous as hell.

  She and Cam had settled into something. What that something was exactly, the two of them didn’t discuss. They just let it happen. It was the not discussing that tightened her gut at night and made her anxious. That was when she let herself think about it—even then only for fleeting moments. Blue didn’t want to focus on the negative. She much preferred this wave of goodness that rolled in whenever she was with Cam and Tawny.

  She was four weeks into whatever the hell this was, and Blue was fine not thinking or wondering, at least until reality hit. She was living in the moment, and today, she was about to make a dream of her own come true.

  A lazy kind of autumn had taken hold of Crystal Lake somewhere around the first week of October. It was sweater weather, and Blue loved it. Hair loose and blowing in the wind, dressed in a pale pink cashmere turtleneck, faded jeans tucked into soft brown leather boots, she looked like an advert for LL Bean. It was late afternoon on a Thursday, and Cam had asked her to pick up Tawny from daycare.

  She left her car and headed toward a group of parents standing near the entrance. She stopped a few feet away. She saw the curious looks, the whispers behind hands—those, she could handle—but a few of the women stared her down boldly, their eyes and body language telling Blue everything she needed to know. She wasn’t one of them.

  One of the women broke from the herd and walked over with a smile. She was tall and curvy, and wore loose-fitting track pants and a hoodie. Her auburn hair was pulled back in a ponytail that was falling out, and she was missing her right earring.

  “Hi, I’m Susie.” Her voice was husky and as warm as her eyes.

  “Blue.”

  Susie’s eyes crinkled as her smile widened. “Barnes, right?” At Blue’s stiff nod, she made a face. “Don’t mind them. They’ve all got,” she finger-quoted, “‘small-town-itis.’” Her voice dropped. “It’s highly contagious in some circles, but luckily, I’m immune.”

  “Is that what it is?” Blue replied dryly.

  “Don’t take it personal. They’re not all bad. They’re just not used to someone who looks like you. And half of them have lusted after Cam Booker for years.” She chuckled. “You’re here for Tawny?”

  “Yes. Cam asked me to pick her up.”

  “She’s so sweet. My twins Mark and Mitchell are in the same class, but they’re rough and tumble boys, so they don’t really play together. I’ve seen Cam with her. She’s beautiful.”

  Blue offered a small smile. Again, her cautious nature prevented her from giving away too much. She was saved by the bell just then and walked forward with Susie. Her boys bounded out in the first rush of kids, full of rambunctious energy, dirty faces, and untied shoes. Susie gathered them to her side and sighed.

  “We’re off to hockey practice, so I have to run. But it was nice meeting you. Maybe we can do coffee sometime.”

  “I’d like that.”

  With a warm wave, Susie disappeared with her twins.

  A young woman who looked like a teenager but was obviously the preschool teacher walked out holding Tawny’s hand. When the little girl saw Blue, she broke away and hurtled toward her like a bullet. Her little hands waved back and forth full of artwork, and her face was wide open with joy. That space in Blue’s heart wasn’t so small anymore. It was big and strong and warm. It grabbed hold of her, and she held out her arms to welcome a little girl who had managed to fill it up until she felt nearly whole again.

  “Blue! I knew you were coming for me!”

  She hugged the little girl tightly and smiled up at the teacher. “I’m Blue. Cam said he would make arrangements for me to pick up?”

  The young woman nodded and smiled. “He did. Tawny has been chattering about you all day.”

  “Look, I drawed a picture of you.” Tawny wiggled out of her grasp and presented her artwork. She’d used a colorful array of crayons to make a wonderful version of Blue, along with Rufus and Giselle.

  “I love it,” Blue murmured.

  “You do?”

  She straightened and took Tawny’s hand. “I do. And now I have a surprise for you.”

  “Really? Chocolate cake?”

  Blue laughed. “No, but we can get something special at the fair later on. Now, come on. We don’t want to be late.”

  Blue got Tawny settled in the backseat, and the little girl chatted like a machine as Blue drove across the bridge and headed downtown. They parked in front of an old brick building located at the very end of Main Street. At one time, it had been some sort of factory when lumber was king around these parts. Then it had been closed for decades and nearly been torn down. But several years earlier, the Blackwells had bought it and done extensive renovations keeping with the rustic beauty of the town and of a time long gone. Exposed beams and the brickwork laid the foundation for all the commercial units inside, and Blue had managed to scoop up the largest located on the main floor. It boasted floor-to-ceiling windows that faced the river behind the building. The natural light was amazing, and the large open space was ready for her to make dreams happen.

  “Is this where the fair is?” Tawny asked as they exited her SUV.

  “Nope.” Blue leaned down and took her hand. “There’s something even better inside, and I hope you’re going to love it as much as I do.”

  Tawny skipped along as she led her toward the main entrance. Once inside, they walked straight ahead, where an older man dressed in a rumpled gray pinstripe suit waited. His thick white hair was askew and his features were sharp. But his eyes were warm, and he smiled when he spied Blue. He handed Blue a large envelope, and, with a few last instructions, he was off.

  She opened the manila envelope and retrieved a key, which she used to open the door they st
ood in front of. Once inside, she flipped the light switch to the right and held her breath as she turned in a full circle.

  “What do you think?” she asked Tawny.

  “It’s big. Like the gym at school.”

  “I bought it.”

  “You did?” Tawny ran to one of the windows. “This whole place?”

  “I did.”

  “And we can come here to play?”

  Blue followed Tawny to the window, and for a moment or two, they looked out at the river, swollen from a week or so of autumn rain. On the other side of the bank, the flaming reds and oranges of fall danced in the waning light as the wind rustled the leaves off the trees.

  “When I was a little girl, dancing made me feel like I was on a different planet. Like I could do anything. Be anyone. If I was sad or upset, I could dance and forget about all that.” Blue looked around the room. “I spent more time in a dance studio than I did at home. I loved ballet. I loved interpreting music with my body.”

  Blue knelt so she was face-to-face with Tawny. “I always thought that if I had a little girl, I’d want her to dance. To feel that freedom and love it the way that I did.” She exhaled. “The way that I do.”

  “I like to dance,” Tawny said softly.

  “I know. I’ve watched you.”

  Tawny’s light eyes were serious as she looked up at Blue. “I could be your little girl. If you want to borrow me.”

  Her words hit Blue with a flurry of bittersweet hammers that bruised just below the surface. She blinked rapidly and had to wait a few moments before she could speak.

  “I would like that.” She cleared her throat, got to her feet, and winked. “Do you want to dance?”

  “Right now?”

  She nodded.

  “Yes!” Tawny started to twirl in a circle as Blue grabbed her phone.

  “What’s your favorite song?”

  “The Baby Shark song. The remix one.”

  “Okay,” she replied with a giggle. “That sounds interesting.”