“How long have I been asleep?” She rested her hand on his chest, the T-shirt he wore soft against her palm, the steady beat of his heart reassuring.
“I’m not sure. A couple of hours, at least. I napped, too.” His voice was sleep roughened, deeper than usual and so sexy her entire body went on high alert.
This was what it would be like, waking up with Cameron. Hearing that voice, his warm, hard body so close to hers…
“Oh.” She studied his shirtfront, watched as she drew her fingers down, lightly stroking him. She shouldn’t. She had no business touching him like this but she couldn’t resist.
“Chloe?”
Tilting her head back, she met his gaze once more. “Yes?”
“Do you remember what you said to me that night at the bar?”
She frowned. There was so much she’d forgotten. Details of that night at The Tree were fuzzy. “Not really.”
He trailed his index finger down the side of her face, careful to avoid the cuts and scrapes, his touch light as a feather, making her cheek tingle. “You asked me to be your summer adventure.”
Her face burned with embarrassment. “I must’ve been drunk.”
Slowly he shook his head. “You had one of Sal’s special beers on tap. No one can get drunk on that stuff.”
Chloe pressed her lips together, wondered where he was going with this. Wondered more why he was touching her in such an intimate manner. Not that she was protesting. His finger drifting across her face made her achingly aware that he was acting much like that night at Jane’s reception. Warm and receptive, his gaze hungry as he studied her, like maybe he wanted her as much as she wanted him.
“What are you saying, Cam?” Her heart was in her throat. She felt like she couldn’t breathe as she waited for his answer.
He slipped his finger beneath her chin and tipped her head up, their mouths aligning perfectly. “I’m saying I think I want to take you up on your request after all.”
Before she could say a word, he kissed her. His mouth was warm, soft, the kiss simple and sweet. A sigh escaped her when he slipped his hand behind her head, cradling her, holding her still for his delicious kiss.
This was the kind of moment she’d dreamed of since she was a gawky fourteen-year-old mooning over Cameron McKenzie. Now it was her reality. Held in his strong arms, his mouth on hers, his tongue darting between her lips, his hand running up her side…
“Ow.” She broke the kiss first, her side aching from his too possessive touch. His expression turned immediately contrite.
“Hell Chloe, I’m sorry. I forgot about your ribs.” He disentangled himself from her carefully, arranging her on the couch so she was propped on the comfy pillows once more, the blanket draped over her legs despite her heated skin. That simple kiss had riled her up more than she cared to admit. “Better?”
She kicked off the blanket, watched it fall to the ground with a perverse sort of satisfaction. “I am now. I would be even more if you were still kissing me.”
God. If she could clap her hands to her cheeks to hide her embarrassment, she would. How bold could she be? What had this man done to her?
He chuckled, the sound warming her from the inside out. “That can probably be arranged. But later. First, I need to go do a few things.” Propping his hand on the arm of the couch, he bent over her, dropped a deep, soul-stirring kiss on her lips. She gaped at him as he pulled away, a satisfied smile curling his too beautiful mouth. “I’ll come by tonight with dinner. Is that okay?”
She nodded mutely, too surprised to answer. What had happened? What made his attitude change? First he told her he was no good for her and then he kissed her and acted all warm and sweet. His behavior was confusing.
He was confusing.
Chloe didn’t know what to think. But as she watched him leave her house, her gaze glued on his very fine butt, she knew one thing.
She wasn’t going to complain.
Chapter Six
It was hard to plan an adventure when one of the participants was laid up with injuries at home, her ribs cracked, her head battered and bruised and her spirits generally down.
“Hold still,” Cameron commanded, impatiently waiting for her to stop moving.
Chloe squirmed, driving him crazy, but damn it, he had to do this. It would help the healing process tremendously and lessen the chance of scarring, at least according to the woman at the natural supplement store down in Oakwood.
“It hurts.” She hissed when he touched the cut just above her eyebrow. “What are you putting on my face anyway? It smells awful.”