That Night in Texas

Clem sent Cam a frank look, tipping her head to one side and taking her time to decide whether to greet him or not. When she hid her face in Vivi’s neck, Vivi knew that she was feeling uncharacteristically shy.

She patted Clem’s back. “Honey, do you want to say hi to Cam?”

Cam shook his head. “Don’t force it, Vivi. She’ll say hello when she’s ready.”

Surprised by his sensitivity, Vivi thanked him as he opened the rear passenger door. She automatically turned to put Clem into her car seat and it took her a moment to realize that there was a car seat, in his car.

“You got a car seat. For Clem.”

* * *

Cam shrugged. Well, yeah. Because she was a kid and kids needed to be protected. Work wasn’t all he’d done while she was sleeping, he wanted to tell her.

“Uh, thank you?” Vivi said, obviously surprised.

Vivi’s astonishment annoyed Cam. He could be considerate, capable of thinking of someone other than himself, and he would never do anything to harm a child.

Cam walked around the car, climbed inside and looked at the child sitting behind his passenger seat. She looked so much like him it was scary. Clem returned his frank assessment, and when a tiny smile touched her pretty mouth, he felt like she’d hit him with a two-by-four.

“Would you have ever told me about her?” he quietly asked when Vivi took her seat.

He felt Vivi tense. This was a question she didn’t want to answer but...tough.

“Well?” he demanded when she didn’t speak.

“Probably not,” Vivi answered.

When she didn’t expand, he turned his head and nailed her with a hard look. “Why not?”

“Because I like making decisions on my own, not having anyone to answer to. Involving you in her life would’ve made my life complicated and I don’t do complicated. I like being independent and I like being on my own.”

Truth coated every word she uttered and blazed from her eyes. Her warning—I will never be controlled by you or anyone else—could’ve been on a twenty-foot billboard and it still wouldn’t be clearer than these quietly uttered words in his car.

Keep your distance, Cam.

Let me go back to my life, Cam.

Roll back the clock.

Cam rolled his head to look at her fully and their eyes connected, heat and want and desire arcing between them. He knew her brain wanted her to be sensible and distant but he also knew her body wanted what his did. To get naked as soon as possible. He wanted to taste those lips, explore her body, taste every inch of her creamy skin.

He also wanted to delve into that sharp brain, peek behind those walls she’d so carefully erected and reinforced.

He was looking for trouble. And couldn’t wait to find it.

* * *

Vivi sighed when Cam parked his car in the driveway to her small red brick cottage. Fumbling with the clasp of her seat belt, she felt Cam’s fingers on hers and silently cursed when lust skittered over her skin and flashed through her body. She’d had a hell of a day, so why was her battered body responding like this? Their earlier kisses she could put down to adrenaline and delayed reaction but she couldn’t keep using those excuses. How could she, after a near-death experience, be feeling...well, horny? Sure, Cam was a great-looking guy with the ability to set female hormones on fire, but after everything that had happened today, shouldn’t she be immune?

Vivi lifted her eyes to meet his and saw heat in the blue depths, heard his intake of breath, noticed the slight flush on his cheekbones. Dammit. He was feeling it as well.

Vivi pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and closed her eyes. She pulled her hand out from under his and the seat belt released with a soft snick. It was time to pull herself back to real life, to find some sort of stable ground. Yeah, she’d had a crap day, but it was over, and she needed a reset.

Except that she had a feeling Cam wasn’t going to cooperate and allow her life to go back to normal. Vivi sighed and pushed her hair off her forehead. But after a day like today, how could anything be normal again?

Vivi felt Cam’s thumb skate over her cheekbone. “Let’s get you inside, sweetheart.”

Vivi turned her head to look at him, her limbs feeling as heavy as steel girders. The soft, sweet-sounding word became deeper and sexier when he uttered it in his growly, deep voice. She liked hearing it...