“Someone should’ve informed the men I’ve dated.”
“Oh yeah?”
“People run from me.”
He squinted at me. “You think maybe it’s the scheduling?”
I fake laughed. “Such a funny man. I bet you could do stand-up.”
His laughter, real and a bit relieved, made me sigh.
“This is ridiculous, but I missed you last night and today. I so wished you were here with me to see my father.”
“That’s pretty much the nicest thing anyone’s ever said to me.”
“It is not.”
“Uh, yes it is,” he replied, taking a breath. “You want me there with your family? Jesus, Cam, are you sure you have the right guy?”
“Yes,” I whispered.
His smile was huge as he looked at the ceiling for a moment and then back at me. “I gotta tell you somethin’.”
“Please do.”
“Do you do it on purpose?”
“Do I do what on purpose?”
“Make your voice all soft and low and husky like that?”
I chuckled, because how interesting.
“What’s funny?”
Clearing my throat, I met his gaze. “All my life people have said, ‘Speak up, Cameron, talk louder.’ Even my family. Everyone says they can’t tell if I’m excited or not because my tone never changes.”
His grin was carnal. “Well, I can say with absolute certainty that your voice changes when you’re excited.”
My face felt like it was on fire.
“That’s a very pretty shade of pink.”
“Oh God,” I groaned, terribly embarrassed.
“Don’t look away.”
It took a lot for me to lock eyes with him.
“I’m addicted to the sound of your voice. I can make out every word, even when you speak under your breath. It’s awful, and I’m working on it, but since I’ve been yelled at all my life, when people raise their voices, I go instantly into fix-it mode at work, or fight mode when I’m anywhere else. I can’t help it. I’m angry and hostile, and I can’t be different. Not yet.”
“And you’re working on that? With a therapist?”
“No, I don’t have a—you know, it’s me, myself, and I.”
“I see. Have you thought about seeing a therapist?”
“You mean with all my disposable income?”
I nodded. “Understood.”
“But so you know, your voice, how you talk, is not something you should change, because for me, it’s part of what makes me think I could be around you twenty-four seven, no problem at all.”
It took me a moment to be able to speak. I was afraid I might break down from the compliment. “It seems to me you like quite a bit about me.”
He nodded, and his own voice was rough when he spoke. “Yeah, I do.”
“That’s excellent, because the feeling is mutual.”
Quick, flashing grin. “It was weird, but you were the first person I thought of calling when the cops came to question me, and that’s never happened before. I’ve always handled things myself and don’t worry about anybody else.”
“Which you did,” I assured him, breathing a sigh of relief. “Like I did with my father being ill, but having you here would have been…better, you know?”
“I do know,” he agreed.
“Promise you’ll come for Thanksgiving.”
“If nothing weird happens before then, yeah, I’ll come.”
“Excellent.” I was trying hard not to let my voice go out on me in excitement.
“I just hope it’s a good idea.” He sounded almost…sad. “Parents don’t usually like me.”
“How do you know? Whose parents have you met?”
“I mean friends I’ve had, people at work. The only parents who like me are the Bowens, and I’m their employee, and the parents of the kids I work with at The Mission.”
“I think my parents are going to love you. It’s hard to imagine anyone not.”
“You say that so seriously.”
“If you haven’t gathered yet, I’m a pretty serious person most of the time.”
“Yeah, I get that from you.”
“It’s not a good thing.”
“Why not?”
“Because it’s a giant turnoff.”
Quick snort from him. “Is that right?”
“Most guys like games and mystery and don’t want to make plans. People like to live in the moment and not be bogged down with what could be.”
“Well, I prefer your spreadsheet thingy, or whatever you’re doing, because it shows you wanna see me, and that is a huge turn-on, if you ask me.”
I almost whimpered. It was a near thing.
“Hey, I don’t wanna wait for Thanksgiving, just walk around now and show me your place. I wanna see.”
“I haven’t been home. It’s not clean and I don’t want you to think me slovenly.”
“I don’t think that’s possible,” he assured him.
“Well, it doesn’t matter. I want you to have something to look forward to when you visit and seeing my place and how close I am to the beach I’m hoping will lure you into staying.”
“I’ll have you there,” he assured me. “I don’t need anything else.”
I sighed deeply. “You say very nice things.”
“Which, I’ll be honest, hasn’t happened before. You seem to bring it out in me.”
I had to wonder how a man I barely knew could make me feel like I was glowing.