“I’ll miss you.” His fingers tightened in hers at her easy admission.
“I’ll miss you, too, but this separation will be good for us.”
“How so?”
“It’ll give you time to think without any distractions and decide what you really want.”
Her heart thudded at his words. Could she commit to forever? “It’ll give you time, too.”
He smiled at her tenderly. “I don’t need any time, Angela. I already know what I want—you.” He placed a hand behind her neck, pulled her close and kissed her thoroughly. “When I come back, we’ll talk again and see what you’ve decided.”
“What if I haven’t made a decision by then?” His eyes clouded over a little at her question.
“As much as I want you in my life...” He paused, and she could tell his next words were difficult for him to utter. “I don’t intend to live in limbo with you indefinitely.”
“Meaning?”
“Meaning when I get back, either we start making plans for our future or we end it. It’s your choice, babe.” She didn’t want the fate of their relationship in her hands, but she guessed it had always been that way.
“I’m afraid,” she whispered.
“I know, but you don’t have to be with me.” His tender smile melted her heart and almost made her believe him. “I want you to have faith in that.” He stood and pulled her to her feet. Hand in hand, they walked to the door. “I’ll see you in a week. Promise me you’ll think while I’m gone.”
“I promise.”
“In a week, we move forward together.” He sounded so certain. She wished she could be. He kissed her, and she held on to his strong shoulders and sank into the kiss, never wanting to let him go. When they broke apart, she felt bereft. As if sensing her mood, he promised, “I’ll see you soon.”
“Bye, Cam. Be safe.” He smiled at her and kissed her again, much too briefly.
“Miss me,” he ordered before leaving.
She missed him the second the door closed behind him. Damn, that man always said and did the right things. She’d never met anyone like him. More than anything, she wanted to take a chance on him—on them—but could she open completely up, lay her wary heart bare and let go of her past demons to do that? She had been on her own for so long; it was safe and comfortable. It was also lonely.
Could she willingly take a leap of faith and place her heart and soul in someone else’s hands? That was the million-dollar question.
* * *
The next couple of days dragged by. Angela wasn’t fit to be around—a fact her coworkers soon realized. They steered far away from her unless absolutely necessary.
She sat in her office going over the nurses’ schedule without really seeing it. She was preoccupied and unhappy. Everywhere she looked, she saw Cam’s smiling face. Sighing heavily, she threw her pen down onto the desk, swiveled in her chair and stared out the window at the beautiful day with a deep frown marring her face.
Cam had only been gone for two days, and she had worn herself ragged thinking about him and them. She felt as if she were climbing the walls. She missed him that much.
She was accomplished in her professional life. No one would dare call her timid or incompetent when it came to treating patients, so why was she allowing herself to be such a frightened rabbit in her personal life? Cam had done something no one ever had for her—he’d committed to a future with her, and all he wanted in return was for her to give him a chance to make her happy. He did make her happy—happier than she’d ever been in her life.
She had a wonderful man, and she was about to lose him because she was terrified of what might happen down the road in their relationship, when the truth was that no one could predict the future. Cam was right. It was way past time that she took a chance, and by God, that’s what she was going to do!
Swiveling in her chair to face her desk, she came to a long-overdue decision. Picking up her phone, she began making calls to clear her schedule for the next week.
* * *
Cam opened the door to his suite, and his eyes widened in pleased shock at the sight of Angela staring at him, smiling. God, he had missed her beautiful face, her soft musical voice and the incredible feel of her in his arms.
“Hi, Cam.”
“Angela, what a great surprise.” Cam took her hand and pulled her inside.
“Wow, this is some room.” She glanced around the huge suite, then propped her roll-away suitcase against the door and moved closer to him. “Very nice.”
“You know I like to be comfortable.” His arms snaked around her waist. “Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?”
“You’re always surprising me. This time I wanted to surprise you.” She placed her hands around his neck. “How about a proper welcome?”
“Anything you say, ma’am.” He slowly, painstakingly lowered his mouth to hers, watching her eyes the entire time. When their lips finally touched, both groaned and dove in without hesitation. They acted as if they hadn’t seen each other in years instead of only days. They kissed as if they would never stop. When their mouths reluctantly parted, both were breathless. “How was that?”
“Great for starters,” she whispered, pulling his mouth back to hers.
“Not that I’m complaining,” he murmured against her lips long seconds later. “But why are you here, babe?”
“I missed you.” The look in her eyes communicated how true that simple yet important statement was, and he knew that which he had waited so patiently for was about to materialize. “So much.”
“I missed you, too.” He pulled her to the sitting area, and they sat closely on the sofa. “Did you think while we were apart?”
“Yes.” She ran a hand down his cheek as if she couldn’t bear to not touch him. “A lot.”
“Make any decisions?” He captured her hand and briefly brought it to his lips.
“Some major ones.” She seemed more at peace than he had ever seen her, which sent hope soaring through him.
“Well?” His eyes teased. “Are you going to let me in on them?”
“Yes, I’m just trying to decide where to start.” She took a deep breath and released it before beginning, “You asked me to judge you for you and not by anyone else’s standards, and I’m ready to do that.”
He smiled brightly at her words, and her fingers traced his lower lip softly. “You are?”
“Yes.” She nodded. “From day one, you’ve been wonderful to me—I didn’t expect it, and I certainly wasn’t used to it. I just couldn’t believe you were for real.” She paused and kissed him softly before continuing, “As time went on, I realized you were very sincere in your feelings for me.”
“I am,” he confirmed.
“I know, but I wasn’t used to that. My experience with men has consisted of being hurt, and I was determined not to let that happen again, so I tried to keep things controlled and manageable.” She shook her head, sighed, caressed his face with her fingers and continued, “And then there was my career. I’ve worked so hard to get where I am, and I honestly liked my life the way it was before we started dating—predictable, comfortable and uncomplicated. The only person I had to worry about or please was me, and the thought of suddenly having to consider someone else terrified me. It still does, but I’ve finally come to terms with the one important fact.” She paused. “I can no longer imagine my life without you in it.
“Good.” He grinned, and she smiled. “Now, tell me the rest of it.”
She gasped and asked, “How do you know there’s more?”
“I sensed it.” His thumb made soothing circles on her cheek. “I knew you’d tell me when you were ready.”
“I’m ready now.” She took a deep breath and released it before she spoke of the greatest pain in her life. “When I was fourteen, my dad l
eft me and my mother. Out of the blue one day, he just packed up and left. He sent my mom a letter stating he was leaving her for someone else, and later came the divorce papers.”
“Damn, that’s cold.”
“It was horrible.” She closed her eyes briefly at the awful memory. “There were no warning signs. I thought we were happy.” She paused and then forcefully corrected herself. “No, I know we were. He and I were very close. He taught me about sports, took me to the big games. To this day, I don’t understand how he left without saying a word to me. He never wrote or called.”
“I’m sorry, baby. He was wrong for that.” She remained silent, lost in the painful memories, and he gently asked, “Did you ever see him again?”
“No. The fact that he didn’t want to communicate with me hurt for a long time.” She paused before admitting, “I guess it still does hurt.”
He held her close for a few seconds and then pulled back to stare into her sad face. “I can find him for you if you’d like.”
“No. Thank you for offering, but if he wanted to see me, he would have found me.”
“I understand.” He ran soothing hands down her arms. “I just want you to know that I’m here for you. Whatever you need, all you have to do is ask and it’s yours.”
“You are so special.” Love shone from her eyes as she looked at him, and he couldn’t wait for her to say the three little yet monumental words he had waited so long to hear her confess—but first things first.
“Finish it,” Cam said gently, knowing she wasn’t done yet.
“Okay.” He didn’t think it was possible, but her eyes grew sadder. “After my dad left and it became apparent he wasn’t coming back, I watched Mom enter into one disastrous relationship after another. The men she dated weren’t interested in long-term or happily ever after. When she had enough of searching for that ever-elusive, unconditional love she sought, she turned to booze to dull the pain, and once she dove into that bottle, she never came out again.” Cam listened raptly, his heart breaking for the pain Angela had endured. No wonder she didn’t have faith in relationships. “She held it together enough to keep a job, a roof over our heads, and I never wanted for anything materially, but I had to sit helplessly by while she drank herself to death over my father. I guess I’ve always been afraid I’d end up just like her—a lonely old woman who, for reasons beyond her comprehension, lost the only man she ever loved and spent the rest of her life slowly dying from a broken heart.” She sighed heavily and concluded, “Lord knows, the few relationships I’ve had have mimicked hers.”
“Until now.” Cam placed a hand under her chin and forced her eyes to meet his. “You’re definitely long-term relationship material.”
“I think maybe I am with you.”
“Believe it, baby,” Cam urged. “You are a wonderful person, Angela, and I’m so glad you’re in my life.”
Her fingers tightened in his, and she confessed, “I still...”
“Go on, babe. Tell me.”
She took a deep breath and released it. “I’m still afraid we won’t last.”
“We will. Do you want to know why?” At her nod he continued. “Because we’re meant to be. I’m not interested in a fling. I want a commitment from you—a lifelong commitment, and I want it now. I want to go to bed with you by my side and wake up with you there. I want to come home and sit with you on the sofa and talk about our day. I want to cuddle with you in front of the TV and fall asleep that way. I want to build a family with you.” He watched her closely as she digested his carefully worded and delivered desires. “No more delays, and no more excuses. It’s time for us to start our lives together. How do you feel about that?”
“I’m yours, Cam.” He framed her face with his palms and kissed her lingeringly before pulling back slightly. “I have been from the second I laid eyes on you.”
“You’re everything to me, Angela.” He stared deeply into her eyes so that she could see the validity of his statement. “You infuse my gray world with brilliant color.”
“I’m so blessed you want to share your life with me.”
“You’re not going to get an argument from me on that.” She playfully punched him in the stomach, and they laughed until she sobered. “I’m terrified that this happiness I feel won’t last.”
“There are no guarantees in life, babe.” He paused. “Except one.”
“What’s that?”
“I’ll love you for as long as I live.”
“That’s good enough for me.” She stared deeply into his eyes and finally allowed herself to confess, “I love you, too, Cam. I’ve never loved anyone like this.” A brilliant smile lit up his eyes at her words.
“I’ve waited a long time to hear you say that.”
“I know, and now that I have, I’ll never stop admitting it.” She ran her hands over his beautiful bald head and kissed him until they both groaned. “I’ll always love you, Cam.”
“I’ll always love you, too, babe.” Her heart overflowed with happiness at his sincerity.
“I didn’t want to fall in love with you, but I couldn’t help it.”
He grinned. “So you’re saying I’m irresistible?”
She laughed, and her fingers caressed his cheeks. “At the risk of feeding your already enlarged ego, yes, you are completely irresistible.”
He cocked an eyebrow. “What do you mean enlarged ego?”
She chuckled. “Shut up and kiss me, Cameron.”
“I can do that.”
“Nobody does it better,” she said softly, and his smile lit up the room.
Chapter 15
Their lips gravitated together and touched. Cam’s mouth played with hers in butterfly caresses until she thought she would go mad. He nipped at her lower lip before soothing it with his tongue, which only served to make her want him even more. She cradled the back of his head in her hands and tried unsuccessfully to pull his mouth down to hers.
“What do you want, baby?”
“I want you.” She groaned the words against his lips, and he smiled.
“You’ve got me,” he promised before taking her mouth in a heated, thorough kiss.
Angela’s eyes slid closed, and without hesitation, her mouth opened wide beneath the coaxing pressure of his. They should have been incinerated on the spot by the depth of their passion for each other. Tongues twined and dueled, lips pressed and caressed and hearts beat only for each other as they greedily fed from each other’s mouths like famine victims.
Despite the fact that she was completely breathless from their sweltering kisses, she protested when he lifted his mouth from hers. Opening dazed eyes, she was nearly blinded by the scorching heat, desire and, most of all, the love overflowing from him as he smiled at her.
“How long can you stay?”
She stared unblinkingly into his eyes and promised, “Forever.”
“Good answer.” He rewarded her with another satisfying kiss. “But I meant how long will you be in town?”
“Oh.” She laughed softly. “I took the week off.”
“That might be enough time for me to begin showing you how much I love you.” He stood and pulled her to her feet before enfolding her in a tight embrace. “I’ve got one last meeting tomorrow, but after that, I’m all yours. We can take a minivacation.”
“What about tonight?” Her mouth playfully sparred with his. “Are we done talking, I hope?”
“Oh yeah.” He effortlessly scooped her up into his arms and carried her into the bedroom. “We are definitely done talking—with words anyway.”
They removed each other’s clothes with a frenzy borne out of pure desire and absolute love—wanting and needing to show and feel how much they meant to each other. Angela lay on the bed and purred when Cam followed her down, his hard body pinning hers to the matt
ress. Not a word was spoken verbally, but their hearts silently proclaimed their true and undying love loudly, perfectly and reverently.
Angela gasped against Cam’s warm lips when her body effortlessly conformed to his as if she had been made solely for that purpose. She trembled uncontrollably from the overwhelming rapture that engulfed her entire heart, body and soul as Cam’s body breached hers. There was nothing like the wonderful feeling of him coming home where he belonged.
How had she ever lived without him? She honestly didn’t know, but she was so thankful she would never be alone again. Cam would always be with her, and she would forever stand by his side. They occupied and would continue to occupy places in each other’s hearts that nothing and no one could ever violate or destroy.
Angela arched against Cam’s hardness, wrapping her legs around his waist, pressing and pulling closer to his muscled strength that she needed to survive. She wanted to be absorbed by him, completely and utterly forged into his one true and perfect mate. They couldn’t get close enough, deep enough into each other, but oh, how they tried to defy the laws of physics and achieve the impossible—creating oneness out of two.
This time their lovemaking was familiar and yet different—made more special by the fact that Angela didn’t hold any part of herself back. She freely gave her heart and soul to the man who had taught her all about unconditional true love.
Their echoing groans and sighs of rapture filled the room with the sweetest music the world had ever known as she gave everything she had to Cam and received all she needed in return.
* * *
Early the next morning before sunrise, Cam awoke with a start. Turning his head and simultaneously reaching out his hand to the other side of the bed, he found empty space. Angela wasn’t there. Sitting up, he silently chided himself. After their wonderful, perfect reunion last night, she had to be here. Still, he was about to get out of bed to check when she walked into the bedroom smiling, bringing the sunshine in with her.
“Good morning,” she happily greeted him. She was wearing one of his T-shirts and had a breakfast tray in her hands. Walking over, she placed the tray on the bedside table before plopping down on the edge of the bed and kissing him soundly, as if she could go on and on forever. “Did you think I was gone?”
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