Darcy clasps her hand over her mouth and turns away, her shoulders shaking. Yeah, I’m not handling this very smoothly. I turn back to the judge, a smile plastered on my face. All I want to do is get out of here and pretend this moment never happened.
“Cameron.” He nods at me. “It’s nice to see you again. How’s your father?”
“He’s good,” I say. “Anyway, I’d love to stay and chat, but we have to be somewhere.”
He looks relieved, then he nods. “We’ll catch up soon.”
I nod. Preferably when you're wearing clothes.
I keep walking but then I turn around when he calls out my name.
“Can we can keep this between us?” he asks, frowning at me.
I nod, somehow managing to keep a straight face.
“Of course, sir,” I say.
I take Darcy’s hand again and walk out. The moment we reach the parking lot, she bursts into laughter. She stops, to double over, gasping for breath, while I stand there and shake my head.
“Are you all right?” I say with a chuckle.
“He’s a judge?” She giggles.
I nod. “Not only that, he’s an old friend of my fathers. He also happens to be married with three kids.”
She stares at me, her eyes widening. “You’re kidding?” she whispers.
I grin at her. “I shit you not.”
She shakes her head. “I guess it shows you never really know people.” She nudges me in the side. “But then again, you surprised me. You keep surprising me.”
I smile and open the car. If I didn’t feel guilty before, I sure as hell do now.
* * *
We check into the hotel, which has been paid for, courtesy of Darcy’s friend, Linton. She sits down on the king-size bed and smiles as she looks around. It’s a pretty nice room, complete with a great view of the city skyline and a spa bath big enough for the both of us. I smirk as Darcy runs her hand over the bedspread, then she closes her eyes and sighs, a dreamy smile on her face.
“Good?” I ask.
“Maybe you should come over here and find out for yourself?” she suggests.
Her eyes sparkle as I saunter over to the bed. I push her back against the mattress, then I climb onto the bed so I’m hovering over her.
“Feels pretty good to me,” I mutter.
She kisses me softly, her lips touching mine sending me into a frenzy.
“If you’re not comfortable sharing the bed with me—”
“Do I seem uncomfortable to you?” she asks, arching an eyebrow.
I chuckle. “Good point. I guess I didn’t want to be presumptuous and assume anything,” I say with a smirk. “Like I wouldn’t want to just assume that you want to kiss me right now.” I lift her mouth to mine and kiss her softly, the feel of her soft lips leaving me wanting more.
“Then maybe I can be presumptuous for the both of us?” she says.
She wriggles out from under me, then lays me down on the mattress, straddling me. I swallow as she lifts her shirt over her head and tosses it aside. I run my hands down over the curve of her back, loving the way her body reacts to my touch.
“I like it when you take control.” I grin.
I run my fingers along the side of her body and sigh, because I could touch her body all day. She squirms, then laughs, pressing her body against mine. I sigh, because every roll of her hips is making me harder, as if she didn’t have me rock hard already.
“I just want to explore every single inch of you.” I growl, running my fingers down her back. She narrows her eyes at me and smiles playfully.
“There you go again,” she teases. “Only thinking about yourself.”
“That’s right. I have a reputation for being selfish,” I say with a chuckle. “Didn’t you know? Can I show you just how selfish I can be?”
She breathes in as I push her bra above her breasts, using my thumb to massage her nipples. She rocks herself against me, eyes closed, as her grip on my stomach tightens. I grunt as she digs her nails in, my reaction making her dig into me even harder. She tilts her head back, the sensation of my thumb rubbing her nipples, nearly enough to make her orgasm on the spot.
I groan as she leans over and kisses me again, her mouth ravishing mine, while she reaches down and into the lacy thong. I groan as she frees my cock, her hands wrapping tightly around my shaft. I start laughing so hard, I’m soon at the point where I can’t stop.
She sits back up straight, raising her eyebrows at me, which only makes me laugh harder.
Yeah, no. Not happening.
I rub my forehead and cringe because talk about a moment killer.
“Are you going to share what is so goddamn funny?” she asks.
“Sorry,” I murmur. “I’ve still got my mind on before, at the festival,” I explain.
She stares at me, but her eyes are shining.
“Of course, because what else would you be thinking about, but your father’s judge friend, while my hands are stroking your dick?” she asks with attitude.
She rolls off me and lies on the bed. I wrap my arms around her and kiss her neck. She smiles as I tilt her face to mine and kiss her, slowly brushing my lips over hers.
“Sorry. I guess I kind of ruined the moment, huh?” I chuckle.
“Do you want another moment ruined?” she asks. Her eyes gleam as she snuggles against me. “This time in two days, we’ll be related.”
“Yep. That did it,” I agree.
She giggles, but then goes quiet. “Mom told me that your dad asked you to be his best man?”
“Then I’m guessing she also told you I said no,” I say dryly. She nods, but she doesn’t push me for more than that. “It just didn't feel right,” I say after a moment.
“Maybe you should explain to him why?” she suggests. “It might help you, as much as it does him.”
I shake my head. “No. The time to do that was six months ago, not days before the wedding. It's fine. I'll deal with it. It's just something that I need to do in my own way.”
She leans over and kisses me, this time slowly working her lips against mine.
“I'm really proud of you, Cam. And I think your mom would be too.”
“Proud of me how?” I say with a laugh. “Are you forgetting your first impression of me?” I add, teasing her. “Asshole. Arrogant. Selfish?”
“I can admit that I was wrong,” she says, shrugging. “I’ve seen a completely different side to you and for what it's worth I really like it. In fact,” she says, wrapping her arms around my neck. “I really like you.”
“Well,” I murmur. I kiss her gently on the mouth. “That's handy because I like you too.”
“I might have a shower, if you don't mind,” I say.
“Sure,” she says. “Go for it.”
I walk into the bathroom and turn on the shower, waiting until it’s warm before I step under the water. I groan, resting my hand against the tiled wall as the scalding hot water rains down over me. I lather myself up and quickly rinse off, psyching myself up to tell her the truth when I get out. I just need to do it, because the longer this drags on, the harder it will be.
I turn off the water, get out, and wrap a towel around my waist. I walk back into the room to find it empty. She can’t have gone too far, because her phone is still here, and so is her jacket. I toss my towel down on the bed and reach into my bag for my clothes. I throw on a clean pair of boxers.
Darcy’s phone beeps. I glance at it. It’s unintentional, but when I see Mack’s name flash up on the screen, I get curious.
Why is my brother messaging Darcy?
I pick up her phone, just as a second message from him comes through. Even on the lock screen, I can clearly read it.
Mack: One photo of Cam in a thong. That’s all I want. It will keep him off my back for life.
I frown. What the hell? How does he know about that shit?
Unless she told him…
Why would she, though? I shake my head. I don’t want to jump to co
nclusions, but the way I’m looking at this, there’s nowhere else to jump. I put her phone back down, then I sit down on the bed with my phone and call Mack.
“Hey, how’s it going?” he asks.
“Cut the crap. She told me everything,” I say in the coldest voice I can muster. “You actually wanted pictures?” I say with a bitter laugh. “I can’t believe you.”
“It was just a joke,” he protests. “And like you can talk. You’re playing her just as much, remember? I take that back, you’re worse than her. She’s not doing anything, other than encouraging your lies.”
“She knows…”
I don’t finish the sentence, because I’m too embarrassed. She knew all along that I was messing with her and she didn’t say anything. I know I have no right to be mad, but I’m fucking pissed.
“I'm gonna kill you, you little shit,” I growl.
“See, this is exactly why I wanted some kind of insurance in the first place,” he insists. “I thought if I had a picture of you in a thong, then I’d be set for life. You’d never be able to use anything against me.”
“Because I do so much of it now,” I snap. “I have to go. I'll deal with you later.”
Fuck.
I should be relieved, because now the pressure is off me telling her, but I’m not. I'm embarrassed and upset. Did she even like me, or was that just part of the game? I'm just so sick of the stupid mind games. Why can't we both just be honest with each other for once? I stand up when I hear the door open. She smiles at me, but her smile fades when she sees my expression.
“What’s wrong?” she asks.
I frown at her.
“I was hoping maybe you could tell me that.”
Chapter Sixteen
Darcy
“How did you figure it out?” I ask.
I sit down on the edge of the bed and watch him walk back and forth around the room. He looks at me, but I can’t read his expression. I can tell that he’s really fucking angry with me, though. My intention was never to make him look like an idiot. It was just a joke, a joke he thought he was playing on me. I never once thought he’d react like this.
“I saw a message from Mack on your phone when it came up on your lock screen,” he says. “So, I called Mack and made it sound like you’d already told me everything,” he explains. “It took about a minute to bluff the truth out of him.” He laughs bitterly. “I guess the joke is on me, huh?”
I frown at him. “Why are you so angry at me? This was your joke, remember.”
“I know that,” he snaps. “I’m just…” He sighs. “I thought we were done with the games.”
“You mean the game you were still playing?” I ask with a laugh. “You thought that I believed you were into crossdressing,” I say. “Explain to me, which game did you think was over?”
“I wanted to tell you the truth about that so many times,” he mutters.
“You can’t be mad at me for doing something that you were doing too,” I insist.
“Fine, just forget about it, okay?” He runs his hand through his hair, not meeting my eyes. “Maybe we should just head back home.”
Forget what, exactly?
Does he mean this argument or us? Or maybe everything?
I shake my head, because I can’t understand where all this anger is stemming from.
“Can we talk about this?” I plead with him. “Can we forget all the games and just be honest with how we feel?” I ask. “Don’t shut me out and treat me like the bad guy, because I’m not.” I growl.
“You’re right.” He sighs. “I’m the bad guy. I accept this is my fault, okay? It’s got nothing to do with you, so just ...”
He shakes his head and picks up his bag, throwing it over his shoulder.
“Are you leaving with me?” he asks. “If you want to stay, fine. I’ll find my own way home.”
I stare at him, upset with the way he’s acting. How can he be angry at me, when all I did was exactly what he did to me? Is he that insecure that he can dish it out but not take it?
“Fine,” I snap, stalking past him and out the door. “Let’s go.”
If this is how he wants it, then that’s fine with me.
* * *
The drive home it feels like the longest hour and a half of my life. Cam barely says a word to me the whole way. Instead, he just grips the wheel with both hands and stares straight ahead, that same intense look in his eyes. Even when he pulls up outside his apartment building, he doesn’t say anything to me.
Angry, I get out the moment he does and walk around the car. I get in and slam the door shut, then wait for him to grab his bag from the trunk. The moment he closes it, I drive off, without so much as a goodbye. I take off down the street, waiting until I’m around the corner before I pull over. I take a minute to get my shit together.
“Fuck,” I yell, slamming my hands down against the wheel.
I shake my head and laugh because he’s frustrating the fuck out of me. All I wanted to do was beat him at his own game, and I did. But was it worth it if it meant losing him in the process?
This is the first time I’ve admitted to myself that I feel something for him. Between all these pranks and getting to know him, something has shifted in the way I feel about him. The question is, do I really want to be with someone who can’t admit he’s just as in the wrong as I am?
I walk inside, relieved that nobody is home. The last thing I feel like doing is talking to anyone, especially Mom. All she would have to do is look at me to know something was wrong and I don’t trust myself not to tell her everything. I trudge upstairs to my room and climb onto my bed, curling up under the covers. I can’t relax though, because Mom will also know something is wrong if she finds me in bed this early, when I was supposed to be spending the night away.
God, I really need to sort out a place of my own soon.
* * *
I must have fallen asleep because I wake up early Saturday morning. I glance at my clock and laugh, because it’s not even six. I don't have to work today, either, which makes being awake this early even less fun. I reach over and switch on the lamp, then I check my phone.
There are a couple of messages from Sasha, one from Katie, but there’s nothing from the person I was hoping to hear from. I jump when someone raps softly on my door and sit up. My first thought is Cameron, which is ridiculous because he doesn’t live here and it’s six in the morning. But then again, who the hell else would knock on my door so early?
“Yes?” I say.
My voice croaks out, because it’s the first time I’ve spoken since yesterday.
“It's Mack.” He pauses. “Can I come in?”
“Sure,” I say, sitting up in my bed.
He pushes the door open and walks in, giving me an awkward smile.
“Sorry, I was walking past and I saw your light was on…” He sounds embarrassed.
“I’m guessing that Cam told you what happened?” I ask.
He nods, even though his expression gives away the answer.
“He more yelled it,” he says, making a face. “Several times. He’s really angry at me.” He pauses. “But he’s even angrier at you.”
I sigh and rub my head. I was hoping after he had time to think about it, he’d calm down, but I’m beginning to doubt that. If I knew why he was so angry, then maybe I could do something to fix it, but right now, I don’t even know what to say.
“Anyway, I just wanted to say that I'm sorry. I totally didn't mean to rat you out,” he mutters. “He made it sound like you two had had a big argument about it and you told him everything.”
“I know you didn’t mean it,” I assure him. “It’s fine. Really.”
Mack can be annoying, but I don’t doubt for a second that he’s loyal. I know he would never have told Cam anything if he thought I for a moment I hadn’t already told him.
Mack frowns. “Do you think you guys can work it out?” he asks. “For what it's worth, I thought you were good together.”
“Thanks,” I say, smiling at him. “But I don't think Cameron and I are going to happen.”
“Well, if you need someone to talk to, or a shoulder to cry on, you know where to find me.” He smirks at me. “Or if you’re looking for an easy rebound—”
“Mack. You are a minor, so it’s illegal,” I yell with a smirk. “But I might try and get some more sleep.”
“I’d offer to help you with that, but I’ll be late for hockey practice.” He grins.
“You play hockey?” I laugh.
I’m not sure why I find that so funny. He looks wounded, but then he sighs.
“Okay so it might have something to do with the coach being hot,” he confesses.
“He must be really cute,” I giggle.
He narrows his eyes at me. “I see what you did there.”
“Get out of here,” I say, still chuckling.
He backs out of the room, closing the door behind him while I lie back down and close my eyes. I’m not expecting to get anymore sleep, but I just can’t be bothered being awake anymore. The next thing I know, Mom is gently shaking me. I glance at the clock.
How the hell did it get to be two in the afternoon?
I sit up in bed and smile sheepishly at her.
“In twenty-three years, I’ve never known you to mope around in bed,” she comments.
“Sorry,” I sigh and rub my head. “I’m just having a shit day.”
“And I’m getting married tomorrow, so pull yourself together. Come out with me. It will at least take your mind off whatever it is that’s bothering you.”
I reluctantly drag myself out of bed, have a shower, and then get dressed. For the next couple of hours, I drive around with Mom while she does a few last-minute things for the reception. I’m not sure I’m moping any less than I was before, but I guess the change in scenery is nice.
I don’t even look at Mom when she gets back into the car after paying the final deposit on the wedding cake. She sighs.
“Darcy?” she says. I look at her. “Are you going to tell me what's going on with you?” And don’t tell me it’s nothing,” she adds.
PAYBACK’S A BITCH Page 15