Smitten

by Lacey Weatherford

  She smiled a little then. “But I’m a chlorine mess now.”

  We climbed the staircase. “That’s okay. My old room has a private bathroom. You can get showered while I find something for you to wear in Sheridan’s closet.”

  “Is there any chance she might have a hair tie or something I can put my hair in a ponytail with? It’ll be a frizzy mess without all my hair products to calm it down.”

  “I’ll check. I’m sure I can find something somewhere,” I replied, stopping to open the door to my room. I gestured for her to enter and stepped in behind her.

  She stopped suddenly and glanced around. “This isn’t a bedroom—it’s a suite.” She stared at me with wide eyes. “Half my parent’s house could fit in this space.”

  I chuckled as I tried to look at it through her eyes. I supposed to someone who’d never been here it would seem overwhelming. I stared at the sitting area with black leather furniture, complete with my own television and gaming system, then glanced over the shelves on the gray walls, which held my trophies, awards, and pictures from my years in school. I paused when my gaze fell on my large bed covered in a black-and-red checkered bedspread, and I briefly wondered what it would feel like to see Cami in that bed with her gorgeous red hair spread out over my pillows. Heat streaked through me at the thought. I wanted her there.

  I cleared my throat, knowing I needed to clear my head as well. “Um, the bathroom is through this door.” I ushered her into the large gray-and-black tiled space. “Help yourself to whatever you need, and I’ll go find you some clothes. If you’ll leave the door unlocked, I’ll leave them here on the counter for you.”

  She smiled. “Thank you. I’ll hurry so you can shower and change too.”

  I was having a hard time controlling my thoughts. “You know, they say showering together can conserve water,” I replied, lifting an eyebrow suggestively. She blushed the deepest shade of red yet, and I couldn’t help my chuckle. I was teasing, mostly, but if I were being honest, I’d jump right in if she gave me the okay. I couldn’t seem to resist tempting her.

  “Uh.” She faltered as her gaze traveled over my wet clothes, and I knew without a doubt she wasn’t immune to me either. “Are . . . are you serious?”

  “Are you seriously considering letting me join you?” I responded with my own question.

  She shook her head and smiled. “No. Your whole family is waiting for us downstairs!”

  I sighed. “Then I was totally joking—not serious at all.”

  She laughed. “I see how it is.”

  “Do you?” I laughed. I knew I was way more daring than she was. She was right, though. I needed to stick with our plans. I’d be able to have her to myself later tonight. “You’re right, as usual. I’ll be a good boy.” I gave her a wink, and she looked a little skeptical.

  “Why do I doubt that?” She bit her lip as she took off her wet towels and laid them on the counter, bringing her wet shirt back into view.

  My blood roared. “Probably because you do know me.” I didn’t even attempt to hide my appreciative stare over her clinging, white blouse. “I better go.”

  She gave a little wave of her fingers, and I had to force myself to shut the door before I was tempted to grab her and kiss her again. I leaned my forehead against it for a moment, taking a deep breath.

  The simple thought of spending time with her tonight made me smile. I continued to think about her as I made my way to Sheridan’s room. I couldn’t believe how quickly Cami had gotten under my skin and into my heart. I’d never been what I considered a romantic—more like a player in my teen years—but she brought all that out in me. It had been such a struggle to stay away from her at the beginning, but it was nothing compared to what I felt now. I wanted to be with her always, and that was a subject I intended to approach her with this evening.

  Rummaging through Sheridan’s old clothes, I found a sunny-yellow tank top I knew would make Cami’s red hair glow beautifully. I chose it and a pair of tan shorts before realizing she wouldn’t have any under things. I didn’t relish the idea of going through my sister’s underwear drawer, but Cami was going to need something. I quickly chose the first pair of panties and bra folded next to each other, hoping they might fit her okay. There was no way I was holding them up to look. Some things a guy shouldn’t know about his sister.

  Remembering her request for a hair band, I dug through the drawers in Sheridan’s bathroom and picked out several before heading back to my room.

  I knocked on the bathroom door. “It’s me—bringing your stuff in,” I called out as I entered.

  “Okay, thank you. I’m almost done,” she replied over the noise of the shower.

  I placed the items on the counter and opened my drawer to get out a comb and hairbrush for her, placing them on the counter. I closed the drawer and glanced into the mirror.

  Immediately, I recognized my mistake, but I couldn’t look away from the outline of her body behind the frosted glass of the shower door. It hid enough to protect her privacy, but what I could see made my imagination run wild. I closed my eyes and swallowed hard, clenching the edge of the counter. I needed to cool off in a big way. “Hey, I’m going to go shower real quick in Sheridan’s bathroom so you don’t have to rush. Go ahead and rejoin the others when you’re ready. I’ll meet you there shortly.”

  “All right. See you in a few minutes.” She was completely oblivious to the effect she was having on me.

  I didn’t even bother to turn on the hot water, climbing straight into the cold spray. My skin prickled, and I couldn’t help letting out a little gasp of surprise followed by a shiver. I braced my hands against the wall and hung my head as the chilly liquid sluiced over me for several minutes.

  When I felt sufficiently frozen, and much calmer, I finally turned some of the hot on and quickly finished washing. As I stepped out and dried off, I realized I hadn’t bothered to grab any clothes in my rush to get away; I was so intent on putting some distance between us. So, tucking the towel around my waist, I headed back to my room.

  I wasn’t expecting the sight that greeted me, and I stopped in the doorway. Cami stood with her back to me, studying items on my shelves, looking at pictures of me through the years and trophies I’d won. The clothes I’d picked seemed to fit her nicely from this angle, hugging her curves and showcasing her long, pretty legs. She’d pulled her curly hair into a loose, messy bun of sorts with several wild tendrils escaping to brush the creamy skin of her neck.

  She turned and instantly locked eyes with me before allowing her gaze to travel hungrily down my towel-clad form. Instantly, the effects of my cold shower were null and void.

  “Sorry,” she said, apparently completely oblivious to the way she was making me feel. “I couldn’t resist the opportunity to see pieces of your life from before I knew you.”

  “No reason to apologize. I’m happy to share them with you.” I shut the door behind me. I went to my dresser and grabbed some clothes, and she gave me a smile before she turned back to the shelves. I dressed quickly and went to join her, wrapping my arms around her from behind and resting my chin on her head.

  “Where was this picture taken?” she asked, pointing to one of me in my red and white football gear.

  “That was after the state championship my senior year.”

  “Wow! State? That’s awesome! I can understand why you’re smiling so big. It’s a huge accomplishment. I’m assuming your team won?”

  “Yep,” I pointed to the hat sitting on the shelf beside the picture. “We got these after the game and this too.” I picked up a small box and flipped the lid to show her my championship ring inside.

  “Holy cow! That’s enormous! I didn’t know they did that kind of stuff for high school football. Have you ever worn it?”

  I laughed. “Heck yeah! I wore it the rest of my senior year clear until I started the police academy. I had to take it off for training, and I never put it back on, but I still love it. We made it to the playoffs all four yea
rs, but this was the only time we got to the state game. It was pretty awesome.”

  “I wish I could’ve known you then.” She leaned her head against my shoulder, and I hugged her tighter.

  “How come?” I was curious to know why.

  She shrugged. “I think I really would’ve enjoyed getting to experience all these things with you.” She picked up a picture of me in my basketball uniform and ran her fingers gently over it.

  “Did you have a girlfriend?”

  I snorted. “Several,” I answered honestly. “And not one of them can hold a candle to you.” I kissed the top of her head.

  She turned and wrapped her arms around my neck. “I think you’re just trying to butter me up now.”

  “Always.” I grinned. “But it happens to be the truth too. No one has ever made me feel the way you do.”

  “And what way is that?” We swayed together naturally.

  “Like I might come apart at the seams if I don’t kiss you right now.” I lowered my mouth to hers, kissing her gently at first. Her lips parted, and I eagerly took advantage of what she offered, deepening the contact between us. I loved having her here in my old room. She was the first girl I’d ever had in here, and it was like a fantasy come true.

  “Will you do me a favor?” I asked in between kissing her lips and drifting down to her neck.

  “What?” she replied in a breathy voice.

  “Come lay on my bed with me.”

  “What about your family?”

  “Just for a few minutes. They won’t even know the difference.” I pulled her in the direction of my bed, and she didn’t resist, so I took that as her consent.

  She lay down, and I crawled beside her holding my arms open for her to slip into them.

  “So what brought this on?” she asked, running her finger over my chest.

  “You’ll think it’s stupid.” I kissed the top of her head again.

  “No I won’t. Tell me,” she urged.

  “You’re the first girl I’ve had in my room besides Sheridan or my mom. I wanted you in my bed.”

  She laughed. “Technically we are on your bed, not in it.”

  “That’s something I’d be more than willing to remedy if you want.”

  She continued to smile at me. “Pace yourself there, killer. It’ll give you something to look forward to in the future.”

  I chuckled and rolled her over, bending to kiss her softly again. “I love you, Cami.”

  There was a knock on the door. “Dylan?” Chris’s voice came through and Cami stiffened.

  I didn’t want to interrupt this moment with her. “Not now, Chris. We’ll be down in a couple of minutes,” I said turning my attention back to her.

  “I’m sorry to . . . uh . . . disturb you, but it’s work. They’ve been trying to reach you.”

  “It’s my day off. Take a message.” I kissed Cami’s lips again.

  “They said it was an emergency. They want both of us to come in right now.”

  I sighed heavily and sat up, kneeling beside her. “I’ll be right there,” I said, wishing I could stay with her. “I’m sorry about this,” I apologized as I got off the bed. I offered her my hand and pulled her after me.

  “It’s all right. I understand.”

  I bent to kiss her neck. “Please believe me when I say I’d rather be here with you than anywhere else.”

  She smiled. “I know, but it sounds like they need you. I’m okay with that.”

  I wanted to keep kissing her, but I made myself turn around and walk away, going over to where I’d dropped my wet clothes by the door. I quickly fumbled through my pants pockets.

  “Here’re the keys to my apartment. I want you to take my Camaro. Go there and wait for me after dinner, okay? I still fully intend to finish our celebration together.”

  She nodded and accepted the keys. “Sounds great, but do I have to stay for dinner? It’ll be a little awkward for me without you and Chris here.”

  “You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to.” I slipped a dry pair of shoes on and went into the bathroom to quickly comb my fingers through my damp hair, trying to straighten it. When I came out, I found her holding our folded wet clothes in her arms. She’d slipped her shoes back on.

  “I’ll wash these at your place,” she explained. “Sorry about your wallet.” She handed me the wet leather with my ID and money. “I’ll get you a new one.”

  “Don’t worry about it,” I said taking it and tucking it into my back pocket. “You ready to go?”

  She nodded, and we made our way downstairs, finding Chris and José waiting by the front door. José had apparently anticipated Cami leaving with me, because he held her purse in his hand.

  “Please make our excuses to my parents and Sheridan,” I asked him as he handed Cami her bag.

  “It was very nice meeting all of you,” Cami added. “I hope I’ll be able to come back soon.”

  José smiled warmly at her. “I’m sure you will if Dylan has anything to say about it.”

  I grinned and shuttled her out the door. “Sorry to rush, José. Thanks for everything.”

  “Be safe!” he called after us.

  “I’ll see you later,” I whispered, giving Cami a quick kiss as I deposited her beside the Camaro. “I love you.”

  “Love you too. Be careful.”

  “I’ll call you as soon as I know what’s going on, so you’ll know when to expect me.”

  “Okay.” She watched me climb into Chris’s car before she turned to get into the Camaro.

  “Sorry about this,” Chris said as he started the engine.

  “Dude, don’t you know better than to answer your phone on your day off?” I grumbled as I slumped down into the seat. I glanced at Cami longingly as we drove past, knowing I wasn’t really mad at Chris because I would’ve done the same thing. “I hope this doesn’t take forever.”

  Chapter Four

  Hunter-

  “We need you to go undercover again,” my police chief said, folding his arms across his broad chest as he leaned against the window in the interrogation room he’d pulled us into.

  I gave a long drawn-out sigh. “When?”

  “Right now,” he replied seriously.

  “No. Not a chance. I’m busy. Get Johnson or somebody to cover it,” I said referring to the other young cop my age on the force.

  “That’s why we need you. This is Johnson’s case. He’s been working on infiltrating a group of suspects and was supposed to make contact tonight. He’s in the hospital with acute appendicitis. We can’t mess this up and wait for him to get better. It’ll look too suspicious. We have to send someone else in.”

  I wanted to bang my head against the table thinking about Cami waiting for me at home. “I don’t know anything about this case. I’d be walking in blind.”

  “Another reason why we called you in. We’re going to prep you for the next three hours on the particulars and get you ready to go out and meet your new girlfriend.”

  “Excuse me?” I said leaning forward to rest my arms against the table. “I like the girlfriend I have. She’s currently sitting in my house waiting for me to finish the romantic evening we had planned.”

  Chief Robson had the decency to look apologetic. “I’m sorry to spring this on you, Wilcock, but we need you. You’ve already been undercover, so you know the drill, and you match the look we’re going for. We’ve been trying to get a lead on this case for a long time, and now we have an insider feeding us information.”

  Chris interrupted. “He’s only now been cleared after being shot. Do you think this is good timing for him?”

  “We think it will lend credibility to his story, actually. We can fabricate something about him being involved in a shootout perhaps. It’ll make him look like he’s already been in with a rough crowd.”

  I knew the department had been really careful to keep my name and pictures out of the news when things had gone down with Clay in New Mexico. There was no reason for anyon
e in Arizona to know who I was, and I could see they weren’t going to let me out of this.

  “What’s the case?” I asked with a defeated sigh.

  “It’s actually a missing person’s case; Manny Perez is the name. He worked for a local garage as a mechanic and tow truck guy. His partner on the job was Jack Rivera, also known as Ripper by his friends and the locals. Jack’s sister came forward and asked for help. She believes her brother may have killed Manny. They allegedly had a heated argument at work, and no one has seen him since.”

  My first reaction was suspicion. “And why would she want to turn in her brother?”

  “Manny was her boyfriend. She wants to find his killer.”

  “And now I’m supposed to be her new boyfriend? Wouldn’t that seem a bit callous of her?”

  “Manny’s been missing for almost a year. There were no leads during the previous search for him, and foul play was suspected because all of his belongings were still at home. He simply disappeared.

  “Jack’s sister, Roberta Rivera, has recently come forward with information that her brother and Manny organized a car theft conspiracy using the tow trucks from the auto body shop. They haul the stolen cars to an undisclosed location, chop them, and sell them for parts—unless they’re high-end vehicles. Those they’ve been reselling on the black market.

  “Johnson’s been building a relationship with her. They text regularly and have met a couple times, but he hasn’t been introduced to her brother yet. We want you to step in and take over where he left off—try to get in close with Jack, and see if you can gain any information about Manny. This car theft ring he’s got going on sounds like a lucrative operation and needs to be brought down too. The charges need to stick, so get all you can on Jack before we bring him in. Plus, it appears he could be the small guy at the bottom of a much bigger car ring. We’d like to see where he could lead us, if anywhere.”

  “Sounds like a dangerous guy,” Chris added.

  Chief Robson nodded. “I agree. You’re gonna need to watch your back, Wilcock. For the time being, we want you to cut all ties to your current life. No contacting your family, your girlfriend, or anyone who could make Jack suspicious of you. You’re going deep under. It’ll be safer for your friends and family this way.”