by Lyssa Layne
“Someone needs to work on their patience,” he chastises.
Leaning up on my elbows, I take the condom from him and roll it on carefully. “I’ve waited long enough.”
Evan gives me a gentle kiss then lies down beside me and I crawl on top of him. Letting him take back control, he lifts up my hips and slowly glides me down, inch by inch. When he’s fully inside me, he runs his finger over my lips.
“Breathe, baby,” he reminds me.
Letting out a long breath, I slowly rock my hips and we fall into rhythm. Our bodies connect and I had nothing to fear, we were meant to be with each other. Evan sits up, sliding in further and I groan as I wrap my legs around him.
“You okay?” he asks, grunting.
“I’m perfect, I’m with you.” We lean our foreheads together, looking into each other’s eyes as we reach the highest levels of ecstasy. Evan falls back on the bed, pulling me on top of him. I pepper his shoulder with kisses, not having nearly enough of him, even after two orgasms.
“Cami, how’s this going to work? I leave for Chicago tomorrow,” Evan asks, letting his own fear out.
“Your penthouse is already set up for you, you’ll just need to stock up on condoms.” The words come out between my short breaths.
“My penthouse?” Evan asks, clearly confused.
I lean back, looking into his eyes. “Evan, you may not be my client, but you’re mine to take care of as long as you’ll let me.”
A smile crosses his face, one that reaches his eyes. His fingers graze up and down my ribs. “I’ll let you as long as you’ll have me.”
I grin. “Fine, as long as I call all the shots.”
In one movement, Evan flips me to my back, pinning my arms above my head. “I don’t think so…”
I giggle as he holds me down, teasing me with his tongue. I didn’t break my own rule, I made an exception. An exception that I’d make again for Evan, over and over…
Chapter 18
Camila
Humming along to DMB playing over the speakers, I stand in front of the fridge packing a cooler and thinking about my lover. Evan being in Chicago now and me constantly traveling hasn’t added up to much time together, but when we are, it’s nothing short of amazing. It’s been two weeks since I first made love to Evan and each time with him is something completely new. Today will be another first—an outing with the James and Adamson families.
I’m no longer Evan’s agent, but that hasn’t been made public knowledge yet which means only a select few individuals actually know about my new boyfriend. It’s not that I’m hiding it, we just haven’t been out and about for us to address the issue. And I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that I’m a bit scared of the backlash. While I haven’t said those words to Evan, he’s fully aware, but hasn’t pushed me on the topic.
“Mmm, do you know how sexy you look bending over?” Evan’s tongue trails over my ear while his hands slip under my cotton sundress.
Turning my head, our lips meet and Evan totally distracts me from my task at hand. He pulls my thong to the side, his fingers trying to tease me, but I jump out of his grasp and laugh. “Not right now, Mr. Purser, we’re going to be late.” I point to the fridge while I retrieve a box of Twinkies from the cabinet. “I got you some of that dark lager that you like if you want to bring it, but I’m sure Tate will have beer there.”
The refrigerator door shuts and I look over my shoulder. Evan closes the lid to the cooler and leans against the fridge. I raise an eyebrow. “Was it not the right kind?”
Evan picks up the cooler and shrugs. “No, it was right. Thanks for getting it, but I…”
I crinkle my forehead, confused by what he’s trying to get at. Evan sighs and kisses my forehead. “I’m going to quit drinking. After watching my mom’s demise over the years and the booze finally getting her, I just don’t want to ruin us because of alcohol. It’s not worth it.”
My lips curve up and I push on my tippy toes to kiss him softly. Evan briefly kisses me back then heads to the garage. I know he doesn’t want me to make a big deal out of it, but my heart is soaring at his declaration. I never knew companionship could be so rewarding. It makes me sad that I gave up on it for so long, but then again, I might not be with Evan if I hadn’t.
Traffic is light on Sunday afternoon so the drive to Mia and Tate’s doesn’t take long. Evan turns onto their street, glancing over at me. “So, are we a couple today or just friends?”
He’s trying hard to hide the discontent in his voice, but the man is a football player, not an actor. My hand slides over this muscular thigh and I lean across the console to kiss his cheek. “Couple,” I whisper into his ear.
His cheeks dimple and the corners of his mouth turn up. “Seriously? So I can grope you and make out with you all that I want?”
I laugh and sit back while Evan parks the SUV. “I don’t think that will be a good idea with kids around.” Jumping on the front porch, Toby waves frantically at us and calls out Evan’s name. “And it looks like one is anxiously awaiting your arrival.”
Evan chuckles and leans over, parting my lips with his. His fingers run through my hair and I move my hand to his chest. My body is screaming at me, wishing we’d stayed home so we could fully enjoy our time before Evan leaves for Chicago in the morning.
“Eww!” Toby yells, causing us both to laugh and ending our kiss.
Evan grabs the cooler from the back and holds my hand as we walk along the sidewalk to Toby, Mia, and baby Barrett. My stomach flip flops at this minor display of affection, but when we get to the porch, Mia kisses my cheek, not acknowledging our hand holding. Evan lets go of my hand, only for Toby to grab it and pull him toward the back deck. Unlike his mother, he comments to Evan, “That was gross. Why were you kissing a girl?”
My cheeks flush, but Evan laughs and follows the little boy inside. Mia shakes her head. “Sorry, Cam, boys will be boys.”
I shrug. “It’s fine…I’m just really nervous.”
Mia walks us to the kitchen, setting Barrett in his high chair. “Why, Camila? Things going okay?”
Outside, Evan greets Grant and Tate who are manning the grill while Toby tugs at his hand to get in the pool. Tate scolds his son, but Evan shrugs it off. Then he picks up Toby and tosses him in the pool. Evan pulls off his shirt and cannon balls into the water, sending a tidal wave on the deck and leaving Toby in a fit of giggles.
A smile takes over my face and I shake my head. “Things are great. I never knew what I was missing in a relationship until Evan. Sure, I had the intimacy with Gregg and the companionship with Blake, but with Evan…” I shake my head, my grin getting even bigger. “With Evan, it’s both in one. We lie in bed at night, discussing everything under the sun—our fears, our fantasies, our goals and every time we’re together, I can’t stop thinking about all the times we have ahead of us.”
Mia’s smile is almost as big as mine as she cuts up a tomato. “It’s incredible, isn’t it? Just wait until you can have an entire conversation without even talking.”
And on cue, Tate cuts through the kitchen, snaking a tomato off the cutting board in front of her and giving her a kiss on the cheek. He pops the veggie in his mouth while Mia narrows her eyes and Tate frowns. “Sorry, babe,” he apologizes, looking like a dog with his tail between his legs.
“Mmhmm,” she mumbles, not fully acknowledging his apology. Tate nuzzles his nose against her neck and whispers in her ear. Mia appears amused at his words and nods. Tate straightens up, beaming then greets me before he goes back on to the deck with the guys.
Mia slides the tomatoes off the cutting board into the salad, then looks up at me and smirks. “See what I mean?”
I scoff and shake my head. “Um, no. What just happened?”
Her smirk turns into a grin. “A conversation of three words and I’m getting lucky tonight.”
Shaking my head, Mia and I both laugh. I grab the bottle of wine I brought and open it, pouring us each a glass. Holding up our vino, we cl
ink glasses.
“To new relationships,” Mia says.
“And to teaching me your tricks,” I add and our laughter gets even louder.
Evan
Sitting on the edge of the pool, I’m taking a break from tossing Toby across the water. Seriously, how does this kid have so much energy? We’ve been here over an hour and the kid is like a fish! I bet Tate doesn’t even have to work out, chasing after his son is all the exercise he needs.
A set of lips work their way across my shoulder and up my neck until I feel a nibble on my ear. Turning my head slightly, I grin when I see Camila squirting sunscreen in her hand. Hers fingers slide over my shoulders, massaging in the lotion.
“Having fun?”
I nod. “It’d be better if I got to see you in your sexy bikini.”
Her tongue runs over my earlobe, sucking it into her mouth. “Maybe later,” she whispers and stands up, walking to the table and taking a seat with the other women and the babies. I shake my head, watching her walk away and shift my legs, hoping to hide the excitement she created.
Grant Adamson takes a seat beside me, slapping my back and laughing. “Women, huh?”
I bob my head up and down. “That’s an understatement.”
We both laugh and Grant offers me a beer. “No, thanks. I’m trying to give it up.”
He nods. “Sorry, I didn’t know, but good for you. How’s Chicago treating you?”
Grant and I chat about Chicago, trades, glory days, and he even gives me a few pointers with Camila which I’m grateful for. Note to self: Pamper Cami when she gets back after any trip to D.C., apparently her clients there are high maintenance. Tate chimes in as well, sharing some of her favorites with me, some that I already knew and others that are new to me.
“Seriously? She likes anchovies on her pizza?”
Grant and Tate both nod their heads in unison, laughing as they do.
“Apparently all of the ladies do, we found out when Colie was pregnant the first time and refused to eat any pizza unless it had anchovies. Mia and Camila both tried a piece and ever since the three of them share a pizza because neither of us are touching that,” Tate explains.
“So you guys know her pretty well. I appreciate all the insight. It’s kind of tough to find out all these likes, dislikes, and mannerisms when we’re two-thousand miles apart. Not to mention, I worry like hell about her all the time.” There’s a hint of jealousy in my voice that these two men know my girlfriend so much better than I do, but at the same time, they’ve known her for much longer too.
“No need to worry, we’ll keep an eye on her for you. Besides, she’s hardly ever in town and when she is, our wives are usually with her.” Grant makes the comment and Tate nods in agreement.
“Thanks, guys. I appreciate that.” I take a sip from my bottle of water and behind me, I hear the screen door open and a familiar voice that makes me cringe.
“What? You didn’t wait for me to get the party started?” Blake calls out to the party.
The Adamson and James’ families greet him while he makes his way to around the deck, saying hello to everyone. I watch him with the ladies, giving each of them a kiss on the cheek. Camila seems ever so slightly nervous as he greets her, but I brush it off. Blake pulls off his shirt and does a swan dive into the deep end. Without acknowledging my brother, I stand up and walk over to the table. With Camila’s back to me, she jumps when I place my hands on her shoulders.
“Sorry, babe. You okay? You seem a little tense.” I lean down to kiss her cheek but she jumps up out of the chair, spinning around quickly.
“Yeah, I’m fine. Of course, I am. Why wouldn’t I be?” she rambles, glancing over my shoulder at the pool.
I follow her gaze and see Blake watching us. Son of a bitch! She hasn’t told him.
Chapter 19
Evan
I snatch Camila’s hand and drag her into the kitchen. She slowly closes the sliding door, not turning around immediately to confirm my assumption. Not even trying to control my anger, I throw up my hands and yell, “What the fuck, Cami? You haven’t told Blake?”
Camila crosses the room, her hands guiding my arms to my side, rubbing my biceps in a calming manner. “Evan, I just haven’t—”
“Haven’t what? Told your best friend that you’re fucking his brother?” I push her arms off me, pacing back and forth.
“Is that what this is? It’s just about the sex? Then—” Her voices rises and red creeps over her neck as she says this.
No, no, no. Now it’s my turn to grasp her forearms, trying to calm her. “No, baby. I’m sorry.” I kiss her forehead and take a deep breath. “Well, I mean the sex is phenomenal,” I tease her, laughing nervously and getting a small smile out of her. My hands move to her cheeks and I shake my head. “You know it’s so much more than that, Cam.”
Her hand moves on top of mine and she nods. “I know and I’m sorry I haven’t told him. I’m just not sure how he’ll react so I’ve been putting it off. You know his friendship is important to me.”
I sigh, pulling her against me and hugging her. I rest my chin on the top of her head. “I know, Cami, which is why I think we should tell him. After all, he is my brother, too, whether we get along or not.”
Camila’s arms squeeze me tightly and there’s no place else I’d rather be right now, not even in bed with her. I love the intimacy we’re sharing in this moment, being one with each other, and completely understanding the situation.
Camila pulls away slightly and looks up at me. “I’ll tell him today.”
I brush my lips across her forehead. “We’ll tell him, we’re a we now,” I say with a grin, loving the sound of it.
Apparently, Camila does too as she pushes off her tip toes and presses her lips to mine. The door opens and she quickly falls back to her flat feet, looking behind me. Her fingers grip my waist and I turn around to see Blake walking in.
“Hey, what’s going on?” Blake asks, reaching in the fridge and pulling out a beer.
Camila steps in front of me, our bodies still touching and I rest my hands on her waist. She clears her throat and Blake looks up at her.
“Evan is no longer my client,” she states, her voice unwavering and sounding just as confident as she normally is.
Blake draws in his eyebrows and looks up at me. “What the fuck, Evan? You got a new agent and didn’t even tell me?”
“Well, I wasn’t really given the choice,” I say, trying to hide my smile.
Camila takes a deep breath, her shoulders rising. “I dropped him, Blake. I no longer wanted him as a client because…because…”
I glance down at her, getting pissed that she won’t just divulge the truth. I squeeze my hands on her hips and she blurts out, “Because we’re dating!”
Blake doesn’t move, doesn’t blink, doesn’t even open his mouth to speak. Camila’s hands move over mine and I link our fingers together, giving her hands a light squeeze, letting her know she’s alright. Finally, he pops open the beer, takes a drink, and shrugs before he heads back outside.
I spin Camila around to face me. “See, that wasn’t so hard.”
She shakes her head. “No, just wait for it. If Blake doesn’t say anything right away, that means he’s stewing and I’ll hear about it later.”
“Not if I’m around and I’m not leaving your side until I get on my plane to Chicago tomorrow.” I lean down and kiss her, forcing her lips apart and slipping my tongue inside her mouth. Reluctantly, she returns the kiss, but I can tell she’s not into it.
I step away from her and nod to the back door that Blake just walked out. “Go. Work it out.”
She looks at me surprised and I shrug. “I’d love to say I want you to work it out for your friendship, but honestly, I don’t want you distracted when we leave here. I want all your attention.”
It’s selfish. I know it. She knows it. But we both laugh as she gives me a quick kiss and goes to find my brother.
Camila
The wav
es crash in front of us and seagulls squawk overhead. Blake leans his elbows on his knees, his beer dangling in between in his fingertips. I dig my toes in the sand, not sure exactly what to say. We’ve been sitting like this for ten minutes, neither of us saying anything.
“Why Evan? Why was he worth breaking your rule for?” Blake continues to stare straight ahead, not looking at me.
“He gives me what I was missing. Intimacy, friendship, protection. I had some of that with you and some with Gregg, but with Evan, I get it all.”
“You could have had that before, Cami,” Blake says, glancing over at me.
When he calls me Cami, his reference is clear as though it’s not already. It’s also a dig and it’s like a knife twisting in my back. “Come on, Blake. You and I were a long time ago. Neither of us knew what we were getting into when we entered this profession and we both agreed that our relationship needed to stay platonic.” When we made that agreement, I insisted he ditch my pet name since I wanted to be as professional as possible.
“Yeah, Cam, when we started. I thought down the road that you’d change your mind, give us another chance. Even when you were with Gregg, I figured you’d get tired of that and come back to me. I never thought we were done for good.” Blake chugs his beer.
I lightly touch his forearm. “Come on, Blake. Don’t put all of this on me. Maybe in the beginning I thought we would eventually be together, but then you met Molly and that was the game changer.” Molly is Blake’s on-again, off-again girlfriend. For their own reasons, their relationship has never been in the public eye, but when you see the two of them together, it’s obvious they are meant for each other.
Blake crushes his empty can in his hands and stands up. “Yeah, I guess it was.”
I look up at him, he holds out his hand, helping me up. Slowly, he lifts me off the ground, giving me a bear hug and immediately I know everything will be alright. Blake sets me back down and looks in my eyes.
“If you’re happy, I’m okay with it, but Cami? Just because he’s my brother doesn’t mean that I won’t kick his ass if he ever hurts you.”