by Hadley Quinn
Teague smiled, shaking his head. “Nothing.”
“Bull. Tell me what he said.”
Teague pulled her close to him and wrapped his arms around her. “Maybe I’ll tell you another time.” He set his chin on the top of her head as she slid her arms around his waist. It seemed like such a natural interaction, like they were an actual couple, and Teague wasn’t sure what to think of it. He’d nearly panicked when he thought she could be hurt. “So what the hell happened here?” He took her hand and they walked away from the ambulance.
“I guess a truck was coming down the hill and a little kid on a bike suddenly came across the road. The driver hit the brakes and swerved but it took him right across the Millers corner lot and straight into the side of their house.”
“What? Seriously? The kid is okay, right?”
“Yeah, he is. Poor guy was scared shitless though. He was trying out his brand new bicycle. His parents didn’t know he went outside.”
“Jeez. Lesson learned, I guess. The driver okay?”
“Yeah, he’s fine,” Camryn answered, motioning with her head toward another ambulance. A man in his sixties was speaking to a couple of police officers while he sat on a stretcher.
“So everyone in the house is okay? Jesus, it looks like he took out half that side of the building.”
“Yeah, pretty much. That’s where the bedrooms are and they were empty. Thank God we were all in the dining room. Wow, it was crazy. Such a miracle.”
Teague laughed. “Half the little house gets demolished during Christmas dinner and you call it a miracle?”
“No one got hurt. Silver lining, Teague. Silver lining.”
He lifted his hand that was holding hers so he could look at the little bandage on her arm. “So what happened here?”
“It’s a very pathetic story and I’m not going to tell you.”
“What? Ah hell, please tell me a pathetic story.”
“Nope.”
“Maybe I should go ask Dave the paramedic.”
“He’d never tell you.”
“You sure about that? I have my ways.” She didn’t reply so he pleaded again. “Just tell me. Please?”
“Fine. But only if you win our bet. I’ll add story time as a bonus as you lie on your half of the bed all by your naked self.”
He couldn’t help the laugh he responded with. “I believe the reward of you in my bed can’t be beat, so as stupid as this sounds, I look forward to your secret just as much.”
She rolled her eyes playfully. “Well look forward to it all you want because it’s only something dumb.”
“Still, I’m looking forward to it.” He looked down at her forearm. “Too bad I can’t kiss you or I’d give this a nice, sweet kiss to get better soon.”
Camryn offered a tiny little smile and said, “I wouldn’t care if you kissed my arm, Teague. Just don’t kiss my mouth.”
He stopped and faced her. “Seriously? All this time I’ve followed your rule and it wasn’t even the right rule?”
“All this time? It’s barely been twenty-four hours. And you’ve been defying the rule as it is with your mouth all over me anyways.”
He cocked an eyebrow at her but didn’t respond right away. She’d yet to experience his mouth all over her, but things were already looking up.
Teague took her wrist in his hand and pulled her arm to his mouth. Pressing his lips softly against her skin, he placed a soft kiss next to the bandage, and then gently angled it so he could kiss the other side as well. He looked at Camryn for her reaction but her eyes were closed. Holding her hand in his, he slid his other hand against her neck and took advantage of this new agreement. He pulled her closer and leaned down to kiss her neck, and when his lips made contact, he felt her breath hitch. He paused, waiting for her protest, but nothing came. Pulling her even closer, he pressed his mouth firmly against her skin, taking his time to kiss her and breathe her in.
“Your skin is so soft,” he whispered, and he continued to kiss her neck up to her ear.
For something so basic, he didn’t quite understand the thrill that was pulsing through him at the moment. His heart was racing, and when he felt Camryn’s other hand slide around his waist to hold him, an indescribable feeling of belonging crept into his chest.
Teague might have kept holding Camryn, but he figured he’d better quit while he was ahead. Giving her one final kiss on her cheek he said, “I’d keep doing this until you make me stop, but we already have an audience.”
Camryn turned her head in the direction he was looking and also noticed the various people around them glancing their way. Even Kyah was smiling at them from where she stood with her family.
Without a word, Camryn led Teague across the street to Kyah, and she gave her a hug. “You guys can come stay at my mom’s house for as long as you want,” she said to Kyah and her mom. “The house is so big you’ll have your own floor.”
“Oh, we couldn’t intrude like that,” Loretta said, shaking her head. “No, we can just go to Lorraine’s,” she added, nodding to her sister.
“There’s you and three of your kids, right?” Camryn asked. When Loretta nodded, she turned to Lorraine and asked, “Do you have enough room?”
Teague knew that Lorraine lived in an apartment an hour away, and seriously doubted that it would be comfortable for them all.
“Well…” Lorraine barely shrugged, “We’ll make it work.”
“There is an entire upstairs at my mom’s house,” Camryn explained. “Four empty bedrooms. You guys can stay there as long as you want.”
Loretta frowned. “Oh Camryn, that sounds wonderful, but your mom… Maybe you should speak to her about it first.”
“I already did. Whenever you’re ready, come on over and make yourself at home.” Still holding Teague’s hand, she left the group and pulled him along.
“You totally just lied to them,” he chuckled. “You didn’t talk to your mom at all.”
“Shut up,” she warned with a smile. “You’re coming with me to tell her right now.”
“Do I need armor?”
“Maybe.”
“Well Jay is with me so let’s drop him off at my place first.”
Camryn agreed, and after Teague guided a very disgruntled and drunk Jay onto the couch, their next stop was Serena’s gigantic house two blocks away.
***
Camryn knew her mom didn’t want to be around people in case she had an emotional outburst she couldn’t control. But she used the news of the accident to her advantage and it worked. Serena was sincerely heartbroken about it and agreed to let the Millers have the upstairs.
“What a day,” Camryn groaned, dropping onto one of the couches in the front room. “This is the strangest Christmas I’ve ever experienced.”
Teague sat on the couch next to her and slid his arm around her shoulder, tugging her close to him. Camryn thought the act seemed so natural to him, like she was his girlfriend. She rather liked feeling that bit of belonging to someone. It felt good.
“And what is a normal Christmas for you?” Teague asked.
“Well,” she sighed. “Normally I go to my Uncle Tim’s house. He’s got a few stepkids and they’re usually there. Melanie is there with her most current boyfriend, and a couple of my uncle’s friends from the gym.”
“Gym?”
“He owns a boxing club.”
Teague laughed knowingly. “Ah, I see. So that’s why you’ve got a gut-wrenching left.”
“Yep,” she smiled proudly. “My dad started taking me and Mel there when I was about twelve. Melanie bailed not long after—wasn’t her thing, she said—but I liked it.”
“And you still, uh, box or whatever?”
“Just for fun. I’ve never competed like my uncle has. But sometimes I wish I could drag an opponent of my choice into the ring.”
With a smile Teague replied, “Hmm, anger issues?”
“On occasion,” she shrugged. “Running, boxing, dancing… Gets me in a better m
ood because I like to be busy doing things.” She stood up suddenly and said, “Let’s go watch a movie. I really need to sit and chill for a while.”
Teague agreed and followed her to a flight of stairs that led downward. Camryn anticipated his reaction once they were standing at the top railing of a two-story theatre room.
“Holy shit!” he laughed, looking around.
“I know, it’s ridiculous, right?” Camryn asked. There was a giant projection screen, twenty seats on the lower floor, and fifteen seats on the balcony above it.
She made her way to another set of stairs that led to the lower floor and Teague trailed behind. Opening a large cabinet she said, “What do you wanna watch?”
He scanned the titles but didn’t seem to actually be reading them. “I don’t really care. You choose.”
Camryn selected a movie, assuming he’d like some type of action flick, and held it up. “This okay?”
“Yeah, sure.”
“I’m not sure if my mom and Lyle ever came down here, even,” Camryn said, noticing his eyes wandering from each thing in the room—from the wet bar in the back to the kitchenette around the corner.
“Well we can put it to good use,” he smirked.
She caught the glint of humor in his eye but pretended she didn’t. Even the idea of sitting with him in the dark made her nervous again. Outside amidst the busy drama, it was nice to have him there. But she couldn’t deny how infinitely attracted to him she was and being alone with him was still scary.
It was the way he looked at her, like at the party when he saw her sitting on the couch and wouldn’t break the connection; like she was the most amazing thing he’d ever seen. At the beach parking lot was the same thing, and right now it was similar as well—intense and scorching, blocking out anything and everything around them—and she felt completely intimidated.
“Um, where do you want to sit?” she asked. The screen lit up as the opening credits began, and she motioned to the bottom floor and to the balcony above them.
“Down here is fine. I don’t care where, though.” To be decisive, he chose a seat in the middle and dropped into it. “This good?”
“Perfect.” She sat next to him and was about to make a comment about the movie when Teague’s arm came behind her, and then his mouth was next to her ear.
“You sure about letting me kiss you?” he whispered.
She swallowed, staring straight ahead at the movie to give her something to focus on. His kiss on her neck earlier had almost buckled her knees right from under her. She’d had to hold onto him for support. “Are you giving me a chance to change my mind?” she asked calmly.
“Hell no,” he answered, pressing his lips against her neck. “You always smell good,” he murmured, kissing a trail up to her ear. He softly bit her earlobe as his other hand cupped the opposite side of her neck, and then his lips backtracked to where he started. From there, his mouth brushed along her collarbone, and when she tipped her head back, he kissed her all the way to the other side of her neck.
Camryn felt singeing heat wherever he touched her, and it spread in a ripple all over her skin. It was both scary and amazing at the same time. She flipped up the cup holder that separated them and pulled him closer to her. It was her natural instinct. His mouth felt so good, she loved the smell of him, and it felt wonderful to be with someone physically again.
And then the fear returned, washing over her in a giant wave that wanted to drown her. But instead of stopping, she wanted to fight it. If the wave wanted to do some damage it could try, but this time she would just hold her breath until she emerged from it. She was ready to move on and she couldn’t run every time she was scared.
She gripped his back with one hand, and the other hand slid over his thigh to his erection. He sucked in a breath of air when she began to press against it, and after a minute of making out this way, Teague left his seat to kneel between her legs.
Camryn’s heart began crashing in her chest. He was looking at her that way again. It wasn’t fair. She couldn’t think straight when he did that. She couldn’t come up with something witty to deter him if she needed to, or rationally justify it within herself if she didn’t want him to stop.
He started to unbutton her shirt with his large hands, making eye contact the entire time. She knew he was gauging her reaction, making sure she was okay with what he was doing. That was definitely a good sign and it helped her relax a little bit. She watched him lean forward to press his lips against her collarbone. Only three buttons were open, just enough to reveal the top half of her lacy bra, and he kissed his way down to her breasts as his hands held her sides.
Camryn ran her fingers through his hair when he slid his hands behind her, pulling her forward to him.
“God, you are beautiful,” he whispered as he unbuttoned the last buttons.
Something seemed to catch his eye and he smiled. Camryn didn’t have to look down to know he noticed the diamond piercing she had in her navel.
He looked up at her and their eyes met. “You said I could kiss you anywhere but your mouth, right? Is this okay, Camryn?”
Just the fact that he would ask made her soften a bit more, but hearing him say her name in such a manner sent excitement zinging everywhere in her body. His voice was deep and soft, and it was somehow a mixture of sweet and sexy. That was the only way she could describe it. He sounded so delicious, yet caring and gentle. This was far beyond what she thought she’d be okay with when it came to Teague, but she wanted him to keep going.
Camryn refrained from noticeably swallowing and nodded. “Yes, this is fine.”
Teague’s hands slid up her back underneath her shirt, but the realization hit him before Camryn had to say anything. With a smirk, his hands returned to the front again, and his index finger tapped against the clasp between her breasts. His question was asked silently with the lift of an eyebrow, and Camryn answered with a tiny smile and a nod. Teague paused before he did it and it made her anxious. His fingers traced the shape of her bra until they met in the middle, and then he finally unclasped it.
“Holy fuck,” he exhaled softly, as the lace parted to the sides.
At first he didn’t touch her, and he just gawked for a few seconds. Camryn surprisingly enjoyed his admiration, even though she felt slightly self-conscious. But she’d studied those hands more than a dozen times since knowing Teague, and just imagining them on her was overwhelming. When he finally placed them against her skin, heat traveled from his touch all the way down between her legs, wetting her even more.
His hands slid to the sides of her breasts, his thumbs lightly pressing over her nipples. He leaned forward and bushed his lips along the top of one, and then kissed his way to the other. Camryn closed her eyes, enjoying every second, but when he suddenly stopped, she opened them.
He was looking at her again, the heat and passion in his eyes burning through her. Then his tongue circled her nipple a few times until his lips tightened around it. His intense gaze followed by that made her nerve endings go crazy and she arched into him. He lightly sucked, pulling it out just barely before releasing it. He moved to her other nipple and performed a similar routine.
Then his eyes met hers again and he paused. He remained on his knees in front of her, but brought his upper body to its full height so they were face to face. He put his hands on the seat on either side of her head and continued to stare into her.
“You know what the most beautiful thing about you is?” Teague asked softly.
Camryn swallowed, her heart reacting to his closeness, the way her body now felt because of him, and the intensity in which he looked at her. She could barely shake her head no.
“Your eyes,” he answered. He leaned forward, and when she closed them, he kissed each eyelid. He pressed his cheek to hers and whispered, “Because I can see your beautiful soul every time I look into them. I can’t even fucking comprehend how they pull me in.”
This guy was going to undo her! Camryn couldn’t even think
of anything to say, she was so dumbstruck. Normally she could battle back with some sort of smartass remark to keep things light, but Teague left her tongue-tied. This was not what she’d been expecting. A bit of fooling around to get her back into the game, yeah. But not the emotional shit to go with it. He was either the sweetest guy she’d ever spent time with, or the biggest charmer she’d ever met. Was he really that introspective, or was he just trying to get in her pants?
But to Camryn’s surprise, Teague pulled away and he carefully secured her bra back together. Then he closed her shirt and re-buttoned each button. She couldn’t help but stare at his lashes that were angled down as he worked, and then he returned to his seat. Camryn slowly released the breath she was holding, a mixture of disappointment and relief rushing through her at the same time.
Teague slid his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close again. She relaxed against him willingly as they turned their attention to the movie. Her heart was still pounding from the emotions brewing inside her, but when he gave her a kiss on the top of her head, she felt a level of peace and contentment she’d been missing for the last couple of years.
Chapter Nine
Jay was still crashed on the couch when Teague returned home from the movie with Camryn, and then he was in the kitchen when Teague entered ten minutes later, freshly showered.
“Where you headed?” Jay asked, looking over his hair that was styled into a perfect mess.
“Nowhere.”
Jay looked him over carefully. “You wearing cologne?”
“No,” Teague scoffed. He stiffed his armpit. “Probably my deodorant. Is it that strong?”
With a shrug Jay shook his head. “We got any more ham?” he asked, peering into the refrigerator.
“I don’t think so. We’ve got eggs. Should I make something?”
Jay turned around and gave him a funny look.
“What?” Teague asked.
With a studying eye, Jay shook his head. “Normally you’d tell me to go to the fucking store or make something myself if I want food to eat.” He examined his cousin closer. “You did her, didn’t you,” he concluded with a laugh. “You nailed the blonde hottie down the road!”