by Vivian Wood
Genny and Faith jumped up to bring grilled asparagus, fingerling potatoes, fresh corn on the cob, and a basket of wheat rolls to the table. Josiah shot Alex a look, and she wondered if she should have followed the other women. She turned to Cameron to ask, but he surprised her by catching her hand in his, resting them in his lap. The gesture was easy, as was everything he did, but it still made Alex’s heart jump in her chest. When he released her to pour himself some wine, she was nearly sad.
Josiah portioned and served the fish while everyone else helped themselves to the side dishes, and Alex was glad to find a carafe of chilled water and an empty glass near her place setting. She nudged her wine away in favor of water, easing her suddenly parched throat.
“Thirsty?” Cameron asked, arching a brow.
“This water is amazing. Is it well water?” she asked.
“Best water in the country, out here,” Josiah cut in. “My father dug the well himself.”
“It’s very sweet,” Alex said by way of agreement. Josiah gave her a hard stare before returning to his food.
“Try the fish,” Gavin suggested. “It’s my dad’s specialty. He does it with lemon and butter and thyme, nothing better in the world.”
Josiah didn’t reply, ignoring his son’s kind words. Alex gave Gavin a smile and took a bite of the fish, then nodded her agreement.
“It’s divine,” she said.
“Don’t get too spoiled on this good food, because your mate can’t cook to save his life,” Gavin said. Faith chuffed, pinching Gavin’s arm as a rebuke. Gavin looked at her and shrugged. “It’s true, babe. He burns everything he touches. I bet he lives off deep dish pizza down in Chicago, eh Cam?”
Alex directed her curious gaze to Cameron, who rolled his eyes.
“That’s not true. There’s a Whole Foods near my place, and they have a great takeout selection,” Cam said between bites.
“Not a problem. I’m pretty proficient in the kitchen,” Alex found herself saying.
“Can you make lasagna, though? Cameron can’t live without lasagna,” Genny told Alex, giving her son an amused glance.
“I don’t eat a lot of carbohydrates, but I bet I could manage a decent lasagna,” Alex said. Cameron shot her an appraising glance, and Alex realized he hadn’t known about her diet. She’d allowed him to order for both of them on all their dates, choosing to avoid or go light on any carb-heavy items he’d ordered.
The reminder of how little they knew about each other, of the hoax they were perpetrating, killed her enjoyment of the Berans’ amazing meal. She ate the rest of her asparagus and fish, but skipped the rest, feeling a little queasy. Her emotions had always manifested themselves physically, so it was no great surprise.
The conversation swirled around them, mostly banter between Cameron and Gavin. Each man had a broad repertoire of embarrassing stories about the other, and they seemed thrilled at being able to put them to use in front of an audience. When dinner was finished, Cameron and Gavin cleared the plates away, obviously part of the family’s meal ritual, and Alex laughed when she saw them elbowing one another as they loaded the dishwasher.
Genny produced a flourless chocolate torte for dessert, insisting that everyone have a piece. Alex actually moaned aloud when she tasted a forkful, flushing when she realized that she’d drawn the gazes of everyone at the table.
“Sorry, this is amazing! I can’t bake for anything,” Alex admitted.
“Faith made it, not me,” Genny said, nodding to the shy blonde. Faith blushed about ten shades of tomato, which made Alex grin.
“Faith, this really is one of the best things I’ve ever tasted,” Alex told her.
“It’s nothing,” Faith said, shaking her head.
“She’s the best at basically everything,” Gavin informed Alex. “You should see the illustrations she’s done for her children’s book. She’s already got two publishers interested, haven’t you babe?”
Faith looked like she hoped the floor would open up and swallow her whole, and Alex couldn’t help but jump in and save her.
“I went to see a Shel Silverstein exhibition a few weeks ago, speaking of books for kids. Those illustrations are pretty awesome, especially the ones from Where The Sidewalk Ends. Seeing them in person was incredible,” Alex said. Faith gave Alex a grateful glance, and blushed again when Alex gave her a wink in return.
“Another glass of wine?” Genny suggested to everyone as the meal ended.
“Not for me,” Alex said, shaking her head. “It was delicious, though.”
Alex stood and helped as everyone gathered plates and glasses. She liked how happily and efficiently the family ended their shared meal. Both her parents were doctors, so family dinners were a rarity and usually involved pizza or Chinese takeout. She wouldn’t trade her parents for the world, but it was nice to see Cameron’s family in action. She especially liked how everyone called him Cam, something she was sure he wouldn’t ever encourage. Though he had a good sense of humor, he was also a bit self-serious. It was nice to see that quirk balanced by such a loving family.
“We have to get back to the guest house,” Gavin announced, stretching and putting an arm around Faith. “Faith has a big meeting tomorrow morning. She’s talking to Penguin Books about a possible publishing deal.”
“A Skype meeting,” Faith said, shaking her head as if that negated her accomplishment.
“I bet it’ll be awesome,” Alex said brightly. “I do tons of business meetings with strangers, and I’ll tell you my trick. Just act confident, and they’ll think you are. Easy as pie.”
Faith gave Alex a dubious glance, but nodded.
“All right. See y’all tomorrow?” Gavin asked Cameron.
“Yeah. We’ll leave the morning after next,” Cameron told him.
“There’s gonna be a meteor shower tomorrow night, around midnight. If you feel the urge for a swim, uh… don’t do it,” Gavin told Cameron, who cracked a huge grin.
“Got it,” Cameron said, ignoring his parents’ curious gazes. “Maybe we’ll go out to the big bluff.”
“Gavin?” Faith called from the doorway, beckoning.
“Don’t want to disturb her schedule,” Gavin said good-naturedly, heading out.
“You two might consider staying an extra day,” Genny said, patting Gavin on the arm. “Noah and Charlotte are coming up and we’re throwing a big party with the whole family. We’re doing steaks and cocktails, celebrating all the luck you boys have had so far in finding mates.”
Cameron nodded, shooting Alex a look.
“We’ll discuss it. I know Alex has a lot going on at work right now, and we have a gathering with her family later in the week.”
“No, it sounds nice,” Alex said. “If we can switch our flights around, I’d be happy to stay an extra night.”
“Perfect!” Genny crowed, and Alex couldn’t repress a smile when she saw the indulgent grin on Cameron’s face. Something warm settled in Alex’s stomach, watching Cameron and his family, how they interacted. It was exactly what she hope to have for her own kids, someday. If only she hadn’t settled on the one man who probably wouldn’t ever be loyal enough to give that to her…
Sighing, Alex dragged her attention back to Genny and Gavin, agreeing to play a round of dominoes before bed. The dark thoughts clung to her through the entire game, though, refusing to let her relax. Had she made a terrible mistake agreeing to all of this with Cameron?
77
Seven
Alex looked at her watch, surprised to see that it was almost ten p.m. She yawned and rolled her neck, causing Genny to lean over and smack Cameron on the arm.
“You’re keeping her up too late!” Genny scolded.
“Oh, no!” Alex protested over another yawn. “I’m usually a night owl. It’s just, we got up really early today.”
“Yeah, apparently someone needs to be at the gate like three hours before boarding,” Cameron said, shooting Alex a glance.
“You never know what’s go
ing to happen at the airport,” Alex retorted.
“Well, they don’t ever make flights earlier,” Cameron said with an eye roll. He sighed when Genny smacked him again, admonishing him to be nicer to his future mate. “All right, all right. Jeez. Alex, come on. I’ll show you the rest of the house.”
Alex saw Genny and Josiah settling onto one of the overstuffed couches together, Genny bending her head close to her mate, whispering something.
“She’s very excited that you’re here,” Cameron droned, grabbing Alex’s hand and tugging her toward the back of the house. He pulled her into a broad hallway lined with no less than a dozen doors, including a broad set of double doors to the left.
“Ma and Pa’s room is this first one,” Cameron told her, pointing to the closest on the right. “The two doors there are the conference room and library. Doubt you’ll need that, but feel free to explore. We still all sleep in our same bedrooms, although my mother has remodeled them a little.”
The next four doors on the right were apparently Finn’s, Noah’s, Luke’s, and Gavin’s, respectively.
“And this is me,” Cameron said, reaching past Alex to swing the door open. It was fairly simple, a queen-sized bed and matching furniture all done in black and white. There were a couple of action movie posters on the wall, and a huge desk sat in front of a broad picture window, complete with a dated-looking desktop computer.
Alex noticed that her suitcase was sitting on a straight-backed chair, and Cameron’s was on the floor beside it.
“Where am I sleeping?” she asked, confused.
“In here,” Cameron said, sitting down on the bed with a sigh.
“Uh huh… and where are you sleeping?” she said, already knowing the answer.
“Also in here. We’re going to be mates, remember? Why would my mother put us in separate rooms?” he asked, his expression suddenly weary.
“I thought… I hoped, maybe, that your parents were the type to insist on separate bedrooms before marriage,” Alex said, putting a hand to her forehead.
“What? Is that a thing?” Cameron asked, looking unsure.
“It is in my parents’ house. I’ve never shared a room with anyone there, not even if a girlfriend came for a sleepover,” Alex told him. Cameron shrugged.
“Berserkers don’t do that. If anything, they’re all hoping that we’ll hop in bed with each other and catch mateship somehow. I would, however, entertain some stories about these sleepovers with girlfriends…”
Alex looked up and caught his salacious, teasing expression and groaned.
“Fat chance. Where’s the bathroom? I want to get ready for bed,” she said. “I really am exhausted, for some reason.”
“The one I shared with Wyatt is across the hall. I don’t think he’s going to be home, but maybe lock the door just in case,” Cameron suggested. He stood up and pulled off his t-shirt without hesitation, leaving Alex gaping at his smooth, muscular torso and the thick black tattoos that dominated his arms, shoulders, and ribs. He was all abs and pecs and whatever muscles those were in his arms, flexing as he lowered his arms. And those tattoos… they were downright sinful. She’d never really dated anyone with so much ink, and Cam’s tattoos unnerved and excited her in equal measure.
“You gonna drool?” he asked, deadpan.
“Shut up,” Alex hissed, her face burning as she turned and rushed to her suitcase. She opened it and carefully pulled out her least sexy summer pajamas, a blue-and-white-striped cotton top and bottom set that screamed grandpa. If it had been a little cooler, Alex would have packed some of the marvelously ratty flannel numbers she’d been hoarding since college. Gritting her teeth, Alex grabbed her toiletry bag and stuffed it under her arm.
Without a backward glance at Cameron and his impressively flat stomach, Alex practically ran to the bathroom. When she shut the door behind herself, locking Cameron out, she released a deep breath.
“You’re okay,” she told herself. “Totally fine.”
She removed her makeup and brushed her teeth, then threw her long hair up in a messy bun. After she changed, she glanced in the mirror and blanched. Cameron hadn’t even seen her without makeup yet, she realized. Not that she was hideous or anything, but letting a guy see you without makeup was usually a really intimate moment. It was just… more revealing than being seen naked, in a way. In fact, only two of Alex’s previous boyfriends had ever seen her au naturel.
“Well, if you wanted to keep him on his side of the bed, you’re doing great,” she told her reflection. Using her fingers, she probed the dark circles under her eyes. There was nothing for it, though. “Get your ass to bed, you tired bitch.”
Smiling at her pep talk, she zipped up her toiletry bag, sitting it on a set of shelves next to the sink, and made to leave the bathroom. She stopped dead when her hand touched the doorknob, backing up until she was in front of her bag again, then unzipped it. She fished out the flat pink plastic case for her birth control, opening it and staring down at it. She hadn’t taken it this morning, in all the fuss of going to the airport.
“You’re an idiot,” she told herself, shaking her head. “Too close of a call, dude. You want a baby? No, you don’t. So you take the pill…”
She popped the pill from the wrapper and dry-swallowed it, then ran the sink and chased the pill with a handful of water. Thus relieved, she put everything back in place and forced herself back into Cameron’s room.
She paused, taking a deep breath. The room smelled so much like Cameron, it was disconcerting. Masculine and sharp, with an earthy tang. Cameron had turned off the overhead lights in favor of a lamp on the bedside table, and he was sitting in the bed, reading an abused-looking paperback, apparently waiting for her. He’d even turned down her side of the bed, which made Alex’s lips tremble with an unborn smile.
“Thought I’d have to send a rescue team or something,” Cameron said, not looking up from his book.
“I lived,” Alex said woefully, ignoring Cameron’s shirtless glory as she slipped into her side of the bed.
“Nice outfit. I can’t believe you changed in the bathroom,” Cameron said, finally looking up at her. “I’ve already seen you naked, remember?”
“Yeah, well. If your memory of that night is anything like mine, it’s fuzzy at best,” Alex said defensively.
“I plan to refresh it at my earliest opportunity,” Cameron told her point-blank.
“Stay on your side of the bed, cowboy,” Alex said with a scowl. She made the mistake of looking at Cameron, then at his sculpted body, before she yanked her eyes back to her lap.
“What was it you said earlier? Fat chance,” Cameron said.
“You can’t just… do whatever you want,” Alex said, swallowing. Her mouth was dry again, and she wished she’d brought a glass of water to bed.
“I think it’s more what we both want, Alexandra,” he corrected.
Her gaze snapped to his, blazing at the use of her full name.
“I—” she started, though she didn’t know what to say. Cameron saved her by closing the distance between them in a heartbeat, brushing his lips over hers. It was the lightest touch, a knowing tease, but Alex still shivered. What he did to her body, she’d never understand.
Still, rather than resisting, rather than forming the shocked exclamation that was desperately needed, her lips chased his when he pulled back a fraction. A traitorous sound formed in her throat, a breathy sort of moan that slipped free, completely without Alex’s permission. She felt Cameron’s lips curl against her own, knew he was laughing, but still she couldn’t stop herself.
Her tongue darted out to taste his lips, her body turned toward him, her hand came up to clutch his bare shoulder. Cameron was careful to keep his kiss light, making her thirst for more even as she should be pushing him away. When his hand came up, fingers threading in her disheveled bun, tugging her closer, she knew a moment of pure want.
It could be so easy. They were going to be mates, after all. Connected forever, if not
deeply. She could have a taste of him if she wanted, couldn’t she?
Alex let Cam pull her head back, exposing her throat and running his lips down the bared column. She heard the needy gasp that left her lips, and she didn’t care a whit. When he nipped the base of her throat, nuzzled the side of her neck, she was ready to give him anything he wanted. It was that simple, after all.
She shifted against him, twisting, reaching to touch him. Her hand sought his arm, his hip maybe, but instead Cam leaned forward, throwing her off balance. Her hand plunged straight down into his lap, the blanket already kicked aside, and landed on the thick base of his admittedly impressive erection.
He startled even as Alex let out a shocked yip, her eyes going wide as she froze in place. Her horrified eyes traveled down, down… and there was her hand, fingers curled around the biggest cock she’d ever seen, whether in real life, porn, or parody.
“Oh god!” she yelped, snatching her hand back. Ripping her eyes away from his crotch, she gave him a fiery glare. “You’re naked!”
Alex grabbed the comforter and yanked it up to cover him all the way up to his belly button.
“Well, yeah,” he said, giving her a funny look. “I don’t sleep in old man pajamas. I’m normal.”
“You can’t just—” Alex said, then stopped. “Ugh! Just stay on your side of the bed!”
“And why should I do that? I think you were doing just fine,” Cameron said with a grin. “Admit it, Alex. You want to fuck me again so bad, you can hardly stand it.”
“That’s not… No, I don’t,” Alex said, averting her gaze from him entirely.
“Liar,” he taunted. He reached out and trailed a calloused fingertip over her exposed collarbone, making her shiver. “You want me as much as I want you. Maybe more.”
“You’re wrong,” Alex told him, crossing her arms. “Stop touching me, Cameron. I mean it.”
“Such a liar,” he whispered, hooking the collar of her pajamas with a finger and baring her shoulder. Though she tried to jerk away, he landed a hot, wet kiss on her shoulder. She distinctly felt his tongue flick against her skin, and her nipples hardened so much they ached.