by SJ McCoy
“Of course, I’d love to. I just didn’t want to assume.”
“No, I’d appreciate it. Some of the places I’ve seen this week might have been fine, but I wasn’t one hundred percent about any of them, and it’s hard to decide without bouncing the ideas off anyone first.”
He nodded. “Absolutely. I’d love to look at it with you, and I’d be happy to go back to any of the others, too, if you want a second opinion before you decide.”
“Thanks. That’d be great. How about I tell Austin we’ll meet him at ten? Then we can still go and do something fun in the afternoon.”
“Sounds like a plan to me.”
After she’d texted Austin, Cameron came toward her. He put his hands on her shoulders and looked down into her eyes. “Do you want to go back down to the bar for a drink?”
A shiver ran down her spine at the nearness of him. His hands were so warm on her shoulders, and that warmth spread through her, settling low in her belly. She shook her head. Leaving this room was the last thing she wanted to do right now.
He rested his forehead against hers and smiled. “I may have a problem, then.”
“What?”
He slid his hands down her sides and then closed his arms around her, pulling her to him. “If we stay here, I don’t think I can be held responsible for what I might do.”
“Ooh. I like the sound of that.”
“You do?”
She nodded and ran her hands over his chest. “I don’t think I can be held responsible for what I might do, either.”
In a matter of second, their clothes lay in a pile at their feet. She had no clue how they’d disappeared so fast, but she was grateful they had. She drank in the sight of his muscular naked body and ran her tongue over her bottom lip. He was amazing!
“Do you have any idea what you do to me?” he asked.
She shook her head. She couldn’t focus on anything other than what he was doing to her. His hands were moving over her, leaving trails of goose bumps in their wake. She shivered as they cupped her ass. “More than a handful’s a waste,” she blurted out. Why in God’s name had she said that? Maybe because she was so embarrassed that was so much more than a handful going to waste. He might have big hands, but her ass was more than ample.
He pulled her against him and let out a long deep breath. “Why do you say stuff like that?”
She chuckled. “Maybe because I’m trying to jolt you out of the moment and bring you back to your senses?”
“Every sense I have is heightened right now. I don’t want to be jolted out of the moment. I want to be in the moment. With you. I know how beautiful you are; I can see it.” He tightened his grip on her ass. “I can feel it. Why don’t you let us both enjoy it?”
“I’m sorry.” She reached up and planted a kiss on his lips. “I guess I just still feel like you’re too good to be true. I suppose I’m trying to scare you away before you come to your senses and run away.”
“I’m not going anywhere. I’m right where I want to be—here, with you.” He smiled. “So, I’d thank you if you could stop criticizing this amazing body that I’m about to worship.”
“Worship?” she breathed.
He nodded and led her to the bed. “Yeah. Lie back, and you’ll see what I mean.”
She lay down on the bed, and he lay down beside her. “Okay, before we get started, can you promise me no wisecracks? No jokes about me losing a finger, or anything else, and no digs at yourself or your body?”
“If you insist.”
He chuckled. “I insist.” He covered her mouth with his, and she relaxed and gave herself up to him. His hands seemed to be everywhere, trailing down over her stomach—which she was not going to think about as being fat right now. He seemed to like it, and that was all that mattered. As his fingers found their way between her legs, she bit her lip to stop herself from making any jokes, and when he lowered his head and his mouth closed around her nipple, she let her head fall back and moaned softly. She had no quips or self-criticisms left. She was too lost in the pleasure coursing through her veins.
He took her by surprise when he rolled onto his back and pulled her with him. She stared down at him as his hands came up to close around her breasts. “You’re putting me in charge?”
“Yep.” He slid his hands down to her hips and lifted her slightly.
She looked down and closed her hand around him. He closed his eyes and let out a deep breath as she guided him toward her. They both gasped as she lowered herself onto him, and his hips began to rock.
“Cam,” she breathed. “You feel so good.”
He nodded and dug his fingers into her ass as he picked up the pace. She was bouncing on top of him, moving with him. “Sit up.”
She stared at him for a moment. Then shifted her weight back and sat up. That felt so good. She rode him harder as he brought his hand up to touch her as they moved. She rocked her hips faster and faster, feeling the tension build inside her. Her breasts were bouncing, and his eyes glazed with lust as he watched them. She brought her hands up and cupped them and could feel him grow even harder. So, he liked that, did he? She smiled and began to squeeze her nipples. He definitely liked that. He thrust deeper and harder. She liked it, too. Electric currents went zapping through her, from her fingers right the way to his, which were tormenting her clit and taking her to the edge of …
“Piper!” He gasped as he found his release and it triggered hers. She rode him hard, moving frantically together as their orgasm took them soaring away. When she finally slumped down on his chest, he closed his arms around her and tangled a hand in her hair.
She nuzzled her face into his neck. “Wow,” she breathed.
“You can say that again.”
She did. “Wow.”
He chuckled. “I think we might have found something.”
“What’s that?”
“Where you belong.”
She shook her head. She must have imagined that. No way had he just said what she thought he had. She didn’t reply. She didn’t know what she could say, so she just waited. But he didn’t speak again. See, she must have imagined it!
Chapter Thirteen
Cameron looked out the window as Piper drove them to the house where they were meeting the realtor. This place was beautiful, he had to give it that. It had puzzled him when his brother had moved here. He’d always thought of Cole as a big city, glitzy kind of guy. So, for him to buy a house and settle down in a sleepy, small town had seemed totally out of character. And maybe it was. But Cameron could see that there was something about this place that built character. It may be sleepy and small, but it made you stop and think. There was no denying the natural beauty. You had to stop and admire it, and whenever you did that, you had to think about what was really important in life.
Piper looked over at him. “Have you zoned out on me?”
“No, I’m just thinking about all the beauty there is here.”
She looked embarrassed and turned her attention back to the road. He smiled. He didn’t know why she had such a hang-up about being called beautiful. He hadn’t actually been talking about her—this time, but whenever he complimented her in any way, she always made a joke or dodged it somehow. “Why don’t you believe you’re beautiful?”
She laughed. “Because I’m not. I don’t think I’m ugly, but I know my reality. I’m a bit overweight, and I’m okay looking, but I’m no beauty.”
“You are to me.”
She smiled. For the first time, she looked pleased when he tried to say something nice. “Thank you.”
“That’s progress.”
She raised an eyebrow.
“You accepted a compliment.”
She laughed. “I was just trying to be polite. You either have really bad eyesight or really odd taste.”
He shook his head. “I have twenty-twenty vision and am known for having exquisite taste. So, what do you say to that?”
She laughed. “That you’re having a temporary lap
se.”
He sighed. “What if I said I don’t want it to be temporary?” Damn. He kept coming out with stuff like that, and he had no idea where it was coming from. Last night he’d told her she’d found where she belonged—with him. It felt good when he said it. It felt good when he thought about it, but when reality kicked in, it was crazy. Fortunately, she thought it was crazy and chose to ignore him. And now he was doing it again—saying he didn’t want this to be temporary. What else could it be? All relationships were temporary, no matter how much fun they were—unless they were permanent. He shuddered. He’d never even considered a permanent relationship. Not as something concrete. That was something for later in life, when the right one came along. He looked across at Piper who was studiously ignoring his question. Could she be the right one?
She turned off the main road and headed up a long driveway. “I’m sure this is the right address, but I thought it was farther out than this.” They were on the very edge of town, with houses on one side and open fields leading down to the lake on the other.
“It looks like a good area.”
“Yeah, a bit too nice for my budget.”
“Do you know what the rent is?” He didn’t know what her budget was, but the houses out here looked like high-end homes.
“Yes.” She was looking a little flustered now. “I must have gotten the address wrong.”
“Let’s see.” He rested a hand on her thigh, wanting to reassure her.
“Okay, but this has to be a mistake. Look out for number 224.”
“There it is.” Cameron pointed.
Piper made a face, and he understood why. The house was exquisite. A beautiful, log-built place with a wall of windows looking out over the fields and the lake.
Piper pulled into the driveway and brought the car to a stop. “There’s Austin’s car. It must be the right place. Maybe there’s a guest house round the back or something.”
They got out, and the realtor came to greet them. “Hi, Piper. I’m glad you could make it this morning. I only got the call to list this place yesterday afternoon, and I knew the location would be perfect for you. It’s as close to the airport as you can get while still being on the edge of town.” He turned to Cameron and offered his hand. “Nice to meet you. I’m Austin.”
“You, too. Cameron Hamilton.”
“I know, you’re Smoke’s brother, right?”
Cameron nodded. For a moment he had a nasty suspicion that Austin might be trying to pull a fast one. If he knew he and Piper were together, perhaps he thought that budget was no longer an issue.
“Is there a guesthouse or something?” asked Piper. “No way can I afford this place.”
“No, there isn’t, and yes, you can,” said Austin with a smile. “You got lucky if you want it. It’s a second home for the family that own it. They just got news that he’s being posted overseas for eighteen months. They think they want to sell it, but they’ve got so much else on their plate that they just want the house taken care of for now. They usually come up here on the weekends, and they don’t have it or want it on the vacation rental market. They’re looking to rent it for the off season, and they’re more concerned about having a great tenant who’ll take care of the place than anything else. I knew you’d be the perfect fit.”
Piper stared at him. “So, I could rent this place for less than that last one we looked at?”
Austin grinned. “Yes. I told you I had a great find for you.”
A big smile broke out on her face. “Can we go inside?”
Cameron smiled as he followed them up the front steps. He hoped this would work out for her. She looked so thrilled. He couldn’t help but wonder what the utility bills might be for a place like this and whether she’d be able to afford them, but he didn’t say anything, not yet; he wanted her to enjoy her excitement.
He was impressed when they went inside.
“It’s beautiful!” exclaimed Piper. “And they’re leaving it furnished?”
“Yes. If they do sell, it’ll be easier to get rid of as a turnkey rental opportunity.”
She nodded sadly. “Someone’s going to get a great deal. Unfortunately, it’s not going to be me.”
Austin smiled. “Never say never.”
She laughed. “Yeah, I can dream, right?”
They wandered through the whole house. Cameron loved it. It was tastefully done with practical, elegant touches everywhere. There was a big, stone fireplace with armchairs on either side. Piper flopped down in one and smiled. “I can just imagine sitting here in an evening, reading a book and putting my feet up.”
“You don’t have to imagine. You can make it a reality if you want it,” said Austin.
Cameron frowned. He wanted to know what catches there might be, but he didn’t want to interfere—it was hardly his place.
“What do you think?” she asked him.
Relief rushed through him. Giving his opinion was a different matter once he’d been asked for it. “I love it. It’s a great place.” He turned to Austin. “What about the utilities?”
Austin grinned. “They’re included.”
“In that price?” asked Piper.
“Yep. They want to make this as easy as possible, for the right tenant. They said for a couple or single person with no pets and a great credit score, they’d leave all the utilities in their name and include them in the rent. They did set a cap on how much, but I doubt you’ll ever meet it.”
“Wow!” Piper smiled at Cameron. “That was a good catch, though, thank you. What else?”
Cameron smiled. “What about the length of lease? And what happens when they want to put it up for sale?”
“They said through the off season, which would be a six-month lease, and they don’t envisage putting it on the market in that time. After the six months, you’d have the option to leave, or stay and allow viewings.”
Piper made a face. “I don’t like that idea.”
Cameron didn’t either. “And if she were to do that and they found a buyer?”
“Then they’d ask that you be prepared to leave thirty days after closing.”
Piper nodded. “That’s fair enough, but I don’t think I’d want to stay once it went up for sale. I’d feel like I was living on borrowed time.”
Cameron nodded.
“Even so,” said Austin. “It could be a great start to your life here. You’d get a great deal on a great house while you find your feet and get to know the area. It’d give you time to figure out where you really want to be, without having to commit to a twelve-month lease in a place you might not like.”
“Yes, and I know I’d love it here. How soon do I have to let you know?”
Austin smiled. “I’m not going to list it until Monday, so you’ve got the rest of the weekend to think about it.”
“Thanks. I’ll give you a call tonight and let you know one way or the other.”
“Great.”
They drove back into town in silence. It seemed Piper was lost in thought, and Cameron didn’t want to intrude. It was her decision to make, and if she needed a sounding board, she’d tell him. She didn’t say anything until she parked the car in the square at the resort. “What would you do?”
He shrugged. “I don’t think that’s relevant.”
She laughed. “I guess not. You wouldn’t be looking for a place, and you wouldn’t be watching your budget.”
“No. What matters is what you think.”
They got out of the car and started walking toward the lodge. “I think it’s too good to be true, but this guy I met recently told me there’s no such thing. So, now I’m trying to think of all the potential downsides.”
He smiled. “And what are you coming up with?”
“None for the first six months. I think it’d be awesome. I’d be less than ten minutes from work, and I could still walk into town, and it just feels so homey.”
“And after the first six months?”
“I’d be spoiled by having lived in
such a nice place. I’d be so sad to have to leave, and I’ll never find another place as nice as that that I can afford. So, then I’d think about staying while they have it up for sale—just to be able to stay a bit longer, but then I’d no doubt be miserable because I’d never be able to relax. You can’t relax when your house is for sale because you have to keep everywhere so neat all the time, just in case someone wants to view it.”
“Yeah, I can see that wouldn’t be much fun. I suppose the big question then is, would the six months of enjoyment outweigh the disappointment of having to leave afterward?”
She grinned. “Yes. It would. It has to. I try to make the most of every moment. I can’t miss out on six months’ worth of moments in that house because I don’t want to be sad afterward. I have to enjoy it while I can and worry about afterward, afterward.”
He chuckled. “Then I guess you have your answer.”
“I guess I do. Thanks for helping me figure it out.”
“My pleasure. Do you want to call Austin and tell him?”
“Yes! And find out when I can move in!”
He laughed. He knew that once the decision was made, she’d want to move full steam ahead.
~ ~ ~
When she hung up with Austin, she grinned at Cameron. “It’s all mine. And get this, I can move in as soon as I like. Well, as soon as I sign the papers and pay the deposit and everything.”
Cameron laughed. “Let me guess, that’s the first thing you’ll be doing on Monday morning?”
“No.” She wasn’t sure what he’d think of this. “I was thinking more like right now. Austin’s in his office, and he said if I can get in there now we can take care of everything and I can move right in. What do you think? I know it’s not what you signed up for this weekend, but I’d really love to get in there.”
“Absolutely! Let’s go see him. Then I can help you move in.” He looked around her room. “What do you have to move?”
She laughed. “Just my clothes and one suitcase full of papers and nick-nacks. I didn’t bring anything with me from Texas, because …” She thought about it. Why hadn’t she? “I guess because things aren’t really important to me. I figured I could buy whatever I need, and since the house is fully furnished, I won’t need much.” She grinned at him. “Come on, let’s go see Austin before the owners call him back and tell him they’ve come to their senses and he needs to double the rent.”