by DJ Jamison
I came down hard on my front, shrieking like a banshee as I sprawled. A second later the back door banged open.
A ninja, you are not.
“Don’t move,” a hard voice said that I barely recognized as Reid’s. I’d never heard him so cold. Not even the night we met, when I’d been a stranger in a bath towel.
He was backlit by the light pouring out the kitchen door. This mostly left his features in shadow but it outlined his form enough for me to see the gun in his hand. Him and that gun. They were like BFFs now, it seemed. Why was he so comfortable with a weapon like that?
“Not moving!” I called, a little shrilly. “Don’t shoot.”
“Camden?”
He took two big steps down off the porch and was beside me. He didn’t put the gun away, but he lowered it to his side.
“You tripped the alarm,” he said in a measured tone. “The windows have sensors.”
“Oh. I don’t think you mentioned that when you told me about the upgrades.”
His eyes narrowed, assessing me in way that I’d never seen him do before. Way to make yourself sound guilty, Camden. Of course, I was guilty. Sort of.
I didn’t think spying on him was bullet-worthy, but I wasn’t the guy holding the gun. Only he could make that call.
“What are you doing out here?” he asked.
He extended a hand, helping me up. I gingerly put weight on my right foot and it held up. No sprains. Thank goodness for small favors.
“Uh, I just left my phone earlier. I was looking for it.”
“In the middle of the lawn after dark?” He glanced down, spotting the hole. “Jesus Christ, more holes. Are you the one digging them all over the yard? I thought I had a gopher problem.”
“No, I … I just tripped in one. I realized my phone wasn’t here, so I was trying to leave,” I said lamely.
A laugh broke through the night. “He really is a terrible liar.”
Oh good, Lee had joined the party. My No. 1 fan.
I realized my lie was crap, of course. But it was too late now. Stick to your story, isn’t that what they say? I hadn’t done any work in the backyard with Reid for a day. Maybe I could convince him I’d been missing my phone for a couple of days, but no … he’d probably seen me use it at some point early today.
I tried to think of a way I could make the lie more convincing, but my mind went blank. Guess I wasn’t cut out to be a criminal.
“Maybe he’s a spy. Shoot him,” Lee said, his eyes lighting up.
His words were ridiculous and there was a hint of humor in his tone, but my breath caught in my throat. Reid held a gun, and he could shoot me if he chose.
Reid didn’t take his eyes off me. They were harder and colder than I’d ever seen them.
“Lee, how about you stop running your mouth for two minutes?”
“Fuck you, man. I’m not the one who was creeping around. Be an asshole to your peeping Tom.”
My mouth was too dry to protest. I couldn’t bring a single word to my lips. My eyes kept straying to the gun, unable to focus on anything other than the threat.
Reid sighed and holstered his weapon, and my tongue finally came loose. “I’m not a perv.”
“Yeah, Cam, I don’t doubt that,” he said dryly. “Come inside and explain why you’re in my backyard dressed like a B movie cat burglar.”
I glanced down at my black clothes: jeans and a long-sleeved T. I thought it was practical. Trouble was, my stupid blond hair practically glowed in the darkness.
“I didn’t want to be seen, obviously,” I muttered.
Reid stepped back and waited for me to follow. I didn’t see that I had much choice.
“Sorry,” I mumbled as I edged by him. The smell of his aftershave wafted into my nose and I could feel the warmth of his body, but it was eclipsed by the heat in my cheeks.
Once again, I’d embarrassed myself in front of Reid Bishop. And this time, I wasn’t sure if humiliation would be the extent of the consequences.
***
Reid
I pointed to the sofa. “Sit.”
Camden perched on the edge, his body tense and those wide blue eyes fixed on my face. He looked so goddamned innocent. Even his ridiculous attempt to dress the part somehow made him seem more naive than guilty.
Could I have been wrong about him, though?
He couldn’t be a hired killer. I knew that. For one thing, he had a life in Fields long before Lee and I showed up. But he could be behind the other weird shit going on around the place. The break-in where nothing went missing. The holes in the yard. The footprints I kept spotting around the perimeter of the house, especially by the windows.
Camden had a key when the “break-in” happened, except there was no actual “breaking in.” I’d assumed the crappy lock on the back door was picked, but Camden could have let himself in with the key. Maybe he took off when we arrived, before he could clean up. After the break-in, I’d changed the locks and he no longer had a key. That’s when the weird shit started happening with the yard.
It definitely fit, and yet I didn’t want to believe it. I was a good judge of character, damn it. And I’d filed Camden into the good guy box within five minutes of meeting him.
But I knew from my time in law enforcement that desperate people took desperate actions. Camden had fallen on some hard times. I’d be an idiot not to notice that.
His quickness to take my offer to help with home repairs for a little pay was a tip-off. The fact I’d heard him on the phone telling Miguel he didn’t have to stay on the sofa if it was causing problems was another big clue that he wasn’t raking it in. But why not take the baseball card I’d offered him? He could have sold it.
He wouldn’t be the first person with too much pride to take charity. But I wished he’d turn to me for help rather than resorting to crime.
That was where I started the conversation.
“Camden, if you needed something, all you had to do was ask.”
He blinked. “What?”
Lee spoke from the armchair. “Yeah, I’m with him. What?”
I waved a hand at Lee. “Just stay out of it.”
He huffed. “Whatever.”
Camden’s eyes flicked from me to Lee, then narrowed. What was he thinking?
“If you’re short on cash, I would have helped you, Cam. I thought I made that clear already. I know you’re just getting started in real estate and you’re down on your luck. But crime—”
Camden jumped up from his seat, and my senses went on alert. I stood, my hand flying to my holster. I pushed my shirt up in the process, not caring that Camden saw the concealed weapon. I wanted him to see it and think carefully about his actions.
“Seriously, Reid?”
“Seriously, Reid,” Lee echoed. “Crime doesn’t pay?” He cackled. “That is so fucking cliché, man.”
I kept my focus on Camden, though he’d gone still when he noticed my hand near my gun. Fear filled his eyes.
“It’s true, as you should know, Lee.”
“Watch it, boyfriend,” he snapped back, a clear reminder not to say too much. I didn’t think Camden was taking in much of our snipping anyway.
He took a deep breath and met my eyes. “I’m not a thief, Reid. And you don’t need that gun. Not with me.”
I lowered my hand, tugging my shirt down. Camden sat back down slowly, so I did as well.
“I don’t know what's going on here,” Camden said. “But something’s not right.”
I glanced at Lee, who glared at me. Yeah, it probably was my fault Cam had sensed something was off. Average guys didn’t pull guns this often, either.
I tried to redirect him. “You were creeping around the property, Cam. Maybe hoping to find another treasure like the baseball cards?”
Camden pressed his lips together, looking pissed off.
“You been digging holes at night?” I asked.
“I could have taken the card you offered, but I didn’t. I don’t want charity, an
d I’m not a fucking thief!”
“You were up to something,” Lee said.
He was watching the two of us like we were the evening’s entertainment. I was worried as hell about what this meant, and Lee was getting his kicks. That only amped up my irritation another notch, which I was bound to unleash on Cam.
Camden huffed. “Did you see a shovel? Even I’m not dumb enough to think I can dig holes in the dark with my fingers.”
He had a point. “So, what were you doing? Tell me the truth.”
Oddly, a blush crept into his cheeks. Surely, he wasn’t peeping as Lee had suggested. Camden had rebuffed my advances, but I knew he was attracted to me.
“Trying to figure out the real story here, but it was stupid. Not like I could learn much from the dining room window.”
I frowned. “Learn what?”
He shrugged. “Why you and Lee live together but treat each other like hostile work colleagues. Maybe ...” He bit his lip.
“What?”
“I thought maybe you two were warmer when in private. I just wanted something that would prove all my crockpot theories wrong.”
I exchanged a concerned look with Lee.
“What theories?”
“You’re con men or something. The relationship is just a cover. You flirt all the time, but you don’t strike me as the type of guy to cheat on someone he loves. And Lee is ... very scary. Pretty sure he’d stab someone who made a move on the man he loved.”
Lee cracked a grin, and it sent shivers up my spine even though I knew he was more spoiled brat than serial killer. The guy could throw some seriously disturbing vibes.
“Camden, do you think it’s wise to suggest to two men, one of whom has a gun, that they might be criminals of some sort and you're suspicious of them?”
He paled. “Probably not.”
“That’s right. It’s really fucking stupid!”
I didn’t realize I’d shouted until Camden shrank back in his seat. Fear settled over his expression.
“I’m sorry. I’m wrong. I won’t say anything! Just don’t,” he said, his eyes pleading with me. “Please don’t.”
Fuck.
I raised my hands in front of me, trying to offer a calming gesture, and relaxed back in my seat in an attempt to look less threatening. “I’m not going to hurt you.”
His gaze darted from my face to my gun to the door. I’d scared the crap out of the guy I wanted to take in my arms and keep safe from the world. Goddamn it, but I was stupid. I’d known in my gut that Cam was one of the good ones.
“Camden, baby, listen to me.”
Lee mumbled something rude behind me, but I ignored it. I didn’t really give a fuck about our cover right now. I could trust Camden, if I could convince him I wasn’t a threat. Maybe I could get closer to him if he knew the truth.
And hell, while I was selling myself the Brooklyn Bridge, it would be better to tell him the truth than have him sharing his suspicions with other people around town. That’s how word got out and witnesses’ lives were endangered.
Yeah, I’d be doing Lee a favor by telling Cam the truth. It had nothing to do with my desire to kiss those pink lips or see what was under the clothes, without the towel this time.
Camden jumped up, and I cursed as he ran for the door and I lunged after him. I couldn’t let Camden leave like this. Not without clearing things up.
He was fast, but I caught him around the waist just as he reached the door. He yelled and struggled, but I kept an iron grip on him and spoke hurriedly into his ear.
“I won’t hurt you! I’ll never hurt you, Cam. Don’t you know I’m crazy about you? I’m sorry I scared you, Camden, but it’s not what you think. I’m not a criminal.”
Camden was breathing hard, but his struggles lessened as I spoke.
“You won’t hurt me?” he asked hoarsely.
“Never.”
“But you said—”
“Because you were stupid! If you’d been right, you might have been hurt or worse. That scared the crap out of me. Just like going to talk to your ex when he might have been targeting you. You need to protect yourself better. Take more precautions.”
“I took Miguel with me,” he muttered, something he’d mentioned last time I lectured him.
“I don’t see him tonight.”
Camden leaned against my chest. He gave up the fight and rested the back of his head on my shoulder. As he swallowed, I could see his Adam’s apple bob. I was hit with the urge to kiss his neck, show him just how much I didn’t want to hurt him, but bring him pleasure.
I held myself in check. Barely.
“Didn’t want him to think I was crazy. I knew it was dumb, but I was curious. And you’ve acted so weird.”
“If I let you go, will you stay and let me explain?”
He took a breath. “If I let you explain, do I still get to leave here in one piece?”
My arms tightened involuntarily. “Of course.”
“I say we kill him and be done with it,” Lee said. Charming as always.
“Don’t listen to him,” I told Camden as I slowly released my grip and took a step back. Camden turned to face me, his eyes wary but no longer terrified.
“You shouldn’t do this, Reid,” Lee said tightly.
“Better he hears the truth than goes asking questions or speculating with people all over town.”
“You’re just saying that because you want to fuck him.”
“Lee,” I said in warning. I tore my eyes from Camden to shake my head, trying to convey the message to shut his mouth and let me handle it.
He grumbled, muttering under his breath. “It’s my fucking life at stake, but whatever. Don’t listen to me.”
“Are you spies or something?” Camden asked hopefully.
“Or something,” Lee snarked.
“Nothing that glamorous. Lee is a witness, and I was hired to make sure he stays safe until trial.”
Camden looked between us. He wasn’t convinced yet, but he was intrigued.
“What kind of trial?”
“Murder,” I said bluntly.
I’d opted not to tell Camden every detail. He didn’t need to know Lee was a criminal himself or who exactly might come after him. I just needed to share enough to ensure he kept quiet and trusted me.
Camden raised a hand to his mouth. He looked to Lee. “You saw a murder? That must have been awful.”
Lee’s lips twisted. “Considering it was my brothers who died, yeah. It wasn’t a picnic. Getting shot at myself was just icing on the cake.”
Camden took two steps toward Lee. “Oh God, I’m so sorry!”
He looked like he might try to hug Lee. My “boyfriend” must have thought the same, because he stood and backed up a few steps.
“But my favorite part of all this? The twink real estate agent who blows my cover, which could cost me my life, and my asshole handler here who lets it happen because he wants to get laid.”
He left the room, taking the stairs two at a time to the second floor.
“Oh shit,” Camden said, turning wide eyes on me.
“We have to trust each other now,” I said carefully.
He nodded slowly. “I can keep a secret, Reid. I swear.”
I moved toward him, and he flinched.
“Listen for a second,” I said softly.
Cautiously, I slipped my arm around his shoulder, pulling him in against my chest, this time in an embrace rather than a restraining hold. He let me tug him close.
“You’re going to leave here tonight, and no matter what, you won’t be harmed. I hope you’ll keep the secret. Our lives are at risk. But I’m not threatening you. I’m trusting you.”
He tilted his head back to look at me. “You can trust me.”
I smiled slightly. “I believe that or I would have made up a crazy lie.”
“Hope you’re a better liar than I am.”
I chuckled. “Not good enough, or you wouldn’t have been here tonight. But I gue
ss my feelings for you got in the way.”
His voice was tentative when he spoke. “So, Lee really isn’t your boyfriend? It’s just a cover story.”
“Yeah. Your instincts were right. I’m not attached to anyone.”
He stared up at me, lips parted, and I couldn’t resist. I lowered my head and kissed him gently.
His hands slid around my neck, and for the first time, Camden kissed me back.
Chapter 16
Reid
Camden came over, as if nothing had happened the night before, and we got out the painting supplies and set to work. It was tempting to pretend nothing had changed, but I needed clarity on how to move forward: both for Lee’s safety and for my own personal, less altruistic reasons. Reasons that had a lot to do with Camden’s sweet lips under mine last night and my desire to repeat that, and more, ASAP.
“How are you doing with everything?” I asked.
Camden looked up from the section of wall he was painting. “You mean the whole secret undercover agent business?”
“I’m just a bodyguard, but yeah, that. But also, the kiss.”
Camden blushed and turned away. He bit down on his bottom lip, but he couldn’t hide his shy smile.
“You’re adorable, you know that?”
Camden paused mid-paint stroke and a trickle of cool mint green slid down his wrist. He hurriedly dipped it into the paint can, taking a moment to wipe off excess paint on the edge. My eyes were drawn to his ass, covered in faded blue jean cut-offs. He already had a smear of pale green on one leg.
“Thanks, I guess,” Camden said after he straightened to resume painting. “Although adorable is for puppies, not sexy men.”
He flashed me a heated look, and painting was suddenly the furthest thing from my mind. I took a couple of steps toward him. The paint roller was still clasped in my hand, dripping on the drop cloth we put down to protect the floor.
“You’re a sexy man, Camden. I can say that now, can’t I? Now that I’m not a committed boyfriend but single and available.”
Camden smirked. It was surprising to see that smug confidence on his face, but I liked it. He spent so much time trying to prove himself, but this was one area where Camden obviously knew what he had to offer.