by Lisa Cardiff
“I know that,” Cam said softly as Taylor studied his eyes. They hid mountains of pain. “That isn’t the issue.”
“Then I can’t be with you.” She tried to leave again, pushing at his chest.
“Taylor, don’t you dare walk out on me. We’re not finished talking—not even close. I’m not letting you walk out that door until we resolve this misunderstanding because that’s what it is.” He placed his hand on her hips pinning her to the desk. His lips thinned in frustration.
“What’s there to talk about? What do you have to offer me? You’re a man still in love with his ex and obviously that’s not going to change. I’m not willing to accept that.”
“You’re wrong. It’s not like that.”
She released a bitter laugh tilting her head to the side. “Want to explain or is that too much effort for you.”
Cam looked to the side and exhaled loudly. “You’re right. I did tell Alec I loved Bre, but obviously you didn’t bother to listen to the entire discussion. If you’re going to eavesdrop, you might as well do a good job.”
She raised her eyebrows mockingly. “Go on.”
“I love Bre like a sister or a friend. That’s what I told Alec. We grew up next door to each other. My parents think of her as a daughter. It’s complicated.”
Taylor looked everywhere but his face as her stomach rolled with a sudden onslaught of jealousy. Jealousy that Bre would always know Cam better than her. Jealousy that his parents might never accept her into the family like they did with Bre. Jealousy that she might never get a chance to meet his family. All of it was too much to take in at the moment.
Cam forced her face upward so he could look into her eyes. “But she’s not you. Not even a close second.”
“Is that good or bad?” Taylor whispered, her eyes wide and a little frightened to hear his response. She felt as though her whole life depended on his answer.
“Good. Better than good. You’re exactly what I want.” Cam bent his head, dusting her lips with gentle, soft kisses. The tension, the stress, and the worry about their future slowly drained from her shoulders. Cam had magic lips. “Tay, I don’t love Bre as anything more than an old friend. She knows it and I’ve known it since I opened my eyes and saw the way she looked at Jax. I just had a hard time accepting it. I thought I had pushed her away, but she was never mine to push away, or at least not since she met Jax.”
“Then why all the drama?” she asked, shaking her head in confusion.
“What drama?” Cam’s thumb slowly stroked her cheekbone, his eyes drawing her in like no one else could.
“The women, the video, the self-destructive crap.” She took a deep breath. She hated thinking about Cam’s life a month ago.
Cam smiled, but it wasn’t his carefree smile that she loved. He looked a little sad, a lot regretful and tiny bit whimsical. “Maybe it was the only way I’d find you.”
She kissed him softly, then pulled back. “I like that answer, but the truth would be nice too.”
He tapped the tip of her nose. “I think it is the truth. Don’t knock fate.” When she rolled her eyes, he sighed. “I don’t know how to explain it. I have great parents. They love me. They support me. I’m lucky. We had the white picket fence life down to the last detail. Then Bre moved into the house next door when I was ten and her life was so different from mine. She always looked sad and lonely and I decided I would be the person who changed her life for the better. I know it’s silly. We were just kids. I mean, what could I do?”
“It’s not silly. It’s sweet.”
Cam rolled his eyes. “A guy doesn’t want to be called sweet. Sexy and handsome would be better.”
“Whatever.”
“Anyway, I had it in my mind that I’d be the one who would make her happy and I failed. The minute I came to California, I shoved her to the back of my mind and forgot about her and put my needs first. And that’s not even the worst part. I hurt her. I abused her trust and I didn’t support her when she needed me because I was too wrapped up in my own bullshit life to be bothered with what she needed. When I realized what I did, I didn’t like myself very much, and I became self-destructive.” He looked down.
Taylor pushed Cam’s shaggy blonde hair from his eyes. “We all make mistakes and she found Jax. She’s happy now. It’s all good.”
“And I found you.” His fingertips were feather soft against her skin as his hands traced her jaw line, her neck and the tops of her shoulders until he reached the knot at the back of her neck securing her silver silk halter-top. He played with the ends of the ties and then his fingers glided along the skin of her bare upper back. “Do you believe me? I don’t want you to think I love Bre like that because I don’t and I’m not sure I ever did. It just took me awhile to put all the pieces together.”
His face was so earnest she knew he told her the truth. “I believe you.”
“Thank god.” He grinned as his fingers continued to explore every inch of her exposed skin. “I can’t decide which is softer, your skin or this shirt.”
Shivering, she arched into him. He pulled on one end of the knot securing the back of her top and he pushed it down her shoulders exposing her breasts to a cool rush of air from the overhead air conditioning vent. Bending his head, he kissed the top of her right shoulder moving downward, pausing every couple inches, until he stopped at the top of her breasts. He looked up at her; his eyes focused one hundred percent on her, telling her everything she needed to know about how he felt about her without saying a single word.
“I’m infatuated with every inch of your body, inside and out. You know that, right?” he whispered, his lips turned up every so wickedly, hinting at a smile. With his eyes burning into her, his fingertips circled her nipples until they puckered under his ministrations. His head dipped and he took one of her nipples in his mouth, teasing and lashing the tip, soothing it with his tongue until she sucked in a deep breath of air. Then he shifted to the other breast, applying that same dedication to her other nipple. The ability to think with any sort of clarity deserted her. She was at his mercy.
She whimpered in need, anticipation and love. Oh god, love. It was true. She loved Cam so much that she couldn’t turn back now. She’d gone over the cliff. She wanted him all the time and in that instant, more than anything, she wished she didn’t have to hide their relationship for one more second.
Grinding his hips against her center, she felt his hardness against her body right where she wanted, except there were way too many clothes between them, or at least in her opinion.
Her hands slid down his chest, to the top of his pants. Trembling, she pulled at the button of his jeans until he released her nipple from his mouth and pushed her hands away, unbuttoning them for her. Not wanting to wait, she pushed his pants and boxer briefs down his hips and he stepped out, leaving them abandoned in a puddle on the floor.
Dropping to his knees, he slid her new black heels off her feet and trailed kisses along her arch. “You even have beautiful feet,” he said as he stood up, reaching for the button of her pants. His eyes watching her intently, he slid her pants down her legs igniting every nerve in her body as they slid over her hips, her thighs, calves, finally joining his pants in a pile on the floor near his feet.
Kicking their clothes to the side, he stepped between her legs again and his mouth captured hers in a kiss so sinful and powerful, she thought she would weep with the beauty of it. His erection pressed against her entrance, teasing her with its proximity.
He pulled back staring at her. “I missed you today.” His voice was gentle and heartfelt. “I could hardly concentrate on the concert. I kept waiting to see your face.”
She nodded because she understood. Even angry and heartbroken, she wanted him. “I missed you too.”
“Promise me you’ll talk to me before you jump to conclusions in the future.”
She looked down and nodded.
“Look at me,” he demanded as he slid one finger inside her and her hips lurched tow
ard him of their own volition. She was the puppet and he was the puppeteer pulling on her strings, orchestrating every movement and sensation, and she loved every second.
Moaning she tilted her head toward the ceiling as his fingers rubbed in and out, seeking and finding every sensitive spot with ease until she was close, so close. Her eyes closed, chasing the elusive climax hiding just out of her reach. Just one second before she found it, he gently pulled his fingers out of her and she whimpered. Smiling like he knew exactly what he just did to her, he positioned himself at her entrance.
As he wrapped her legs around his waist, her hips tipped forward desperate to have him completely inside her. “You feel so good,” he said, his voice husky, as he slowly pushed inside her. One inch, two inches, two and half inches and back out again.
“You’re cruel,” she murmured, opening her eyes to watch the expression on his face as their bodies merged together. “Stop teasing me.”
Groaning, he plunged into her fully and she couldn’t imagine anything more pleasurable than the sensation of being filled completely by him. His blue eyes darkened and his pupils dilated with every deep thrust inside of her body. Certain her face mirrored his, she couldn’t look away. It was as though an invisible string tied them together.
When pleasure started racing through her all over again, she grinded her hips against him, needing him as close as possible to her as much as she needed her next breath. He quickened his pace, slamming into her over and over until she was moaning and panting with exertion. Wrapping his hands around the back of her hips, he tipped her pelvis upward and that was all it took. Every muscle tensed in her body and then it hit her full force and she cried out his name. Almost instantly, Cam groaned as he emptied himself inside of her.
For prolonged minutes, he stood in front of her, the room utterly silent except for their labored breaths, her legs still wrapped around his torso and her face buried against his chest. Her body felt like liquid as she let herself sink into his warmth.
Someone knocked on the door and her heart sped up again. “It’s locked,” Cam whispered so softly next to her ear that she could barely make out the words. Cam stepped back sliding out of her and reaching for their pants on the floor.
Another knock reverberated through the room as Taylor pulled her pants up her legs and retied her halter-top.
“Cam,” Jax said through hollow metal door.
“Yeah?” Cam buttoned his pants and raked his fingers through his messy hair.
“The meet and greet was supposed to start ten minutes ago. We’ve been looking for you since you walked off the stage.”
“I’ll meet you there in five minutes,” Cam said as he brushed her hair away from her face and winked at her.
Jax didn’t respond immediately. “Are you with Taylor?”
Cam turned to look at her and she shook her head. She didn’t want Jax to know about them because he’d tell Alec and even though Alec suspected something, she didn’t want to confirm anything until the tour ended. It was better that way.
“Yes.”
“Are you serious?” she whispered, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. What was he doing? This wasn’t the right place or time to share this.
“Relax.” Cam grabbed her hand pulling her toward the door. “I told Alec about us this morning. It’s all worked out.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“We were a little busy just now,” he answered with a cocky smirk and then kissed her soundly on her lips. “But I planned on it.” He pulled her toward the door.
“No.” She shook her head. “I’m not going out there. You go ahead. I’ll…um.” She licked her suddenly dry lips and then cleared her throat. “I’ll see you back at the hotel. I’m tired.”
Cam smirked. “Get over it, Tay. It’s not a big deal.”
“To you,” she grumbled as Cam opened the door. He knitted his fingers through hers as he brought her hand to his mouth and brushed a kiss across her knuckles. Her body melted a little more.
As they stepped into the hallway, Jax pushed away from the wall. “What the fuck?” Jax said heatedly, shaking his head in disbelief as he took in their appearance and their intertwined hands.
Dropping her hand, Cam stepped in front of her shielding her. “I told you I’d meet you there. You didn’t need to wait. I won’t get lost.”
“You actually did it.” Jax raked his hands through his hair. “I didn’t believe it when Bre told me she thought something was going on between you two. I guess I gave you too much credit. I thought you’d actually do the right thing for once.”
“Jax,” Cam took a couple steps, his body slanted forward, his hands clenched at his sides. “This is none of your business, so back the fuck off. The tour ends in a few days and I stayed out of trouble. As I see it, everything worked out perfectly. The label is happy. You should be too.”
Jax scoffed as he raised his eyebrows. “Really, and how will Alec feel about you hooking up with his sister? I find it hard to believe that he will be okay with it. Your track record and history leave a lot to be desired. He wouldn’t want that for his sister. No fucking way.”
“Back off, Jax,” Cam repeated through clenched teeth. “You don’t know anything about this.”
Taylor chewed her lower lip, hating the disgust on Jax’s face and the anger permeating from Cam. She didn’t want them to fight about this, but Jax didn’t have the right to interfere with their relationship. It wasn’t his place to dictate who Cam dated. “Alec knows,” she said inserting her body between Jax and Cam in case either of them decided to throw a punch.
“What?” Jax said clearly stunned by her comment.
“He knows that we’re seeing each other,” she reiterated.
Jax’s eyes drifted to Cam. “He does?”
“Yes.” Cam folded his arms across his chest.
“And he is okay with it?” Jax asked, looking between the two of them.
“He accepted it,” Cam answered evasively.
She nodded to Jax indicating her approval of Cam’s assessment of his conversation with Alec. Taylor would have to quiz him about the conversation later in private because this wasn’t the right place or time, but she was really curious about the details. She couldn’t imagine that Alec accepted it as easily as Cam wanted Jax to believe.
Jax exhaled loudly. “I don’t think this is a good idea. It doesn’t look professional for Taylor or you. She signed a contract with Chasing Ruin to keep you out of trouble. Now you’re sleeping together. Not good.” Jax rubbed his eyes with the palms of his hands. “She needs to resign now.”
“No,” Cam shot back almost instantly. “The tour is almost over. She needs to finish so this doesn’t impact her resume. She needs the experience. I don’t want this to fuck with her future.”
Taylor turned away momentarily to hide the tears threatening to spill down her face. Before Cam, nobody ever cared about anything that might hurt her except for Alec. Miles only cared about himself and whether she fit the role he wanted to her play at any particular second. Her mother barely noticed if she was alive or dead until one of her boyfriends slapped her around, and then her mother only laughed or looked away in disgust if Taylor tried to fight back.
“She should have thought of that before she—”
“Don’t finish that sentence,” Cam warned stepping within inches of Jax’s face. “She doesn’t deserve any of the blame. It was all me.”
Taylor grabbed Cam’s hand. She wouldn’t let Cam take the fall for her. “He’s not telling the truth. I pushed him into this. He was a perfect gentleman.”
“Tay,” Cam said.
“Cam, it’s true. If someone’s going to get in trouble, it should be me.”
He started shaking his head.
“You and Jax need to get to the meet and greet. You can finish the conversation later.” Or not, Taylor added silently.
Jax’s eyes drifted back and forth between her and Cam. After a few tense seconds, his shoulders finall
y dropped and he blew out a long exaggerated breath. “Fine. The band can vote on how we handle the situation. I won’t make any decisions alone. We’re a team.”
Taylor tensed. The last thing she wanted was the band discussing her sex life. She couldn’t think of many things more humiliating at the moment, especially since the conversation would include her brother.
Cam squeezed her hand, pulling her toward him, his blue eyes compassionate. He pressed a kiss to her cheek. “Don’t worry. I’ll take care of it. Your brother won’t do anything to hurt you and Marcus won’t get involved. Nothing’s going to happen and Jax knows it. He just wants to protect the band. He’s not mad at you.”
She nodded, hoping Cam was right.
Just before they stepped into the green room for the formal meet and greet, Cam slipped his hands around her waist, drawing her closer to him. “Don’t even consider leaving without me. I have a surprise for you tonight.”
Her eyes went wide.
“You’ll love it.” He took a step toward a long rectangular table, then stopped and looked over his shoulder with a warm, slightly devious smile. “Or at least I hope so.”
“Will you at least give me a hint?” she called after him.
He chuckled and kept walking.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Cam could barely wait until this meet and greet thing ended. Normally, he didn’t mind interacting with the fans and signing a few autographs. It gave him the opportunity to scope out hookup opportunities for the night and it reminded him how much he loved being a part of Chasing Ruin, but tonight he didn’t want to be Cam, the lead guitarist for Chasing Ruin. First and foremost, he wanted to be Taylor’s boyfriend and he suspected that that sentiment wouldn’t change anytime soon.
Tonight would be the only night he and Taylor had alone in a hotel before the tour ended. Until they reached Seattle, they had to sleep on the bus, and while tempting; he didn’t think he should risk crawling into Taylor’s bunk again while the guys slept. Last time, no one woke up, but he didn’t think their luck would hold if he tried it again. Besides, now that everyone knew he and Taylor were together, they’d be watching him or least Alec would be, and he couldn’t blame him.