I know the smile is not intended for me but rather for the benefit of his son. However, it’s nearly impossible to look away. He must notice me staring at him because he lifts his hand to wave, and I honestly almost turn to see if he’s possibly waving at someone behind me. Rather than make either one of us feel stupid, or at least me, I give a half-smile and a small wave in return as I climb the stairs to my deck.
Once inside, I practically run to the master bath to jump in the shower. The overwhelming sadness is hitting, and I need to call Quinn. I was naïve to believe that I was going to be completely immune to what happened yesterday. I need to talk to her again and hear the words that only Quinn will know to say. She’s my rock, and I’m starting to wish I had asked her to come back. I need to get myself in a better place by Monday morning so I can walk into my company with my head held high. Shit. This is going to be harder than I originally thought.
Chapter 3
Cam
“Hey, Mon, I’m going to run next door to see if the neighbor will be around next week. Just so I know if you guys will have someone around.”
“Sounds good. Do you want me to come with?”
“No. You go on up and take that bath you’ve been dying to have since you got here.”
“You got it. You certainly don’t have to tell me twice.”
Monica walks over to give me a hug, and as I’ve become accustomed to doing, I wrap my arms around her for a good five seconds. I know that during those seconds she feels comfort and security. It’s the least I can do, and I have given up feeling guilty about it. At first I just didn’t think it was right to hug my brother’s wife that way, but now I understand it’s what she needs.
“Don’t stay up too late.” I start to walk to the patio door and turn back over my shoulder. “Remember, I leave early tomorrow morning, and I’m on the road for the week. Are you going to be okay here by yourself?”
She waves her hand at me. “Of course, we’ll be fine. Cameron and I will enjoy the beach and do some exploring around town and nearby.”
“Okay. Call if you need anything. I probably won’t see you in the morning because I have to be out before sunrise.”
“Thanks, Cam. Try to have a good week.”
I nod at her before I turn back to walk out on the deck. Although I’ve sworn off women for the rest of my life—or at least for the next thirty or forty years—I’m intrigued by the creature next door. I want to see her up close at the very least. That tight body she was showing off today would be enough for any man to take notice. From a distance she appears beautiful, like Victoria-Secret-model gorgeous. Even though I absolutely refuse to date one or even get involved with one right now, I can still appreciate the view of a beautiful woman.
I see lights on around her back deck, and I’m hopeful she’s outside so I don’t have to appear creepy by knocking on her door to introduce myself. I remind myself that’s all I’m doing. I want to see if someone will be close by for Monica and Cameron should they need anything while I’m on the road.
As I near the steps I see a figure sitting on some crazy daybed pod that looks like it could be from outer space. Although it does look comfortable with the nearly fifty pillows thrown around on the very cushioned surface.
Halfway up the staircase I hear a small sob. Shit! Why do I do these things to myself? The last thing I can handle right now is an emotional woman. I quickly run the options through my head and realize I can try and turn around before she notices me or I have to continue forward. These are my only real choices.
I try to turn around on the step, but it creaks and her head shoots up. Shit! I can’t pretend like I don’t see her, and she certainly sees me based on how round her eyes are now. Feeling like an ass for interrupting a private moment, I continue up the last few stairs.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bother you. I just wanted to come over and introduce myself.” I glance to her side and see a box of Kleenex along with a very large pile of used tissues. Oh man, this is not good.
Although I want to turn around and run back to the house next door, I’m rooted in my spot when I see the pain and vulnerability in her beautiful eyes. Even though some of the initial fear has left them, they are still quite large. I’m honestly having a difficult time determining if they are green or brown. I know that sounds crazy because they are two very distinct colors, but I’ve never seen eyes like hers. They’re so mesmerizing I almost walk right up to kiss the pain away. No! No, I’m not even going to think of doing something so stupid right now.
“Um, it’s okay.” She sniffles, but I notice there are no more tears falling. She appears calmer. “I was just getting something out of my system.”
I chuckle at her light-hearted approach to whatever is wrong. “I hope I didn’t interrupt you getting it completely out.”
She laughs, a soft sound, and shakes her head. “No, it’s fine. I’m Ashley.”
I hesitate to offer my hand because I don’t want her to feel forced to shake it if she doesn’t want the physical contact with a guy. I can tell by the look in her eyes that it’s some idiot that hurt her. I know the difference between loss and betrayal. She was betrayed. I’ve had too much experience with both types of pain, so unfortunately, I can get a good read.
Against my better judgment, I take the last couple of steps to be within reaching distance and put my hand out to her. “I’m Cam. Or Cameron. Either one is fine.”
Her eyes shift to my hand and I notice the slight widening of her eyes. Again. Yep, I made the wrong call. She doesn’t want to have to take it, so I quickly drop my hand. This seems to confuse her more but she doesn’t comment on it.
I look at the circle couch-thing and realize that if I sit on the side opposite her there will still be a good three feet of space between us. I hope that doesn’t make her uncomfortable, but for some reason I’m not quite ready to turn and head back to the house. I’m not sure that she wants me to stay, but I’m hoping a few minutes will be okay. I need just a few more to take in the beauty of this woman.
The only description I can think of that would even start to do her justice is an angel. She looks angelic with her blond waves around her shoulders and those large doe eyes staring up at me. I’m afraid to spend any time looking at her lips for fear that I will not be able to stop myself from tasting them. Right now, I know they’re parted and turned down slightly on each side. I want to kiss the sadness away and help her understand that whoever hurt her is an asshole because if I had her, I would hold on and never let go. Ever.
“Do you mind?” I nod my head toward the couch. Without hesitation, she shakes her head. Good. I’m feeling marginally better that she may not feel like I’m intruding on her alone time.
“Is your son sleeping?”
I hear the question, but it takes me a moment to register what she’s asking. I smile. “No. I mean, yes he’s sleeping, but he’s not my son. That’s my nephew, Cameron. His mother is Monica, my sister-in-law.”
Something crosses her face and my eyes flick down briefly to see the corners of her mouth lift up the smallest bit.
“I see. How long are you staying in the house?”
“I’m leaving tomorrow morning, but Monica will be here for the next month or so.” I shrug my shoulders. “Not sure exactly how long but for a while. Do you live here full-time?”
She shakes her head and then glances down at her phone when it starts ringing. She looks back up at me as she holds a finger up. “I’m sorry. This will only take a minute, but I have to pick it up.”
I nod and bite back my laugh. If nothing else, I have got to see whom the person is that goes along with that ringtone, “Maneater” by Hall & Oates.
“Hey, girl.”
I can’t hear what the other person is saying, but I can tell she’s animated.
“No. Absolutely not.” Ashley is shaking her head even though I’m the only one that can see her. “I promise you I’m fine. Please do not get on a plane. Q, I’ll be more upset if you sh
ow up here.”
She’s still shaking her head while she listens again.
“I know. I’m sorry I called earlier. I didn’t mean to scare you, but I promise I’m doing much better.” She shrugs her shoulders at me with a guilty look.
Yes, I’m aware that she clearly is not doing better at least as of five minutes ago when I caught her crying.
“Quinn, I love you but I will be very upset if you cut your vacation short to come here and take care of me.”
I get the gist of the conversation. This must be her best friend or at least a very close girlfriend. I gently place my hand on her knee to get her attention again. She looks up at me, confusion apparent on her face.
“Can you put it on speaker?”
She puts her hand over the phone. “Why?”
“I will convince your friend that you’re fine.”
“Why would you do that?”
“Just put her on speaker.” I tilt my head to the side and hold her gaze. “Please,” I add softly.
“Quinn. I’m going to put you on speaker.”
She hits the button on her screen and lays the phone down on the couch between us. She gestures toward me.
“Hello, Quinn.” I make sure to let my full drawl come out for good measure. “If I promise to make sure Ashley here is fine tonight, will you stay on your vacation?”
“Wait! What? Who the hell is this? Ash!”
“It’s my next door neighbor.” She shrugs again.
“Wait.” Quinn hesitates for a moment. “Oh, you mean Mr. Hottie!”
I lift my head and raise an eyebrow at Ashley. Even in the dimly lit area I can see red creep across her face.
“Q! Cut it out.”
“Well, I’m just sayin’. If the face and body match that glorious voice, I may fly home so he can take care of me.”
Ashley rolls her eyes and shakes her head. “Quinn. You’re on vacation with Francis. I don’t think trying to pick up another man is what you’re supposed to be focused on.”
“That will be over when I get home anyhow. So, Mr. Hottie, do you promise to take real good care of my girl?”
“Yes, Quinn. I promise to make sure Ashley is just fine before I go home tonight.”
Her friend laughs. “Damn. Now I found your flaw. You’re a good ol’ boy. I bet your momma is real proud.”
I smile at Ashley, who looks even more mortified. “You got me. Nothing but manners and chivalry here.” I laugh and so does Quinn, but Ashley still looks embarrassed.
“Fine. Ash, I will accept that you’re going to make it through tonight. But just so you know, I will come home immediately if you need me. I’ll be back in three days, but if you need me before that you call. I’m serious. Understand?”
“Yeah, I got it. Thank you for checking on me. I love you.”
“Love you too.” She pauses. “Hottie, I owe you one.”
I laugh at the nickname and can’t wait to hear Ashley stumble over an excuse. “No problem. I’m happy to keep Ashley company.”
She’s laughing again as she hangs up her phone.
“I’m really sorry about her. I love her to death, but she can be over the top for some people. About the nickname, she just does things like that.”
I wave my hand at her. “Don’t worry about it.” I smile wider. “So you told your friend about me?”
I can see her torn on answering and at that second her phone lights up with a text. I can’t read it before Ashley’s hand flies out to snatch it up. I did see a lot, I mean a lot, of exclamation points but that’s about it. Ashley has turned an even more vibrant shade of red and I would give anything to see what Quinn texted her.
“What did she have to say?”
She looks up from her phone, the light of the screen casting a personal spotlight on her. God, she’s beautiful. Even though she’s obviously been crying for a while I can’t imagine anything taking away from her beauty.
“Honestly, even if I knew you very well, I couldn’t repeat what she typed. Let’s just say she sent a Quinnism. Sorry, but it’s not meant for anyone else’s eyes or ears.”
“Fair enough. So what do I need to do to make sure you’re okay before I leave you tonight? After all, I did promise Quinn, and I never back out on a promise.”
“Cam, you don’t have to stay with me. I’m not good company right now.”
I don’t know why, but I’m happy she chose Cam over Cameron.
“Can I be honest with you, Ashley?”
She doesn’t say anything but nods. Those eyes are gazing at me expectantly now.
“I’m not good company right now either. I only came over to introduce myself and if I’m being one hundred percent honest, also because I had to see you up close. You’re a very beautiful woman.” Her eyes get a little wider at the comment but she doesn’t say anything. “I’m sorry that I walked up when you were obviously upset, but for some reason I can’t leave. I promise that you’re safe with me, and I will not take advantage of your vulnerability. I could use a friend right now, and I think you need the same.”
I sit back against the pillows and wait to see how she’s going to respond.
Chapter 4
Ashley
I continue to stare at him. I’m not even sure what to say right now. This man arrives on my deck and proceeds to convince my best friend that he will take care of me tonight. He doesn’t even know why I’m upset, and I guarantee that he doesn’t want to listen to my sob story. But when he added the comment that he needed a friend too, it makes me wonder if I should trust him. Either that or it’s a line he’s using on me. I can’t afford to risk that he’s using a line to pick me up, but I’m more intrigued by his offer. And him.
Wine. I know I had too much last night, but I need a glass right now. I’m not sure what has happened in the last ten minutes but I need something to relax me. I move to get up, and his eyes follow me. I see him start to move to stand up, probably thinking I’m going to ask him to leave, but I motion for him to stay seated.
“Beer or wine?”
He hesitates, and I wonder if he doesn’t drink. “Um, one beer if you have it.” He shrugs his perfect shoulders. “Sorry. I have to work tomorrow.”
I furrow my brow. “On Sunday?” He nods but doesn’t say anything else. “You’re not a priest, are you?”
He drops his head back and laughs. The sound hits a nerve in me, and I realize I want to hear more of that beautiful rumble.
“I’ll be back in a minute. Do you need a blanket or anything?” He shakes his head.
When I come back outside a few minutes later, he’s shifted so that he’s leaning back against the stack of pillows on his side of the couch. He has one hand behind his head and the other resting on his stomach. He appears absolutely relaxed and in his element. For a moment, I just take in his flawless body and absolute masculinity.
“Hey,” I say as I hand him the beer. “I was pretty sure you were a beer out of the bottle kind of guy, but if you prefer a glass just let me know.”
“You’re correct.” His nod is quick but his lids dip with it and the movement exudes sex appeal. Shit.
I sit down with my glass of wine and pull my blanket back over me so I’m fully covered and tucked in. I play with an invisible thread on the blanket while thinking how to approach the start of this conversation.
“I think we need a few ground rules.” He raises that damn eyebrow. I say damn because it lifts into a perfect arch, and it does the same thing the sound of his laughter does to me. I want more of both. “First, you said we’re here just as friends, right?”
“Yes. For me it’s what I need, and I think it’s the same for you right now.”
“Perfect. Second, we stick with first names only.”
The speed with which Cam nods is almost alarming. It makes me rethink my decision to stay anonymous. How could he be that concerned about me knowing his full name? If he was that famous or whatever, wouldn’t I already recognize him? Or is he still messing with me? I
s he looking for a one-night stand and not the friendship he claims? He senses my hesitation.
“How about a few basic questions out of the way?” I nod, encouraging him to continue. “Nothing too personal that gives away our identities.”
I quickly nod again. Depending on what he does for a living, he may recognize my last name immediately. If he did recognize it, he mostly like would already know everything about my family and the company. I don’t want that right now. I want to get caught up in this moment and forget about the hell I’ve been through.
“Age?”
“Thirty-two. You?”
Something causes him to hesitate, but then he answers. “Thirty. Is this your house?”
“My mom’s. Where are you originally from? Because we both know it’s not California.”
He laughs. “Texas. Born and raised until I left for my first career at nineteen. You?”
“Here. Well, San Francisco to be more specific. I was born and raised there. Occupation?” He shakes his head no, and I’m not going to argue. I don’t want him to share anything he doesn’t want to. “I’ll go with a very generic answer on that one and say business for me.”
“Fair enough. Family?”
“Shit. Can we go with something easier first?”
He opens his mouth and then closes it again. Then he asks, “Favorite memory?”
Screw this. That crap is way harder to answer. “Forget it. I’ll answer the other question. For some reason I trust you.” I eye him over my wine glass and he nods. His eyes are studying me, and I think he cares—or at least he’s putting on a great front that he cares. “But I’m not going to tell you the full story about both my family and the most recent disaster. I can’t handle that much emotion in one night. It will be your choice which one you want to hear.”
“Got it.”
“Both of my parents are dead and I have one sister. She’s six years younger and the quintessential brat. She’s been handed everything on a silver platter. My mother had no siblings, and her parents passed away a couple years ago. My dad didn’t see eye to eye with his family, so he hadn’t talked to them for the last thirty years of his life. Therefore, I don’t know any of them. Actually, what’s really sad is that I don’t even know how many of them there are.”
Here for You Page 2