Chapter 16

sixteen

Fiona looked toward the choppy water and the darkening skies as the storm clouds rolled in. Thunder rumbled in the distance as she glanced at the wall clock from her spot on the couch in Cam's great room. "It's almost seven thirty, buddy. We should get ready for books and bed."

Brady shut off the TV, walking to the French doors in his Hulk pajamas as lightning speared across the sky. "I don't like to go to bed when it thunders."

She had peeked at the local radar on her phone when the wind picked up several minutes ago. They were due for a doozy of a storm. "Thunder makes you nervous, huh?"

He sighed as he nodded. "Yeah."

Brady had been fine when a storm rolled through while they ate their lunch and played a board game, but his eyes had darted to the sky several times when the warning system alerted them to the threat of severe storms during his cartoons.

Fiona walked to stand next to him, wearing a pair of light-gray joggers and a simple white T-shirt. She knelt at his level, wrapping a supportive arm around his shoulders as she realized how tense he was. "I didn't like thunder and lightning when I was your age either, especially at nighttime. Now I think it's pretty cool."

He looked at her. "You do?"

She nodded. "Thunder's just a whole lot of noise, and lightning can't hurt you if you're safe inside."

"I still don't like it."

She smiled. "That's okay."

"Do I have to go to bed? Maybe I should brush my teeth again."

She grinned. "Once is probably enough, especially since you did such a nice job. And you went to the bathroom during the last commercial, so I'd say it's time to get cozy under the covers. We'll read a million books until you're super sleepy."

"And you'll stay with me until the thunder goes away?"

Nodding, she gained her feet. "Definitely. But I bet your dad will be home by then, too."

He captured her hand, turning on several lights as they started toward the stairs, squeezing her fingers when lightning flashed again. "I bet Bob's feeling afraid on my pillow."

They headed up the steps. "You'll have to give him a great big hug and invite him to snuggle up with us."

Brady smiled as he turned on the light in his bedroom. "He'll like that."

Fiona shut the curtains so they no longer saw the dark-gray skies and blowing trees, then pulled back the covers on Brady's bed. "Go ahead and pick out some books."

Brady perused his many options, eventually picking six, then ran to the bed when thunder shook the house and rain began pounding on the roof. "I'm scared."

"We're safe and sound, I promise."

He nodded as he crawled up to his pillow, hugging Bob.

She sat next to him on the mattress, ready to get comfy. "Come on. Let's snuggle up and get lost in a story."

Brady stopped her from pulling up the covers with his hand on her arm. "You forgot to say the stuff Dad tells me."

"Oh. What does he say?" Because this was her first time tucking Brady in.

"He gets on his knees next to my bed and holds my hands. Then he says ‘You're smart and amazing. I love you to the moon and back. I'm so lucky I get to be your dad.'"

"Oh," she said, pressing her hand to her gooey heart. Cam was such a sweet, wonderful man. "Okay."

Getting out of bed, she settled herself on her knees next to Brady, capturing his hands. "I should probably say something a little different since I'm not your dad."

Brady nodded.

She cleared her throat, taking a moment. Because she wanted to get this right. "You're smart and amazing. You make my heart happy. I'm so lucky I get to be your best friend."

Brady grinned, hugging her. "I like it."

She chuckled, returning his embrace. "I'm glad you do."

Brady let her go. "Now you kiss my forehead, and then we read."

She kissed where he pointed above his nose. "Okay. Let's get to our book." Resettling herself next to him, she pulled the covers over them as they got cozy against the headboard and pillows. "Do you want to take off your splint?"

"Yeah."

"Do you need some help?"

He shook his head as he pulled at the Velcro. "Dad said I achieved expert-level with my splint."

Fiona laughed. "It sounds like you've got it under control."

He pulled it off, exposing the greenish-yellow bruising on his wrist. "See how expert I am?"

She nodded. "I'm impressed. And your wrist is looking better every day."

"Uh-huh."

She put the splint on the nightstand. "Okay. Which story first?"

"Um, this one." He handed her a book about a turtle who was afraid of thunderstorms.

She grinned. "This looks perfect." Opening to the first page, they both got lost in the adventure, doing their best to ignore the torrents of rain and the occasional clap of thunder.

Brady yawned as the story ended. "We should do another."

She studied his sleepy green eyes, well aware that if she kept reading, he would fall asleep. "Definitely."

He handed her a book about the Marvel characters saving the day. "I like this one."

"I can't wait to see what happens." She began to read, looking at Brady halfway through the new adventure, realizing his eyes were closed. Reading a couple more pages for good measure, she shut the book, setting the entire stack on his nightstand, staying put like she'd promised she would until the storm passed.

She glanced at the time on her phone and then toward the window, where the rain still poured beyond the curtains, worrying a little about Cam. He'd texted a few times throughout the day, letting her know he was running late after a round of storms had delayed his crew's progress. But he should have been home by now.

Settling more comfortably against the pillow, her thoughts wandered back to their kiss—as they had all day. Even when she and Brady had been busy running errands, she'd found herself distracted, unable to think about much else.

They'd been doing so well with their new dynamic. She'd tried her best to keep some semblance of an emotional distance, but Cam had snuck his way back under her radar with his humor and good heart.

When he stopped her in the bathroom doorway yesterday afternoon, he surprised her. She'd seen the yearning in his eyes as they breathed each other's breaths—the same yearning she'd felt for weeks and tried to ignore.

It had felt so good to taste Cam again—to let his skillful mouth take command. To feel his hands on her body. It was as if no time had passed at all.

She'd expected regrets after her crappy night of sleep, but when she pushed her covers back this morning, she'd only wanted more.

Nibbling at her lip, she worried a little because this was a road she'd never planned to travel again. She and Cam were friends. Only friends. But even as she told herself so, she craved him, knowing full well what he could do to her—what they could do to each other.

Shaking her head, she stared across the room, studying Brady's posters, determined to think about something else. Cam would be home any minute. Then she would head out and take a long, cold shower before she went to bed.

Cam tiptoed his way up the stairs when all was quiet in Brady's room. Nearly every downstairs light had been blazing bright when he pulled up in the driveway a couple of minutes ago—Brady's MO during an evening thunderstorm. Luckily, the worst of the rain had dissipated the closer Cam had driven to Maple Ridge.

Walking down the hall, he smiled as he stopped in Brady's doorway, staring at Brady and Fi asleep under the dinosaur covers. He chuckled at the way his son had sprawled out in his typical bed-hogging style while Fi lay on her side, taking up a mere few inches on the edge of the mattress.

He exhaled a long sigh as he tracked his gaze over her gorgeous face. He'd thought about her all day—about her taste and how good her soft skin had felt pressed against his.

Closing the distance between them, he crouched next to her, sliding his knuckles along her cheek, breathing in her shampoo and perfume.

Her eyes fluttered open, staring into his. She rewarded him with a slow smile.

He smiled back, holding his finger to his lips, gaining his feet when he craved to kiss her again.

Fi carefully inched her way out from under the covers, doing her best to be extra quiet as she stood.

Cam shut off Brady's lamp, waiting for Fi to step into the hallway before he closed the door halfway. "Hey," he whispered.

"Hi," she whispered back, looking sleepy and sexy in her simple outfit. "I'm afraid I fell asleep on the job."

He shrugged, adoring the way she wrinkled her nose. "It's an easy thing to do. Kids are pretty warm and squishy."

She grinned, giving him a peek at those spectacular dimples.

His smile returned as he tried to figure out where things stood. When he and Fi spoke this morning and texted throughout the day, it had been mostly business as usual. "I'm sorry I'm so late. I got caught in the storm."

"It's okay."

"How did today go?"

"Really good. We did some grocery shopping before lunch and baked some cookies this afternoon when it got too rainy to do much else."

"I'm always down for homemade cookies."

She nodded as she tucked her hair behind her ear. "They're double chocolate."

"I'll have to dig in."

"They're good."

"Good."

And then they stood in silence, holding each other's gazes while sexual tension snapped in the air. They were attempting to maintain their new status quo, but something was definitely different.

Cam sighed. "Fi, about yesterday… Our kiss… I can't stop thinking about it."

She nodded as she nervously swiped at her hair again. "I can't either."

"Maybe we should go downstairs and talk."

"Sure." But then she surprised him when she closed the distance between them, gaining her tiptoes and pressing her lips to his.

He hummed in his throat, cupping her cheeks, playing his tongue against hers.

She eased slightly back. "I take it this is okay?"

"Yeah, definitely." Pulling her against him with his hands on her waist, he brought his mouth back to hers, desperate to take his fill, still finding himself starving after so many years.

She moaned as she wrapped her arms around the back of his neck, encouraging him to take more.

"I want to touch you," he murmured against her lips.

"So touch me."

Tongues tangled again as his hands moved beneath her shirt, sliding up smooth skin until they found her bra. Unsnapping the lacy fabric, he palmed her, using his thumbs to tease her nipples to perky points.

She sighed as her head fell back. "That feels good."

"Good."

Mouths collided again for another deep kiss before he pulled back to meet her gaze. "What are we doing here, Fi?"

She shook her head. "I don't know."

Unable to get enough, his lips moved to cruise over her jaw. "If we're thinking about sex…"

She tilted her head, giving him more access as she slid her palms up and down his back, leaving goosebumps in her wake. "Sex could probably work."

He kissed her neck now. "Are you on the pill?"

She shook her head. "The hormones can make my fibroids come back."

And then he thought about the sorry state of his love life, exhaling a frustrated breath. "I don't have any condoms."

Her hands stopped moving as they stared at each other. "Oh."

"I haven't needed them." He groaned, resting his forehead against hers, beyond annoyed that he didn't have a box on hand. "If I would have had any idea that this was going to be a possibility again…"

She nodded. "I completely understand."

"God, this sucks. I want to be with you."

"I want to be with you, too." Her hands moved against his skin again. "You were— You were safe with that woman in Boston?"

He nodded. "Yeah. Absolutely."

"The two guys I dated in Seattle… We were never that serious… We always used condoms."

He eased back, holding her gaze. "You feel comfortable going bare?"

She shrugged. "If it wasn't you… But it is. But you have to be comfortable, too. We certainly don't have to worry about me getting pregnant."

The sad look he remembered from their conversation on the dock filled her eyes as she jerked her shoulders again.

He crushed his mouth down on hers as he walked her backward to his bedroom. Being with Fi again—the idea of invading her the way he used to when she was on the pill all those years ago was everything amazing. Walking through the doorway, he shut the door, pressing her up against it.

"I take it you feel good about our situation."

He grinned. "Hell, yeah."

Grinning back, she pulled his shirt over his head, tracing his pecs with her fingers, making him shiver.

Returning the favor, he tossed her shirt and bra to the floor, clenching his jaw as he stared at Fi's glorious breasts.

" Fi ," he groaned, kissing and teasing her nipples until she gasped, loving the way she'd always fit perfectly in his palms.

Eager to see all of her—to touch all of her—he sent her joggers and panties to join their other clothes on the rug.

"Perfect," he murmured as he captured her mouth, pulling her against him as he gripped her ass, growing hungrier for Fiona.

Whimpering, she rubbed her palm along his erection.

He groaned as he closed his eyes. "Damn, that feels good."

"Good." Pressing moist kisses against his neck and chest, she tugged at the button on his jeans, then at his zipper, sending them plus his boxers down. "We should get rid of these."

"Amen," he said, stepping out of them. Then his hand wandered down, impatient to touch—to make Fi come.

She stopped him with a firm grip on his wrist. "Wait."

He frowned. "What's wrong?"

She shook her head. "Nothing. I just— Be gentle. Everything changed… Things got pretty uncomfortable when I started having problems."

He nodded, noting that her shoulders were tense. "We'll go slow."

"I'm sorry."

His frown was back. "Why are you apologizing?"

"I don't know. I guess this doesn't feel like we're heading toward intense reunion sex. We used to be pretty epic."

He hated her lack of confidence—the shame he saw so clearly on her face. It wasn't hard to understand that the news from her doctors had rocked her to her core. "We'll get to where we want to go. We're just feeling things out. You're a little unsure of where things stand, and I'm hoping I won't embarrass myself by jizzing in twenty seconds or less."

She snorted out a laugh.

He grinned. "I don't want to hurt Rosie's feelings. She and I have a good thing. But she definitely doesn't feel like you."

She laughed again.

His smile returned. "We'll take our time."

She nodded as she smiled.

"Tell me if something doesn't feel good."

She nodded again. "Okay."

"Come lie down with me," he said, capturing her hand, walking with her to the bed.

She crawled on the mattress to rest her head on the pillows.

Settling next to her, he lay on his side, admiring everything about her spectacular body. "I want you to feel good—for this to be something you enjoy."

She touched his cheek. "I want both of us to enjoy."

He kissed her, letting time spin out before he teased her nipples the way he knew she liked. When her breathing changed, his hand wandered down, tracing soft, sensitive skin, finding her bud.

She gasped.

"Is this okay?"

She nodded. "It feels good."

Kissing the tip of her nose and then her chin, he slowly dipped his finger into Fi's wet warmth.

Her breaths began to quake in and out as her stomach trembled. "Yes, Cam."

Relieved that she only felt pleasure, he brought his damp finger back to her bud, rubbing in slow circles until her thighs shook and she pulled his face back to hers for a deep kiss.

Recognizing that she was on the edge, he moved faster until she gasped and closed her eyes. Then she froze, climaxing on a quiet moan.

"More," he whispered, moving faster yet, watching as she bucked and shuddered, loving the way she lost control.

"Cam," she panted out as she opened her eyes. "I want you. Right now, I want you."

Moving to settle himself on top of her, he kissed her, more than ready to enter her. "Tell me if I'm hurting you."

She nodded.

Penetrating her slowly, he inched his way deeper, clenching his jaw as her tight wetness welcomed him. "God, Fi," he gritted through his teeth, stopping to let her adjust to his girth, knowing he was big.

"Cam," she shuddered out on a moan, staring into his eyes. "You feel so good."

"You're okay?"

She nodded as she locked her legs around his waist. "I'm more than okay. I feel normal."

He captured her hands, lacing their fingers as he began to move—thrusting gently, certain he hadn't felt anything this amazing since the last time they were together. Craving to fill her—to claim her as his—he kissed her. "I'm going to move faster."

"Okay."

He picked up his pace as her breathing changed—the way it did right before she came. "Come, Fi." Because he wanted to watch her—to feel her as she went wild beneath him.

Her body trembled as they held each other's gazes. "I'm so close."

Groaning, he pumped faster, eager to fall with her.

And then she let herself go, tipping her head back and crying out as she throbbed around him.

He clutched at her fingers as he exploded, filling the woman he'd wanted to be with since the moment she left for London.

Letting his head rest in the crook of her neck, he breathed in her shampoo as he caught his breath.

Fi hummed in her throat as she wrapped her legs tighter around him.

Smiling as he kissed her soft skin, he lifted his head, staring into her big brown eyes. "I have to admit I'm digging my view right now."

She grinned. "I like what I see, too."

"I'd say that wasn't half-bad."

"It was better than that."

He brushed her hair back from her sweaty forehead, not wanting this moment to end. "You're okay?"

She nodded. "Without a doubt. And kudos to your staying power."

He laughed. "I feel like I represented fairly well."

Her grin was back. "Agreed."

He felt his smile dim. "Was this a one-time deal or do you think we'll do this again?" Because he needed to know where things stood. At least when it came to him and Fi in the bedroom.

She sighed as she traced the line of his jaw. "I still want to keep things simple, but I can see this happening again."

"I like that answer. Simple's good." Or it was good enough. "Should I pick up a box of condoms?"

She shrugged. "If that makes you feel more comfortable, I'm certainly okay with it."

He shook his head, not hating that he still lay nestled deep inside of her—that even after he pulled out, she would still be full of him. "The way we're doing things feels pretty damn good to me."

She smiled. "I like it, too."

He steamed out a breath as the sexual haze began to leave his brain, remembering that his son slept down the hall. This was a first—something he'd never done. Few women were welcome in his everyday life. None were welcome in his bedroom.

Fi's brow furrowed. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. It's just really important that Brady doesn't know there's anything going on between us. I don't want him getting confused, especially since you're going back to Seattle sooner rather than later."

Fiona nodded. "I one thousand percent agree."

He nodded, kissing her, wanting to pretend Seattle didn't exist. "I like being here with you like this."

"It's really nice." She lifted her head, pressing her lips to his. "I like feeling confident again, too. You definitely had a hand in that."

He adjusted the way he lay as he pulled himself free of her. "I'm always happy to help. But I think it's important to point out that true confidence comes from repetition."

She raised her brow, struggling not to smile as he feigned seriousness. "Is that so?"

He nodded. "That's the word on the street. And maybe Coach said something like that a time or two."

"Well, I value an expert opinion. I hear Coach is a bit of a king-maker. In the sports world, anyway. You are a four-time state champion. Ezra took home three trophies, too."

"That's very true." He felt himself growing hard as they both grinned. "I would be doing you a disservice if I didn't strongly encourage that we try all of this again."

"It sounds like it's for the best."

"Absolutely."

She opened her legs wider, and they both moaned as he entered her again.