Page 4 of One Night Redemption

“You are the expert, Lizzie. I put myself firmly in your capable hands,” I tell her.

“Speaking of capable hands … heard you had a chat with Cam this morning.”

I’m gonna kick Troy James’ ass. “How many seconds did it take for your fiancé to spill that particular can of beans? Ten? Twenty?”

“Oh, girl. No. It wasn’t even Troy,” Lizzie says with a laugh as she drags a brush through my hair and then starts sectioning it with a comb. “Ashley saw you waiting there for him when she was on her way into the lawyer’s office.”

There are bigger issues than the fits and starts of my dating life. “Is her dad really taking the house?”

Lizzie’s lips firm into a thin hard line. “Not taking. Taken. It’s a done deal and there's not shit she can do about it. Her grandma didn’t have a will. And now that her uncle has died, there’s no one to prevent her dad from selling it off. Naturally, that rat bastard is doing it out of spite because she had the gall to quit working for him when he treated her like shit.”

Ashley’s father is a full on ass. Honestly, he was more likable when he was still doing drugs and was just a dead beat. Now, he’s clean, successful, and smug about everything. That level of narcissism would be impressive if it didn’t make him such a pain in the ass. “Where’s she going to go?”

“She’s got a trailer at Dixie Plaza now. It’s a shithole, but me and Troy are helping her fix it up. And Cody. He’s been a big help, too.”

“I’ve got a few days off. I’ll swing by there and see what I can do. I’m not exactly handy, but I can manage a paint brush or a broom as good as anybody else.”

Lizzie gasps. “Don’t you fucking dare. That is a fresh manicure, Cassie. You treat it right. Besides, we don’t want to hear a peep out of you until after your date with Cam. We’re gonna need all the juicy details.”

I know Lizzie well enough to know she’s not joking. “Let’s just hope he shows this time or there won’t be any details, juicy or otherwise.”

He showed. In a pair of jeans that fit him just right and a dark green sweater that makes his eyes look like the color of a stormy sky. Fuck, he’s hot.

“Well, look what the cat dragged in,” I say, trying to play it cool, which has never been my strong suit. “Where are you taking me, hotshot?”

“I’m letting you make that decision,” he said. “I’ll drive. I’ll pay. I’ll dote on your every whim.”

Yeah, that all sounds fantastic. And filthy. Because none of my whims are suitable for the public. “Then order a pizza and prepare yourself for a chick flick marathon.”

“Not The Notebook. Tell me it’s anything but The Notebook,” he groans dramatically.

I’m tempted to make him watch it out of spite. “Come on in and find out.” I turn and head back into the house, leaving the door open behind me. I’m playing with fire—being alone in my house with him. I can trust Cam not to push for more than I’m willing to give. And that’s the real problem. When it comes to him, I can’t really trust myself.

Chapter

Four

Cam

"So did they barbecue Frank?" I'm asking, my mind blown and mouth hanging wide open.

"Yes," she laughs. "Idgie and Ruth got rid of him the only way they knew how. Friends are ride or die, and when you find one that will do anything for you, you keep them. Also, it would probably be good for you to remember this. I mean, there were a lot of things I wanted to do to you after you stood me up. Not this intense, but I one hundred percent thought about leaving a rude note on the windshield of your Bronco."

I stretch my arm out along the back of the couch, shivering slightly. "I apologized, and I'll do it again if I need to, so you don't decide to feed me to your friends."

She laughs again. "Frank was an asshole. Mean and just not a good guy. You've always been a decent guy, Cam. You might've bruised my heart, and my ego, but you've never been mean. I've seen you sit in the ER with victims of domestic abuse, watched you wait for word on kids you've brought in. There's no part of you that's evil or purposely sets out to hurt others. I believe that with everything I have." She drags her nails up my jean clad thigh. "But all of that doesn't mean I'll forgive you easily for what you did to me. So I hope you're prepared to grovel, and accept the torture I plan to put you through."

Fuck I'm in trouble. "I deserve it all, I'll do whatever it takes to make you believe that I'm in this with you, Cass."

Her eyes meet mine, and an impish smile tilts the side of her lips. "Good to know, Camden."

With those words, she leans back into me, tucking her body against mine. She fits perfectly, like I remember her fitting when we were dating before. My arm goes tighter around her neck, pulling her into me. Instead of holding myself so stiff beside her, I allow my body to relax into the couch.

An hour later, as the credits on the movie are rolling, we've transitioned to laying against the cushions. She's got her body halfway on top of me and nestled against the back. I'm doing my best not to bring attention to the fact that my body is reacting to being in this position and this close to her. Clearing my throat, I give her my thoughts. "That's a really good movie. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. Thanks for that."

"You're welcome." She stretches, and as she does, her knee finds out exactly how much I'm reacting. Her eyes darken, and her lips separate as a gust of air brushes against my cheek. "Cam ..." she swipes her tongue along her lips, leaving a trail of moisture behind.

This string of awareness between us is so tight it could break, and when it does, I'm going to have to make a move. Cassie has to give me the go-ahead though, I won't do anything without knowing she's okay with it. When her thighs separate and she straddles my waist, that's the indication I need. "You've got two seconds, Cass. Tell me if you don't want my mouth on yours, or my hands on your body."

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