Page 62 of Caught in the Middle

And damn if that wasn’t the best promise he’d ever heard.

Chapter 23

Ten minutes later, they stepped into the hallway and headed for the elevator, Cam having changed into nicer shorts and a collared shirt and Emma into her dress and sandals. She clipped the front of her hair back and let the rest hang long.

Cam had held the door open for her to exit first and once it closed, she smiled inwardly as she felt his large hand slide down to entwine with hers. She liked the way his fingers felt.

“You look beautiful,” he said.

Emma smiled up at him, noticing he was already looking at her. “Thank you. You don’t look half bad yourself.”

He chuckled, giving her hand a squeeze as they made it to the elevator. They were quiet for a moment as they waited for it to arrive. “Do you have any regrets?” Cam knew Emma had been more hesitant about them getting involved than he’d been. He couldn’t help but believe things could work out if people were willing to try, but in the aftermath, he didn’t know if she’d start having second thoughts.

She knew he wasn’t asking about life in general. She let go of his hand and turned toward him, her palm finding his cheek. “Not even a little,” she said, then leaned upward and kissed him.

If she thought it would be a small kiss, boy was she wrong, because as Cam deepened it, her hand slid behind his head, her mouth matching his, and her heart not wanting it to end. She felt his hands hold her tight and if it was possible to infuse herself to him, she would’ve thought she was doing just that.

They barely registered the elevator ding, but they did hear the voice that came out of it.

“Good grief, you two are like dogs in heat.”

Emma pulled back in surprise. She gave Lulu a pointed look that said she didn’t find her comment funny before entering the elevator. Cam followed in behind her, giving Emma a guilty look of pleasure which she couldn’t help but return.

Lulu let out a groan.

“You have terrible timing,” Emma remarked to her friend. “Has anyone ever told you that? And why are you up here again?”

“To make sure you two didn’t get sidetracked,” she responded. “Which was clearly smart on my end or you’d be going at each other in the hallway by now.”

Cam rubbed at the back of his neck not commenting but also not denying it. He couldn’t get enough of Emma, even feeling her soft lips desperately seeking him out was enough to keep him turned on. He had no doubt that if it were just the two of them here, they’d lock themselves in the room the rest of the trip, only coming up for air when they were hungry.

“What are you smiling about over there?” Lulu asked in his direction.

He looked up, and Emma knew exactly what was going through that mind of his. He may have those puppy dog eyes she liked to admire, but the man was far from sweet and innocent behind closed doors.

She gave him a grin and he matched it, unable to take his eyes off her as he appreciated the sparkle and glow about her. Lulu made another sound of disgust which only resulted in their laughter as the elevator approached the main level.

“I’ll only say this,” Lulu said as they exited.

Cam tensed, not sure what to expect.

“About damn time. You two are perfect for each other.” Then she led them in the direction of the music.

Emma shook her head, but Cam saw the smile still lingering on her lips. He slipped his hand into hers again as they followed her friend.

The event was being hosted on one of the outdoor patios where the hotel’s building and restaurant wing bordered two sides, while one of the pools and the views of the ocean bordered the other two. Tables and chairs had been spread out along the edges, leaving a giant dance floor in the middle and a band set up on a small raised platform at the far end.

He nodded his head in acknowledgment as they came to the table where Henry, Asher, and Lauren sat, all of them with plates in front of them.

“I’m glad you decided to come down,” Lauren said by way of greeting.

“Lulu didn’t give us much choice.” Emma took in the setting, now glad that she’d been dragged down here. If she’d had her way, she’d be finishing what her and Cam started. She smiled in response at the thought of them in the bathroom.

She wasn’t sure if it was going to be awkward afterward, but if she had any worries they’d disappeared as they quickly fell into the comfortableness they’d developed this week.

Henry laughed. “Well go grab yourselves some food. They have everything you can imagine in there.”

They both nodded and headed in the direction of the restaurant’s side door. Immediately, Cam saw they rearranged the tables to allow for several rows of buffet setups. They got in line and grabbed plates to begin picking and choosing between the delicious-looking options.

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