Page 80 of Close Knit

“All tied up.” He tilts his chin downward to my shirt that reads,All Tied Up, with yarn threading through the letters.

I brush him off. “It’s just a knitting pun.”

“Knitting pun, huh?”

“Yes!” I laugh, nudging his firm shoulder hard enough that his golden hoop shakes.

It’s getting unbearably hot. His eyes seem darker, more intense. Cameron leans in, his breath warm on my skin. “I don’t believe you,” he whispers, sending a shiver down my spine. “I think you like the idea of being tied up, just a bit.”

Do I? Maybe with the right person. “Sounds like you’re more into that idea.”

“Never tried it. Maybe with the right person.”

Oh gosh. He can see right into my brain, can’t he? “All right, uh, never have I ever…broken a bone,” I say. He eats another gummy. His jaw moves, and his scruff is doing things to me that should be illegal. “So, does this mean I get the story of how you broke your nose?”

“The first time?”

“How many times were there?” I squint, leaning in to inspect his nose. It bends slightly in the center, the bridge fitting perfectly between his brows like it was designed to be there.

“Three,” he admits. “And then there are the finger fractures. Most were minor, but this one…” He holds out his left hand, showing off a rather crooked pinky. “This one never quite recovered.”

I trace over his rough skin before interlocking our fingers. “I love your hands,” I whisper. “I mean, like, they’re so strong. You can see your work in them. All of that saving and stuff.” Heat floods up my spine “I like your nose too.”

He watches me as I lift my free hand to his face, running it along the bridge of his nose and stopping at the tip.

“You do?” he breathes heavily, looking at me from under dark lashes. He grasps my hand tighter, massaging my palm with his thumb.

“Yeah. It gives you character. And I’m really into characters.”

I continue my exploratory touches along his face, traipsing up to his brow, tracing the strong lines of his jaw. My pulse is frenzied as I run along the fade on the back of his neck.

Cameron leans into me. Our game has shifted to How Much Can You Take? He tugs me closer, his lips hovering teasingly over mine.

“So, what else do you like about me?” His voice is a tantalizing purr.

The pad of my thumb traces over his pierced ear. My nerves thunderbolt as if I’ve touched a live wire. I map a path to his jaw, savoring the delicious roughness of his stubble.

“The things I’m discovering through this Never Have I Ever game,” I admit. “Your turn.”

“Never have I ever…” His gaze roams over me with a slow intensity. “Had an ankle chain between my teeth.”

Neither of us grabs a snack. I raise an eyebrow and remove my hands from him. “You’re sure you didn’t do that the night we were together?”

“I’d remember that.”

On my ankle, my little seashell chain dangles innocently. Cameron stares at it like gears are turning in his head.

“Well, I have an easy fix,” I casually suggest, uncurling my leg.

In one swift move, he grips my calf, warmly and confidently. His touch is hot. I fall back into the couch corner as he plants a slow path of kisses along my calf. His scruff grazes my skin, each bristle a tantalizing spark.

When he reaches the chain, my brain turns to mush. The moment stretches like taffy. His tongue glides over the metal in a deliberate, lazy motion. His eyes bore into me, promising everything we’ve been and could be.

Call a doctor, because I’ve officially flatlined.

“I—I guess you have to eat a gummy for that one.” My voice trembles.

“Totally worth it.” He drops my leg, giving it one last lingering glance. Then he grabs a gummy and bites it in half.Please sink those teeth into me!my brain screams.

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