Page 22 of Best Part of Me

“A very bad idea,” I agree before hauling her mouth against mine.

The kiss is intense and daring. It’s laced with a recklessness I haven’t felt in years, and maybe not ever.

Everything with Cammie is different.

She pulls away and pants. “You’re leaving. And I’m... well, I have to figure out my life.”

It hits me hard like a punch to the gut; I don’t want her figuring out her life while I’m gone. Something tells me she’ll regret this fling with me and worse, make a drastic decision. Like go back to dickhead Chris. I want to cling to this moment, where it’s just her and me, for as long as possible. My heart pounds in a frantic rhythm against my ribs. Desperation to stay with her buzzes through my body, an ache in my very being.

My hand grips her ass, and I haul her against my rock-hard cock, but it does nothing to relieve my longing. I kiss her again. This time, it’s more urgent. The lust reverberates between our lips. I’m ready to forget the trip and say screw my job.

Until a better idea penetrates my mind.

I pull back and say, “What if you didn’t have to figure things out just yet?”

“What do you mean?” she pants.

“You said it yourself”—I pause, spreading kisses against her delicate throat—“you have the next ten days off work.”

“Yeah, and?”

“So come with me?” I finally say.

She straightens, gaping at me. “What?”

It sounds wild saying it out loud. But it’s not as scary as I thought it would be. I don’t want to leave things the way they are between us.

“It won’t be fancy. I’m camping. Using the rooftop tent on the Jeep. But I’m supposed to be gone for ten days. You could come with me. It would give you a chance to get away for a bit. Clear your head and think.”

“Are you sure you can handle me for ten days?”

I flip her onto her back and hover above her, grinning down at her. “Sunshine, after ten days with me, you’re gonna be so deliriously happy, no one will ever have to ask you that question.”

She smirks at me. “A little cocky, aren’t we?”

I choke on a laugh. The way she sayscockygets me so fired up. “Test me.”

“Maybe we should start now?” She slides her fingers inside the waist of my sweatpants, and I suck in a breath.

My doorbell buzzes from the box on the street, and I ignore it, pressing into her hand and kissing her already swollen lips. It buzzes again, and Cammie’s hand stills. But I can’t turn off that easily. I drag my mouth down her throat, kissing a path to her collarbone.

“You sure you shouldn’t get that?” she asks.

“They’ll go away.”

But after a moment of silence, there’s knocking on my apartment door, and it causes us both to freeze mid-hand job. Someone let whoever it is into the building.

“Shit. Do you think it’s Jones?”

“Nah, can’t be. He knew I was leaving this morning.” I climb off her and adjust my pants. “Stay in here just in case. I’ll be right back.”

Cammie picks up my sweatshirt, but I snatch it away from her. “Nuh-uh, don’t even think about getting dressed. We’re just getting started.” I shoot her a smirk over my shoulder on my way out of the bedroom, closing the door behind me.

The knocking grows louder, and when I open my apartment door, the air is briefly stolen from my lungs.

“Jones?” his name croaks out my throat.

“What took you so long?” he huffs, shouldering past me.

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