Page 77 of Until I Find You

“It’s okay,” I say. “It will only hurt for a moment, baby girl.”

Despite the pain, she smiles. “You called me ‘baby girl’.”

“And?”

“We’re…out in the open.”

“Actually, we’re very much alone,” I say, though I can hear Kirk’s conversation echoing through the shop.

Camilla’s eyes linger in mine for a few moments. She says nothing, but her lips are in a placid, comfortable smile. “You know what I’m trying to say, Jack.”

I say nothing, dabbing at the wound with a tissue and going in for the rest of the splinter. I work in silence until I have the motherfucker snagged. “There we go.”

I rub my thumb in the center of Camilla’s palm. “Better?”

“Yes, thank you…Daddy.”

I don’t think her calling me that will ever not result in a partial erection. However, here, out in the open, there is a different quality to it. A trust I didn’t know we yet had, one I tested the limits of today.

And I’m glad I did.

I release her hand. “I need you to be more careful.” I scrape my fingers through her hair and hold her head in my hands. “I don’t want you getting hurt.”

She smiles. “I’ll do my best.”

I kiss her forehead and let her go, though that’s the last thing I’d like to do. Ever. Let her go. “When you’re hurt…I feel it.”

Camilla places her hands against my chest. “When you’re hurt, I feel it too.”

I furrow my brow.

Before I can ask, Kirk’s walking back in. “I’ve got a crew–oh!”

I step back from Camilla though it kills me to do so. I clear my throat, act as if he’s walked in on a mere close conversation. One that requires forehead kisses and chest touching. “Great. Thankyou. I’ll send over the money as soon as we get back to the office.”

We have an office space now too, which is great. Keeps Camilla and me honest since we’re working with the rest of the team and don’t have immediate access to a bedroom.

However, that might have just gone out the window.

“Right. Great. That’s. Great,” Kirk says, his expression still shocked. “And you let me know about the sound guy, I can give him a walkthrough and–”

“I’ll give him a call when we…” Camilla glances at me. “Get back to the office.”

Great, now it sounds like “get back to the office” is some weird euphemism.

Kirk gives us a slow nod. “Well, I’ll let youget back to the office,then.”

Oh, my fucking god.

We do as we say, go back to the office, no funny business about it. But the rest of the day, I can’t shake what Camilla said to me.

When you’re hurt, I feel it too.

I don’t want her to feel my hurt. I want her to be my sweet, carefree angel. Except that’s not how real life works. Not at all.

And if I want to have her in every way I know I need her, I’m going to have to find a way to let her in completely.

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