Page 21 of Hiding Hollywood

Mrs. Latham wrung her hands together. “I’m afraid that one is plain black coffee. Nothing fancy, dear, the way you like.”

Addie took the top off, steam rising up from the black liquid. “I love black coffee, and I’m sure Cameron doesn’t mind.” She pursed her pink lips together and blew a moment, their eyes locked. “Do you?”

He did mind. But Addie chose that moment to wink at him, and his rational mind went blank. “Not at all,” he heard himself say. The payback for making him drink a chocolate cupcake on steroids would be tremendous.

With her eyes laughing at his discomfort, she said, “bye,” managing to make that single word sexier than it should have been.

Cameron set the cup down and smiled broadly at Mrs. Latham to deflect the attention. “I think you should add this to your menu.” He held out Addie’s vacated chair for Mrs. Latham to sit down. “Tell me about the break-in. We’re working hard to catch whoever is doing this to our small town.”

7

She didn’t trust him. That blasted man had rattled her when she’d been trying to shake him. Cameron hadn’t budged. He’d remained friendly and polite to Mrs. Latham while drinking the sweet coffee she knew he hated. Apparently, he only liked to show that exceptionally jerky side to her and not to the rest of the town.

Mrs. Latham even called him Cam, and he didn’t correct her. Just smiled, sipped the coffee, and continued on with life, completely unaware of his effect on her insides.

Cameron had yet to realize the deadly combination of the brooding male mixed with his emerald eyes and a body that she suspected could make even Mrs. Latham speechless. That slow smile that ignited a fire at the pit of her stomach. He saw her as a ditz whose only concerns in life included her nails and shoe collection. She stomped up the sidewalk.

Breathe. She wouldn’t let Cameron get to her. Her priorities focused on her job and figuring out how to gain access to a computer and infiltrateSunflower, not on the sexy, small-town cop that made her want to risk everything for one night with him.

God, one night with him would be amazing though. If they could call a truce long enough for a roll in the hay, or whatever they called it out here in the sticks. Rolling around in the pine straw didn’t sound sexy or comfortable.

“Stop it,” she muttered. Seriously. Brian was still her boyfriend, technically, whether she liked it or not. She wasn’t a cheater and wouldn’t start now. Not until she’d given Brian the formal boot.

Besides, her job demanded secrecy that someone like Cameron probably wouldn’t appreciate. Nothing good would come of even fantasizing about the man. She might as well continue to focus on all his negative characteristics like his grumpy attitude and that ugly uniform.

But the way he’d been so pleasant to Mrs. Latham drastically reduced her aversion to his attitude problem. The town loved him and seemed to dismiss the permanent frown. How long would it take for her to turn that frown into a smile? She’d like to try.

“Addie!” Mrs. Dempsey waved her hand at the corner of the street. She stood with an older woman, close to eighty if the lines and leathered skin were any indications and a younger man in his late thirties. “This is Ruth O’Brady. Ruth, this is Addison Johnson. She’s staying with us for a couple weeks.”

“Oh. Are you seeing Cameron?” Ruth adjusted the gingham smock she wore over a light blue dress. It reminded her of what someone might have worn onLittle House on the Prairie.

“No, I’m not.” Addie looked to Mrs. Dempsey for help. She shrugged in response. Why didn’t the assumption bother Mrs. Dempsey? She had charges pending for grand theft auto, and now the town linked her to Cameron. Most people didn’t want that type of association with their family. “Just a friend of the family.”

“That’s too bad.” Ruth sighed and patted her gray hair. “I’d hoped he’d moved on after Jennifer. The whole town feels sorry for him.”

He’d hate that. “Oh, he has, but not with me.”

Mrs. Dempsey’s head snapped around. “Really? Who?”

Ruth didn’t seem as interested in Cameron’s love life. “Since you’re not seeing Cameron, let me introduce you to my step-grandson, Dexter.” Ruth motioned to Dexter. Great. A matchmaker.

Dexter’s gaze made her want to take a step back. He held his head slightly downward, his dark eyes cut up, focused solely on her. A little bit like a zombie.

He held out his hand.

With a neutral smile plastered in place, she shook his clammy hand. “Nice to meet you.”

“You youngsters should go out sometime. I know Dexter might like to do something other than hanging out with his old grandmother.” She laughed, and it turned into a wheezing sound.

Thankfully, Dexter didn’t press the point, but an odd smile appeared. It might have gotten a little brighter as he held onto her hand longer than socially acceptable.

Goosebumps ran over her skin. She pulled her hand away as quickly as possible without being rude and managed not to wipe it on her pants.

Addie endured his bizarre attention while Mrs. Dempsey finished her conversation, only half listening about Ruth’s arthritis. Thankfully, Ruth said her goodbyes and took the Edward Scissorhands look-a-like with her before Addie had to interact with him again.

“What did Cameron say?” Mrs. Dempsey asked on their way to the car.

Addie glanced at her. “About what?”

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