Page 37 of Hiding Hollywood

“Miss, what are you doing?” His deep voice asked.

She lowered her flashlight. “Uh…well…”

“Addie?” Cameron asked from the opposite direction, shining his own light.

She held up her hand at both light beams aimed right at her. “Can one of you turn your flashlight off? I feel like I’m center stage at an Ariana Grande concert.”

They both clicked their flashlights off.

Cameron huffed and turned his back on. “I’ll handle this situation, Carey.”

Carey turned and left.

“What are you doing here, Addie?”

“I could ask you the same thing.”

His lips pressed together before he answered. “We got a call about a suspicious person prowling around the high school. I’m now assuming that was you. What’s your reason?”

Nice to see Cameron’s mood didn’t improve in the middle of the night. “I got here all of sixty seconds ago. I saw the person I thought was the thief on the security footage.”

“Tonight?” He scanned the area. “You saw the suspect.”

“He was sitting on the sidewalk along the far side of the school before I left the house. I haven’t seen him since I arrived.”

Cameron shifted closer, his flashlight pointed at the ground. The light reflected off the angles of his face. She shivered again, but not from the cold night air. “And you didn’t call me?”

Addie crossed her arms. “I don’t have your number, and I wasn’t going to wake up your mom or dad.”

Cameron leaned a little closer. She caught a hint of the pine tree smell that always clung to him.

“You could have tried 9-1-1, Addie. I usually get those messages.”

She narrowed her eyes. “Real funny, Cameron, but I didn’t know if you were working. What would I have told them? I think someone might try to break into a car tonight, please let Cameron know, but I can’t tell you why I think that. Remember,” she said, lowering her voice to a whisper, “I can be arrested for poking into these systems.”

“It’s better than you going after them yourself.” His voice dropped low, sounding dangerous. “They could’ve had a weapon.” He stopped himself from reaching out to her, looking like he was trying to grasp onto an edge of control. “You could’ve been hurt, Addie.” His eyebrows shot down. “By the way, how did you get here?”

She dangled his mom’s keyring between them. He held out his hand for them. “I told you that your license is suspended until the charges are dropped. So, you took my mom’s car, drove on a suspended license, and tried to take down a criminal? Is this a typical evening for you back home in California?”

“Normally, I make sure people don’t track me down. I need to take your mom’s car back home.” She held on tight to the keys. He looked like he might snatch them right out of her hand. Although, a game of keep-away might be fun with Cameron. “I don’t want her to know I took it without her permission. Your mom has been so nice.”

“A really nice way to pay her back.”

She took a step toward him, her chest brushing his own, sending heat zipping through her body. She didn’t acknowledge the attraction. Not when he seemed to insinuate that she was dumb. “You need to realize I was doing all this for you. If I could help you bust this case, you can stop worrying about the town thinking you’re good enough to be Sheriff. I figured of all people your mom would understand and not mind if I took her car. It’s not like I can’t drive.”

His fingers skimmed along the outline of her hip as his body moved even closer until it pressed entirely against her own. She took a step back for survival, but the brick wall of the school halted her retreat.

Instead of giving them distance, Cameron stepped with her again, pinning her in place. He filled her vision.

His head tilted down toward her. “I don’t need your help to be Sheriff. I’ll earn it on my own.”

There was no questioning his physical attraction to her now. Instead of pushing him away, her entire body felt alive and wanted more than one, single moment. Her breath quickened as her body softened against his.

“Cam…” It was barely a whisper on her lips that she didn’t mean to utter. She rested one hand on his waist. The hard muscles she’d suspected he hid under his ugly uniform greeted her.

A light flashed over them.

Cameron jumped back. Addie tried to step to the side, but she stumbled, her foot hit a rock, and she started falling to the ground.

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