Page 59 of Hiding Hollywood

She crossed her arms. “Then, why haven’t you tried to kiss me?”

His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed. A small nick from where he’d probably cut himself shaving caught her eye. She recognized the smell of shaving cream underneath his usual smell. Leaning in, kissing that one spot, played over in her mind. They never would make it to Rhonda’s Roadhouse once she started.

“It’s the way you look.”

What? She jerked away. Brian had uttered that same phrase once. He’d told her to stay home instead of going to dinner with him and his friends.

“What do you mean the way I look? I have on jeans and a top.” Her voice raised higher. “A lot of people wear jeans and a top.”

His eyebrows pulled down tight. “You never have. You just look different.”

“You haven’t kissed me because I look different in a pair of jeans?”

He shrugged. “I expected you to be all dressed up.”

Bitterness swirled inside, resentment that he thought of her the same way as Brian. “Well, I’m glad I figured this out now. I’m not trading one controlling jerk for another.”

She began to push past him, but he caught her arm as a deep laugh rumbled in his chest. “Whoa there, lady. What’s your deal?”

“You obviously need to go with someone else if the idea of going with me in jeans is so unappealing you don’t even want to kiss me anymore. Your mom told me to wear jeans, by the way.”

God, she sounded trite, like an annoying brat who didn’t get picked for the kickball team. His sly smile made an appearance. Her insides went to jelly. Each second, he reeled her in closer.

“Seeing you in jeans and”—he picked at the top of the tank top strap—“this is more appealing than anything I’ve ever seen on a woman.”

Wait. She watched him for a trace of a lie. “A lot of people wear clothes like this.”

He let his hand trail down her waist. “Those people aren’t you.” He kissed her, taking his time and bringing her body temperature higher with each sweep of his tongue.

She hooked her arms around his neck as his arm held her up and against him. A faint trace of peppermint on his breath tasted like a drug. She needed more.

They really might not make it to Rhonda’s tonight.

His phone chimed in his pocket.

When it sounded a second time, he brought his head up. “I need to make sure it’s not someone at work.”

She didn’t mind. Tilting her head, she finally feasted along his neck.

“God, Addie.” He rolled his head back before letting out a sarcastic laugh. He held up his phone to her. “Mom said we have time for this after the benefit. We need to get going.”

It chimed again. Addie covered her lips with her hand and snatched the phone before he saw the text.

“What?”

Addie cleared her throat. “She also doesn’t expect to see either one of us until tomorrow. And to have fun.” She paused, and a snort slipped through her contained giggles. “Be safe.” She did laugh now, leaning over and holding onto her knees. Through her laughs, she managed to say, “And use protection.”

He grabbed the phone. “No way.” His face turned a molten shade of red. “How can she still manage to embarrass me at thirty-three? Do I want to know why she used an eggplant and gun emoji?” He ran a hand over his short hair. “Nevermind. Neither one of us is in a position to consider going there.”

She got her giggles under control. That was probably an accurate statement. Too bad Addie had considered. And reconsidered. And considered her reconsideration. Several times. No one else had ever made her feel so comfortable in her own skin. Cameron seemed to like it when she didn’t try. Glasses and sweatpants the other day. Jeans and a plain tank top tonight. The excessive flirting annoyed him. Anytime she was anything, other than herself, he didn’t hide his irritation.

Addie waited until he pulled out of his parents’ driveway before commenting. “And what position, as you called it, am I in?”

Cameron laid his hand along the back of her seat, twirling a strand of her hair between his fingers. “You just broke up with your boyfriend.”

“This isn’t a rebound for me, Cameron. My relationship with Brian was already pretty much nonexistent.”

He reached out and clicked the air conditioning up a notch even though the car already felt chilly as the sun started to lower in the sky. “I didn’t say it was.”

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