Page 58 of Revved up & Ready

Cam blows out a breath, brows narrowing as he considers. I brace for a speech about how I need to be the bigger person, but instead, he just says, “That must be really hard,” and changes the subject, knowing I need to move on.How does he already know me so well?

“Tell me about this haircut,” he says, running his fingertips through the pink ends and shaking me from my distraction. “In every picture of you from before, your hair’s long and blonde. Why the pink?”

As Allie put it—this is a breakup haircut.But do I want to tell him that?Pulling my knees against my chest, I look up into his blue-green eyes and find that sinceretell-me-all-your-secrets-so-I-can-keep-them-safe-for-youlook.

Chapter 13

Cam

Luckiest guy around -caption from Cam’s social media post– a video of Sadie jumping into his arms after he bowls a strike, April 4th

“I had a hair appointment the morning after my breakup,” she answers, tucking the pink strands behind her ears. “I’d had the same hairstyle since high school, and it can be such a pain to deal with when it’s long.”

I give her a skeptical look.

Something passes behind Sadie’s soft brown eyes as she blinks up at me, her lips tipping into a soft smile. “I needed a good change. I lost the security of a relationship, my friends, my home, and my city, all at once.”

A smile full of pride for her turns my lips. “I can understand that.”

“Short hair seemed a lot freer, too, and I was right,” she says, her face brightening as she shakes her head side to side—the cropped pink tips swinging up to brush her chin. “The pink was a spur of the moment decision, but it’s my favorite part now. It’s so happy.”

“It suits you,” I agree, brushing my thumb across the brightly colored tips again.

“I actually considered getting a tattoo.” She drags her teeth across her plump lower lip as she tracks my movements and then drops her eyes to my lips.

Lowering my voice, I ask, “You’re just about ready, aren’t you?”

Maybe I’m an asshole, but I enjoy the hell out of the way her throat works on a swallow before she asks, “For what?”

“For your first tattoo,” I say, fighting a smirk. “What would you have gotten?”

Her eyes narrow for just a second before she answers, “A whisk,” running her finger along the outside of her right forearm. “Right here.”

I let the back of my fingers follow the path up her arm. “That would be perfect for you.”

“Even if it isn’t that, I definitely want a baking tattoo.”

“Or two?” I ask.

“Or two,” she giggles, leaning into the pillows and my arm behind her. “But I don’t think I want the first two to both be about baking.”

“Firsttwo?” My brows lift in surprise. “You’re gonna send it, aren’t you?” I ask.

Her shoulders rise with her proud giggle. “Maybe it’s just because I spend so much time looking at you these days, but I have a feeling I’m really going to like having tattoos.”

I’m too hung up on“spend so much time looking at you”to think of a response. Her eyes drop to my lips in the same way I’ve seen a few times already tonight. At first, I thought it was coincidence. But as she licks them, I’m starting to believe she wants me to kiss her as badly asIwant to kiss her. I manage to resist, saying, “Your turn,” and softly squeezing her shoulder.

Either the touch or my words shake her focus, and her eyes drop from my lips to my bare torso. “Is that Betty?” she asks,fingertips dancing along my lower ribs where a representation of my best friend’s blue pit bull is tattooed.

“Hell yeah,” I answer, suppressing a groan as she continues running teasing traces around my ribs, up and down the edge of my obliques. “Up until you, she was the most important woman in my life.”

Her breath catches, pausing her movements for just a second, before she asks, “Is that really why you got it?”

“Partly.” I nod. “I do love Betty.”

“She’s the best.”

“She really is,” I agree. “The tattoo is for Luke more than anything, though. He doesn’t want any, but I still wanted something that honored him. He’s more than my best friend. He’s my brother—myfamily.”

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