Page 43 of Cameron

“You take her to bed, dear, and you show her how much you love her,” she said with a giggle. “I’ll be on my way, so I don’t witness anything I don’t want to know about. Give her your heart, Cameron. That’s the only way she’s going to forgive you.”

CHAPTER 16

Lifting her from the floor, he carried her into the bedroom and laid her on the bed and then kissed her forehead, her nose, her cheeks, and finally her lips.

“Come back to me, Sam. I need you.”

And, oh, how he needed and wanted her right here in his bed, in his life, by his side every day. The thoughts were shocking as he realized he loved this woman and he didn’t want to let her go. He didn’t want her to walk out of his life.

The very thought had his chest aching. Suddenly, her arms reached up and pulled him closer to her.

“Cameron,” she gasped.

“Honey,” he said. “I’m right here.”

“What happened?”

“You fainted,” he said.

“I should go,” she said softly.

No, he didn’t want her to leave.

“Please, no. Remember how you needed me that night in the cabin?”

“Yes,” she gasped.

“I need you. I need you to comfort me and ease the pain I have. I’ve been such a fool. I didn’t mean to hurt you, andsometimes I let my ambitious side take over. I need you to curb those overexcited tendencies and ground me in reality.”

Her hand reached up and caressed his face.

“Cameron,” she gasped as her lips found his.

It was a kiss of longing and desperation and pain. It was a kiss that fused their mouths and took them on a journey of feelings he could no longer deny. He loved Sam. He’d loved her before he left the Mistletoe Inn.

He’d loved her after their first night together and knew he was making bad choices but unable to stop himself.

Now he understood why his grandmother thought he was too ambitious, too wrapped up in his company becoming a success. He’d hurt the one person he cared about with his zealous overeagerness of buying property.

When you hurt the people you loved, you went too far.

Their lips came apart. “Sam, forgive me. Love me.”

While she didn’t respond with her lips, her hands moved over his back and she pulled him in close as she unbuttoned his shirt. Finally frustrated, she pulled his shirt apart, sending buttons flying across the room.

He didn’t care; he could buy another one. He needed to get inside Sam. Somehow he had to show and convince her that he loved her with all his heart.

She lifted her mouth to his and he met her halfway. It was a kiss of desperation and longing, and it took Cameron completely by surprise. Her mouth covered his, moving over his lips, seeking comfort in an age-old connection. And Cameron was more than happy to return her kiss, eager, in fact, to soothe and remind her he knew that he had hurt her badly. She deserved better.

Breaking the kiss, she gazed into his eyes. Lifting the hem of her sweater, she pulled it over her head and he helped her remove the cumbersome garment.

His palms slid up her back. The touch of her warm, bare skin beneath his fingers was intoxicating. Oh, how he wanted to remove all her clothes. Slowly undress every inch of her until he could touch her naked flesh.

She moaned, the sound encouraging him. Her fingernails gently raked his chest. He leaned over and kissed the tops of her breasts that spilled forth from her bra. So beautiful.

His tongue trailed over her smooth skin and she leaned back, giving him access to her throat. Eagerly he took her cue and kissed his way across her breast and up her throat, lingering at her ear. He wanted to make her feel good. He wanted to comfort her and make the demons in her life disappear. He wanted to remove all thoughts and envelope her in sensual pleasure.

Then he had to convince her to let him buy her ranch.