Page 96 of Sin With Me

“They left a few hours ago.” His voice was low and tender. I wanted to believe he was genuine, but it wasn’teasy.

“They said we’re old enough to handle life.” He shrugged with annoyance.

I pulled my knees up to my chest and wrapped my arms around them. “What do youwant?”

Cameron scooted closer to me, and I froze. His proximity was doing funny things to my body, and I found it difficult to keep my distance. I needed distance.

He lowered his gaze and sighed before looking at me again.

“I felt stupid and duped. I’ve been looking for the woman who blew up the truck and burned down the warehouse, and you were right under my nose the entire time. I know the incident wasn’t your fault. I didn’t mean to take it out on you. I was harsh and… well, basically what I’m trying to say is that I was an asshole. And it doesn’t matter that Brook told me to say so because I really was an asshole. I’m sorry, Hope. I’m truly sorry from the bottom of my heart.”

Did he mean it, or was this just another one of his games? Was this a trick? Would he sell me out to get a bounty even though he lovedme?

He lovedme.

“It’s Kate,” I whispered.

I saw his mouth lift at one corner and felt mine do the same. He reached over to my foot, touching it gently.

“Please forgive me,” he begged, and I saw a spark of the same man I met at a bar over six months ago. The one whom I trusted and bared my soul to. The one who made my heart go pitter-patter; the one who, despite holding my hair while I puked into the toilet, accepted me and never judged me. He was there at my side when I found my mother’s connection to Pace, and he was there in that crypt, discovering my roots right along with me. Was he still that man, or was he someone different?

He shifted even closer, gently tugging at my ankle so that I’d stretch out my legs. As I extended them, his fingertips remained on my skin, traveling upward until he reached my thigh. His touch felt incredible. As upset as I’d been at him earlier, I now wished he’d continue the upward path, but he stopped.

“Cameron…” I breathed. The room was spinning. His presence here was confusingme.

“Do you forgive me, Kate?” he asked.

“I don’t know. I’m not sure what to believe anymore.” My breaths became heavier. I didn’t notice when he came even closer and was sitting right at my side. His hand remained on my thigh, the enticing pressure of his fingers igniting myskin.

“You’re really not a priest?” I asked.

He shook his head, and I felt a sense of relief. A fresh smirk appeared on his face. I wondered what he was thinking and that wonder took me to hopeful places again.

“What’s going to happen now?” I moved my feet to the side of the bed and hoppedoff.

“You’re nervous,” hesaid.

“I’m cautious. Can you blame me? Everything I believed is one big lie. I tried to save my mother, and in the process I managed to ruin all your lives.” I turned around so that he wouldn’t see my face and made a beeline for the bathroom door, hoping to have a moment to myself. Besides, I’d cried so much and sweated so much that I needed another shower. Of course I was nervous. Cameron was not a priest. He was a man. A very attractive man who had fooled me and lied to me, but that of course didn’t stop the way my body was reacting to him. It didn’t stop my heart from beating hard and my stomach from flipping three timesover.

Cameron followed me into the bathroom. I turned on the faucet and washed my face, then took the toothbrush Lola had given me and proceeded to brush my teeth while he sat on the corner of an enormous bathtub.

“It’s okay if you’re nervous, Kate. I understand.”

With the toothbrush in my mouth, I once again mumbled that I wasn’t nervous, and he chuckled. I leaned lower to the sink so that I could rinse my mouth, and when I looked up again, he was standing behind me. Actually, I felt him first, because his hands were on my hips and his front pressed into my ass. It felt good. Too good. Maybe when I’d thought about taking a shower, I should have locked thedoor.

“Cameron…”

“Kate…”

“Do you think this is wise? I mean, I don’t know you. Obviously you don’t know me either since you just found out that I pretty much ruined yourlife.”

“I’m sorry. I never meant for it to come out thatway.”

I knew that. Still, he deserved to suffer for the way he broke my heart earlier. I wanted him to squirm in uncertainty, the way I had. That hate in his eyes wasn’t easy to forget.

“Have you thought about me, Kate? Have you thought how it would be if we were together again?”

Of course I’d thought about him. I thought about him every hour of every day. It didn’t mean that I should have, though – not after the way he’d lied to me. I turned around to face him. The space between us became deliciously uncomfortable.

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