Page 7 of Freeing Camila

The air between them shifted, warmed. He was still crouched slightly, his hand resting lightly on her hip to steady her, his eyes scanning hers like he could read all the parts of her story she hadn’t yet told. She felt exposed in a way that had nothing to do with the cut on her back—and everything to do with how deeply he was seeing her.

“You’ve got more things on that list?” he asked, voice rough.

Her smile curled. “Plenty.”

“Well then,” he said, stepping back slowly, reluctantly. “We better make sure you’re in one piece for all of them.”

She wasn’t sure if it was the words or the way he said them, but her heart fluttered like a nervous bird in her chest. She’d just met him . . . and yet, she felt like this was the start of something worth writing at the top of any list.

Cammie tugged the hem of her shirt down carefully over the fresh bandage. “Thanks, by the way. For not laughing. Or . . .lecturing me about tree safety.” She paused with a laugh. “At least not lecturing me too much,” she said remembering his gentle scolding about climbing the tree alone.

Wade leaned against the truck, arms crossed, watching her with an amused glint in his eyes. “I might save the lecture for tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?”

He shrugged. “Assuming you don’t plan to go skydiving before breakfast. You seem like the type who might.”

She laughed. “That one’s actually on the list.”

“Of course it is.” He shook his head, smiling. “What else is on there?”

She tilted her head, pretending to think. “Hmm . . . roasting a marshmallow over a real campfire. Learning to ride a bike without training wheels—don’t judge me. Catching fireflies. Oh—and kissing someone just because I want to.”

That last one slipped out before she could think better of it. Her cheeks flushed instantly, and she darted her eyes away.

Jeeves didn’t speak right away, but she felt the shift in the air again—like the atmosphere had suddenly become charged. When she looked back at him, he wasn’t smiling anymore. He was watching her, closely. Like she’d said something that cracked open a door he hadn’t meant to walk through.

“You’ve never kissed someone?” he asked quietly.

“Nope.” She wrapped her arms around herself. “Sheltered childhood, remember?” She knew that admitting to that she was also confessing to a much better secret. One that had to do with her virginity.

Wade stepped forward then, slowly, closing the space between them. His hand lifted, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear, and lingered against her cheek. “I see.”

The quiet intensity of his words nearly undid her. He was so close she could feel the warmth of him, the steadiness that seemed to pulse off his skin.

“And if you ever do want to cross that one off the list,” he said, his voice deep and gentle, “I’d be honored to be the guy.”

She smiled, heart pounding, breath catching. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

He nodded, his thumb tracing lightly along her jaw before stepping back, giving her space. Respecting her. It only made her want him more.

He glanced at his smart watch and winced. “I’m sorry to cut this short, but I have to get cleaned up and ready for work.”

She tried to hide her disappointment but didn’t know how successful she was at it. “Oh. Okay. Again, thanks for the save.”

“It’s what I do,” he returned. “See you around, sprite.”

With that, he climbed into his truck. As he drove away, she watched, a smile playing on her lips, the sound of his engine fading into the distance, and a feeling of thrilling possibilities washed over her. A flutter of excitement hit her. Something new and wonderful was about to begin, promising untold adventures.

CHAPTER4

Jeeves arrivedfirst at the Condor’s Overwatch conference room, which surprised him considering the morning he’d had. Cammie. The quiet hum of the air conditioner for their office building did little to distract him from the image of the little sprite dancing in his thoughts.

She wasn’t his normal type. Tall. Leggy. Blonde. Despite a lull in activity in that arena, that was what usually appealed to him, his typical preference.

But Cammie was the polar opposite. Petite. She was so petite that she could easily fit nestled snugly beneath his chin, a perfect miniature complement to his larger frame. With long brown hair that contained teasingly enticing caramel tones, it was enough to tempt any man’s fingers to run through her enticing locks. He pictured himself doing just that, the scent of her hair filling his senses as she nestled close, his chin resting on the crown of those soft tresses.

“Hey, man. What’s up?” Cormac “Hoot” Shibley said, startling Jeeves out of his inappropriate musings.

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