Page 27 of Call It Home

Kennedy’s eyes widened as they darted between me and Cameron. “Um…both of you?” Her voice rose as if she was asking us the question. “We keep design couples together.”

I narrowed my eyes. “We’re not a couple.”

“What he means is we’re not a romantic couple,” Cameron interjected. “But we’re definitely a working couple. This will be fine. I guess in all the excitement of everything else, we didn’t talk about what the housing would be like.”

“Okaaay.” Kennedy drew the word out as if she’d already pinned us as the couple who had no chance of winning if our communication was this shitty.

I tried to clarify. “I thought I read guys would be housed together.”

“Oh, that was for the camera crew and other workers who aren’t here with their partners. It’s more of a bunk room situation. I mean, I guess I could see if there’s extra room if you’re uncomfortable here, but…”

Kennedy started to make a note on her tablet, but I held up my hand. “It’s no problem. I must have misunderstood,” I assured her. Itwasa fucking problem, but Kennedy didn’t need to know that. How was I supposed to live in such a small space with Cameron if I got hard just sitting next to her on the plane?

Her shoulders relaxed. “Well, in that case, I guess I’ll see you in”—she paused to check her watch—“about fifteen minutes now. Bye.”

She hurried out of the trailer.

I turned and arched my eyebrow at Cameron. “Did you know it would be like this?”

“No. I was more focused on other things.” Cameron faced me, all five feet three inches or so of her, and braced her hands on her hips, lifting her chin. “Is this going to be a problem?”

I heard the challenge in her voice, but the lines that formed in the space between her eyes wrinkled. One thing the boss lady and I had in common was that we both wanted this win, even if for different reasons. We were relying on each other.

I knew going into this that working in such close proximity to my partner was going to be a challenge, but I was ready for it. I figured the long hours and extreme work would be enough to distract me and wear me out.

But living together? That was a whole other level of challenge. Cameron was the kind of woman whose girl-next-door type of natural beauty would make a saint take a second glance.

I predicted we’d never run out of hot water because I’d be using all cold water every night, trying to cool the way she made my blood run hot.

But I saw something in her, something like just now when she used sass to hide her doubts. Sometimes I called her out on it, even though it usually pissed her off, and she’d battle back, but sometimes I’d catch her watching me, and I wondered if she was glad someone saw through the tough exterior.

This was one of those times I needed her to believe in our ability to be a good team. I needed her to be at the top of her game because I knew she had what it took to bring home the win.

“No problem for me. I can handle it if you can,” I reassured her.

She nodded.

I’d spoken the words, but as I watched her move her suitcase into her room and throw herself onto the bed, I wondered if I really could.

Chapter11

Cam

Mac’s footstepssounded heavy as he abruptly strode to his side of the trailer. I heard drawers opening and shutting and assumed he was putting away his clothes already, like the tidy man he seemed to be. He didn’t like messiness, and this new twist on our living arrangements probably felt like one he had to fix.

I, on the other hand, flung myself onto the bed, needing a moment to take in that this was really happening.

It would be “fine,” he said.

And it would be. We each had our own bedroom. So what if we could hear everything the other did? If I pulled a pillow over my head, that would surely block any sounds that would remind me he would be naked in the shower just on the other side of a thin door that separated the bathroom from my bedroom. Hopefully, it would also block the scent of the bodywash he used that made him smell so delicious, a heady mixture of musk and cedar.

Fortunately, I didn’t have long to dwell on our new circumstances. I fired off a quick text to my family to let them know we’d arrived, but I left out the part about our living arrangements. I called to Mac that it was time to go and stepped outside.

“I didn’t realize it would be so busy.” I spun in a circle as we walked down the street. “It’s like a little town here. A boring one, but still, more than I expected.”

“Me neither.”

If Mac was nervous, he didn’t show any sign of it. Other than the roommate incident earlier, he didn’t seem to have much reaction to anything. But that was fine. I needed sure and steady.

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