Page 17 of Can I Tell You Something?
“Yup. You?”
“Yup,” I nod, inching towards the stairs. “You comfy there?” What I really want to say is‘Can I come and sit in your lap and kiss your face and feel you get hard underneath me?’but I’m not completely out of my mind.
“It’s such a nice spot, isn’t it? With this view and everything.” He stretches out, feline and slow, but his eyes never look away from mine. He rests one arm above his head and I will myself not to look down at the sliver of skin exposed at his waist. I’m so horny for this man, there’s every chance I’ll drop to my knees and crawl over to lick it. “Let me finish this chapter and you can sit here.”
“You’re fine. I’m gonna take a bath, anyway.”
“No hot tub?”
“Not for me. Ryan isn’t far behind me, though. I’m sure he’ll be up for it.”
“What a shame,” he says, lips tipping up as his eyes float down slowly to my chest. His stare is unbearable, like he’s setting me on fire. I’m halfway up the stairs when he calls after me. “Hey, Hannah?”
I pause, knuckles turning white as I grip the bannister. “Mmm?”
“Can you teach me how to light the fire later? I wanted to get it going for when you all got home, but it keeps dying out. I don’t know what I’m doing.”
“Sure. Mum’s the pyro of the family, though. She won’t be long.”
“OK, thanks. Enjoy your bath.”
I don’t know if my mind is playing tricks on me, but I’m sure he winks.
At home in London, my daily bath is something of a ritual. A regimen of oils and cleansers, masks and lotions. An hour of peace, one hand between my thighs, the breathy moans ofMac’n’Pleasein my ear. It’s the only way I’ve found to unwind properly after solving other people’s problems all day.
I don’t have my usual products here, but I still run the bath deep and full of bubbles, ready to soak away the day. If I’d have had the forethought, I’d have brought a chilled glass of white wine in with me, but I’m not about to run back downstairs in a towel while Cameron reclines like some painting of a God.
With that image on my mind, I’m too tense to truly unwind anyway, fantasies coming thick and fast. Cameron comes into the bathroom and climbs into the water with me fully clothed. Or I bump into him in the hallway and he pulls at my towel until I’m standing naked before him.
After washing, I towel dry my hair, then braid it into two long plaits before heading back downstairs.
As predicted, Mum is crouched in front of the fire. Cameron kneels, attentive by her side.
“So once you’ve built a little tower of kindling like that, you can light the paper underneath and add a medium-sized log on top of it all. You don’t want too much wood at first or it can smother the flame before it has a chance to really get going.”
“That’s awesome. Thank you for showing me.”
Dad has a bottle of red wine breathing on the dining table, so I pour myself a glass and join them to watch the fire grow. Cameron looks up at me, face beaming, proud of his new skill. My brain pushes forth another scenario where he’d be watching me from his knees, and I back away to the sofa. It’s already too hot in here.
Is this how it’s going to be? Me acting like a sex-crazed maniac every time I look at him? It’s impossible to play it cool.
The downstairs door opens and Ryan appears up the stairs, still in his ski pants and old hoodie.
“Are you only just back?”
“Yeah,” he says, face flushed and sweaty. “Bumped into an old friend. And you were miles ahead. I had no chance of winning.”
“Sounds like an excuse. Sure you didn’t get lost? Run in with a tree? Wiped out by a class of five-year-olds?”
“Hilarious. I’m jumping in the shower. Hot tub in five?” he says to the rest of the room.
“Sounds good.” Cameron stands, following him up the stairs, presumably to change into swim shorts. He’s going to strip. Get naked. He’ll be naked in his room, and even if it’s just for one moment, I can’t handle knowing it.
“What’s for dinner, Dad?”
“Beef in an hour,” he says, not looking up from the crossword puzzle he has his nose buried in at the dining table. “Want to help me finish this first?”
Mum has ordered dinner in from a local catering company, a rich bœuf bourguignon with mashed potatoes and green beans that just needed to be reheated in the oven.
