Page 25 of Already At Risk
I settled for shooting him a text instead.
Hey, I’m done with work.
He responded within seconds.
CAMERON: I’ll swing by your house to meet you.
I shook my head, not willing to let him do that for a mistake I made.
I can come to you. It’s okay. Chloe is at Blake’s tonight.
It wasn’tCameron’sfault that I signed the wrong name on paperwork that was crucial to me maintaining custody of my nine-year-old.
CAMERON: You’ve been on your feet for fourteen hours. You shouldn’t be driving around more than necessary.
This was actually a shorter shift for me.
CAMERON: I’ll be there soon.
Not having the energy to argue anymore, I headed home. And sure enough, Cameron was there, waiting for me, leaning against the railing on my front stairs just like he had a few nights ago. He still wore slacks and a dress shirt, sleeves rolled up to expose his forearms, making me wonder if he really had been working this late. A five o’clock shadow layered his jawline, adding to the effect.
“I’m so sorry about this,” I started before he could say anything.
He waved off my apology. “It’s not a big deal,” he said as though it wasn’t almost midnight and he wasn’t standing outside my house becauseIfucked something up.
“You make a lot of house calls in your line of work?” I asked with a humorless laugh.
The corners of Cameron’s lips curved, but it wasn’t enough for his dimples to show. “I do whatever needs to be done for my clients.”
I pushed past the immobilizing sensation of guilt and got myself to open the door, walking through it and then holding it open for him to follow me.
It was, unfortunately, a disaster inside.
“Sorry for the mess,” I apologized. “Usually, I take care of all this—” I waved around at the pile of shoes and the dirty laundry basket by the bottom of the stairs just off the entryway. “—on my off days, but yesterday, I was?—”
“At the office with me. I understand,” Cameron cut in. “You don’t need to apologize.”
“I can tell you’re very tidy, though,” I said before maneuvering through the living room that was, thankfully, cleaner than the entryway. I usuallydidhave things clean and organized, but I also had a sort of system for when and how I took care of things, andthe last week or so had not gone as usual, what with visits with lawyers and unsuccessful date nights.
“Oh?”
“Like you just said…I’ve been in your office, Cameron.”
“I have the time to be tidy,” he said with a shrug. “I don’t judge people who don’t.”
I narrowed my eyes at him over my shoulder. “Do you have flaws?”
He looked taken aback. “What?”
“Like things wrong with you.” I stepped over Chloe’s skates, which were, for some reason, sitting in the middle of the hallway. “There must be something, right?”
“Trust me,” he laughed. “There are things.”
I turned and walked backward into the kitchen while giving him a once-over, not believing him. Especially not when he showed up at my house looking likethat, with his collar unbuttoned and those veiny forearms on display.Jesus.
It was at this very moment, when my feet were so sore that they were a little numb and my back felt like it might break in half from standing so still in surgery, that I realized how goddamn long it had been since I’d gotten laid.Years. And properly laid? Even longer. I couldn’t even remember it.Thatwas how long it had been, and Cameron looking the way he looked was really reminding me of it.
“You’re not going to find them by staring at me, Natalie.” Cameron’s voice was suddenly deeper, causing me to snap my eyes back to his face.
