Page 57 of Already At Risk
He placed his thumb over my mouth, halting my words. “I’m saying I can’t do anything right this second, but that doesn’t mean I’m interested in waiting months for you. I’m saying I refuse to miss out on another chance, and I’m not letting you slip through my fingers again.”
“But I don’t want you to get in trouble. The case…” I tried, attempting to think rationally. It was hard to do when Cameron had let his touch linger on my jawline and then my neck, coasting down it like he was imagining the path he’d take with his mouth later. Or maybe he was reimagining the path he’d already taken. “Can someone else take the case?”
“No.”
His answer was succinct, and I thought he was going to leave it there, but he seemed to snap back to reality when I didn’t say anything further, silence ringing through the small space.
With a sigh, Cameron took a step back, letting his touch fall away. I felt empty and bare without it, lost and aching, but I knew it was for the best.
He shook his head. “It’s too late. I mean, technically, if you wanted a different attorney, you are at liberty to arrange that, and I could help you find someone. But I’d really rather that didn’t happen.”
“Why?”
“First of all, to say I’m invested in this and you is an understatement.” He pinned me with a meaningful look, one sparked with determination. “I would like to personally ensure that your asshole ex has zero control over you or Chloe, and I feel confident I’ll be able to do that. Second, I think my boss would kill me.” He deflated a little at that. “She’s already got her eyeson this case because of Noah, and if I back out of it now, it’s going to look that much more suspicious. I’ve been working?—”
He snapped his mouth shut, seeming to rethink whatever it was that he was going to add. Pressing his lips together, he took a few slow strides, closing the distance between us again.
“You said earlier that you trust me. Did you mean that?”
I nodded slowly, in time with the pace of his strides, like he was pulling the confession out of me with each step.
He stopped when there was still a foot between us. He flexed his hand, lifting it like he wanted to touch me, but then changed his mind, dropping it into his pocket.
“I want to acknowledge why that might have happened. Ihaveto acknowledge it. And then I want to explain what that trust means for us.”
My brow furrowed. “What are you talking about?”
Cameron sighed, and I felt the deepness of it.
“Natalie, part of my job as an attorney is to build trust with clients so I can do my job and I can do it well. My goal is always to make my clients feel comfortable sharing things with me. But I want you to know that Ineverintended to gain your trust for a purpose like this. I’d hate for anyone to think that I’d use the relationship I’ve built with a client for any kind of personal gain. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
I lifted a brow, pressing my lips together to try to keep a straight face. “I think you’re saying that everyone you work with trusts you, and I’m not special.”
Cameron’s eyes closed briefly as he shook his head. “Jesus Christ. That’s absolutelynotwhat I’m saying. You’re very fucking special, Sunshine. Because you know it goes beyond trust. There’s chemistry, too. And I didn’t do anything to make that happen. It justdid, despite all my attempts to stop it, ignore it. Okay?”
I flashed him a soft smile to make sure he knew that I did, that I hadn’t really been serious before. “Okay,” I said. “There’s also the fact that I felt like I could trust you from the moment I met you, when I was just a girl talking to a hot guy in a bar.”
Cameron’s lips curved, a gentle smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Are you sure that wasn’t just the alcohol?”
“I’m sure,” I answered, giving back the confidence he always showed me. “I wouldn’t have stayed long enough to even have the second drink if I didn’t. I wasn’t planning to, you know.”
The shine returned to his eyes. “Alright. Then what I need from you—and your trust in me—is to believe that no matter what, I’ve got this case handled. I can take care of things in more ways than one, in more places than one, all at the same time. If we do this, it just means you will be my entire focus, Natalie.” His words were soft but hard, reassuring but assertive. The perfect combination I’d learned to expect from him. “And I don’t mind that at all.”
“I don’t want to monopolize your time.”
It was a protest, but averyweak one.
His lips twitched like he thought that was funny. “Trust me. You already do.”
“Cam—”
“Natalie, you can decide. The ball will always be in your court,” he said, voice firm. Like this was the last he was going to say on it. “Like I said, I’d never take advantage of your trust, and I couldn’t imagine ever bringing this up if you hadn’t said something first, even though it was killing me not to. It’s entirely up to you, but I can’t help but at least?—”
He paused, rubbing his jawline, stewing on words that I knew were going to destroy me. And sure enough, a second later, his voice dropped to a dangerous degree.
“If you’re going to pick someone to teach you what you like in the bedroom, let it be me.” The hue of his eyes darkened, turning almost black. “Please.”
His words bounced between us, all around the room, echoing. After a long stretch of weighty silence, I breathed the only truth I knew.
