Page 69 of Already At Risk
All I cared about was figuring out how to get this woman’s number in my phone.
“I have an eight-year-old daughter,” she added, her gaze still bright.
She watched my expression carefully, like she wasn’t sure how I would react. So I smiled, wanting to reassure her that this didn’t deter me. Not a single bit. I thought about asking for a picture—because moms liked to show off pictures of their kids, right?—but didn’t want to cross a line or seem overly interested. After all, I was still just a stranger in a bar.
For now.
So I settled with, “She must be pretty great.”
One single brow rose. “Oh?”
“I mean…” I shrugged. “With a mom like you.”
She rolled her eyes. “You don’t even know me.”
I leaned forward on the bar and pinned her with a look. “Sunny, I’m really, really trying to change that here.”
That got a laugh out of her as she shook her head, like she refused to believe that I was being serious.
“She is great, though,” she said when that sparkling laugh died away. “My daughter. She’s smart and funny and more perceptive than I’d probably like her to be at times.”
I sipped on my drink and tried not to stare too much at her mouth when she did the same.
“I can only imagine.”
“You don’t have kids?” she asked, and I shook my head.
“Sometimes my sister drops off my brother-in-law for me to babysit when they’re in town, but technically, he’s twenty-seven.” The corners of her mouth indented in amusement, and I added, “Kids are fun, though.”
“They are,” she agreed and then looked at me curiously, like I was a mystery that needed solving.
I didn’t usually like being examined by strangers, but her eyes on me felt like an odd combination of heaven and sin.
And I never wanted her to look away.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
cameron
IDRUMMED MY FINGERS on the steering wheel, watching as Natalie crossed the hospital parking lot. I hadn’t seen her since she was in the office for her deposition, and I hadn’t talked to her since our phone call later that night—the one where she’d touched herself for me, and then I cut her off just before I got to hear the muffled cries of her climax.
Admittedly, part of me wished I hadn’t done that. I was so incredibly greedy for those sounds, but I knew the wait would be worth it for both of us, would make it that much sweeter. And the way she fuckinglistenedto me? A woman like Natalie London?God.
A bubble of euphoria sat in my chest, pressing against my sternum, threatening to burst.
I knew I should have some level of doubt or anxiety, maybe second-guess that I was doing the right thing here, but I couldn’t get myself to think about anything but Natalie. About how lucky I was that a woman as amazing as her was willing to trust me with this, was letting me in when I probably didn’t deserve it. I didn’t deserve to touch her, but at this point, I had no idea how to say no when she was saying yes.
Any kind of doubt was so far in the back of my mind—mostlybecause Natalie London was right in front of me. And how could I think of anything else when she was there, giving me the sunniest smile as she walked toward me.
Only she could exude so much brightness after a twelve-hour shift. She must be tired; I could see it in the slight slump of her shoulders and the bit of puffiness beneath her eyes. But she was still so undeniably beautiful, and only eagerness shone in her expression, mimicking exactly how I felt.
I still wore my work clothes after spending all night at the office, but I was so fucking excited to see her. To take care of her, in every way that mattered. She might even let meholdher tonight.
“You didn’t have to pick me up,” she said as soon as she got into the car, unsurprisingly.
“The alternatives were either you getting behind the wheel after a long shift or walking around in the middle of the night.” I watched her buckle her seat belt before throwing the car in reverse. “I didn’t love either option.”
I tried to focus my attention on the road andnoton how close I was to Natalie after not being able to think about anything but her for the last three days. My hands itched to reach across the center console and close the distance, but I had plans for tonight that involved goingslow. It was what Natalie needed and deserved, which meant my job was at least to get us home before I touched her. Monday was evidence of our chemistry and how quickly it could spiral out of control.
