Page 71 of Fault Lines
Inside, I leaned against the tile for balance and twisted the knob on the shower, letting the water run hot while I peeled off my clothes.
His voice sounded muffled through the door. “I’m sorry, baby. I know I was being stupid. I know you’d never betray me.”
“It wouldn’t technically be betrayal if I just did what you were doing,” I called back, stepping under the spray. The water was scalding, but I welcomed it.
Suddenly, he was there. I hadn’t even heard him undress. He stepped right into the shower behind me, crowding the little space.
He sounded desperate. “But I know you wouldn’t.” His hands found my waist, his breath warm on my neck. “You’d never be able to sleep with another man. I wasn’t thinking clearly, but I see it again now. You can’t be with anyone you don’t love, and all your love is reserved for me. I know I have your heart. That guy could never take that from me. I was being stupid, Livi.”
His lips pressed to my neck; his arms slid around my body, fingers expertly finding my clit and rubbing slow, tight circles.
A moan slipped out before I could stop it, my body arching into his touch on instinct. But then I remembered myself, remembered everything.
“Did you sleep with her tonight?” My voice was a whisper.
He shook his head. “No, baby.”
“You didn’t touch her at all?”
He paused, just barely. “I didn’t sleep with her.”
A cold trickle ran down my spine. “What did you do, then? You smell like her. I can smell her perfume.” It was a distinctly floral scent, clinging to his skin.
He exhaled, resigned. “Just oral. That’s all.”
I shuddered. “Thank God I didn’t kiss you.”
He tried again, a raspy plea in his voice. “Don’t be like that, baby. I came home to you instead of fucking her.”
I slapped his hand away. “You’re not going to touch another woman and then come home to touch me. Not in the same night. I have my limits, Cam.”
That was it. I stormed out of the shower, threw on the nearest towel. I’d just wake up early tomorrow and try again. I couldn’t even stand to look at him right now.
I found my favorite pajamas, brushed my teeth, and crawled into bed, making sure my body faced firmly away from his.
It was a long time before he came in, the mattress dipping under his weight. I kept my eyes tightly shut, pretending sleep was more important than another fight.
He leaned in close enough that I could feel the heat of his breath on my neck. “I’m going to end this, Livi. Soon, I promise. Don’t give up on me yet.”
But even as he said it, all I could feel was a silent, growing distance. Maybe I already had.
Chapter Twenty
I propped a shoulder against the bedroom doorway the next morning, watching him pack for his business trip. Cam had always been methodical, right down to how he folded his dress pants, crisp and perfect, before laying them into the open suitcase.
“Is this meeting a big deal?” I asked, voice soft.
He nodded, grabbing his favorite navy shirt and smoothing it over the edge of the bed before packing it away. “There’s a good bit of money riding on it.”
“I hope it goes well for you,” I said. And I meant it. Cam was good at his job; he thrived on competition, the chase. “Just try not to gamble all our money away while you’re there.”
He looked up, lips quirking. “If you kiss me before I leave, I’ll be bound to win.”
I blew him an exaggerated kiss and bounded down the stairs, the scent of baking chocolate wafting up to meet me like a warm blanket. Maybe Cam complained, but making those chocolate chip muffins had become my morning ritual—and I couldn’t disappoint Mr. Porter, even if he only got to the bookstore on special days.
I opened the oven and let the sweet, melty smell fill the kitchen, mixing with the rich aroma of fresh coffee. I felt instantly more relaxed.
“Smells fabulous,” Cam said, rolling his suitcase to the door and striding over with a glint in his eye.
