Page 35 of The Summer I Loved

"Come again?"

"Remember what I said about no gifts?" He nodded. "Your brother bought Bron a puppy. She's been wanting one for the longest time."

"He bought her a puppy?" He stopped eating his salad and stared down at his plate.Shit. This wasn’t good.

"The thing is, I was planning on getting her one. I just wanted to wait another year. I live in an apartment and there's no yard to walk him." She sighed.

"I'm buying us a house with a yard," he announced tentatively.

Adrianna went still, her face unreadable. "Well… that still leaves the time she is at home with me."

He put his fork down. "You know that's not what I meant." He reached for her hand. "Adrianna, I think we need to…"

She leaned back and crossed her arms. "We should date first."

If she told him she came from another planet, he wouldn't have been this shocked. "Pardon?"

"You told Bron we were getting to know each other again and it's true. I don't want us to move too quickly." She placed her hand over his. "We can't jump face first into this. We can't afford to hurt each other like we've done in the past. Not with Bron between us. You understand?"

He nodded. "I do, but I don't want to take it slow with you. I've missed you too much, for too long." He pulled her out of the chair and into his lap. "I want you full blown in my life. In my arms and in my bed, under me." He paused each time to kiss her softly and fully. On the last kiss, his tongue slid inside her mouth, making her moan before she caressed it with her own tongue.

His hand slid under her shirt to draw circles on her lower back. "Do you really think we're going to be able to hold out?

She ground her bottom against his lap and gripped his shoulders while her tongue continued to tease his. "We're going to have to."

The front door slammed shut and Adrianna practically jumped off his lap. Cam didn't want to move, especially because she had made his pants so tight. He had no choice but to follow her to the living room. They made it in time to see Bronwyn walk in first, hugging the puppy tight to her. Behind her, Luciana and Chase walked in, their faces somber.

"I'm going to take a shower," Luciana announced right away. "See you later." She smiled faintly at her Bron.

"Lux?" Cam called out.

"Not now…" She took a breath and looked at her brother. "I have a bit of a headache. I'll be down soon."

"I need a drink," Chase said and left the room as well.

Adrianna and Cam exchanged confused glances, then turned to look at their daughter.

Bronwyn sighed, "Let them go. It's been a difficult day for all of us."

Cam wanted to laugh at the dramatic words but there was something more in the way his little girl tightly clutched the dog in her arms, with the puppy's face cradled on her neck.

"Bron, did something happen while you were out?" Adrianna asked, moving closer her to her daughter. "Your aunt and uncle seem a little upset."

Cam loved the natural way Adrianna had with Bron. She sat down on the chair closest to them and when Bron came closer, Adrianna touched the puppy's ears. She was making her daughter at ease. In turn, the little girl went to sit down by her.

"Their mom was really mean to them," Bronwyn said.

Cam stiffened and Adrianna's gaze flew to his.Shit shit shit. "Their mom?"

Bronwyn looked at him briefly, then down at her lap and nodded.

The pressure in his stomach built at the sad look on her face. Where had she seen Marilyn? Worse yet, had his mother said something mean to his child? He knelt on the floor in front of her.

"Why don't you tell us what happened, Princess?"

She shook her head without looking at him. "You're going to be mad at me and Diego."

He took her face in his hand. "I'm not going to be angry with you." He smiled and gave her a kiss on the cheek, then frowned. "Who's Diego?"

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