Page 132 of Bad for You (MacKenzie Scottish Crime Family 3)

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Willow

When my eyes flutter open, the first thing I see are faint pink strokes across the lifelines of my palms. Harrowing memories of late last night capsize my feeling of peace. I’d scrubbed my hands raw after embracing Jamie while his life source seeped through my clenched fingers.

This is the career path you chose, Willow. It was a tumultuous teaching experience that will stay with me during the span of a hectic career. Fingers softly curled under, I mentally lift up a prayer for Jamie. As I roll over, the enthralling mix of masculinity and my favorite indulgence wraps around me in the form of Camdyn’s knit blanket. Although the scent of him stems mostly from memory, the bed is empty. A vicious loneliness pitches my heart into the pit of my stomach. The feeling is short-lived.

Camdyn’s seated, wide legged in a chair. Fatigue darkens his under eyes. His sharp jaw looks like it could cut me through the bone with just one touch. An inky indigo surrounds him, an aura plagued by the horde of demons he’s combatting mentally.

I usher out a soft, “Good morning. How’s Jami—”

Regret darts across his face. “I should’ve told you to call the police.”

Yup. He’s still fighting them. “Hmm, I’ll assume Jamie’s fine. So, you’re saying last night could’ve ended like a bad Lifetime movie?” I cock a brow, urging the cheesy joke to slice the tension in the otherwise spacious room.

Darkness washes over the storm in Camdyn’s eyes. “This is fucking serious, Willow. You’re pregnant!”

“Does that mean I’m a bad mom for talking your brother off the ledge, not calling in the fuzz?” A livid, hormonal growl replaces the longing for our physical connection. “I lack sound judgment?”

“That’s not what I’m saying, Willow.”

Pushing onto my palms, I rest against the textured headboard. I glance around the muted, luxurious dark gray room. Since he won’t elaborate, I ask, “How did I end up in your bed, assuming this is your place?”

Nodding, Camdyn stifles a yawn.

“You look tired, Cam.”

“After bringing you here, I went back to get my ride. I swept up the glass while I was there and locked up. A glass repair company should be at your place in a couple of hours. My card’s on file.”

With a tensed mouth, I recall Camdyn’s promise that he’d fix it last night. He’d harped on and on about the same bullshit the night Jamie exposed him. Though this isn’t the conversation my soul craved, I clear my throat. “So . . . sounds like you never slept.”

“Nah. I’m trying to fix things.” Lightning flashes behind Camdyn’s eyes. The crazy seems to beg to unleash itself.

Over that, I fling a pillow in his direction. “You said that the last time I saw you, Camdyn. Ugh, what is wrong with you?”

The storm in Camdyn’s eyes flattens. The only show of emotion is executed when his hands curl under, defining the vicious tautness of his flexed forearms and malicious ink.

“Last night, you stepped up to the plate. Each of you had a role in supporting Jamie.” My voice tapers off. “Here, I thought I did too, Camdyn.”

Shocked by my statement, his aquamarine gaze settles on mine. Camdyn looks at me for the first time, really looks at me.

I see something new in his eyes. He cares. He’s different—different in more ways than I can count. I reminisce on what I’d shared when we visited my momma all those months ago. I fell for the dark knight, whose armor’s desperate for a good spit shine. I croak out, “Come here, Camdyn.”

“Come . . . to . . . you?”

“Please,” I gasp.

Half a blink later, Camdyn’s on the bed. His mouth crashes down onto mine, tongue parting my lips for a passionate kiss. Our moans send my heart jackhammering in my chest. When he pulls away, I lean up, teeth sinking into his bottom lip.

Camdyn’s abdominals flex against me. The smooth timbre of his laughter warms the pit of my stomach. “You’ve bossed me, and now, you’re biting me?”

“If memory serves me, you introduced zombie attacks into our relationship.” My voice collapses into a scarce oblivion as Camdyn peels me out of my clothing. Although he’s my first, I’m vulnerable and naked beneath his clothed body. This moment would be so fucking sexy, us silently revering each other. Instead, my nervous hand glides over my womb. Our gazes entwine, and intense adulation floods through me as Camdyn’s thumbs run tiny infinities over my wrists before clasping my hands. Gooseflesh erupts when his lips brush my palms. He sits on his haunches, and my heart slaughters my chest while he drinks me in.

A magnetic flame dances in Camdyn’s eyes as his hands drift over our little one. “Lo, I thought you were perfect before I laid a single hand on you. This is beyond my imagination.”

While his hands smooth over my taut, little belly, my palm ghosts over his stubbled jaw. Though a hint of pain lingers in his eyes, they’re as warm as summer rain. “I can’t wrap my head around how I put your life and my baby’s life in jeopardy over Jamie. He—”

“Should I assume your mom and the cop are psychic?”

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