Page 95 of The Long Game

“What?” I whispered.

“Wondering if this was something you wanted,” he answered with a frown. I opened my mouth, as if to tell him of course, how could I not want this, you, it’s wanting it that makes me scared, but his hand moved. He clutched the fabric of my jacket. “That tiny whimper you’ve just made,” Cameron said, voice rocky. “You made it that first night. When I put you to bed.”

I closed my eyes. “I did?”

I felt him release my jacket. Then, his hand was at my back. His fingers splayed, climbing to my shoulder blades, reaching the nape of my neck. “You pulled me to bed, too, do you know that?”

I thought I managed a shake of my head. I couldn’t know. I was too distracted, overpowered, by the sensation of his fingers grazing the bottom of my scalp, tangling in my hair, pulling me to him, my body into his.

“You let out that exact sound and pulled me by the shirt,” he rasped out, the words right against my cheek. “And I had to settle with stroking your hair until you were asleep.”

My free hand shot up on its own and latched on to his forearm. I didn’t have words, I couldn’t even think. So I let myself be. I gave myself a chance. Just like Josie had said.

I pulled at his sleeve, hard, like I imagined I’d done that night. Cameron’s body came over me. Eyes still closed, I felt him, his weight, his warmth, the inside of his thighs coming over the sides of mine. I heard something drop to the ground. And then, both his hands on my face.

“Adalyn,” I heard, the word falling right on my lips. “Open your eyes, love.”

I opened them and for the first time I let myself really look athim. He was so devastatingly handsome, so fierce, so absolutely determined that I felt short of breath.

“I like your eyes on me,” he said, his thumb trailing along my jaw, gently, softly, leaving a trail of tingles behind. He grazed the corner of my lips, and I watched his tongue come out and wet his. “What do you want from me?”

I tightened the grip on his arm. “A chance.”

Cameron’s nostrils flared, but he seemed to hesitate.

“You make me feel,” I heard myself whisper. And I didn’t know if something coherent could come out of me, but God, I wanted to try. “You make me feel like I’ve never felt with anyone before, Cameron. You make me want things I never wanted.”

A groan left Cameron’s mouth. His grasp of my face turned desperate, softer, if that could ever happen at the same time. Hips pressed against mine, and twin sighs escaped our lips. He felt so… big, hard, all over me. And he looked in pain. His eyes dipped to my mouth, frantically, his thumb traveling to my bottom lip.

God, I wanted to feel him. Against my lips. I turned my head. Kissed the pad of his thumb.

“Fuck,” he grunted, something behind his eyes lighting up, breaking out, something powerful and dark.

I leaned forward, my patience done. Cameron did the same.

The sound of an engine coming to life sliced right through the moment.

We blinked at each other for an instant, chests heaving with heavy breaths, making sense of our surroundings.

“It’s the truck,” he finally whispered, his forehead falling against my shoulder. He groaned a curse.

Oh. Right. I’d forgotten all about that.

Cameron lifted his head and pulled me away from the side of the vehicle.

The sight of my hands in his made my heart skip a beat. It also reminded me of something. “I think we dropped both our drinks,” I said, looking at the ground and finding them there. I glanced backat Cameron. I flushed. “I… You’re smiling really big.” Something took flight in my chest, and I made myself ask. “Why?”

“Because you’ve just given me a reason.”

“A reason for what?”

“To play the longest game I ever have.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

Cameron

The lasagna had five minutes left in the oven and Adalyn wasn’t here.

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