Giving myself—him—this moment.
My fingers slid against his stubbled jaw, tracing the sharp angles of his face. I dropped my other hand to his bicep, painting the tattoo peeking out beneath his sleeve. “You like that, don’t you?” he asked, and I nodded.
“It’s beautiful.” I’d never really found tattoos appealing before but staring at the cherry blossom and hummingbird inked on Cameron’s arm, it made me want to draw on his skin. To brand him with my own mark.
“You’re beautiful.” His fingers gently gripped my chin, forcing my face back to his. Cameron didn’t hesitate this time, tracing the seam of my lips with his tongue. His hands glided down my body, anchoring at my waist and pulling me flush against him. A small gasp spilled out of me when I felt the outline of his hardness against my stomach. I don’t think I’d ever get used to the fact that Cameron wanted me. It made me drunk with desire. Turned me on in a way I’d never experienced before.
But most of all, it made all the memories of his complicities in Jason’s games fade into nothing.
“I want to feel you,” he murmured between kisses. “Let me touch you, Hailee.” The raw desperation in his voice made my heart flutter wildly in my chest. And when one of his hands found the sliver of skin between my sweater and waistband of my jeans, I almost died, right there in front of his eyes.
“Cam—” My voice was shaky, my breaths coming in short sharp bursts.
“Tell me what you need, Hailee...”
My fingers twisted into his jersey as I yanked him closer, kissing him harder. Cameron’s hand worked lower, expertly unbuttoning my jeans. He dipped his hand inside, grazing my damp panties.
“Jesus,” he groaned, easing away from the kiss to look at me. He didn’t say anything, just watched me, as he rubbed my clit over the thin material. My knees buckled, my stomach clenching with need, as I swallowed a moan. “I need to feel you, Hailee...”
I nodded, letting my head drop back against the wall. Cameron hooked my panties to the side and slid his fingers through my wetness, eliciting a string of tiny gasps from my lips. His eyes were wild, as they watched me. Dark and hooded, simmering with pure lust.
“Hailee,” He swallowed hard. “I—”
“Yo, Chase, are you—” Asher burst into the room, his eyes going wide when they landed on me and Cameron tangled together like lovers in the dark. I panicked trying to push Cameron away, but he pressed me further against the wall, shielding me, his fingers still inside me.
“Hmm, Coach is looking for you, but I can see you’re busy.”
“Ash,” Cameron growled.
He threw up his hands. “I didn’t see a thing.” There was a lilt in his voice. Humor. And I wanted the ground to open up and swallow me whole. “But you might want to... hurry.” Asher tipped his head to the hall.
“Yeah, give me a minute.” Cameron sounded cold now, and the fire died inside me. I tried to wriggle free again, but he was too strong, refusing to let me up.
“Hails,” Asher smirked. “Looking good.” He turned and left, pulling the door closed behind him.
“Oh my god,” I cried squeezing my eyes shut.
“Asher won’t say anything.” Cameron finally withdrew his fingers and backed away. My eyes fluttered open and settled on him, but he looked right through me.
My stomach sank as I fumbled with my jean button. “I should go,” I choked out, willing him to say something.
“Hailee, I’m sorry. It’s just—”
It wasn’t the words I wanted to hear, so I cut him off. “Yeah, me too,” I whispered.
And then without looking back, I ran out of there.
“Where the hell have you been?” Flick hurried over to me, sliding her arm through mine. “You’ve been gone like thirty minutes.”
Is that all it was? It felt like I’d been with Cameron for longer. Time had ceased to exist in Coach Hasson’s trophy room. But I’d come crashing back down to Earth with a resounding thud when Asher stumbled in on us.
He’d seen us.
God, what a mess.
I believed Cameron when he said Asher wouldn’t say anything, but it didn’t make the fact he knew any easier.
“Are you okay? You look... I don’t know, flushed.”