CHAPTER3
Cami
After he left, I sat there at the table for a long time. I poked through several more of the meals, tucking away much of the leftovers and putting the rest away in the empty fridge. He’d ordered so much for just the two of us that it would last me well over a week.
His offer seemed too good to be true. Why would he want a girl like me running around his house? Was it just charity? Would he want something else?
I sat back down at the table and pressed my hands to my face. I didn’t know what to do.
To be honest, I didn’t have a whole lot of options. I’d more than overstayed my welcome at several of my friends’ places and I didn’t want to cause Sophie any issues with her own family when they already had plenty of those. The homeless shelter never had any extra beds, and I really didn’t want to live on the street with winter coming in just a couple more months.
I could take Mason up on his offer and if anything ever started to feel off or dangerous, I could run. That would give me time to come up with some sort of backup plan.
I felt drawn to him for some reason though, like I could trust him even though I didn’t really know him.
I’d been watching him at breakfast. I’d noticed when his jaw tensed or when he pressed his palm to the table. He’d been studying me too. I’d felt his gaze every time I’d looked away.
I wasn’t a stranger to desire. I’d seen it in his eyes. I’d felt it too.
My body was warm. His presence had done things to me that I hadn’t wanted to accept while he was in the room with me, but when I squirmed against the seat, I knew that my panties were wet. My nipples also felt highly sensitive, and I wanted to take my bra off and touch them more than anything.
I wasn’t a virgin. I’d lost that several years ago to some dickhead named Tommy who just wanted to fuck me and then brag to the whole school about it. When I’d confronted him about it, he’d gone on the defensive and started making fun of me, saying that my tits were nothing special and I was a bad lay that wasn’t worth his time.
I’d had a few boyfriends after that, but nothing serious. I’d had sex with some of them, but none of them had ever made me orgasm. They were sloppy, fumbled around, and lasted maybe thirty seconds or a minute max. None of them had even remotely known where my clit was. None of them had been worth it.
I’d taken to just taking care of myself whenever I needed it. I’d gotten pretty good at using my own fingers to get myself off and right now more than anything I wanted to touch myself. I felt awfully shy about knowing that he was in the house though, and I ignored my need as best as I could.
When he’d drummed his fingers on the table, I’d been at a loss for words. Immediately, the image of those same fingers pressing between my thighs had come to my head unbidden.
I couldn’t think like that. A man like that would never be interested in a girl like me.
With a heavy sigh, I got up from the table and went back up to my room. I’d packed up most of my things into my bag and hidden it during all the open houses and showings, so I started unpacking that mindlessly as I weighed my options in my head. I uncovered all the furniture and put some of my clothes into the dresser. My wardrobe was so small it only filled a drawer and a half.
In the end, there was only one choice unless I wanted to sleep outside on the streets tonight. I told myself that was the only reason, but I knew I was lying to myself.
The truth was that I was curious about him. I wanted to know more.
I padded over to the window and saw him outside. He was pointing to the eaves of the house and to the south wing where I never really ventured. There was an indoor pool there, but it was empty and unused. There was a sauna room that wasn’t maintained either, as well as a room for massages, neither of which were of much interest to me in their current state. There was a big theater room though, which would be neat to watch a movie in if Mason decided to fix that up too.
I opened my door and walked downstairs to see a multitude of people working in the living room. A cleaning crew had arrived and was making quick work of the sheet-covered furniture. Some of the older damaged pieces were being hauled outside, but some of the nicer antique ones were left behind. More than one vacuum was powered on, all while several people started to scrub every surface imaginable.
I quickly made my way to the backyard and paused when I rounded the corner. Mason was still there with the man I’d seen before. They were talking over several plans to update the kitchen and bathrooms and I stayed back, just listening to the sound of Mason’s voice.
Eventually I grew self-conscious, and I stole off into the woods. There was a treehouse built up in one of the taller trees. It was hidden by the leaves still, but I knew it wouldn’t remain that way. I’d stored a few things inside it—like several books and crossword puzzles to keep me busy on days where I couldn’t hide out in the mansion—and I was thankful for them now.
I picked up a romance book I’d read at least a dozen times and started from the beginning, but I wasn’t really paying attention, at least not really. Occasionally, I’d hear Mason’s voice carry on the wind and it brought me comfort.
My phone pinged in my pocket.
So? What’s the deal? Are you moving in or what?
It was a text from Sophie.
This rich guy bought the house. He started moving in today.
Is he hot?
I shook my head, unable to stop myself from laughing. She was awful. Sophie was boy hungry. She’d never been single for long and loved sex more than anyone I knew.