I don’t know that I love all the things she’s telling me, but I want to encourage her to keep sharing. “Is he nice?”
Her voice is breathless. “Yeah, he reminds me of Dad.”
Jesus Christ.
“Speaking of your dad, how about we keep this from him for a while? Ya know, see if you still think this boy is cool in a week?”
“Good idea.” She nods solemnly. “Gotta keep my options open.”
“Girl, you have no idea.”
CHAPTERNINE
Natalie
“Hey.”There’s a light scratching at my back. It’s gentle and soothing. “Wake up.” The voice is just as gentle. “Nat…”
Wait; I recognize the person speaking to me.
Cameron.
It’s hard, but I fight my way out of the sleep overtaking me. Sitting up with a deep inhale, I do my best to adjust to my surroundings.
“You must’ve fallen asleep on the couch. You were out.” He chuckles, having a seat on the opposite end.
“I’m tired,” I yawn. “I was at work at four all this week, then came over to help Trin get ready when she needed it, and then picked her up in the afternoon. The past few days have been crazy. I guess it caught up with me.”
Instead of rushing me out, he pulls my feet into his lap. “I’m sorry, Nat. And here I’ve guilted you into helping coach a softball team too.”
The electricity flowing through my body at the touch of his fingers is hard to ignore. Wiping under my eyes, I grin over at him. “I don’t do anything I don’t want to. You should know that about me by now.”
“I do.” He smiles back. He looks just as tired as I feel. “How did it go tonight with Trin?”
“She was a doll like always. Apparently, school pictures were good today and some boy called her cute.”
“The fuck?” He growls. “She’s six.”
“They start young now, don’t ya know?”
His eyes cut over to me. “Not her, not my daughter.”
“I know; it gave me pause too. But you kinda have to face facts. One day she’s gonna grow up.”
“One day, but that day is not today.”
I’m quiet for a few moments as his strong hands work into the arches of my feet and then into the sore muscle of my hamstring. “Right there,” I groan.
“You’re tight,” he whispers.
“It’s because I’m on my feet all the time. I really need to stretch, but I don’t, so it’s my fault.”
He moves so that my foot is resting against the other end of the couch. The air between us gathers tension and my stomach clenches when his skin touches mine. “Move down and get comfortable.”
His voice is deep and intimate in a way it’s never been. Goosebumps appear on my flesh as I flex my foot against the fabric-wrapped sturdiness of the couch arm. Calloused fingers trail up my leg, past my knee, and continue toward my thigh. My breath hitches in my chest, causing me to freeze. I don’t know what to do. This hasn’t happened before. We’ve never been this close and I’m unsure what’s different about this night.
Firm fingers grip the inside of my thigh, slightly spreading my legs. Gathering all my courage, my eyes meet his blue ones. His pupils are blown, full of arousal I’ve never seen before and I know in this moment that I’m a goner for Cameron Hines.
My nipples tighten against the cups of my bra as his fingers travel even further upward. They stop right outside the edge of the jean shorts I’m wearing. My free foot has a mind of its own, rubbing against the hardness springing up from his lap.