I grinned wide. “They like Hoggin Daz.”

  Cameron shook his head, his mouth slowly forming a smile as he cast me an affectionate look. “God, I love you.”

  I blinked at him and watched as the realisation of what he’d said sank in.

  He opened his mouth to reply, but it took him a moment. He coughed, seeming flustered. “I mean, I love your sense of humour. You make me laugh.” Then he looked away, frowning to himself.

  I decided not to make things weird as I gave a quiet chuckle. “Right. My goofy humour is top-notch.” I tried not to read too much into what he’d said. It was clearly just a slip of the tongue. He didn’t mean that he loved me; he merely meant that he loved talking to me, joking around.

  Yep, that was all he meant. So why wouldn’t the all-encompassing, fluttery feeling in my chest let up?

  I stared down at my ice cream, my appetite suddenly lost. My stomach was too full of butterflies to eat. When it melted to liquid at the bottom of the container, I went and threw it in the nearest trash can.

  I looked back to Cameron. “Want to take a little walk?”

  He nodded and stood, seeming relieved I’d suggested a change of scenery. We walked all around the town, taking in the sights but not really saying much. Still, it was nice to be around him outside of work, to spend time together away from the watchful eyes of all our co-workers.

  After a while, we headed back to the car to start the journey home. I yawned, and Cameron grabbed a small pillow from the back seat. “Here, take a nap if you like.”

  “You keep a pillow in your car?”

  “It’s for when I’m doing night-time surveillance with a partner. We take turns sleeping.”

  “Oh, well let me know if you want me to drive for a while.”

  “It’s a two-hour journey, I’ll be fine. Get some shut-eye,” he said, and I didn’t object further.

  I must’ve fallen asleep fast because the next thing I knew Cameron was whispering in my ear.

  “Maisie, wake up.”

  I turned toward his alluring voice. “I don’t want to.”

  A low chuckle from him as I snuggled closer. “We’re outside your house.”

  I realised he’d been trying to shake me awake with both hands on my shoulders and I’d snuggled my face into his warm neck. He smelled amazing. When I finally opened my eyes and drew away, Cameron’s lids were heavy. He looked tired too. It had been a long, emotionally exhausting day for him, and again, I felt that need to comfort him. There was also that weird moment on the bench to consider, but I tried to keep it to the back of my mind. It made me feel too crazy to contemplate all the possible meanings.

  Or well, one very, very important meaning.

  I brought my hand to his face and cupped his cheek. “Stay the night,” I whispered.

  Cameron let out a low noise of frustration. “I can’t. We’re waiting, remember?”

  “It didn’t seem like we were waiting today when you kissed me,” I said, eyeing him meaningfully. “Besides, I don’t want to…do anything. I just want to sleep with you, like actually sleep.”

  He leaned into my touch, and I saw a flicker of indecision in his eyes. “Just sleep?”

  I nodded, and he exhaled heavily. I reached out and linked my fingers with his. He stared at our hands for a long moment, fascinated, then finally said, “Okay.”

  My entire body buzzed with awareness as I led him into my house. I turned the lights on in the hallway, then slipped off my shoes. Cameron did the same, and I took his hand again before leading him upstairs to my bedroom. I flicked on the lamp and he looked around, taking in my bed, my few possessions scattered about. I’d done a little clean-up this morning before I left, but my place still probably seemed messy to Cameron, whose flat was pristine and neat as a pin.

  I stood by the foot of my bed, and he came forward. First, he removed my cardigan, then reaching around me, undid the zip at the back of my dress. His knuckles brushed my skin, and my breathing quickened. I wasn’t so sleepy anymore. I was aware of every tiny movement, every breath he took. He rolled my tights down my hips, and when I stood in only my underwear, Cameron paused to take me in. I felt his eyes everywhere as they lingered on the swell of my breasts, the curve of my hips.

  I stepped closer and reached for the hem of his long-sleeved T-shirt, while he undid his belt buckle and shucked off his trousers. I wanted to stare at him forever, the strong, smooth lines of his body, but then he stepped away.

  He pulled back my duvet and gestured for me to get into bed. I did and he followed. He reached over to turn off the lamp before wrapping his arms around me. I rested my head in the hollow of his neck, then closed my eyes and listened to his steady heartbeat.

  “I had a good time today,” I whispered.

  His hand stroked up and down my back. “Me too.”

  “It’s so weird for us to be alone like this,” I went on.

  “We’re alone together all the time.”

  “But we’re usually working. I like being alone with you when we’re not working.” I kissed the underside of his jaw and felt his body shudder. A quiet fell between us, and I savoured his warmth, the feel of his skin on mine.

  “Cameron,” I whispered again.

  “Yeah?” He sounded sleepy, like he was already drifting off.

  “Before we started getting to know each other, back when we were just ordinary colleagues at work, did you like me?”

  He didn’t answer for a long moment, and I started to worry that maybe Rory was right and people at the office really didn’t like me.

  Cameron pressed his mouth to my temple before he finally spoke. “Every Monday you bring donuts for everyone at the office. You usually have lunch with Lilah, but if she’s not there, you sit by your desk and read or watch videos on YouTube. You eat a healthy lunch every second day, which I suspect is usually to make up for the unhealthy lunch you ate the day before. You water all the plants on Thursday evenings, but nobody actually knows it’s you who does it. I think they presume the cleaning ladies do it. And you always leave your hair down and wear a dress on Fridays.”

  His arms tightened around me as I frowned into his neck. “Okay, so you know a lot of stuff about me, but that doesn’t answer my question.”

  Cameron caught my chin between his thumb and forefinger. My eyes met his in the dark. “I’ve known all this for years, Maisie, long before the Christmas party.”

  “But…so you…”

  “I’ve liked you for a very long time.”

  “Oh,” I breathed, realization sinking in.

  Cameron lowered his mouth to mine and kissed me lightly. I shifted in his hold, trying to get closer.

  I’ve liked you for a very long time.

  The knowledge that he’d been aware of me before I’d ever truly been aware of him made me feel light-headed. Before the Christmas party I fancied him, yes, but I was also wary of him, considered him an intimidating character, and all the while he’d watched me, noticed things about me no one else did.

  “Why?” I asked.

  Cameron chuckled low and sexy. “Why do I like you? Shall I write you a list?”

  I shook my head. “No, it’s just…Rory told me that nobody at the office likes me. It’s kind of been niggling at me ever since.”

  “Why are you listening to what Rory has to say? He’s a spiteful bastard. He’s also a liar. Everybody likes you, except for those three fucking idiots, and that’s probably because you don’t laugh at their dumb jokes or follow them around like a sheep. You’re your own person, Maisie, and people are intimidated by that.”

  “You’re the one who intimidates people. I just annoy them.”

  “You couldn’t be annoying if you tried. Now kiss me before I start concocting plans to teach that piece of shit a lesson.”

  I smiled shyly and pressed my lips to his. We kissed long and deep, but we didn’t go any further than that. When I woke up the next morning, Cameron was spooning me. We must’ve moved around in the night because I remembered falling asleep on his chest.

  I enjoyed the warm, tingly sensation of waking up in bed with another person. I grinned when I spotted the “lovely” card sitting next to the lamp on my nightstand. I had a feeling we were going to just keep passing it back and forth to one another forever.

  My warm, glowy feeling fled when I realised I was all gross and sweaty and had morning breath. As slowly as I could, I moved out from under his arm and crept towards the bathroom. I brushed my teeth, then turned on the shower. Cameron and I were still in the early stages of, well, whatever this was, and I was self-conscious about him seeing me first thing in the morning.

  Of course he looked like a sexy, scruffy-haired angel with his head resting on my pillow.

  I scrubbed myself from top to bottom, then wrapped up in a robe before going downstairs to see what there was for breakfast. I was mixing some eggs for an omelette when I heard footsteps coming down the stairs. Cameron’s warmth met my back when he came to stand behind me. He bent to press a kiss to my earlobe, creating a pleasurable sensation that lingered at the back of my neck.

  “Did you shower?” he asked in a gravelly voice.

  “Yes. Are you hungry? I’m making an omelette.”

  “Come back to bed,” he murmured, and my stomach flipped. His hand pressed flat to my belly, and I felt his erection against my backside. “I woke up surrounded by your scent, but you were gone.”

  I dropped the fork I’d been using to stir the eggs.

  Without warning he picked me up, and I squealed as he headed for the stairs. A minute later, we were back in my room. He laid me down on the bed and made short work of untying my robe. Cool air hit my naked skin right before Cameron’s warm mouth captured my nipple. He swirled his tongue around it, and I strained beneath him, hands going to his shoulders.

  “Maybe we should…”

  “Don’t talk, just feel,” he rasped before his mouth returned to my breast. His hand wandered down my body, gripped my knee, then moved to my inner thigh.

  My skin felt too tight for my body. He released my nipple, then blew warm air across my breast. His eyes captured mine, an intensity in his gaze that made my pulse increase.

  His hand whispered between my legs and every nerve ending in my body came alive as I waited for what he was going to do next. Inhale, exhale. The room was so quiet all I could hear was my own frantic breaths, my heart pounding loudly in my ears.

  This was happening. I was going to have sex with Cameron Grant, but this time we were stone-cold sober. Emotions I’d never felt before swelled inside me; longing, desire, respect, love. Yes, I couldn’t lie to myself any longer. I was falling for this man, drowning in the sea of him and there was no swimming back to the surface. With Raymond I’d felt a friendship, a comfortable sort of companionship, but there was little passion. With Cameron, it was like there were more feelings inside of me than my body was capable of holding.

  What I felt for him was transcendent, too big and intangible to even put into words.

  The bed dipped as he moved back down my body. He took hold of my knees, his thumbs brushing back and forth, and a soft moan escaped me. He’d barely touched me, and already I felt like I’d come from so much as a whispered breath at the back of my neck, a delicate press of his lips against the shell of my ear.

  His shoulder brushed my inner thigh, and I gasped when his mouth met my sex. I gripped the duvet, moaning loudly at the skilled, soft flick of his tongue on my clit. One strong hand gripped my thigh while the other fanned out across my stomach. I opened my eyes and stared down at the erotic sight of his head between my legs and gasped.

  His gaze flicked up, his sinful hazel eyes full of erotic promise. He licked at me long and deep. I trembled and reached down to grip his shoulder. His tongue circled my clit while the hand on my thigh moved higher, his fingers finding my entrance and pushing inside.

  “Oh God,” I cried out at the feel of his mouth and hands working me at once. I was lost to sensation as I continued to stare down at him, my throat suddenly heavy with emotion. I felt like I might blurt something silly and impulsive, but then my orgasm hit and my body buzzed as pleasure shattered through me.

  Cameron kissed my inner thighs, and I marvelled at the worshipful way he looked at my body. Did I look at him the same way? Could he see my feelings written all over my face, or was I hiding them more successfully than I thought?

  “We’re not doing very well at this whole staying away from each other thing, are we?” I said shyly.

  He held himself above me, gazing down with sheer affection. “I think life might be too short to deny myself someone as amazing as you,” he replied.

  That thing in my throat, whatever it was, grew even heavier. His erection brushed my inner thigh, and I swallowed tightly.

  “B-but what about my training?” I stammered, full of nervous tension as all the ramifications of what we were doing wormed their way into my head.

  Cameron bent and captured my earlobe between his teeth, nipping lightly. “We’ll figure something out,” he murmured, moving his hips so that his cock met my sex.

  We’ll figure something out.

  It was hardly an answer at all, and yet, I was willing to accept it so long as he didn’t stop what he was doing. I shuddered, needing him, as I reached to open my dresser drawer, my hand blindly searching for a condom. I knew there was a packet in there somewhere, long forgotten under various other bits and bobs.

  Cameron chuckled, his expression quizzical. “What on earth are you doing?”

  Embarrassment crept in. “I’m trying to find a condom.”

  His face softened as he gently stroked my cheek then stretched across the bed to peer in my drawer. He scrambled through the items inside and I tried to remember if there was anything embarrassing in there. Finally his hand emerged with the condom packet and he made quick work of putting one on. A memory flashed in my head of our one-night stand. How he’d been so drunk he’d made a mess of putting on the first condom and had to try again with a second. He wasn’t drunk now though, and that fact was blatantly obvious. He was completely in control of his faculties as he took all of me in. I’d never felt so seen.

  A quiet moment passed, the sounds of our breathing filling the room.

  “You’re beautiful,” he murmured as I reached up to grip his strong shoulder. His compliment spread through me, heating my skin, but I didn’t know how to respond. In the end I didn’t have to. Cameron held himself over me, his eyes on mine as he pushed inside, filling me. All thoughts fled my mind. Neither one of us looked away as he slowly rocked his hips and I marvelled at the gold flecks in his eyes, highlighted by the morning sun streaming through the window.

  In that moment, there was no questioning how he felt for me, and I for him. Our bodies joined and we were both fully present in the here and now. I knew I’d found someone special in him and I wouldn’t let go. We’d come this far, there was no turning back.

  Cameron let out a rough groan, his hips rocking faster.

  Pleasure encapsulated me and I emitted a desperate cry. He was giving me so much and yet I still wanted more. “Keep going,” I urged and something came over him. He pulled out and flipped me over, then pushed back inside, taking me from behind. One hand moulded my breast, the other holding tight to my hip. I was completely possessed by him, lost to and surrounded by him.

  He pulled me up so that I was on my knees, then plastered his mouth to my jaw, kissing and sucking and sending tingles all down my spine. “Oh my God,” I breathed.

  “Give me your eyes,” he demanded, still rocking his hips as I twisted my head to look at him. My gaze locked with his; his hand travelled from my breast and down my stomach, then between my legs where he found my clit.

  I whimpered, unsure if I could come again so soon, but then that sharp pleasure started to build in me. I’d never been taken like this before, had never been made love to in a way that encompassed both body and soul. Cameron’s feelings for me mixed with his physical lust to create a drugging, heady sensation I didn’t ever want to end.

  “Yes, there. That feels…incredible,” I said past a moan and a rumble of approval emanated from deep in his throat.

  “You’re the sexiest fucking thing I’ve ever seen,” he growled, eyes absorbing my every reaction as he drove me higher with his cock and his hands. He pinched my nipple as he fingered my clit, his cock moving in and out, fucking me hard.

  It was all too much and my head fell back into his chest as I closed my eyes and lost myself in this confounding, wonderful, addictive, beautiful man.

  “Let me see you,” he murmured in a husky voice and I opened my eyes again. In that moment he could’ve presented me with a contract signing away my entire world and I would’ve scribbled on the dotted line. His eyes were pure masculine need as he took me in. Pleasure swelled inside me and then I came, my orgasm flooding in like a wave crashing against the shore. Slowly, it faded, the wave moving back out to sea. My body melted into his and he bit down on my shoulder. It was a gentle, nipping sort of bite, one that tempered the heaven he made me feel. When he came, it was with a deep, erotic groan that vibrated through my entire being. He held me to him then guided us both down onto the bed.

  With this arms wrapped tight around me, I sank into his embrace and realised with utter shock that nothing had ever made me feel more complete than this very moment right here. No intention of going anywhere any time soon, I allowed myself to revel in the feeling, in the man next to me who didn’t even realise he’d stolen my heart.

  Sixteen

  The Hunt

  February 5th – 9th

  “And when he asked me what my favourite spice was, I said Sporty. I think that’s where the date started to go downhill,” Lilah said with a chuckle. She sat across from me at her desk, eating an apple and regaling me about the Tinder date she’d gone on at the weekend.

  “Well, the man clearly didn’t have a sense of humour,” I said. “You don’t want to be with someone who thinks they’re above cheesy jokes.”