Page 25 of Under My Skin

“Great. Well, I better get these girls home and into bed.” He leans in slowly as I look up at him and places a chaste kiss on my cheek, taking his time to pull back before he adds, “Good night, Lizzie.”

“Good night, Cameron. Good night, girls. See you soon!”

Then Cameron hightails it to his house with the girls in tow, but he looks back one last time and smiles before he disappears inside.

I stand outside for another minute. Cameron Dylan just kissed my cheek, and although I know it was just a good night kiss, I’m tingling all over. I’m suddenly taken back to the way his hands felt last night.

And that smile…

Maybe I should have opened up to Lia. She might have helped me rein this in with a healthy dose of reality.

I grumble under my breath and head inside, determined not to think about my next-door neighbor tonight.

Yeah, right.

12

CAMERON

It’s beentwo days since I saw Lizzie, outside of a simple wave hello yesterday when I drove past her parents’ house and she was talking to her mom on the front porch.

Two days since the dinner with her parents, when I couldn’t keep my eyes off her.

Two days since I apparently lost the ability to control myself. Again. Yeah, the kiss on the cheek was innocent enough, but it didn’t feel like it after an evening of shooting her heated glances across the table.

Two days since I watched her face pink up at my glances after I promised her I wouldn’t go there anymore—and liked it more than I should.

Two days of fantasies that I can’t stop myself from playing out in my head as I lie in bed late at night.

Argh. I’m pathetic.

Why can’t I just look at her as my neighbor and friend and leave it at that? Why do I have to be attracted to her?

I’m locking up downstairs after putting the girls to bed when I see a figure lying under the big oak tree that sits between my property and the Montgomerys’. Before I can consider what the hell I’m doing, I’m unlocking the door and heading straight outside. It’s like my body is drawn to Lizzie and knows it’s her before my brain has the chance to catch up.

As I’m approaching, she turns her head and smiles at me. The moonlight is highlighting all the freckles on her face, and she looks ethereal and innocent. I smile back as I get near and shove my hands in my pockets trying to look casual, even though my heart is about to beat out of my chest.

“Hey,” I say, sounding so fucking lame.

Do I really have no game anymore?Once upon a time, I could get the attention of every woman in a room and make them swoon with just one look or word. Now, when it really seems to matter, all I can come up with is a mediocrehey.

“Hi, Cameron,” Lizzie replies shyly.

“Mind if I join you?”

“No. Not at all,” she replies, eyes as big as saucers, like she can’t believe I’m asking.

“Stargazing?” I lower myself down on the blanket she has spread out.

“Yeah.” She moves her eyes back to the sky and stares intently, either deep in thought or too scared to make eye contact with me. I internally laugh when I decide it’s probably the latter. This girl has no idea what she does to me.

“My dad always told me that there wasn’t a better view of the stars than right here in Brantley Falls.” I take a deep breath as memories of my dad come flooding in and threaten to choke me. “I used to think he was just really partial to this place. We all knew how much he loved it here.”

“And what do you think now? You’ve seen a lot of night skies, I’m sure.” She turns to me, and we lock eyes. I get lost in those green pools and feel complete calm and comfort wash over me.

“I think he was right. I’ve never seen a sky this clear. It makes the stars look so bright.”

We’re lying side by side, with our heads turned toward each other, silence hanging between us. What I wouldn’t give to kiss Lizzie right now. And not on the cheek, either. I would kiss her properly, pouring every ounce of lust I feel for her into it.

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