Page 6 of Finally Home

West looked down at the woman pressed to his side and held on to her a little tighter. She was definitely not a lanky little fawn anymore.

He knew that, though.

He’d once been well acquainted with every inch of her body. Every freckle. Every curve. He knew the way she arched her back when she experienced pleasure at his hands. The way she mewled softly as she came down from the throes of passion.

She wasn’t that girl anymore, though, and he wasn’t that boy.

Time had been kind to her. Cami had gone from beautiful to drop-dead gorgeous. Each of her curves had filled out, begging to be caressed. To be used as grips for a man’s hands, as they were intended.

For his hands.

Damn, I need to get my head on straight.

Cami was not his. Not made for his hands. Not anymore.

“Watch your step.” Cami helped him up the porch steps to her A-frame cabin. It was small and cozy, nestled between towering pines. Not what he would have pictured for her.

“You’ve got a nice place here. Is it just you out here alone?” He fished for any information he could about her life.

She nodded, confirming the status he’d hoped she would. “It’s not much, but it’s home.”

Leave it to Cami to be humble.

She’d always told him she wanted a ranch like her parents’. A ranch filled with animals of all shapes and sizes, with the large ranch-style home, wraparound porch, and white picket fence. He’d pictured her over the years, buying her ranch, settling down with a husband, having their two-point-five kids, and adopting a dog from the local rescue.

Well, he got the dog part right.

West smiled to himself, considering if it made him an asshole that he was happy she hadn’t settled down.

It most definitely did. She deserved to be happy. Even if it wasn’t with him. But damn if a small part of him didn’t want to be the man who gave her that life. It was always supposed to be him.

He had fucked up fifteen years ago when he’d left her, knowing damn well he couldn’t give her the life she’d wanted. Mom had depended on him after Dad died. His brother and sister had helped with the farm, but Dad had had his woodworking business on the side to help make ends meet. Without that and unable to take on more livestock, West had done what he had to do to provide. Cami had promised she understood, but he’d known she didn’t. Her tear-stained face had said it all as he drove away. She’d tried to be strong, but he’d never forgiven himself for the way he’d broken her heart. Hell, she probably never forgave him.

Staying away was never the plan. He’d needed time to get his shit together. Funny how life didn’t get the memo. Shelby came along, and his life changed forever.

Now he had more baggage than an airport carousel. He may currently have the job to provide Cami the life she deserved, but he also had a fucked-up brain and an even more fucked-up ex-wife.

Cami had gotten a front-row seat to just how messed up he was when she’d witnessed his flashback to the crash. The moment that would haunt him for all eternity. His biggest failure.

West didn’t think he could ask her to take on that part of him. He could barely handle it himself. While he’d gotten better over the years, and could generally anticipate and fight off his demons, Cami didn’t deserve the moments when he couldn’t. When the memories became too much.

No. She didn’t need his baggage. Cami appeared to be happy making a life for herself—a life that fulfilled her. He needed to get better and get off this mountain before he got it in his head he could have her in his life again.

Wasn’t that secretly always his plan, though? Why he’d decided to interview for a position based out of Aspen?

He’d told himself it was to be closer to his family. To help them as his mom got up there in years. He could have continued to tell himself that every day, as long as he didn’t run into his redheaded vixen and feed his delusional idea he could make up for lost time.

It was too late for that, though. He’d seen her. Felt her. Remembered what her presence did to him.

She checked on him when they’d reached the front door. “You okay to stand on your own?”

“Yeah, I’m not quite as sore.” It wasn’t true, but she didn’t need to know that.

Cami left his side and unlocked the door, then swung it open. Bear charged from behind them, dodging through the small space between their legs, knocking Cami off balance. She tried to grab for the doorframe but instead landed in West’s waiting arms, pushing him against the cabin.

Her body tensed, and she looked up at him. An awkward smile pulled at her lips, reaching her baby-blue eyes, and for a moment she was the Cami he’d known all those years ago. God, she was fucking beautiful.

West backed his hips away from her to hide the growing bulge in his pants.

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