Page 12 of A Sinful Trap

“Also finished.”

Cam hungrily tracked the droplets of water coursing over Davide’s golden-brown body. He curled his hands into fists to keep himself from temptation. Judging from Davide’s tone, now wasn’t the right time. “It didn’t cool you off?”

Davide’s upper lip curled as he studied Cam in return, gaze honing in on the erection that was impossible to conceal. “I’m not the one who needed cooling off after visiting our new property. I picked up your things, by the way, and paid off the driver to keep his mouth shut about the wealthy fare that stripped and disappeared into the desert. Luckily, he’s driven a few rock stars in his day, so he wasn’t that surprised. He couldn’t smell the reek of arousal coming off your clothes.”

Cam winced in surprise. Davide was possessive, but he’d never been jealous. Not of other shifters, and never of the humans that occasionally shared their bed. In fact, most of their threesomes over the years had been Davide’s suggestion. But this was jealousy. He hadn’t met Bailey and Cam hadn’t said a word, but he obviously sensed something was different.

Still, his insecurity was unacceptable.

“I don’t deserve that,” Cam said, his aggravation clear. “You know I haven’t fucked anyone without you in the room for over thirty years. Do you think I decided to start tonight, while you were waiting for me in an idling car?”

“I saw your face.” His tone was still sullen, but Cam could see the tension in him beginning to ease. “And whatever happened, it had you disappearing for hours in an area we aren’t familiar with yet. You could have been hurt or crossed a boundary, and I wouldn’t have known.”

“I didn’t say I wasn’t tempted,” he admitted candidly. “But nothing happened, there are no boundaries and I’m not hurt. I’m here.”

Something had almost happened. If she hadn’t introduced herself, Cam wasn’t sure he would have broken away in time.

“You’re covered in desert.”

“I got sidetracked.” He brushed at his chest. “It’s like nothing we’ve seen before, Davide. We’ll go out together tomorrow.”

“Did you at least get to meet Bailey before you got sidetracked?”

Cam frowned at the familiarity. “Ms. Wagner?”

“Yes. Bailey,” Davide replied with a shadow of his usual grin. “The funny innkeeper I’ve been emailing for weeks to make sure we had everything we needed. We stopped being formal twenty replies ago. I’m planning to convince you to sell the inn to her when we’re done with it.”

It hadn’t occurred to Cam that they already knew each other. At this point, Davide might know Bailey better than he did. And he liked her. It was too soon to say whether or not that was a good thing.

“She was there and yes, I met her. After she dropped from the ceiling.”

Davide’s eyes widened. “She did what?”

Cam gave him a quick synopsis of their meeting, including her shorts, the spider and her sarcasm. By the time he was done, Davide was nearly crying with laughter.

“Wonder Woman? I love it.” He sobered, tilting his head as though merely curious. “She’s the one who made you run, isn’t she? The one you wanted? I had a crush from her emails, but she must be stunning if your reaction is anything to go by.”

“She’s cute.” Cam wasn’t ready for this conversation. Not yet. And not when Davide was standing in front of him looking like everything he needed. “But you’re the one I want.”

It wasn’t a lie. He ran his hand down his own naked body and gripped his unflagging erection. “I haven’t been inside you since Washington, and this place if having an effect on me.”

“Washington was this morning. And are you sure it’s this place and not your Wonder Woman?” Davide’s brown eyes took on an amber hue as he toyed with the edges of his towel. “You think a few sweet words and a show will get you off the hook for ditching me? It’s my job to watch your ass as you fly around the world playing live-action Monopoly.”

“No, it isn’t.”

“Security was the job you offered me when we first met. Because I’ve got good instincts, you said. Because I’m clever. Because I’m faster, I can sneak around better than anyone under this roof and I’ve always got your back.”

All of that was true. “At the time, there were more than a few idiots pissed at me for not allowing them to sell out their pack for a big payday. And I would have used any excuse to get you to come home with me.”

“It worked.” Davide stalked him. “You took me to bed, put me in charge of herding the others and gave me all your passwords, but you never technically fired me from that first assignment. As far as I’m concerned, I’m still responsible for your big, sexy ass. And I can’t protect it if you disappear on me or keep secrets.”

“You’re right.”

The young lynx shifter had been left behind in the Italian Alps. Without pack, like the others on his team. Like Cameron himself. Even hungry and alone, Davide had been too bold for his own good. He’d followed them for days, nicking food and pieces of clothing before saving Cam from an ambush.

He’d been at his side ever since. He owned Cam’s heart and made him burn. But though his wolf loved Davide and was loyal to him, there’d been no compulsion to mate. That’s what made Cam sure the idea was a myth.

Having a spiritual link to force fidelity sounded wrong to him anyway. Love might not be a choice, but commitment was. He’d learned that from the men in his family, who had all been unfaithful or simply abandoned the ones they’d sworn to protect. He’d learned it from watching other shifters marry, have children and happily spend their lives with someone who wasn’t bonded to them with a mate mark.

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