Page 19 of Sophia & Cameron

“Does that mean you’ll consider it?” His words were more like a growl than anything else.

She tilted her head to consider him, her lower lip protruding. Then she pressed her fingers against his chest until he stumbled back a step. “Sorry, bud. I work alone.” She grinned at his dumbfounded expression as she dragged her fingertips down his chest and headed off in the direction that she’d just seen Emma go.

8

Cameron

Cameron turned to watch Sophia go.

That interaction hadn’t been bad. Not at all.

She’d smiled at him. She’d flirted. That was the girl he’d fallen for in Texas through and through. His heart yearned to follow her to her friend and pull her into a dance for himself. She was the light, and he was an unsuspecting bug that couldn’t keep his eyes from her.

The way she swayed her hips when she moved. The sound of her laugh.

That smile.

Oh boy. That woman was going to be the end of him.

In those few moments when they’d been standing beside each other, he’d forgotten all about the pain she’d caused him when she’d left him high and dry after agreeing to another date. He’d forgotten about the ache that had been dug into his chest when he realized she had refused to give him her name and a way to contact her.

In that moment? He’d gone back in time when anything was possible.

Cameron watched her from his position against the wall. His arms were folded, and he had lifted a boot to rest it against the wall at his back. From this distance, he could observe her and pretend that they had something more.

Eventually, he’d wear her down. He’d make her believe they were good for each other—just as soon as he figured out why she was pushing him away. There had to be a reason. No, he didn’t know her as well as he wanted to, but he knew in his gut that she wasn’t the type of person who would do something so heartless.

She glanced in his direction and their eyes locked for a few moments. She smiled before turning back to her friend. At one point that friend shot a peek at him, too. Then Sophia laughed at what her friend said.

They were talking about him, and he didn’t mind at all.

Cameron winked at her when he caught her stare. She rolled her eyes, and the thrill of the chase returned. She wasn’t going to be able to ignore him for long. She’d come back. There was a pull they had to each other. It tethered them together like nothing he’d ever experienced before. She belonged to him, and he belonged to her.

Now that he’d found her, he wasn’t going anywhere. Whatever it took, he would get them back on track.

“Hey, cutie. I haven’t seen you here before,” a feminine voice purred at him. He didn’t have to look at the woman to know that she was a little shorter than he was. “You here alone?” There was a pout to her voice and for a brief second, his focus darted to her. She was blonde and had full lips. She had a more slender frame than Sophia did, and her eyes were a pretty shade of blue, but she was no Sophia.

He grasped her hand and pulled it away from his shirt. “I’m not here alone.”

Her eyes flickered with desire. “Really, well… would you like some company?”

Cameron’s attention shifted to where he’d last seen Sophia, but she wasn’t there. He straightened and scanned the room as he released the girl’s hand. “No thanks. There’s actually someone else…”

She reached for him again, but this time he shoved off the wall and moved away.

“Thanks, but I’m not interested.” He offered her an apologetic smile before moving away from her and searching the room. Where had Sophia gone? He caught sight of her friend on the dance floor with a guy. But no Sophia. She might have gone outside for some air. Or she might be dancing. She could have gone to the bathroom.

A wash of anxiety splashed over him as he thought back to the guy who was clearly ignoring her request when she’d said she wanted water. Sure, the guy might have been harmless, but he might have had ulterior motives, too. There was no telling what kind of man he was.

The way Sophia drew people in with her smile meant she could be welcoming all sorts of miscreants. He had this gut-wrenching feeling that she needed protection despite what she’d said earlier—though he would never have said so himself. He couldn’t afford to scare her off or push her away.

Moving through the crowds of people who were now swarming onto the dance floor for an upbeat country song, Cameron’s focus continued to dart from one side of the large space to the other.

The people were now dancing in lines and moving as one. Someone bumped into him, nearly knocking him off balance. He couldn’t see Sophia in the waves of people. That didn’t surprise him. She didn’t seem like the type to enjoy a choreographed line dance.

There were only a few individuals on the edges of the room as they took a break from the physical requirements of the dance.

Still, no Sophia.

---