Page 40 of Sophia & Cameron

“Okay,” he whispered, “but only because you’re obsessed with me.”

Sophia laughed and pushed him away before he had a chance to kiss her. “More like you’re obsessed with me.”

She wasn’t wrong. He hadn’t felt this way about anyone... ever. Sophia was the woman of his dreams. She had been since he’d seen her at that conference. He chuckled and got back to his work. He finished collecting the blood samples he’d be sending to the lab. Holding them up, he grinned. “In a few days we’ll know if we have reason to celebrate.”

17

Sophia

Sophia charged toward the wranglers’ cabin with an envelope in her hand and a smile on her face. She hadn’t opened the lab results yet because she wanted to share in the excitement with Cameron.

Being with him was so different than any other relationship she’d had. He was thoughtful and spontaneous. And part of her even liked that jealous streak he’d shown when they were in the beginning of their relationship.

He had been amazing with Paxton, and she could see a possible scenario where Cameron became the person she married.

But she was getting ahead of herself. Right now, they were enjoying themselves. They went out every weekend and spent time together, even if it was brief, in the evenings. He was the first smile she sought out every morning and the last one she wanted to see before bed.

Part of her wondered how things might have been different if she hadn’t run from the heartache she’d had five years ago. Where would she and Cameron be if they had a chance from that first night?

Sophia had to shove that thought down deep. She was the one responsible for pushing him away when he’d had a reasonable explanation. Lessons had been learned, and she wasn’t about to overreact again. Cameron hadn’t deserved her overreaction. Now, she was going to take full advantage of what they had together.

She entered the wranglers’ cabin and stopped in the common area. It was decorated tastefully with pictures of cowboys or cattle on every wall. The furniture was rustic, made of wood or leather. It was an open floor plan concept with a kitchen and sitting area off the entrance and a hallway leading to the bedrooms. There were a few men lounging in the area, eating food they’d brought back from the cafeteria, but no Cameron. She hadn’t learned most of their names yet since she’d been spending most of her time with Cameron, but Jason was among them, and they’d gotten friendly enough whenever she visited Nikki in the kitchens.

Sophia nearly asked one of the men to check the back for Cameron, but Jason approached and spoke first. “Hey, Sophia. How’s it going?”

She offered the cowboy a genuine smile. He helped Nikki in the kitchen most days, but lately he’d been taking on more responsibilities with the horses. “It’s going well.” She held up the letter. “We might have some good news today.”

“Yeah?” Jason moved even closer, and she backed into the doorway. He lifted his arm and rested it above her head against the doorjamb, looking down at her with a grin. “What kind of news?”

She smirked if only to cover for the fact that his proximity didn’t feel quite right. He was a naturally flirtatious guy, and up until this point, she hadn’t thought anything of it. But now? She couldn’t help but feel like it was a bit much. “Just waiting to see if Cameron’s been successful with the breeding process. I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t mind an excuse to go out tonight.”

In a flash of movement, Jason was yanked away from her. Sophia gasped, and her eyes fell on an angry-looking Cameron. He was breathing heavier than he should have been and his hands were flexing and clenching at his sides. “Stay away from her,” he growled.

“Cameron!” she admonished. “What are you doing?”

Jason looked more surprised than anything else. His eyes darted past Cameron to Sophia before landing back on Cameron. He raised his hands in a placating gesture. “Easy, man. I was just talking to her.”

Before Cameron could say something he would likely regret, Sophia grabbed at his arm. “Hey. I was looking for you. We have a letter to open.”

At that, Cameron turned to face her, and his hard eyes softened as they landed on her face. He glanced at the letter in her hand as a hint of a smile clawed at his lips. “Is that what I think it is?” he said.

She waved it at him, the tussle he’d nearly gotten himself into completely forgotten. “What do you think it is?” she cooed.

He pulled her close, their chests bumping. “I think it might be the reason I get to take you to dinner tonight.”

Sophia shrugged. “Maybe.” She pulled him back to the door, refusing to make eye contact with any of the guys who had witnessed his outburst. To be fair, the position she’d been in had likely looked scandalous. That was just how Jason was. She wassure he got himself into trouble with that behavior more often than not.

They exited the cabin and made their way into the cool evening air. When they got far enough from the building for Sophia to feel comfortable again, she pressed the envelope to Cameron’s chest with a grin. “How about you do the honors?”

He took it. “It’ll be my pleasure.”

She watched as he painstakingly slipped his fingers into the paper and tore a line through the top of the envelope. Sophia groaned exaggeratedly. “If you don’t get on with it, I’ll steal your thunder and open it myself.”

Cameron chuckled and pulled out the document. “Of the five specimens received, we can confirm that four of the results are positive.” His boyish grin sent her heart into overdrive. “You hear that? Four out of five!” He pulled her into a hug and spun her around. “This definitely means we need to celebrate. Dinner?”

“I already ate.” Sophia poked him in the chest. “And I’d wager you did too.”

“Dancing?”

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