Page 71 of Sophia & Cameron

Her heart did a triple backflip at the intensity with which he stared at her. She swallowed thickly and shook her head. “I’m not toying with you.” Her cheeks warmed with embarrassment. “And while I’m not making excuses by any means, perhaps a little bit of jealousy is needed in some situations.” She pinched her fingers together with a grimace, then held her breath as she waited for his response.

He watched her for what felt like an eternity and then threw back his head and laughed before pulling her against him. His voice hummed in his throat, and she could hear his own wildly pumping heart. “I’d have to agree with that,” he growled against her ear. “You have no idea how good it felt to know that you were jealous enough to lay your claim on me.” His fingers traced up and down her spine, and she shivered involuntarily. “It’s been torture to keep my distance while you spent time with other guys.”

She winced. Of course he’d struggled. His jealousies were more deeply rooted than her own. Part of her wondered if Sam had finally managed to tell Cameron the truth, but that would be a conversation for another time. She tightened her hold on him and exhaled. “I love you,” she said against his chest. “I think a part of me has loved you for as long as you’ve loved me.”She craned her neck so she could look at him fully. “And for the record, none of those guys I spent time with came close to comparing to you. The feelings I have for you are otherworldly.”

He pressed his forehead to hers. “I know.”

“You do?” she asked breathlessly.

“Yeah. I started to see the difference in the way you talked to them versus the way you talked to me. Maybe it’s a little stuck up, but I knew you still cared for me. What we have? It’s not easy to come by.”

“No, it’s not.” She smiled at him, loving this feeling she had while being in his arms. Then her smile faltered, and the concern replaced his own peaceful expression.

“What’s wrong?”

Sophia sighed, looking away. “What if?—”

Cameron gave her a loving squeeze. “Don’t do that. Don’t for a second believe that we’re going back to that place. I won’t let it happen.”

The hope he offered her flared to life brighter than she expected.

“I won’t risk losing you, Sophia. I want you to know that every single day you give me a chance, I’ll make sure it’s well-deserved. I’m not fixed by any stretch of the imagination. But I’m working on it.”

Tears sprang to her eyes, and she flung her arms around his neck as she rose on her toes to kiss him. Somehow, she knew this promise would stick. Maybe it had been their time apart and the boundaries she had put into place when it came to his anger problems. Maybe it had been the fact that they’d both had to grow up and humble themselves to figure out what they needed. They might be a terrible match, but they were also perfect for one another in so many ways.

His lips crashed down over hers, with a desperate need. In that moment she let herself fall into him and the possibilities of what their future would hold.

EPILOGUE

Cameron

Several Months Later

“Idon’t understand why you’re so nervous. It’s been months and you guys haven’t had any issues.” Roman’s taunting tone only seemed to rile Cameron up even more.

He shot the man a death glare. “Because Sophia has been very vocal about the fact that she never planned on settling down.”

“Wrong,” Roman said pointedly. “She’s said she doesn’t date. Not that she won’t marry. You got past the hardest part. It’s a guarantee that she’ll say yes.”

“No, it’s not,” Cameron insisted, fidgeting more than he liked. He’d only crossed the space to the main house because Roman had emerged from his truck and Cameron had needed someone’s opinion on the ring. He should have known betterthan to ask Roman. First of all, he was a guy. Secondly, they hadn’t started off on the best of terms.

Roman smirked at him with a quirk of his brow. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. She could tell you no. Maybe you’re not husband material.”

Cameron’s steps faltered and he stared at Roman with a gaping mouth.

The man merely laughed. “Easy. I don’t know much, but I can see it just like everyone else. Sophia is head over heels for you. She’s not going to turn you down. Not even with a ring like that.”

This time, Cameron frowned at the ring. “What? Is it not?—”

Roman laughed again. “You make it too easy.”

Cameron nearly snarled at Roman for all the teasing. “Just wait until you fall in love with a girl and you’re worried she doesn’t feel the same way you do.”

He folded his arms. “Not going to happen. I don’t catch feelings easy. I have lots of friends. And I’ve been on lots of dates. The girls flock to me. But…” He shrugged. “I dunno. I just don’t get the sense that I couldn’t live without them.” His eyes shifted as a car pulled up and a pretty, petite woman climbed out. She smiled broadly at Roman as she shut the door.

“Is that one of the women you’re talking about? The ones who catch feelings for you but not the other way around?” Cameron prodded.

Roman snorted. “Nah. That’s just Olivia. We’ve been best friends since we were kids.” His brows pulled together. “She doesn’t usually come all the way out here to hang, though. Usually, we meet in town. I’ll catch you later.” Roman jogged toward Olivia, then turned so he was jogging backward and gave Cameron a knowing look. “Text me when you get your answer. I want to know how bad she destroys you.”

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