Page 35 of Single Glance

My pulse thundered when Cam walked out of the bathroom, holding a washcloth in his grip. He brushed the terrycloth material between my tender thighs. It was gentle, such a stark contrast from how he fucked me, it almost made me weep. I loved the sex, but how he took care of me now was almost better. More intimate. He kissed my quaking thighs, moving up my body until he cradled me in his arms.

Cam searched my expression and must have noted the uncertainty still lurking in my eyes. “Don’t pull away from me now, menace,” he whispered as he leaned down to kiss me. I shook my head, not trusting my words. My emotions were so jumbled, as likely to hand over my heart as I was to tell him off. When he pulled back, he frowned. “What’s going on, Hadley?”

I bit my lip, trying to put my thoughts into concrete words. Nothing seemed to tie down my emotions, as if they were just wisps in the wind. Cam just waited, not moving away from me but giving me time to plan my next words. “I feel guilty,” I finally said. “Victoria?—”

“Has nothing to do with this.” Cam rolled away from me. It hurt, knowing he’d just begged me not to pull away, only for him to do moments later. Tension radiated off him, decimating the quiet peace we’d had moments earlier. I hated it. The moment he backed away, I wanted to rush to him, already missing the warmth of his skin. I forced myself to stay in one place, watching him as I bunched the sheets in my fist. Heclimbed off the bed and started pacing. “This is about us, Hadley. No one else.”

“There is no us.” I sat up on my knees. “There can’t be, Cam. Not with all the history between you and Tori.”

“So she can move on, but I’m supposed to stay tethered to her?” he bit out. Pain laced his words, and my heart stuttered in my chest. Oh my God, had I gotten it all wrong? I could have sworn Cam was over Victoria. What if he held out hope, only biding his time until Victoria and Adam either made things official or fell apart?

I clutched the sheet over my bare chest, feeling sick to my stomach. Sleeping with my best friend’s ex was bad enough. I’d only crossed that line because there was a deep connection between us. If it meant nothing to him?—

“Don’t, Hadley.” Cam moved back to the side of the bed and brushed his fingers over my cheek. I hadn’t realized I’d started crying until his fingers came away damp. “Don’t question what happened between us. If you think this has anything to do with Vic, you’re wrong.”

I shook my head. “If you’re not over her?—”

“I wantyou, Hadley.Onlyyou.” He brought my hand up to his chest. “I loved Vic, and part of me always will because she gave me Emilia. But we’re family. I haven’t looked at her like that in years.” He shook his head. “And now, with you…”

The small, insecure girl in my mind called out. “What about me?”

Cam’s umber eyes searched mine, everything I didn’t want to give a voice to reflected in his expression. This connection, no matter what I tried to tell myself, was not a one-sided thing. I’d embedded myself inside him, like he’d done to me. He pulled my hand away and kissed my open palm, then placed it on his chest. “You’re different, Hadley. Whatever this is, it's not goingaway after one night together. If anything, having you made it worse.” He pulled back, his expression pleading. “Tell me you feel this too.”

I wanted to. God, I wanted to. I wanted to leap into his arms and tell him to never let me go. For so long, I’d been searching for a place to belong, convinced some magical spot in the world would cure my restless heart. After years of searching, I found a family, a job I loved, and even a small, borrowed place to call my own—almost all thanks to Victoria.

“I do,” I whispered. “But it doesn’t matter. You might be over her, but she is still my best friend. No matter how you two feel about each other now, I betrayed her tonight. It can’t happen again, Cam. I won’t hurt her like this.”

“And if she’s okay with us?”

“Doesn’t matter,” I answered. “I’m not okay with it. Yes, there’s something between us, Cam, but we need to let it go. Tonight can’t happen again.”

Cam just stared at me, fierce determination filling his expression. I expected him to fight, to push me into admitting my fears. God help me, part of me wanted that, wanted him to refuse to let me go without a fight.

Instead, Cam just nodded and started grabbing his clothes. “If that’s what you want, Hadley, I’ll respect it.” After he pulled his shirt over his head, he stepped closer and pressed his thumb under my chin. “But don’t waste your time lying to yourself. This wasn’t a one-time thing. There’s a connection between us, and it’s not going away, no matter how much you want to deny it. When you’re done fighting us, I’ll be here, waiting for you to catch up.”

With a featherlight kiss to my lips, Cam left the room, leaving me alone to wonder what I’d done.

TWENTY-EIGHT

Days since last sleeping with Cam Seda:Three.

Times I’vethoughtabout sleeping with Cam Seda:Infinite.

I stared out at the main house through my kitchen window. How had it only been three days since Cam and I hooked up? It felt like a lifetime and yesterday at the same time. It’d be so easy to sneak over there and give in to the desire coursing through my bloodstream.

No. Do not pass go. Do not collect two hundred dollars.

Do not give in to a moment of weakness and hop back on Cam Seda’s dick.

The torrential downpour outside was an unexpected blessing. At least with the heavy rain, I had no excuse to leave my house, especially not to pop in across the yard.

Laila meowed at my feet, reminding me I’d been neglecting her in my Cam-induced haze. I’d been like this since Cam drove me back from the hotel, unbridled tension filled the space between us, the knowledge of what could happen if we both let go. He stayed true to his word, acting like he had before we crossed that line. However, the moment Emilialeft the room, he’d find reasons to touch me, to inch closer than appropriate. I should have stopped it, but I basked in those stolen moments, wanting to hold on to him and never let go.

But no matter how much I wanted Cam, there was a wall there, at least for me. The sharp reminder had me walking away from the window, smacking myself on the forehead as I headed into the kitchen.Tori.Tori is your best friend. Sleeping with her ex once was a mistake. Any more than that is a pattern, which would place you in the shittiest best friend column.

I turned back toward the couch and turned on the television, hoping to maybe find anything else to focus on. Just as I found a show to watch, my phone rang, Tori’s name scrolling at the top.Fuck.I should’ve sent it to voicemail, unsure of how I’d hide what I’d done. But no matter the circumstances, I missed my best friend. I slid the bar over, and her smiling face filled the screen.

“Hey!” Tori said.

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