Page 164 of Story of My Life
“You can use my office,” Pep said. “Through the door at the foot of the stairs.”
I grabbed another lemon square and jogged for my life with as much dignity as I could muster. I had just ducked into the doorway when I heard Pep. “What in the hell happened to your face, and why is my flower pitcher missing?”
“Where’s Hazel?” Cam demanded.
I closed the door as quietly as possible and leaned against it. He wouldn’t say or do something stupid in front of his family. Would he? We had an agreement that all the naked things we’d been doing and would probably do again were between the two of us. Although Laura knew about our fake date. And Levi obviously knew the real score, thanks to his brother’s outburst. But he didn’t seem like the gossiping type…or the talking type.
No. Cam wouldn’t corner me in front of his family. There’d be too many questions. Too many assumptions. Too much explaining.
Breathing a sigh of relief at my rationalization, I dialed Zoey’s number and looked around the room while I waited for her to answer.
It was tiny, square footage wise. But the Bishops had made the most of the floor space with a custom two-sided desk. One side was ruthlessly organized with a laptop and up-to-date monthly calendar. The other was stacked high with a jumble ofunopened mail, small mechanical farm parts, and other office paraphernalia.
“Hey,” I said when Zoey picked up.
“What’s up? Did your characters finally stop having sex long enough that you could figure out the conflict?”
The door swung open, and Cam stepped into the room, taking all the space and oxygen for himself.
“Ummm,” I croaked.
He closed the door and stood in front of it, legs braced, arms crossed, pinning me with his gaze.
My pulse started hammering at the base of my throat.
“So we’re invited to dinner at Bishop Farm,” I said in a near squeak. “It’s meatloaf.”
Cam’s mouth quirked at the corner.
“Are there free-range animals on this farm?” Zoey asked.
“I saw some cows. But they were behind a fence.” I tried to look anywhere but Cam’s face and body. Unfortunately, said face and body took up the entire room.
“I don’t know, Haze. A farm seems like the perfect place to get trampled by livestock.”
“I refuse to let you add all animals to the list of things you’re afraid of. Fish and birds I get. But I’m not letting you go through life terrified of cows too.” I covered the phone with my hand. “Don’t you have someplace else to be?” I hissed at Cam.
“Nope.”
“Aren’t you worried your mom will think there’s something going on?”
“She probably knew the second I unhooked your bra the first time.”
My facial temperature spiked to a thousand degrees. I uncovered the phone. “Look, Zoey. It’s important, and it involves Cam’s evil ex-girlfriend and the fate of Story Lake. Also, I’m told the meatloaf is worth the trip.”
Cam took a step closer. “Hang up the phone.”
“Who’s that?” eagle-eared Zoey demanded.
“No one. The TV. I’ll text you the address,” I said quickly, backing into the desk as Cam closed the distance between us.
His grin was pure sin as he took the phone from me and ended the call.
“What are you doing?” I asked as his thumbs moved over the screen while I performed an advanced yoga-worthy backbend.
“Texting Zoey the address.” He tossed the phone on the desk behind me and settled those big hands on my hips.
My entire body melted like wax.
