Page 57 of Feeling the Heat: Part Two
Camille sighs, but doesn’t argue.
Once her measurements are taken and I put an exorbitant deposit down on the custom order that has Camille attempting to protest the gift again, we exit the shop, me stepping out first to scan the street and make sure that alpha hasn’t returned.
When I’m certain there’s no danger, I let Camille come out, and we both thank the beta again as they lock up behind us.
We linger there, the awkwardness and discomfort of our history heavier now that we’re out in the open. I don’t want toleave her alone, but I doubt she’d want me coming up to her place yet.
“Have dinner with me.” I mean for it to come out as a question, but it sounds like a demand with how I blurt it. “If you want to,” I add quickly.
Camille chuckles at my grimace, and after a moment, in which I feel the swell of determination from her bond, she reaches out and threads her fingers with mine. “Okay. But I’m buying.”
I scowl at her, even as my heart expands at her touch. “No.”
She scowls back, though there’s no real anger in her expression. “Yes. You came out here to rescue me, then proceeded to spend an obscene amount of money on underwear because you felt bad. The least I can do is get you dinner.”
My frown softens, and I squeeze her hand. “Not only because I felt bad. I want to court you, Camille. I want you to know how serious I am about this. I’d buy you an entire damn shop full of underwear if it’d make you happy.”
Camille’s brow furrows, and in the bond there’s a hint of… annoyance? “You don’t need to buy my forgiveness.”
“I wasn’t trying to,” I protest.
She shakes her head at me. “Let me finish. You don’t need to buy my forgiveness, because, one, that wouldn’t work, and two, I’d never be able to buy yours in return. I’m too poor after months of not working.”
She chuckles, her tone light and not accusatory, but it makes my stomach clench unpleasantly.
I frown down at her. “I said you don’t need to apologize.”
“Yeah, well, I’m going to,” she huffs, her indignance so damn adorable it softens my concern. “We need to clear the air between us if…” She squeezes my hand and swallows. “If this is going to work.” Her lips take on a teasing slant, and she continues. “And if you ever want to see me in that fancy lingerie.”
24
River watchesme attempt to cram a far too large burger into my mouth, his dark eyes glittering with amusement. It turns into a laugh when half the contents slip out and splatter onto the plate in front of me as I try to take a bite, and he reaches out with a napkin for my ketchup-covered hands.
“Whose idea was this, anyway?” I grumble as I wipe off the mess, thankful that it at least didn’t land on my shirt.
River grins at me. “Sorry.”
He doesn’t look sorry at all. He hasn’t been able to stop smiling at me since we sat down in our booth at the cute diner, and it’s throwing me off. I know how to handle sullen, distant River. This smiley, laughing man in front of me is a whole other story.
I take a sip of my water so I have an excuse to look away from the little dimple that’s formed on his right cheek with his smile, hoping that my face isn’t flushing too much from embarrassment and at how unfairly good-looking he is when he’s happy.
“So now that I’ve broken the ice by making a mess, shouldwe…” I ask hesitantly, knowing it will make that beautiful smile go away.
River takes a bite of his burger, somehow managing to do it elegantly and not have it fall apart on him. He chews it methodically as he searches my face, swallows, and sets the burger back down. There’s still a hint of a smile on his lips as he sighs. “Yeah, guess we should.” He wipes his hands off on a napkin, then continues. “Can I make a stipulation?”
I narrow my eyes at him. “Do you think you’re in the position to make demands of me?”
His lips twitch, brow quirking at my phrasing like he can’t help thinking of the kind of demands he might make that wouldn’t be appropriate in the middle of a hole-in-the-wall diner. “I’m not. But I’m going to anyway.”
Intrigued, I nod. “Okay, what’s your caveat?”
“We do this now, we talk out what happened, and then you never apologize to me about it again,” he says, holding my gaze. “I don’t think you have anything to apologize for, but I won’t keep you from doing it if it will help. But just this once. I can’t bear knowing you feel any guilt when I’m the one who created the mess.”
I take a moment to consider it, instead of allowing my knee-jerk protest to escape my lips. I don’t agree with him that this was entirely his fault, but I can respect his desire to get it out there and move on.
Things with his pack are never going to work if we both continue to walk on eggshells around each other and constantly try to apologize for the past instead of focusing on the present. I never considered myself a very forgiving person, and River still has a way to go before he’s fully earned my trust, but he’s trying to make amends. It’s only fair that I try to let him in.
“Alright.”
