started? You’re denying yourself, denying me what we both want because you already know the outcome?”
Pretty much.
“We can’t come back to this after we have sex,” he retorted.
“Come back to what?” she asked, taking a step closer, fire blazing in her eyes. “Friendship? We already crossed that threshold when your mouth was on mine and your hand was up my shirt.”
Her angry, frustrated tone matched the turmoil raging inside him. What could he counter with when she was absolutely right? The second they’d crossed that line, an invisible wall had been erected, preventing them from turning back.
Why had he allowed this to happen? Why hadn’t he let it go after she’d kissed him when she’d been dreaming? Even though she’d been dreaming of him, he could’ve moved on to save their friendship. But Megan’s kiss had turned something inside him; something had clicked into place...something he couldn’t identify because he was too scared to even try.
Megan threw her arms in the air and let out a low groan. “Forget it. Clearly you don’t even know what you want. Or, if you do, you’re afraid to face it. I don’t have time for games.”
“Games?” Cameron all but yelled, and he never yelled at anyone, let alone his best friend. “You think I’m playing a game here?”
When she started to walk by him, he reached out and snagged her arm until their shoulders were touching, her face tipping up toward his. The fury in her eyes wasn’t something he’d seen too often and never before directed at him. Her chest rose and fell as her heavy breathing filled the silence. He didn’t release his grip on her arm, apparently because he wanted to torture himself further by feeling that silky skin beneath his fingertips once more.
“Let me go,” she whispered, her chin quivering.
Even with her eyes starting to fill, the anger penetrated through the hurt. As he watched her struggle with holding her emotions together, Cameron’s heart jumped as he reluctantly slid his hand down her arm, stopping at her wrist and finally releasing her.
“I’m not trying to hurt you.” That pitiful statement sounded flat and cold even to his own ears. “You’re the last person I want to make cry.”
A watery laugh escaped her. “You think I’m crying over you? These tears are over my own foolishness.”
One lone tear slid down her cheek. Just as she reached up to swat it away, he caught her hand in his and used the pad of his thumb to swipe at the moisture.
He turned toward her and tugged her until she fell against him. Wrapping his arms around her, ignoring her protest, Cameron waited until she stopped struggling before he spoke.
“I don’t want this between us, Meg. I can’t lose you.”
Her head dropped to his chest as she sniffed, her palms flattened against his shoulders. “This is just a really bad time, and my emotions are getting the best of me. Don’t worry.”
Cameron stroked her back, trying to ease all the tension, knowing he’d never fully get her relaxed and calm. But that wouldn’t stop him from trying.
“You don’t have to defend yourself,” he muttered against her ear. “We’ve both had pressure on us lately. Finding you in my bed the other night and then kissing you, it was all unexpected and it takes a lot to catch me off guard.”
Megan eased back, lifted her eyes to his and blinked. Wet lashes framed her green eyes as a wide smile spread across her face. “The fact that I manage to keep you on your toes after all these years makes me happier than it should.”
The way she worded that,
after all these years
, sounded so personal. More personal than friendship. Married couples said such things to each other.
“I’m not blaming those kisses on pressure or the chaos in my life,” she told him. “I realized soon after your lips touched mine that I wasn’t dreaming anymore. I could’ve stopped, but it just felt so good and you were responding.”
Hell yeah, he’d responded.
Pretty much.
“We can’t come back to this after we have sex,” he retorted.
“Come back to what?” she asked, taking a step closer, fire blazing in her eyes. “Friendship? We already crossed that threshold when your mouth was on mine and your hand was up my shirt.”
Her angry, frustrated tone matched the turmoil raging inside him. What could he counter with when she was absolutely right? The second they’d crossed that line, an invisible wall had been erected, preventing them from turning back.
Why had he allowed this to happen? Why hadn’t he let it go after she’d kissed him when she’d been dreaming? Even though she’d been dreaming of him, he could’ve moved on to save their friendship. But Megan’s kiss had turned something inside him; something had clicked into place...something he couldn’t identify because he was too scared to even try.
Megan threw her arms in the air and let out a low groan. “Forget it. Clearly you don’t even know what you want. Or, if you do, you’re afraid to face it. I don’t have time for games.”
“Games?” Cameron all but yelled, and he never yelled at anyone, let alone his best friend. “You think I’m playing a game here?”
When she started to walk by him, he reached out and snagged her arm until their shoulders were touching, her face tipping up toward his. The fury in her eyes wasn’t something he’d seen too often and never before directed at him. Her chest rose and fell as her heavy breathing filled the silence. He didn’t release his grip on her arm, apparently because he wanted to torture himself further by feeling that silky skin beneath his fingertips once more.
“Let me go,” she whispered, her chin quivering.
Even with her eyes starting to fill, the anger penetrated through the hurt. As he watched her struggle with holding her emotions together, Cameron’s heart jumped as he reluctantly slid his hand down her arm, stopping at her wrist and finally releasing her.
“I’m not trying to hurt you.” That pitiful statement sounded flat and cold even to his own ears. “You’re the last person I want to make cry.”
A watery laugh escaped her. “You think I’m crying over you? These tears are over my own foolishness.”
One lone tear slid down her cheek. Just as she reached up to swat it away, he caught her hand in his and used the pad of his thumb to swipe at the moisture.
He turned toward her and tugged her until she fell against him. Wrapping his arms around her, ignoring her protest, Cameron waited until she stopped struggling before he spoke.
“I don’t want this between us, Meg. I can’t lose you.”
Her head dropped to his chest as she sniffed, her palms flattened against his shoulders. “This is just a really bad time, and my emotions are getting the best of me. Don’t worry.”
Cameron stroked her back, trying to ease all the tension, knowing he’d never fully get her relaxed and calm. But that wouldn’t stop him from trying.
“You don’t have to defend yourself,” he muttered against her ear. “We’ve both had pressure on us lately. Finding you in my bed the other night and then kissing you, it was all unexpected and it takes a lot to catch me off guard.”
Megan eased back, lifted her eyes to his and blinked. Wet lashes framed her green eyes as a wide smile spread across her face. “The fact that I manage to keep you on your toes after all these years makes me happier than it should.”
The way she worded that,
after all these years
, sounded so personal. More personal than friendship. Married couples said such things to each other.
“I’m not blaming those kisses on pressure or the chaos in my life,” she told him. “I realized soon after your lips touched mine that I wasn’t dreaming anymore. I could’ve stopped, but it just felt so good and you were responding.”
Hell yeah, he’d responded.
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