didn’t feel like dealing with a crowd of people tonight.”
Kristi nodded and wandered to the fridge, snooping for something to eat. As she made herself a quick sandwich and opened a beer, he strolled over to the breakfast bar and leaned on the counter and looked at her.
They’d been alone together before. She had no idea why this time his fixed attention made visions of the two of them, entwined, race through her mind.
It was probably the hint of mischief, that wisp of flirtation in his eye.
But that was typical Cam. He flirted with everyone. And everyone knew it was just that. Flirting.
No. This was something different.
She cut the crust off her sandwich and cast about for something innocuous to say. “So, how’s work?” He managed the Seattle office of an enormously successful online retailer. Work was always a safe topic.
He shrugged. “The usual. But my sister and I just started a website company on the side.” He stole one of her chips.
“You’d be good at that.” Cam had always been a whiz with computer code and Susanne was gifted in layout and design.
“It’s fun. We landed a huge account last week. And we’re talking to Lane’s dad about a redesign of his corporate site.”
“Congrats.”
Lovely. Small talk. She could do small talk. Even with Cam. Although the thoughts swirling in her mind challenged her lucidity.
“Besides, she needed…something.”
Kristi nodded and stared at her plate. Susanne was far too young to be battling breast cancer. “So… How’s she doing?”
He grimaced. “It’s tough. The chemo treatments especially. But she’s almost done.”
“Is she still living next door to you?”
“In the guest house. I can’t bear to think of her dealing with all that on her own.”
“But the company sounds exciting.”
He nodded. “She loves it. I’m glad we did it.” Kristi had no doubt Cam had launched into this new enterprise for one reason and one reason only: to give his sister something to live for. “And the coffee shop? How are things going for you and Lucy?”
She licked a little mustard from the corner of her mouth. “It’s Montlake. It’s coffee. Business is great.”
“Great.”
“Great.”
An uncomfortable silence fell between them. Well, it was uncomfortable for her—probably because of the heat prickling her neck and crawling up her cheeks. So she opened her mouth and said the first thing she could think of. Just to fill the space.
“How’s Robyn?”
Shit . She could have kicked herself. Why bring her up? Kristi took a bite of her sandwich and nearly choked at his reply.
“We, ah, broke up.” He glanced down and scraped at something on the countertop when he said it, so she couldn’t tell anything from his expression.
“I’m…sorry.” It was a lie of course. She was delighted beyond words. She’d hated thinking of them. Together. In bed.
Besides, no one had liked Robyn. Every time she’d attended one of the group’s get-togethers there’d been some nasty scene. And the things she’d said to Lucy during the divorce had been unforgivable.
Even if Lucy hadn’t been Kristi’s very best friend—and business partner, and roommate—she would have hated Robyn for that. What woman wanted to know her husband had come on to his best friend’s hoochie mama?
Kristi had never told Cameron about that. No one had. They hadn’t wanted to hurt him.
But maybe they should have. He deserved to know the truth.
She grabbed her plate and a beer and rounded the counter, settling herself at the table. He followed, taking the seat across from her. He picked up a deck of cards someone had left and riffled through them.
“Are you?” he asked.
Kristi blinked. “What?”
“Are you really sorry we broke up?” He flashed her a grin. “Because I’m not.”
The heat in his eyeslammed into her like a tsunami. Something glimmered there, radiated from him in licking waves. It almost felt like…interest. In
Kristi nodded and wandered to the fridge, snooping for something to eat. As she made herself a quick sandwich and opened a beer, he strolled over to the breakfast bar and leaned on the counter and looked at her.
They’d been alone together before. She had no idea why this time his fixed attention made visions of the two of them, entwined, race through her mind.
It was probably the hint of mischief, that wisp of flirtation in his eye.
But that was typical Cam. He flirted with everyone. And everyone knew it was just that. Flirting.
No. This was something different.
She cut the crust off her sandwich and cast about for something innocuous to say. “So, how’s work?” He managed the Seattle office of an enormously successful online retailer. Work was always a safe topic.
He shrugged. “The usual. But my sister and I just started a website company on the side.” He stole one of her chips.
“You’d be good at that.” Cam had always been a whiz with computer code and Susanne was gifted in layout and design.
“It’s fun. We landed a huge account last week. And we’re talking to Lane’s dad about a redesign of his corporate site.”
“Congrats.”
Lovely. Small talk. She could do small talk. Even with Cam. Although the thoughts swirling in her mind challenged her lucidity.
“Besides, she needed…something.”
Kristi nodded and stared at her plate. Susanne was far too young to be battling breast cancer. “So… How’s she doing?”
He grimaced. “It’s tough. The chemo treatments especially. But she’s almost done.”
“Is she still living next door to you?”
“In the guest house. I can’t bear to think of her dealing with all that on her own.”
“But the company sounds exciting.”
He nodded. “She loves it. I’m glad we did it.” Kristi had no doubt Cam had launched into this new enterprise for one reason and one reason only: to give his sister something to live for. “And the coffee shop? How are things going for you and Lucy?”
She licked a little mustard from the corner of her mouth. “It’s Montlake. It’s coffee. Business is great.”
“Great.”
“Great.”
An uncomfortable silence fell between them. Well, it was uncomfortable for her—probably because of the heat prickling her neck and crawling up her cheeks. So she opened her mouth and said the first thing she could think of. Just to fill the space.
“How’s Robyn?”
Shit . She could have kicked herself. Why bring her up? Kristi took a bite of her sandwich and nearly choked at his reply.
“We, ah, broke up.” He glanced down and scraped at something on the countertop when he said it, so she couldn’t tell anything from his expression.
“I’m…sorry.” It was a lie of course. She was delighted beyond words. She’d hated thinking of them. Together. In bed.
Besides, no one had liked Robyn. Every time she’d attended one of the group’s get-togethers there’d been some nasty scene. And the things she’d said to Lucy during the divorce had been unforgivable.
Even if Lucy hadn’t been Kristi’s very best friend—and business partner, and roommate—she would have hated Robyn for that. What woman wanted to know her husband had come on to his best friend’s hoochie mama?
Kristi had never told Cameron about that. No one had. They hadn’t wanted to hurt him.
But maybe they should have. He deserved to know the truth.
She grabbed her plate and a beer and rounded the counter, settling herself at the table. He followed, taking the seat across from her. He picked up a deck of cards someone had left and riffled through them.
“Are you?” he asked.
Kristi blinked. “What?”
“Are you really sorry we broke up?” He flashed her a grin. “Because I’m not.”
The heat in his eyeslammed into her like a tsunami. Something glimmered there, radiated from him in licking waves. It almost felt like…interest. In
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