The Long Game (Long Game, #1)(125)
“Fifteen? Your office or mine?”
“You’re impossible.”
The corners of his lips kicked up. “Impossibly in love with you.”
Dammit. I kissed him. I couldn’t not kiss him when he said those things. Cameron immediately rearranged me in his arms and took over with a throaty groan. He parted my mouth with his, making my back arch and me climb on my tiptoes. God, I loved when he did that. It quieted everything, made the world around us disappear.
“So?” he whispered against my lips when we came up for air. “Five minutes? One? Right now? It’ll be fast.” His mouth came to my ear. “Fast and hard.”
My eyes fluttered closed, but I shook my head. I cupped his face with both hands and made him look straight at me just so he’d stop whispering dirty words in my ear with a crowd swirling around. “I fucking love you, Cameron Caldani,” I told him, and his face immediately softened. “And I’d love nothing more than office sex right now.” He perked up. “But we’re not going anywhere until I either see or hear that speech you’ve written. Before everybody else does. I don’t want figures of speech or sports metaphors that make children cry. It has happened one too many times.”
A small frown shaped his brow. “Last time it wasn’t my fault. Tony encouraged me to phrase it like that.”
“Well, Coach. Maybe you shouldn’t rely on a nineteen-year-old, then. Rely on your boss instead. I’ll never steer you wrong and always tell you when your wording sucks.”
His jaw clenched. “That’s not helping with the hard-on, love.”
That brought heat to my cheeks, but I rolled my eyes. “We’re surrounded by people, stop talking about your hard—”
A throat was cleared behind me.
Josie was there, a cringey expression on her face. “Why do I always walk in on you while you’re either about to have sex or talking about having sex?”
Cameron laughed. Openly and freely, like he couldn’t care less about scandalizing Josie. Truth was, I knew he didn’t.
I opened my mouth, but a groan came from the phone I hadn’t seen Josie holding up. My phone. I’d given her my things before jumping on the grass for the kickoff. A voice spoke, “Not exactly excited to hear how one of my idols riles my best friend.”
“Matthew?” I asked.
Josie made a face and turned over the phone. Matthew’s face filled the screen. “He kept calling you, so I picked up,” she explained. “Does he always talk this much? No wonder you’ve never invited him for a visit.”
A huff came from the phone. “I talk too much? You just gave me a ten-point list of reasons why you’re Adalyn’s new best friend.”
“Because I am,” Josie pointed out with a smile. “I’m also more than just that. I’m her sister, so game over for you, I guess.” She glanced up at me and mouthed, He’s cute. But annoying.
Matthew exhaled loudly. “I can read lips and I just saw you doing that. The back camera was on since you switched it around to show me the facilities I hadn’t seen in person.”
Josie shrugged. “I thought you wanted to be shown around. Considering you were never invited and all.”
“Sure thing, sweetheart,” Matthew drawled. “You think I’m cute.”
“And annoying.”
Matthew grinned. “Sticking with cute. I have excellent selective hearing.”
Josie snorted and launched herself into a speech that included a list of celebrities she thought were cuter than him. Matthew listened carefully, as if taking mental notes to refute her.
Cameron’s hand shifted to my waist. “That’s… a shocking turn of events. I think we should intervene.” A pause. “Should I do it or will you?”
“I’ll take this one for the team,” I said, reaching out and grabbing the phone from a surprisingly reluctant Josie. She flushed, whirled around, and ran away with a quick “See ya!” Literally. I filed that for later and refocused on Matthew. “Okay, what’s up? Why were you calling? Something happened?”
“I…” Matthew trailed off. His expression fell. “Is the lodge you own in Green Oak free?”
I frowned.
“Yeah,” Cameron said, and I could hear the same hint of concern I was feeling in his voice. “We’re living closer to the club now.”
Matthew nodded. “Then, I have a favor to ask.”
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Hi, you. I can’t believe you’re still sticking with me. And for that, not only do you deserve all the cake (served by a grumpy but secretly soft man—shirtless, too, because why not?), but you’ve also earned being at the top of my acknowledgments. Always. Because without you, the reader, the blogger, the romance lover, I wouldn’t be here. So thank you for showing up, putting up with my endless shenanigans, and making this dream still possible. It makes me so incredibly happy and honored that I get to make you smile and fall in love with love a little bit more with my words. I owe you everything.
Jess, Andrea, Jenn, and everyone at Sandra Dijkstra, thank you for being the best dream team an author could ever ask for. And Jess? Thank you for (still) keeping me together when I want to burst at the seams with all kinds of fears that are very reasonable sounding in my head. You’re my superstar agent slash therapist slash godmother. Never leave me, pls.