Page 34 of Among the Stars

“No?”

He shook his head. “No.”

“I’m out of here,” Jae-ho said from the front door.

Veronica hadn’t heard him enter the room. She tried to step back, but Cam held her in place. “Thank you for doing this on such short notice,” she said.

“No problem. You kids have a good night.” Sincerity shown in his warm smile, and Veronica realized she did have a friend in attendance.

Now that they were alone, the house was silent except for the tick of the large clock on the dining room wall. She took a deep breath, filling her lungs with peace and quiet and Cam. She could get used to this.

“You look beautiful tonight,” he murmured against her ear.

“I didn’t want to look like I was trying too hard.” She leaned into him, savoring his scent and heat. “Like I’m competing with Jesse.”

His large hands trailed slowly up her ribcage until his thumbs brushed the underside of her breasts. “There’s no comparison.”

Veronica lifted her face, and their lips met, warm and wet and more intoxicating than anything served tonight. His tongue dove in deep, and she clutched his shirt in her hands as he swallowed her moan of pleasure. Vaguely aware that they were still near the window, she pressed a palm against his chest and felt the racing of his heart.

“I need to know,” she panted, giving in to the voice of self-preservation chanting in the back of her mind. “Is this part of the act?”

“No.” Cam slid her hand down to cover his fly, showing her the proof of his words. “Tell me this is real for you.”

The confidence she’d grown accustomed to was tinged with a layer of vulnerability. Lifting her eyes to meet his, she saw the man behind the wall.

“Very real.” Taking his hand, she led him toward the stairs, and he locked the door on their way by.

Always the protector.

They reached her bedroom in silence, and she kept walking until they reached the bed. When she turned, Cam slid a hand along her cheek.

“Are you sure?”

Wrapping her arms around his neck, she whispered, “Positive.”

They kissed again, and knowing that this time they wouldn’t stop or be interrupted heightened Veronica’s arousal. She whimpered in protest when Cam left her far too soon to trail his lips and tongue down her neck and into the V of her dress. Strong hands cupped her ass as his tongue teased the top of one breast.

“Yes,” she purred, gripping his shoulders to keep upright. Cam had removed his sport jacket once the crowd began to thin, and she’d been watching the play of muscles through the starched white button-down every time he shifted and moved. She wanted to feel those muscles beneath her hands, skin on skin.

Cam dropped lower, and she realized he’d taken a seat on the bed. His reasoning became clear when he reached down to remove her shoes. Veronica cooperated, still clinging to his shoulders. Once the boots were off, she dropped to her natural height, bringing her breasts down to his eye level. Gazes locked, he undid one button at a time until her dress hung open. Leaning forward, he kissed a spot several inches above her navel, his hands caressing her hips with a gentle touch that bordered on reverent.

Veronica shrugged the dress to the floor, and to her great satisfaction, Cam stared in wonder before running a hand across her skin. Exploring. Admiring. Worshiping.

“Better than I imagined,” he muttered.

“You’ve been imagining this?” she asked, dazed by the raw appreciation in his eyes.

“For days.”

When he reached for her, Veronica stepped back. He was still wearing way too many clothes.

“Let me undress you,” she demanded, taking on Cam’s assertive tone.

Without a word, he rose off the bed to stand before her. “Whatever you want.”

Her body clenched at the promise in those words. “I want it all.”