Page 21 of See You Again

She nodded, her eyes holding his. “I thought it would be nice to see old friends.” A wry smile twisted her lips. “I’d forgotten how big our class was. I didn’t see anyone I knew.”

“You knew I wasn’t there.”

Her cheeks flushed as if she only just realized what she’d revealed. “Someone mentioned it.”

“I was busy.” Not long after he’d received the letter about the upcoming reunion, the Bloom family drama was splashed across the internet. Every tabloid news outlet covered the scandal following their father’s sudden death and the Bloom siblings’ subsequent disinheritance.

Cami winced. “I was sorry to hear about your dad.”

He quirked an eyebrow at her. She sounded sincere, which was astonishing considering how his father had treated her the only time they’d met. Her eyes clouded, and he suspected she was remembering the disastrous night at the gala as well.

“How did you like the Navy?” Her abrupt change of topic took him by surprise.

“It was good.”

Cami rolled her eyes. “Care to elaborate?”

He didn’t. Already having her at such proximity was playing havoc with his control. He half wanted to haul her into his arms and explore her luscious body until she begged for mercy and half wanted to throttle her for so nonchalantly bringing up the past.

“I didn’t even know you were thinking about joining the military. I thought you were planning on going to law school with your brother and then joining your father’s company.”

James stared at her for a minute. Anger blended with sexual frustration, and he forced himself to breathe evenly.

“I decided I wanted a different path.”

“Pretty drastic course correction.” Warm chocolate eyes considered him and then sharpened, pinning him with a look that felt as if she saw all the way through him. “You didn’t want to be the package deal with Luke anymore.” Her mouth formed a small O, and her eyes grew big. “That was it, wasn’t it? You wanted to escape.”

James’s nostrils flared at the insight. That was certainly one of the reasons he had shown up at the recruiting office the day after she’d rejected him. Did she really not hear the hypocrisy in what she was saying? Was she intentionally ignoring her part in it?

It was her willingness to exchange him for Luke that had been the final straw. Enlisting in the Navy had been drastic. And even though it led him to become somewhat estranged from both his father and his twin, he didn’t regret it.

“Did it work?” He knew what she was asking, but despite her sweet voice filled with concern, there was no way he was going to admit anything personal to her. He’d never make that mistake again.

Silence stretched between them. James feared his non-answer was all the answer Cami needed. She’d always seemed to know what it was he wasn’t saying. It used to be a comfort, that she knew him so well, but now he felt exposed. He either needed to change the subject or tell her to leave.

“What about you?”

She frowned. “What about me?”

“What was your reunion elevator pitch? Isn’t that the whole point of those things? To compare yourself to everyone else. Who has the best job, who got married, who let themselves go?”

She shook her head with a chuckle. “You aren’t totally wrong. I was primarily with the College of Psychiatry students. Most are PhDs now. I’m just a lowly podcaster, so other than some pitying looks regarding the waste of my degree, it was fine.”

James snorted and reached for his glass. “You were always twice as intelligent as any of them. They’re probably just pissed that they sit in a boring office all day, and you’re actually doing something you love and are hugely successful at it.”

Her expression arrested for a minute, and then she clicked her tongue behind her teeth. “Careful, James. That sounded like a compliment.”

One leg stretched out in front of her, and when she flexed her foot the edges of the robe slipped further apart. James’s gaze traced the mouthwatering view from the curve of her thigh to where it tapered into a delicately boned foot. Cami set her foot on the ground and met his eyes. The rosy glow of her chest spread to her cheeks. His entire body clenched, his grip tightening on his glass. The invitation in her expression was clear.

“Never got married?” His brain was in overdrive, ordering his body to put on the brakes, but his blood was already pumping furiously, and he felt his control slipping.

Cami’s eyes twinkled as if she knew every single one of the lascivious thoughts racing through his mind.

“Nope. A couple of long-term relationships, but never one that went the distance. What about you? I know you’re single now, but…”

“I don’t do relationships. I prefer one-night stands.”

Fuck. What kind of masochist was he?