Page 30 of Below the Surface
“I’m sorry, Piper. I’m just so nervous.”
“If this is too much,” I begin.
“No,” she says. “No.”
“Cameron?”
“No. It’s not too much.”
“All right. Listen to me. I don’t want you drinking a lot tonight. I’ll make our drinks. Sip. One drink, Cameron. Sip slowly. Use it as a distraction when you feel overwhelmed—as a prop. I don’t want anything to cloud your judgment. Do you understand?”
“I understand.”
She sounds so small. I stroke her cheek and kiss her lips. “That’s my girl.”
She smiles at me. I seldom speak to her this way. It elicits a pleasant response from Cameron—as if the simple praise is the best gift she’s ever received. There’s an innocence about Cameron I find intoxicating. I’ve no desire to change that—only to help her embrace it. “Are you ready?” I ask.
Cameron nods.
I take Cameron’s hand and lead her back to the kitchen.
“Piper!”
Shit. Greg Hanson. I’ve known Greg for nearly twenty years. He’s a regular at Union, the club Kelsey and Caleb frequent—the club I once spent most of my weekends attending.
“Greg,” I say.
He looks at Cameron’s hand in mine. “Interesting,” he comments.
I’m neither amused nor do I intend to dignify his comment with a reply. My gaze is deliberately hard. He turns his attention to Cameron.
“Cam,” he says. “I didn’t know you two were,” he pauses to appraise me. “Together.”
I slip my hand out of Cameron’s and move it around her waist. I confess I’m tempted to take a swing at him. His arrogance astounds me. It’s a challenge—one I won’t accept. Greg Hanson would like nothing better than for me to tie him up in front of everyone, humiliate him, and use him as a toy. I’ve seen it. I’ve never granted him that pleasure—even when he all but begged. I don’t trust Greg. He’s nosy, and he has a big mouth.
“We didn’t publish an announcement,” I reply.
He grins.
“If you’ll excuse us,” I say. I lead Cameron into the kitchen.
“What was that about?” she asks.
“Ignore him,” I say. “That’s what I do.”
Kelsey seems more scattered than usual tonight, leaving me wondering about the purpose of this party. Cameron leans in to whisper to me. "Piper?"
"Hm?"
"What do you think this party is all about?" she asks.
"I have no idea." I guide her to a bar stool in Kaylee's makeshift kitchen pub. "Let me get us a drink." I watch Cameron as she settles onto the stool, trying not to fidget. I smile to myself as Cameron tries to maintain her composure while sitting on the barstool. Her cheeks are flushed, and she keeps shifting her weight, no doubt feeling the plug I had her insert before coming here. It might seem cruel that I'm making her sit in the one spot where the friction from the toy offers the most sensation. But for Cameron, masking her arousal is a turn-on, and anything that arouses her also drives me wild. It takes considerable effort sometimes to keep my desires in check, but it's always worth it.I finish mixing us each a very dirty martini and hand a glass to her. "Here you go." She takes it gratefully, and I let my fingers linger on hers.
I move back to stand behind her and trail my fingers over her neck to her shoulder, making her shiver. I lean into her ear and whisper. "It's making you crazy, isn't it?"
Cameron whimpers and I smirk, withdrawing my hand. "Patience, love. The night is still young." I move to Cameron's side, watching her over the rim of my glass. Her arousal is intoxicating, and I intend to draw out every delicious moment. She lifts her glass and takes a tentative sip.
"Cam!" Kelsey calls over.