Slow Summer Burn: A Loveswept Contemporary Romance (24 page)

He groaned when she slid his jeans down his hips, and went to help her, but before they were even off, she’d pressed her body to his, her nipples hard little points against his chest. With her tongue in his mouth and her hand snaking down his boxers, he barely managed to wiggle free. She was rubbing against him now, doing everything she could to get him inside her. At the rate she was going, he knew she wasn’t going to last long, so he grabbed a condom from the bedside table, prepared himself, and without any other preliminary, entered her in one smooth thrust.

He swallowed her gasp into his mouth.
Jesus
, she was tight, but they fit together perfectly. He withdrew from her clinging heat and slid inside again. And again. When he drew a nipple into his mouth, she clasped his head to her breast.

“Val,” she said, sounding breathless. “I’m not going to last.”

“So don’t.” He slipped a hand between their bodies, found the spot that would make her go over the edge the quickest, and sent her flying.

Cameron was glorious in her moment of climax, her hair everywhere, her eyes closed, her face a mask of pleasure.

And he wasn’t done yet.

“Again,” she demanded.

Guess she wasn’t done yet, either
.

“Anything you want, Cam,” he said, meaning it. She’d given him so much he didn’t even know he was missing. That she wanted something as simple as his trust blew him away. He was still buried to the hilt inside her and she clenched around his length, reminding him where he was. As if he needed any reminding.

His flesh deep inside, hips pressing against hers, he was as physically close as he could get, but he still wanted more. For a few long moments, he didn’t move. Simply grazed his lips against hers. Beneath him, she started to get restless. “Uh-uh,” he said, keeping her pinned. “You know what I want.”

“This,” she said, her hips doing a seductive dance.

“I want something else, first.”

“What?” she said, lips so close they were touching.

He raised his head just enough so he could look her directly in the eye. “I want you to say it, for real.” He craved it. Needed it. “Please.”

When she met his gaze, raw emotion rippled behind her eyes. “I love you,” she whispered.

He pulled out ever so slowly, then just as slowly slid back in, sensitive flesh dragging over sensitive flesh. She let out a little gasp when he bottomed out. So did he.

For several agonizing moments, he didn’t move. A little hand on his backside urged him on, but he simply captured her wrist and held it above her head. “Say it again.”

“I love you,” she said.

Again he pulled out, then slid back in. Beneath him, she shuddered.

There was only a little pause this time before she said it. He rewarded her by sucking one taut nipple into his mouth. The next time she said the words, she was gasping. It was the most beautiful thing he’d ever heard.

She was shaking, a sign she was close, so he got down to business, drawing her legs around him and making each stroke count. She was still chanting the words like a mantra,
I love you I love you I love you
, and at some point she’d closed her eyes.

“Look at me,” he said.

She did, just in time for him to slip his finger someplace utterly wicked and watch her come undone.

Only when she’d taken her pleasure did he allow himself to thrust into oblivion, shouting out her name as he let himself go.

Later, they lay in bed, wrapped in each other’s arms, the moonlight shining through the window above them. Cameron looked like an old black-and-white photograph strategically tinted with color—her lips, her cheeks, her eyes.

As Val was admiring her, she cleared her throat. “So what is the procedure for becoming a confidential informant?”

He stiffened. “Hypothetically speaking?”

“Purely hypothetically.”

“You’d come to my office, one of my teammates or I would formally read you in, you’d
sign a contract and some documents saying the government isn’t liable for anything you do that’s illegal or outside the scope of the contract, or for any bodily harm that may occur while you’re assisting us, for—”

“I know you’re just trying to scare me,” she said, cutting him off.

Damn straight
. “I don’t want you doing this.”

“But it could really help your case.”

“I don’t give a damn about that if it puts you in danger.”

“So you’ve said,” she said drily. “Repeatedly.”

He cupped her face in his hand. “I don’t think you understand.” Offering her assistance was a damn sight different from giving it. And there was no way he would let her do this.

“Because you’ve been deliberately vague with me about what this actually entails,” she said, staring him down.

“Do I really need to spell out for you what happens to CIs if they get caught?”

“Look, you’re telling me that Congressman Kirkland is one of your chief suspects in a drug case with far-reaching consequences, but to nail down a case against him, you need information which I can get at a party? This sounds like a no-brainer to me.”

“It is a
lot
more complicated than that, Cam, and you know it.”

“You’re right. It is.” She swallowed visibly. “Cici told me something the other day. Something I can’t share fully with you because it’s not my story to share. But let me tell you that I’ve had some time to think and for once, using my social connections won’t bother me. Not with this.”

“I see,” he said, noting her intense look.

“I’m serious.”

“I get that, Cam. We can talk about it more later, if you’re up for it. But for now,” he said, nuzzling her neck, “let’s stop talking about it, please.”

“Fine,” she said, and she gave him a kiss. “You should know, though, that if I’m going to be a part of your life, there are certain things you’re not going to be able to keep from me,” she informed him.

“I’m aware of that,” he said. “We’ll figure it out soon. But right now we need to sleep. I’m exhausted.” He was, too. His week in Boston had been draining. Worrying about the operation, getting the intelligence he needed to move forward, and believing he’d completely
blown it with her had all taken its toll.

Empathy colored her gaze. She ran her hand through his hair, pushing it back from his face. “Then let’s sleep.” Without any further discussion, she simply tucked herself next to his body and closed her eyes.

He closed his own, marveling at how lucky he was to have found a woman like this. A woman from a different world who somehow seemed to
get
him. And with Cameron nestled in his arms, he drifted off to sleep, faster than if he’d been by himself.

Chapter 24

“What in hell’s name is going on here?” Val demanded as soon as he walked into the conference room at his office on Monday morning. Cameron, dressed in an elegant suit, was seated at the big table with Colin next to her. Thalia and Ellen sat across the table, each with an organized stack of paper.

Colin rose. “Ms. Stahl has volunteered her services as a confidential informant,” he said.

What?
“No. She. Has. Not,” Val ground out. “We already talked about this a week ago, and she knows the dangers. Come on, Cam,” he said, jerking his head to the door. “I’m taking you home.”

“You may take Ms. Stahl home, but she has already committed to aiding in our investigation. In fact, she’s already signed the paperwork, and we’re getting her registered as we speak.”

Val glanced over to the stacks of paper in front of his colleagues. Both Ellen and Thalia averted their eyes.
Guilty
.

“You had no right to go behind my back, Colin. No right,” he said. His voice was steady but his hands were shaking.

“
She
came to us,” Colin said. “And she has refused all payment.”

Now he really looked at her. Her hair was meticulously styled, and as always, she looked expensive. Cameron met his gaze, little chin lifting in the air defiantly, and he knew it was the truth. “Undo this,” he said. “Please.”

She shook her head. “No, Val. I told you I had some time to think about this, and I believe this is the best way.”

“I won’t allow it.”

“You must,” she said gently. “You know that I’m the only one who knows what’s going on and who can get close enough to the congressman without raising any alarms.”

“So you’re just going to waltz around the mansion grounds the night of the party, get the info, and come out? That’s it?”

Cameron pursed her lips together and looked away, so he turned to his boss. Colin shook
his head. “The scope of Ms. Stahl’s involvement isn’t quite that limited. She has volunteered to engage with Junior Kirkland, to gain access to additional information the congressman might have that would implicate him.”

Blood swam before his eyes. “Are you serious?” he asked Cameron. “You’re going to engage with
Junior
?”

Cameron bit her lip. “It’s only temporary,” she said, “just until your team has enough information to start connecting the dots. At least that’s how Colin explained it.”

This was
not
happening. “Just forget Junior for a minute. You know that getting that information could put you at serious risk. What I’m talking about is someone discovering what you’re up to. Hurting you.
Killing you!
” He was screaming now, his voice echoing off the walls. In shock, no one even breathed.

He never lost his temper. Never.

Cameron finally got herself together and shook her head. “Colin promised to provide backup in case something goes wrong.” She smiled, a bit ruefully. “I requested you.”

“If you can’t keep your emotions out of this, I’ll assign Thalia,” Colin said, looking grim. “Ms. Stahl has indicated that you two are.… ah … involved, which, as you know, is against federal policy. CIs consorting with agents, that is. Now, usually, I’d ask that an agent in your position recuse himself from the case to preserve the CI’s credibility on the stand, but seeing as how she divulged your relationship outright, and we’re using Ms. Stahl for such a limited scope, intending to fully corroborate any evidence she collects, the chance that she will testify is virtually zero.” Colin cleared his throat. “Although it might be best if you two curtail any, ah, activities until after the operation is over.”

Val raised his eyes to the ceiling.
Great
. Now his personal life was fodder for his team, too. “I want to talk with
Ms. Stahl
alone.” No one moved. “Now!” he barked.

Ellen and Thalia stood up fast. Even Colin gave him a wide berth as they all filed out of the conference room. As soon as they were gone, he turned to her. She was still sitting there calmly.

“Why?” He had to understand why she’d do something so stupid. Would put herself, maybe even her life, at risk. “Is this because of what you told me about Cici?”

“Partly,” she admitted. “But mostly it’s because it will help you.”

“By screwing another guy?”

She shook her head. “Don’t be rude, Val. I won’t let it go that far. We haven’t—we never—” Her cheeks turned a dull red and she blinked. “It was never like that between us.”

“I don’t care
what
it was like between you two! You’re with me now, and I. Don’t. Share.” He was pacing back and forth in front of her like a wild beast. “You’re not a spy. You’re a socialite shop owner! God, Cam, you know how insane this is? Does what we shared this weekend mean nothing to you?” he asked, running a hand through his hair. “I told you—”

“That you loved me. Yes,” she said, rising and taking his wrist, stopping his frantic movements. “And I thought you understood what I was trying to tell you this weekend: I love you, too. So much. And this is what people who love each other do. They help each other. Don’t you get that?”

He pulled away. “Not like this.”

“Yes like this,” she said. “Exactly like this. You gave up your childhood when your dad died to help your mom, because you loved her. You had to forgo all fun in college so you could usher your brothers through high school and get them launched. And when your mom died, you stepped up as the head of the family. You went to law school on scholarship and at night so you could work during the day and have the money to take care of your brothers. And you’re still doing it! You were ready to sacrifice our first date to help Seb when he was struggling to get things ready to open his restaurant. And that night at my parents’ house, you were going to sacrifice our relationship to protect me.” She shook her head. “So don’t talk to me about what people who love each other do. Because you know what they do, Val. You know because you do it every day.” Her voice was filled with tears. “And now I’m doing it for you, Val. Do you understand now how much I love you?”

It was as though he’d been punched in the gut. She’d laid her heart—and everything else—on the line for him. Whatever Cici had told Cameron was key to Cameron’s wanting to help, and he had to respect that. But she’d made it more than clear that the bigger reason was because of him.

He wasn’t ready for this. And he damn sure hadn’t thought it would come in the form of Cameron Endicott Stahl. But here she was, doing for him what he’d done countless times for others. He’d been so blind—willfully so. In fact, if he’d been able to pull his head out of his ass for the last couple of weeks, he could have acknowledged the fact that she’d turned into so much more than he’d ever anticipated. Maybe he didn’t have the capacity to see what was right before
his eyes: Cameron, showing him what it was like to be cared for, to be loved beyond measure.

He was humbled beyond belief. He looked into her face, and something swelled in his chest.

Cameron was still staring back at him, discreetly trying to wipe away the moisture leaking from her eyes.

The words she’d spoken finally hit home.
She loves me. Really loves me
.

Finally, he did the one thing he should have done from the get-go. He stepped forward, and when he embraced her, the whole universe seemed right. She started to shake in his arms, so he held her tighter and kissed the top of her head.