not dressed for company.
“You wearing pants?”
A slight sigh of relief swept through her as she laughed at Cameron echoing her earlier question to him. Her body was half hanging out, but extra pounds or not, men usually just saw skin and got excited. Could this work to her advantage? Maybe being a bit more out there, literally, would get Cameron to wake up.
“Actually, no,” she called back, then stepped into the hall to tell him she’d be right out.
As soon as she left her room, she ran into Cameron’s solid chest. Firm, strong hands immediately came up and gripped her shoulders. Her breasts, already spilling out of her dress, pressed against his hard pecs. Megan sucked in a breath, unable to think of anything but how nicely they molded together in all the perfectly delicious ways.
The way his eyes widened, his nostrils flared and his fingertips bit into her bare skin told her he wasn’t so unaffected by her femininity.
Game on.
Holy—
Cameron couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think, couldn’t form a damn thought with Megan’s curvy body pressed against his. This was his best friend, yet with the way her breasts were all but spilling out of her barely-there black dress, his thoughts weren’t very friend-like at the moment.
Hadn’t he just pep-talked himself into trying to keep his thoughts out of the gutter?
“Wh-what are you doing here?” she asked.
Why was her voice all breathy and sultry?
Cameron dropped his hands and took a step back, but that didn’t help his hormones settle down. Now he was able to see just how hot she looked wearing that second-skin dress that hit her upper thigh at a very indecent level and scooped low enough to show off her breasts.
Jealousy ripped through him. “Where the hell are you going like that?”
She flinched. Maybe he’d sounded a tad gruff, but seriously? Every visual that came to mind involved a bedroom.
Megan lifted her chin defiantly as she crossed her arms, doing nothing to help her cause of breast spillage. “For your information, I’m cleaning my closet and trying things on. Now, why are you here and not home asleep?”
He was starting to question that himself. “I couldn’t sleep.”
Not that he’d tried, but she didn’t need to know that. He glanced into her room and laughed. Megan always had everything in its place, but something tragic had transpired with her clothes. He wasn’t dumb enough to make a comment because he was pretty sure that some rage had been unleashed in that room.
“Not a word,” she growled, as if daring him to comment on the chaos. “Let me change real quick.”
Before she turned away, the back door opened and closed. Cameron nearly groaned. Nobody else would just walk in other than him or Evan.
Megan let out a sigh. “Be nice,” she whispered. “I’ll go change.”
Cameron turned away just as Evan rounded the hall corner. His disheveled hair and black eye were so predictable. He looked like a deadbeat who’d obviously been on the wrong end of one of his “friends’” fists. Cameron wouldn’t allow him to come in here and make Megan feel like crap.
“Am I interrupting something?” Evan asked, his narrowed eyes darting between Cameron and Megan.
Cameron wanted to tell the guy yes, but he didn’t figure Evan would leave and the lie would only make Megan upset. No matter what, he was treading a fine line because if this weren’t Megan’s only living relative, Cameron wouldn’t think twice about hauling his butt in if for nothing else than to shake him up a bit.
Megan stepped into her room and came out seconds later tying a robe around her waist. At least she was covered now. Cameron didn’t like that judgmental glance that Evan had thrown at them. Even if Cameron and Megan had been doing something intimate, that wouldn’t have been Evan’s business...or anyone else’s for that matter.
“What happened?” Megan asked, stepping toward her brother.
Evan waved a hand, his eyes still moving between Cameron and Megan. “Nothing for you to worry about.”
Cameron knew those blow-off comments hurt Megan. The woman obviously cared for her brother, and Evan didn’t even acknowledge the fact.
“I do worry,” she told him with a softer tone.
Cameron maintained his place between the two siblings. No way was he budging. When it became clear that Evan wasn’t going to offer any more feedback over his recent fight, Megan sighed.
“What do you need, Evan?” Megan asked as she took a step back, landing her next to Cameron.
Good. Cameron wanted her to feel safer with him there. The silent gesture clearly showed who she trusted, who she felt more comfortable with. The primal part of Cameron liked to think her easing closer to him showed whose side she was on, as well.
“I need to talk to you,” Evan told her, then shifted his eyes to Cameron.
“Go ahead,” Cameron replied, resting his hands on his hips and in absolutely no hurry to budge.
“Alone.”
Megan moved down the hall, squaring her shoulders. “I’m not giving you money,” she informed him as she got closer. “If you want to visit with me, that’s fine.”
Evan raked a hand through his hair, then threw another glance at Cameron and back to Megan. Cameron didn’t move, didn’t even consider giving them privacy because he wanted Megan to know he was here for support. He wouldn’t chime in, wouldn’t say a word unless he saw she couldn’t be strong. But he had faith in her. He knew she was getting tired of her brother only coming around for money.
Evan leaned down, whispered something to Megan and gripped her arm. Cameron went on full alert.
“No, Evan,” Megan said softly, shaking her head. “I don’t have it to give. I’m sorry.”
“You’re not sorry,” he spat as he released her with a forced shove. “I don’t need that much.”
Megan stumbled back a step, but caught herself as she crossed her arms and tipped her chin. “I have obligations, too, Evan. I can’t always give you money because you get into trouble.”
Evan’s focus darted over Megan’s shoulder, and Cameron merely narrowed his eyes, silently daring Evan to cross the line. The arm incident was more than enough to have Cameron ready to smash his face, but Megan wouldn’t like Cameron interfering. Plus as an officer of the law, Cameron couldn’t just go around punching all the people who pissed him off. Such a shame.
Cameron would like nothing more than to show Evan some tough love, but Megan was right. That was easier said than done. And as much as Cameron loathed the man, he was Megan’s brother and she loved him.
“I’ll
