Slowly, his arms came up and surrounded her. He clutched her like he was afraid she would slip away. “I missed you, baby. I missed you so much.”
“I missed you, too, bella.” Suddenly Rafe was right behind her.
He stepped in, and his arms circled her waist. He was careful to move in time with Cam, and soon they were swaying to the music. All three of them were dancing together, the men forming a protective circle around her.
“Well, that was fast. It didn’t take those two long to move in once the truth was out,” Holly said as she danced with Pastor Dennis, who ran the Feed Store Church.
She felt Rafe stiffen and start to move back.
Laura took a deep breath, thinking about Stef’s words, and let her hand drift around to Rafe’s waist to keep him close. He moved back in.
Pastor Dennis took it all with a smile on his face. “All good things flow from admitting the truth with an open heart.”
“Not all of them,” Holly grumbled.
“Crap, what happened with Caleb?” Laura tried to look around, but she couldn’t see the doctor.
Holly shrugged. “Same old, same old. I asked him if he wanted to go back to my place so we could talk, and he suddenly remembered some very important surgery he had scheduled. For tonight. Without a nurse. Or a hospital. I give up on him. I’m going to satisfy myself with my prison love letters.”
Holly gave her a sad smile as the pastor danced her away.
Poor Holly. Caleb was breaking her heart, and they had never even gone out. Would Holly be happier if she had at least gotten to be intimate with the man who hurt her? Would she regret it? Or would she do what Stef had said and forgive herself and be happy that at least she had tried?
“Did you come back for the case?” She didn’t pull her head from Cam’s chest. She simply asked the question and prayed they had the right answer.
Cam’s head touched the top of her own. “I don’t care about the case anymore. Don’t get me wrong. I want to kill him for what he did to you, but I’m here because I’m crazy about you, Laura Rosen or Niles, or whatever you call yourself.” Rafe breathed against her neck, the warmth reassuring. “We’re here for you, bella. Nothing else. We talked about the case because we thought it would force you to spend time with us. We’ve been looking for you for years because we don’t want to live without you.” Well, that was a pretty fine answer. Tears in her eyes, she stopped dancing, disentangled herself, and started toward the parking lot.
She’d gotten ten feet when she realized they weren’t following. She turned, and they looked like lost puppies.
“I’m going home. I thought we could talk better at my place. Do you want to come home with me?” It was as plainly as she could put it. She wanted them. Life was too short to not try. If it all went bad, she would always have Bliss. She and Holly could be nuns together.
Maybe Alexei had a friend in witness protection who needed some letter loving.
But before she tried that, she was going to have at least one more shot with the two who had gotten away.
They ran to catch up, each taking one of her hands as they walked into the night.
Chapter Eight
Cam slid into the back of the SUV beside Laura, his hips brushing against hers.
Rafe turned the engine on, though Cam could see plainly through the windshield mirror that he wasn’t thrilled with driving.
Cam didn’t care. He wasn’t about to let her sit by herself. She’d invited them back to her place. Cam wasn’t exactly sure what that meant relationship-wise, but the look in her eyes had dared him to try.
He wouldn’t turn down that challenge.
Rafe turned the key in the ignition, and the SUV purred to life.
“You need to take a left on the highway to get back to the valley.” Laura sat forward, her body bending over.
“I know how to get to your place.” Rafe’s voice was flat. His whole body betrayed his lack of enthusiasm for the current seating situation. Cam had been faster. He’d tossed Rafe the keys and climbed in the back with Laura. It was only fair. Rafe had gotten to dance with her first. “I can be there very quickly.” Cam didn’t need a long time. He had her to himself for the time it took to get from point A to point B. He wasn’t going to waste a minute.
Cam scooted over, unwilling to give her space. He slid his arm over the backboard of the seat, his palm covering her shoulder. She stiffened slightly, and Cam was just about to take his arm back when she finally snuggled against him. She turned her head up, her bright eyes finding his in the intimacy of the car. It was dark, but he could see her. He couldn’t miss the way her eyes widened and softened as she looked up at him.
“Laura, I want to tell you—” he started.
He wanted to tell her everything that had happened since she’d left. He wanted to know everything that had happened to her. He wanted to know what it was like to live in this town. He wanted to know why she had really walked away. The five years they had been apart felt like centuries, and he needed to fill in the history.
She held a hand up to his lips, the pads of her fingers sparking against his flesh. She might have kept the touch gentle, but Cam’s reaction was like a fire lighting his skin. His cock was at full mast, straining against the material of his pants.
“Not tonight. I don’t want to talk about it tonight.” Her voice was breathy with longing.
His heart rate skittered. That sounded like an invitation. “If we’re not going to talk, baby, then what exactly are we going to do?”
“You said you missed me.” Her fingers skimmed across his face.
“So fucking much.” She’d left a huge hole that had only started to shrink the minute he saw her.
“Show me how much you missed me.”
Cam felt like he’d been let off the leash. He grabbed her and hauled her into his lap. “Straddle me, baby.” She threw one of her long legs over his hips so she straddled him like a horse she was just about to ride. Her skirt bunched around her knees. There was absolutely nothing between them but her panties and his slacks and underwear. He could feel how hot her pussy was.
“Damn it,” Rafe cursed, hitting the steering wheel with the palm of his hand. “I should have made you drive.” Cam didn’t bother to reply. Rafe had made his bed, and Cam had no intention of lying in it with him. Laura had given him permission, and he was taking it. He thrust his hands into her hair. It was soft and silky, and he used it to pull her mouth toward his. He felt like a starving man who had just been put at the front of the line at an all-you-can-eat buffet. He wasn’t sure where to start. He wanted to inhale her.
Everything about her called to him. Her scent, the touch of her skin, the sight of her breasts threatening to overflow her shirt. He was on sensory overload.
Laura took the choice out of his hands. She leaned over and pressed her lips to his. It was a soft touch and not nearly enough for Cam. She seemed hesitant, brushing their mouths together as though trying to remember how to kiss.
Cam hadn’t forgotten. He dreamed about it every night. He let his hands tighten in her hair and ran his tongue over her plump bottom lip. Laura shivered and softened, giving him control of the kiss. Cam surged into her mouth, her taste filling him. So long. He had waited so long.
Cam took her mouth, slanting over her again and again. Their tongues met and mated, sliding against each other. Laura’s arms wound around his neck. He loosened his hold on her hair and trailed down, seeking her breasts. He cupped them. They were bigger, rounder. The weight she’d put on had gone to all the right places. She was a sexy handful.