He’d called the club Kittens and I didn’t even know. I’d fucked him in his office, in a club he’d named after me, and I didn’t even know.
“You still there, George?”
“Yeah, yeah, sorry, I’m just tired.”
“D’ya want me to call ya back tomorrow?”
“Na, na, I’m fine. So yeah, anyway, his brother Robbie turned up,” I continue to tell Bailey about what I had found out about Cam’s past from his brother that day.
We end the call a while later, with him assuring me he won’t inform our parents or brothers of what had happened last night. God, if any of them knew the actual truth, I’d be packed in a crate and shipped back to England in a flash. I wasn’t quite ready for that yet.
It’s getting late and I’m tired, but I want to talk to Cam. I just want to put his mind at rest and thank him for his concern. That’s all.
That. Is. All.
I find his number and press call, my stomach in knots. It’s Sunday morning in England, and I wonder if he will be up yet… And alone.
“Kitten, what the fuck’s going on? Are you okay? What was wrong last night, and don’t tell me nothing.”
“Fuck, Tiger, you’ll let me get a word in edgeways, won’t ya?” I hear him sigh and I know, I just know he’s shaking his head. My heart likes that I know that about him and does a little skip and a dance in my chest. “Stop shaking your head at me.” I hear him laugh, a little laugh, not his big, head thrown back, boom of a laugh, but it makes my heart let me know it still has life pulsing through it, and it stirs something in my belly.
“What happened?” he asks me quietly, and I suddenly want to tell him everything. I want to curl up in his big lap, feel his big arms around me and breathe in that unique smell that is Cam.
“Do you still wear Givenchy?” He gives another little chuckle.
“What a strange question. Now stop evading mine and tell me what the fuck happened.”
“I fucked up.”
“What did you do?”
“I got drunk. I got stoned. I snorted coke.”
“Kitten,” he whispers, and I know his eyes are closed. I’m not sure whether or not I should continue but I do.
“And then I couldn’t sleep, so I took a couple of Valium, but I was so fucked-up that I forgot I had taken the Valium already and I took some more.” I say it quickly, and then cringe as I wait for his response, but nothing could prepare me for the roar that comes down the line. I have to move the phone away from my ear it’s so loud. I catch words like ‘who, where, kill, dead, fuck, murder, dead, cunt’ and he says Georgia a lot; not Kitten but Georgia. I put the phone on speaker as a precaution so I don’t have it against my ear.
“Have you finished?” I ask when he finally stops and is breathing heavily into the phone.
“Not by a long fuckin’ shot. What happened? Did Bailey get you to the hospital? The fucker wouldn’t tell me anything.”
“You threatened to shoot my brother.” It wasn’t a question.
“And?”
“He’s my brother and you threatened to shoot him.”
“He threatened to get your dad to blow my balls and my head off.”
“He told me about your head, but he didn’t mention your balls.” I tried to hide the smile in my voice. “And anyway, he only threatened after you did.”
“He wouldn’t tell me anything. He wouldn’t tell me where you were… I was… you scared the fuck out of me, Georgia.”
“Why do you care?”
“Because I’m a fuckin’ idiot where you’re concerned.”
“But you do care?”
“Yes.”
“Why?” He lets out a long sigh.
“What’s it to you, Kitten? Why do you care that I care? You made your choices a long time ago, and they didn’t involve me.”
“They weren’t choices. I had no control. I explained that to you then.” My heart is pumping the blood around my body at such a rate that I can feel the pressure and hear a ‘whoosh’ in my ears.
“We all have choices, Kitten, and you chose him.”
“He’s dead.”
“I know and I’m sorry for that; I’d do anything for that not to be the case.” That’s such a Cam thing to say.
“I’m glad you care.” And it hits me in that moment just how glad I am that he cares. A wave of so many emotions washes over me. One of them is something I’m not sure of yet, desire is another, then want and of course, guilt.
“Are you?”
“I am.”
“Why?” he asks in a voice that’s so quiet for Cam.
“You’ve turned this right around.” How the fuck did that happen?
“Answer me, Kitten. Why are you glad I care?”
“Despite what you might think, I’ve always cared, and there’s always been something there.”
“But not enough.” I don’t know if that’s a question or a statement. If it’s a question, I don’t know how to answer it, so I go for honesty.
“You know what, Cam, it probably was enough. But by the time I realised it, I was back with Sean and it was too late for us. Please don’t think I never cared, because I did. I always have, and I still do.” Whatever he may think of me now, I need him to know this; it’s suddenly important to me.
“I don’t know what to say to that.” I can’t help but laugh at that.
“Seriously? You mean, for once, the great Cameron King has no comeback?” I know he’s smiling.
“Fuck, Kitten, I don’t think I do.”
“I love that I can do that to you.” The words come out before I think about them; they’re the truth and I just can’t help it.
“You’ve just made me hard.” God, the things he says. I clench everything inside me and unconsciously grind myself into the mattress as I sit.
“You mean you weren’t already?” I’m all bravado, but I blush as I think of Cam with a hard-on; he still has the biggest dick I’ve ever seen.
“Semi,” he says casually, but I know he’s grinning.
“That works for me.” My stomach curls in on itself as I say the words aloud that really were just meant to be said to myself, in my head.
“Fuck, Kitten.” It sounds like he growls; my head spins, my eyes feel heavy and my skin heats.
“Yes, please, Tiger.”
“Don’t tease me, Kitten. I’m warning you. Do. Not. Tease. Me.”
“I’m not teasing. I’m wet and I’m aching.” I don’t know where I’m going with this, but I’m so turned on I keep pushing.
“I wish I was closer. I want to be able smell how wet. I want to be able to taste your ache.” Oh, God.
“Should I book my flight and jump on the next plane?”
“Plane? Where the fuck are you?” Oh, shit, I thought Bailey would have told him.
“I’m in Australia. I’m… I’ve been here for a couple of months. I needed to get away, you know. All the stories in the papers and now with the anniversary of the accident coming up, I needed to get away. My cousin Jackson called and invited me to come and stay. My aunt and uncle own a bar, so I’ve just been helping out here, lying low and…” I try to think of a word. “And fixing myself.”
“Kitten,” he pauses for a few seconds, “where in Australia are you?” His tone has completely changed; he sounds almost angry.
“Byron Bay,” I reply, and I swear I hear him let out a groan as I answer.
“I need to go. I’ll call you tomorrow. Sorry, but I need to go.”
And just like that, he hangs up.
Well, that went well. What did I say?
I text Roman back that I’m okay and curl up and go to sleep.
Chapter Eleven
I wake bright and early Monday morning and call my mum, and I chat with her for about an hour about nothing in particular. I don’t mention I’m going to book my flight home; I’m going to surprise her and my dad and just turn up. I then call Jimmie and let her know I’ve decided I’m ready to come home.
“Are you sure, George?”