All Over You (All Falls Down #3) (17 page)

A split moment of hesitation flits across his face.

"You're a good, honest man," I whisper to him, grasping his face between my palms as if touching him will ensure he hears me. "You care what happens to people, and you do what's right because that's who you are. You will never be able to forgive yourself if you don't turn this in, and neither will I."

"You're asking me to let you go to jail, kitten," he says, frowning at me.

"No, I'm not." I shake my head, disagreeing. "I'm asking you to find a way to keep me out of jail that doesn't go against who you are as a person and as a cop. If being free means destroying you, I'd rather go to jail, Cam." As terrifying as the thought of prison is to me, I'll go gladly if that's what I have to do to keep from dragging him down with me.

He hesitates for a long, painful moment, and then he pulls me to him and kisses me hard on the lips. "When this is all over," he says, his eyes blazing with heat, "I'm gonna find a way to convince you to marry me, kitten."

"Cam―"

"Be ready, sweetheart, because you're going to be mine."

chapter twelve

wildest dreams

"Oh my god," Erin squeals into the phone. "It feels like it's been forever since I talked to you!"

"It has been forever," I respond, wandering around Cam's hotel room, waiting for him to return from the police station where he's turning over the song that pretty much seals my fate. In a day or two, maybe more, I'll be arrested and charged with Rory's death. The thought is overwhelmingly terrifying, but I don't regret convincing Cam to turn in the song. I won't take him down with me, no matter what.

His promise echoes in my mind.

Be ready, sweetheart, because you're going to be mine.

I'm pretty sure he meant every word, and I have no idea how I feel about that.

Excited.

Nervous.

Breathless.

On fire.

I
want
to belong to him.

"I think I'm falling in love," I blurt to Erin. The words twist through me, the truth settling over me as if slipping into place. I'm falling in love with Cam. It's terrifying and beautiful and confusing all at once. The rational part of my brain screams that I barely know him. Every other part of me though? Well, those parts aren't as rational. They're perfectly cool with falling for Cam.

What is he doing to me?

"What?" Erin screams.

I cringe and hold the phone away from my ear.

"Who are you falling in love with? What the fuck have I missed? Oh my god, is it Gleeson? Hello? Why aren't you saying anything?" she shouts in rapid succession. "Are you sleeping with him? Holy shit, Ivy! When did this happen?"

"It's not Bryan," I say softly. "His name is Cameron. Cam."

"The cop? The one who called you about that boy?"

"Yeah."

"He's totally fuckable, isn't he? You lucky bitch."

"He's the guy from
Mitch's
," I mumble, running my fingertip along the top of the television. When I pull it back, not a single spot of dust clings to my skin. "The one who kept staring at me."

"Tall, Dark, and Fuckable?" she asks, her voice still an octave or two higher than usual. "Holy flaming fuck, Ivy. That man is gorgeous."

"I know." God, do I ever know. All he has to do is smirk at me, and I'm a puddle on the floor, ready to do his bidding. That dimple and those eyes combined with that voice, those tattoos, and that body should be illegal.

"So, tell me about him," Erin says, and I can just imagine her bouncing on the balls of her feet like she does when she's excited.

"He's…" I don't even know where to start. "He's amazing, Erin. Bossy as hell, but super sweet. He listens to me and remembers what I say. He has this voice that makes me crazy, and his eyes are so expressive. And the sex? Oh my god," I blurt, unable to stop myself from gushing about him.

"You lucky bitch," Erin breathes, envy in her tone. "I haven't been laid in ages."

"What am I supposed to do?" I groan, flopping down on the bed.

"Fuck him as often as humanly possible and stop asking questions, duh!" she says, laughing.

"I wish it were that easy."

She sobers, her laughter fading. "You're really falling for him?"

"I am." I pause, letting her absorb this revelation…trying to let myself absorb it. "It's too soon, right? I'm crazy and this is never going to work and I'm just being ridiculous, right?"

She doesn't say anything for a moment and then, "There isn't a timeline for falling in love. If he's right for you, he's right for you, whether you've known him for five minutes or five years."

I blink, caught off guard by how mature she sounds all of the sudden. It's disconcerting coming from the woman who never takes anything seriously. And that has the truth pouring from my lips. "I'm so scared, Erin," I whisper, clutching the phone tightly and blinking away tears. "What if I screw his life up? What if he doesn't feel the same way? What if―?"

"What do you mean, screw his life up? Are you kidding me right now? You're one of the best people I have ever met. There is no way you could ever screw his life up. And if he doesn't feel the same way, he's the crazy one, not you."

"I'm in trouble," I confess. "Big trouble."

"Being in love isn't trouble."

"That's not what I mean," I say with a sigh and sit upright. "I'm going to be charged with manslaughter, Erin."

"What?"

I have to hold my phone away from my ear again when she shrieks at me. Crossing my legs, I wait for her to calm down before explaining.

"They think I was in a relationship with that kid who went missing. Someone has been posing as me online for months."

"Wait, you mean the kid is dead?" Erin asks.

"Yes. He jumped off Bay Bridge."

"Oh my god," she whispers.

"It's so awful. Whoever has been posing as me told him to kill himself, and he did. Now I'm going to be charged with his death unless I can prove that I didn't talk him into it." I take a breath, trying to keep myself under control. "I don't want to drag Cam down with me. He's been so good to me. He's helping me try to clear my name."

"I can't believe he's dead," she says.

"I know. I feel so awful for his family, and for him. I keep thinking that the last thing he heard from anyone was this woman telling him to kill himself. Is it selfish that I hate knowing he died thinking I'm a horrible person?" I think maybe that is selfish, but I can't help but feel that way.

"You aren't a horrible person. They can't send you to jail for this. You didn't do it."

"I know that, but they don't." I sigh again, thinking about the song and the fact that this woman is using my identity. "I'm going to be arrested. It's only a matter of time."

"I'm coming home," she decides, her voice firm.

"You can't," I remind her. "Your conference isn't over."

"Screw the conference!"

"Your boss needs you there," I say, and bite my lip because I really do want her to come home, even knowing she can't. There's nothing she could do for me here, but I miss her and the laughter she brings into my life. "Besides, Cam is trying to find evidence that proves I'm innocent. We just have to give him time to do it."

She grumbles wordlessly.

"He will find something," I tell her, trying to muster a little confidence.

"Do you really think so?" she asks, her voice full of worry.

"I hope so. This woman used Rory's name at a shop a couple of weeks ago, so he's going to try to get the security footage from the area to see if I recognize anyone. With any luck, we'll find out who is behind this." I'm not so sure it'll happen before I'm arrested, but I don't tell her that, instead filing it away under
things not to mention over the phone
.

She's quiet for a moment and then she sighs. "Fine. I'll stay here until the conference is over on Tuesday. But I swear to God, if you're arrested before I get home, I'm kicking his ass. And you can tell him I said so."

She's serious, and I know she is.

"I will," I promise, smiling a little.

"I can't believe you're having a secret love affair with a cop while being investigated," she says with a dramatic sigh. "That's kind of hot, Ivy."

"It sounds a lot hotter than it is, trust me."

"Says the woman having incredible sex with a sexy detective."

"The sex is incredible," I murmur. Even though she can't see me, my cheeks burn.

"Lucky bitch," she grumbles again. "Seriously though, if he's fine with your relationship, you should be, too. You didn't do this, and you don't owe anyone an explanation about your life or who you're seeing."

"It's more complicated than that."

"Is he assigned to the case?"

"No. He's looking into it as a favor for a friend…and I guess for me, now."

"Then fuck that noise!" she shouts. "Unless he's the detective assigned to the case, you're not doing anything wrong. Screw anyone who says otherwise."

"You're right."

"I'm always right," she says with a breezy laugh. "You better call me immediately if anything happens."

"I will," I promise.

"Love you, bestie."

"Love you, too." I wait for the line to disconnect and then drop my phone on the table beside the bed. Flopping back down on the bed, I stare up at the ceiling and sigh, wishing like hell being with Cam was as easy as Erin makes it sound because she
is
right, our relationship isn't anyone else's business…I just don't think the rest of the world would agree.

The bed dips and then Cam's scent hits me.

"Kitten," he murmurs, running his hands through my hair.

"Mm," I mumble and roll toward him. At some point, I must have dozed off. I'm warm and comfortable and I don't want to wake up. Instead, I snuggle up with my head against his thigh, my eyes still closed.

"You awake, sweetheart?" he asks. He shifts beneath me, and then I'm in his arms, my head on his shoulder as he settles back down on the bed again, holding me.

"No," I lie, burying my face in his throat and inhaling deeply.

"You sound awake to me," he says with a chuckle.

"You're dreaming."

"I'm not the one sleeping," he reminds me.

Oh. Right.

I nuzzle my face into him, ignoring his point. "You smell good."

"I do?"

"Mmhmm. Like sin."

His body vibrates, laughter rumbling deep in his chest.

Heat unfurls inside of me at the sound, desire blooming as sleepiness evaporates. I stick the tip of my tongue out, tasting his skin where his pulse thrums. His laughter ends abruptly, cut off by a low groan. The sexy sound makes me bolder. I shift in his arms and rake my teeth across his throat.

His hands tighten on me as if he's going to stop me, but I don't want him to put an end to this. I don't want to talk about what happens next, or think about what's coming now that the police have my song. I just want him. So I don't let him stop me. Instead, I straddle his lap, exploring him with my lips and tongue.

I bite down, sucking at his skin as my hands rove down his chest. He's solid, firm everywhere. I delve my hands beneath the fabric of his shirt, flattening my palms against his stomach. His body is warm, his abs perfectly defined. Shifting, I kiss my way across his jaw, feeling the stubble scratching against my lips.

"Fuck," he grunts when I bite down on his lip, pulling it into my mouth. His hands dig into my ass, grinding me against his erection. "You want to play, kitten?"

I dig my nails lightly into his abs and scratch instead of responding.

A groan rumbles against my lips, a warning, I think.

I don't heed it, instead biting his lip again. I want him wild, as crazy as he makes me.

He gets the point. Faster than I can process, he rips control away from me, taking it like I never had it at all. His lips crash against mine as he bucks upward. I land on my back with him over me, his hands like vises on my wrists, holding me still as he takes what he wants from me. He kisses me hard, unleashing all of that pent up lust on me.

It's fucking glorious.

"Told you," he pants, moving down my chest where he bites my nipple through my shirt, "I'm in control, kitten. You can't dominate me. I'm not submissive. You take what I give you, not the other way around."

"Cam," I groan, his words hitting me like a wrecking ball. I want that. All of him, unleashed on me. "Please."

He bites my other nipple, just hard enough to make it hurt. The pain quickly morphs to pleasure, causing a flood of wetness to pool between my thighs. My clit pulses, aching for him. I cry out, writhing beneath him.

"You like that, don't you?" he asks, almost as if he's surprised by how much I like it when he's rough with me. He rises up over me, those gray eyes locked on my face. "Tell me what you want, kitten."