Always Yours (5 page)

With her eyes fixated on the shots she began to speak. "So, Cam..." The way she said my name was so damn sexy, my dick jumped at the sound of it. "Are you a pompous jerk just like your friend over there?" Nudging her head in Blake's direction. I was a little shocked at her sudden outburst, but was even more surprised what she said next. "I know your type, cocky, arrogant and pig-headed. You think you're god's gift to women. Well, let me tell you—"

"Easy there, firecracker," I interrupted and her head snapped up at the term of endearment. "Haven't you ever heard the saying, 'don't judge a book by its cover’? Just because I'm confident and you find me irresistible," I implied, wiggling my eyebrows, "doesn't mean I'm a total jackass. Give me a break."

Pushing the shots across the counter I could tell she was irritated with me again and it took everything I had not to laugh. She really was a firecracker—calm on the outside, full of fire and dynamite on the inside. All it took was one spark to light her up and I wanted to be the one to set her on fire.

"It's twenty-five even," she demanded, glaring at me.

Pulling out my wallet I grabbed a fifty dollar bill and slid it across the bar. Just as she reached for it I caught her hand and pulled gently so she would bend forward and meet me in the middle. Leaning closer to her I whispered into her ear, "I won't judge, if you don't judge." I felt a shiver run through her body as I slowly backed away

So, she does like me. Why is she being so difficult then?

I knew she was attracted to me. I could tell by the way her body reacted when I was around. But for some reason her mind was creating a wall and I was determined to break through.

Finally, it was last call. The bar had slowed down considerably seeing that it was now one thirty in the morning. Only a few small groups of intoxicated people were lingering around and Cam and his fire buddies were among them. Most of them were drunkenly dancing, while the rest of them, Cam included, were sitting around the table chatting with a group of girls.

I had successfully managed to avoid Cam and all of his friends since I so idiotically went off on him. I didn't even know why I acted the way I did....well, actually, I knew exactly why I did.

I had been subconsciously pushing away every guy I had ever met since Lance; and Cam, he was no different. As attracted to him as I was, there was no way I was going to let myself fall for his type again.
Not ever!
Guys like Cam always found a way to crash into my life as fast as lightning, and disappear just as quickly, and I always got burned because of it. I didn't even know why I was getting so bent out of shape about him anyway, he was just a customer and I would more than likely never see him again anyway.

Shrugging off the mix of emotions I was feeling for a complete stranger, I popped a cinnamon bear into my mouth, grabbed a bar rag and headed off to start cleaning up the residual of the night. It was obvious that Cam's group was going to be here until I kicked them out. None of them had paid their tabs or even looked like they were ready to either.

Cam and Blake were deep in conversation, ignoring the girls that were so desperately trying to get their attention. All of the high-pitched giggles and low cut tops were enough to make me puke.

Maybe they weren't such man whores after all.

I went about my business cleaning and picking up beer bottles, until out of the corner of my eye, I spotted Cam watching me. Cracking up about something Blake must have said, he was smirking at me mischievously, and I knew I was their subject of conversation. I felt my cheeks warm and I tried my hardest to ignore them as I continued about my business. There was no way I was going to let them see they were affecting me. Without looking in their direction I strutted back to the bar to throw away the trash I had aimlessly collected. Returning to the tables to arrange the chairs I noticed Cam was still absorbed with me.
What is his deal?
The look on his face led me to believe that the exchange between him and Blake wasn't innocent, and that piqued my attention. Moving closer to them I attempted to listen to what they were saying but the music was too loud and all I could make out were deep mumbles and laughter.

Giving up, I finished adjusting the tables and chairs in the area. Turning to head back to the bar to start cashing the registers out, I felt a strong hand grasp my shoulder. I jumped and quickly spun around, my hands balled into fists. I was ready for a fight but relaxed when I came face to face with Cam.

"Whoa!" he said, taking a step back. "Sorry there, lil' firecracker, I didn't mean to scare you." He flashed me that overwhelming smile and butterflies fluttered in my stomach. For the second time tonight, I found myself frozen in place from his mouth-watering grin. "Are you always this jumpy?" he asked as the tension in my body started to dispense.

"Only when I'm here," I replied dryly. "I can't even count how many times I've been groped, grabbed or kissed by crazy drunk strangers in this bar." The smile on his face faltered for a split second and I swore I saw a hint of jealousy and anger in his eyes. "Why do you think I have a zero tolerance policy for blatant disrespect of my waitresses?" I pointed out as I looked at him with a shit eating grin on my face.

"Ohhh, I see," he said, over exaggerating the words. "Well, that makes a bit more sense as to why you castrated Blake then," he snickered. "I don't think he's used to being spoken to like that. Usually, woman worship the ground he walks on, or so I've heard. I'm surprised his super powers didn't work on you."

"Super powers? Oh, please!" I bellowed. "Every night there is a new arrogant prick just like him in here and every night I have to put them in their place or kick 'em the hell out," I explained as my anger started to rise. Just thinking about that type of guy made memories of Lance flash through my head and that always made my temper climb.

Cam's eyes grew larger as I spoke, as if he could sense another one of my mood swings brewing under the surface and he was preparing for the explosion. I knew I needed to try to keep myself from lashing out at this poor guy again. He hadn't even done anything to me and I was taking all of my resentment out on him.

"So...um...do you have any super powers I should be aware of?" I asked, feeling foolish as I tried to steer the conversation in a new direction. Unfortunately, I turned down the one road I didn't want to go down
.

Shit, I did not just ask him that!

His face lit up and the playful smirk returned full force as he slowly bent down closer to me. My whole body tensed up as he spoke softly into my ear, "I have more super powers than you'd ever imagine, firecracker."

Backing away just as gradually as he leaned in, he lifted my chin and stared right into my eyes. His hand traced the contours of my face and my whole body came alive. I wanted so badly to lean into his touch but I forced myself to stay still. Scared he would hear the pounding in my chest; I took a deep breath, stepped backwards and watched as his hand fell from my face. I regretted the decision right away and it was even worse when I looked into his eyes.

They were full of a strange uncertainty. His mouth parted as if he was going to speak but nothing came out, he was hesitating and I wasn't sure why. I could tell he was trying to think of what to say after not so subtly being rejected. "But I'm sorry to say, I think you may be immune to all of them." His voice was laced with disappointment and the sound of it made my stomach drop.

I couldn't even articulate a thought, let alone speak. I was a total mess over this beautiful man before me but my stupid mind kept putting up this wall, adding new layers every time he tried to break through. I wanted to turn and walk away; leaving him behind and forgetting that this night ever happened. Knowing that it was the best thing to do I gave him a pathetic 'I'm sorry' look and began to spin on my heel when I felt an arm wrap around my shoulder and pull me back.

So much for leaving him in the past.

"Hey, Chica," Shay said as she pulled me closer to her. "What ya doin'?"

I didn't like the tone in her voice. She was up to something. Shay was the nosey type, always sticking it in places where it didn't belong, especially when it came to me and men. At least once a week she tried hooking me up with someone and I had a feeling this was just another one of those times.

"Nothing, I was just going back to start closing the night out," I said, trying to turn around again and make my escape.

"Oh, were you? Well, lucky for you I already did it," she stated, giving me a squeeze.
Damn her!
The one time she takes the initiative to do something without me asking her to do it is the one time I didn't want her to. That was my only escape from Cam and now I had nothing.

"Thanks, Shay, you didn't have to do that, ya know," I pointed out, clearly annoyed. She looked over at me and winked, confirming my thoughts—she was up to no good.

"So, Cara, aren't you going to introduce me to your friend here?" she asked a little too chipper for my liking.

Awkwardly, I introduced them. "Oh, umm...yeah, Cam, this is Shay. Shay, meet Cam."

They shook hands and I watched as Shay eyed him up and down. I knew she was checking him out but she wasn't doing it for her own benefit. Nope, Shay already had a man and was very satisfied with him. I mean VERY satisfied. Not only did she talk about him twenty-four seven, she also gave me every single play by play of their sex life. I knew more about Kyle's dick than any friend cared to know.

"Nice to meet you, Cam. So why aren't you out there shaking it on the dance floor with the rest of your friends?" she asked him as she nudged her head in the direction of the dance floor.

"I don't know. I guess because I don't have anyone to dance with," Cam said as he looked at me.

I knew where this was headed and I didn't know if I liked it or not.

"Well, I'm sure Cara would dance with you," Shay assumed. She nudged me closer to Cam and I looked back at her fuming. "Wouldn't you, Cara?" The mischievous smirk that crossed her face made me want to smack it.

"Um, really, I can't. There is so much to do still before we close, I—"

"Nonsense, I'll do it. Go on, have fun."

Shay wasn't going to let this die. She was going to keep pushing until she got her way. So I decided to give in. "Fine, but just
one
dance," I said, holding up my finger for effect.

Cam grabbed my hand and started leading me to the dance floor. "Thanks, Shay," I heard him say over his shoulder as we walked away.

"Yeah, thanks, Shay," I shouted out mockingly. I heard a soft throaty chuckle escape Cam as we continued to walk, him tugging on my arm to keep me moving.

I didn't recognize the song the DJ was playing but it was a fast moving dance song and I relaxed a bit, knowing I wouldn't have to dance too close to him—afraid that if I did I would never want to let him go. Of course as soon as we hit the dance floor the song changed from the upbeat pop tempo to the slow country sounds of Kip Moore's "Hey Pretty Girl”. The irony was not lost on me.

Cam walked us out to the center of the floor, spun me around once and then pulled me tightly into his chest. Tentatively, I swathed my arms around his neck while his hands moved smoothly around my waist, coming to rest on the small of my back. Slowly, he started swaying us to the beat of the music and with each wave I relaxed into his hold more and more. Everything about this felt natural—him, me, the song, the way I was wrapped in his strong arms. I was lost in the moment, the lyrics taking me to a future that would never exist, where I was happily married, with children, and Cam was the man of my dreams. By the time the song was over, my head was buried in his perfectly sculpted chest and I could feel his head resting on the top of mine.

Somewhere in my subconscious I had heard the song change, but we were still wrapped around each other as if it hadn't. I couldn't believe I was allowing this to happen but everything was so perfect—just like him.

He cleared his throat, snapping me from my thoughts and my mind raced back to reality. I was desperately clinging to his neck, silently begging him to keep his hold around me—to not leave me like everyone else always did. I kept my eyes glued to the floor, knowing that if I looked up and saw his eyes I would become even more lost in him than I was ready for.

"Thanks for the dance, lil' firecracker," he leaned down and whispered into my ear, his warm breath making a shiver run the length of my spine. He kissed the top of my head and released his hold on me. Every part of my body screamed in protest as his touch slipped away, leaving my body cold with his absence. Crossing my arms over my chest to warm myself up, I finally realized I was alone on the dance floor. Anxiously, I started searching for Cam.

Why would he just leave me here?

Finally, I spotted him. He was walking towards the exit of the bar with Blake following closely behind.
What the hell?
I wanted to call out to him, to beg him to stay but that wasn't me and he probably wouldn't have cared anyway. He didn't even look in my direction before he vanished into the parking lot— he left. A tight knot formed in my stomach. Staring at the closed door, completely baffled as to what had just happened, Blake stepped into my line of sight. He looked just as confused as I felt. He gave me an apologetic look and shrugged his shoulders before following Cam out the door.