Clearwater Romance (16 page)

The night was long and grueling, and exhaustion hung heavily on Tessa when she collapsed into bed next to Cameron. The trip back from North Carolina was hard on everyone, they traveled in silence, none of them able to sleep. Cameron took the worst of it, his leg up on a pillow, his teeth clenched in pain.

“There’s no need to be macho, why don’t you take a pain pill?” She ran her hand over his chest, careful to avoid the burns.

“I’m fine. Sleep is what we need.” He wrapped his arm around her, drawing her close to him. His dog tags around her neck caught his attention. “Why?”

She raised her hand to them, fingering it. “Don’t laugh, they made me feel closer to you.” She reached under her pillow and grabbed his shirt that she put there before they left. “I even wore your shirt until my stomach got too big. I really missed you.”

“I’m home now and not going anywhere.”

She couldn’t believe he was there next to her. Too afraid to close her eyes, worried that when she opened them again he’d be gone, she just watched him sleep. She thought the time would never come when she was able to lie in his arms, or if he did, he’d have changed his mind about their marriage. Now that it was here, she knew the wait was worth it.

* * *

Cameron woke covered in sweat, his heart racing, images of the incident that landed him in a cast vivid in his mind. Wounded soldiers surrounding him, as he laid there broken and bleeding. There was nothing he could do for most of them, his attention focused on the youngest Marine under his command who lay clinging to life next to him. He wouldn’t let Juan Carlos die. He was too young…with so many people depending on him.

He held that young Marine’s hand until they were loaded into the helicopter, giving him the encouragement he needed. The images filled his vision making him feel like he was back there again. J.C’s honey-golden skin paled with the loss of blood, and his deep blue eyes held pain and fear.
Damn it, J.C, you’re a Marine we don’t give up.
Cameron kept telling him, refusing to let one of his men give up.

J.C never should have been there! He volunteered for the deployment to help with his family financially. At twenty-one he was the oldest of nine children, the man of the family since his father took off five years before. Losing his leg meant a long hard recovery road in front of him, and worse yet when he couldn’t find work.

If he died, his family would have had the insurance…
Cameron hated himself for even thinking it. Having him in their life meant more than money ever would. He met J.C’s family and they might not have much but they had love that got them through.
They’ll find a way.

It was damn lucky they didn’t lose anyone. Many men would never be the same but at least no one lost their lives. For that, he was grateful.

“What are you thinking about?” Tessa’s soft and sexy voice went straight to his shaft.

He looked down to find her watching him. “How long have you been awake?” He cupped the side of her face.

“Long enough to know you’ve been lost in thought. You were distant, and I didn’t want to disturb you.” She ran her hand down his chest.

“You’re beautiful.” He lowered his head to hers, bringing their foreheads together, their gazes locked together. He kissed her. Their lips met with passion and desire. The air sizzled around them. Their kiss broke apart, but his lips hovered just over hers. “I’ve waited for so long, I want you.”

“Me too, but your leg…”

“It’s fine.” He slipped his hand under the loose silk nightshirt that she wore, and pulled it up her body. “You have too many clothes on.”

She leaned up allowing him to slip the shirt over her head. “You too.” She grabbed the waist of his shorts.

“Then help me resolve that.” He told her before lowering his head to her neck, kissing gently. His tongue trailing soft lines down her neck, teasing her and nibbling against her smooth skin, bringing the desire coursing through them.

She broke the kiss, and rose to her knees. With agonizing care, she pulled down his shorts. “Are you sure you are up to this?”

“I think
it
speaks for itself.” He raised his eyebrows suggestively. He leaned up, and caught her dusky pink nipple into his mouth. He knew pregnancy had made her nipples extra sensitive; so he laved it in a lazy, tender circle with his tongue. Her sharp gasp coupled with the clasp of her hand on his head was all the encouragement he needed. Gliding a hand down her body, he explored the gorgeous curves. She really had never been more beautiful. And he promised patience in the future, but he’d missed her for far too long.  Teasing her sensitive flesh, he lifted his head to catch the soft cry with a long, satisfying kiss.

“You’ll have to be on top.” He murmured against her mouth.

She rose, moving to straddle his body, her hands running along his chest, careful to avoid the white bandage covering his burns. “If you’d been hurt worse…”

“Shh.” He gave her hips a light squeeze. “No more of that. I’m here. We’re together.”

For the barest moment, her lower lip trembled and she seemed to be caught between tears and a smile. The utter vulnerability tore him in two. . “Cameron, I need you.”

“I’m here. I’ll always be here.” It was a solemn oath, one he should have given her a long time ago. She deserved long stroking touches, teasing caresses, and languid kisses until she screamed—but rose carefully and he helped her balance as he fisted himself and angled his shaft to help her glide down into place.

She settled around him like a hot, liquid glove and he couldn’t stop his own groan. Hell, he didn’t want to. They lay there, suspended in that moment and he looked up at her. The unbound length of her hair framed her gorgeous face and she smiled. “You feel good.”

Laughing softly, he rubbed a hand up her side and cupped her breast. The angle sucked, but he was creative—he would manage. “Move, sweetheart.”

She wrinkled her nose. “Bossy.”

“Yes, ma’am.” He couldn’t arch his hips, it would jerk his leg, but he flexed his arms and helped her rise and she did it with agonizing, exquisite slowness that ripped another pair of long, sighs from both of them. It was like pleasurable torture, a slow, inexorable build. She roamed her hands over him, petting him, teasing him, but always with smooth, strokes that wrapped his shaft, fisting him with her inner muscles.

Need turned him inside out and he slid a hand between them to tease that tight bundle of nerves. Her rhythm faltered and he watched the pleasure break out over her expression, her release clamping down around him and pulling his own. He came with a shout—the slow, sensuous eroticism of it all made perfect because it was Tessa.

It had always been Tessa.

He helped her ease down on the bed next to him. And caught her lips for another long, breathless kiss. “I love you, Tessa.”

It would always be her.

Cameron leaned against his new truck, looking at the house they just bought. He just brought a load of their belongings over while Tessa and Chloe were busy packing at the cabin. Moving from North Carolina they decided to start over, selling everything, so the first thing they had to do after they bought the house was decorate it. All the furniture new, and fit their style contemporary and comfortable, representing the new lease they both had on life. His life had done a one eighty in only a few months. Clearwater was something he never thought he wanted, the small quiet life but he couldn’t be happier now. Lost in thought he didn’t turn around to the vehicle coming up the drive, suspecting it was Jordan.

A truck door shut behind him, jarring him back to the presence. “Hey Cameron.”

He turned to find Sheriff Ryan Ryder walking towards him. His long legs closing the distance quickly, his hand was on his gun like a character leaping out of the pages of some novel from the old west. It was a natural pose for him. “Afternoon Sheriff, what can I do for you?”

“There’s something I’ve wanted to do for years—but being the only law enforcement in Clearwater time never seems to be enough—but you might be just the person to bring it to Clearwater now that you’re sticking around.” Ryan took his hat off laying it on the front of Cameron’s truck. “We need someone around here to teach self-defense, gun training.”

“Sheriff I don’t think that’s needed here…”

“Hear me out Cameron…self-defense has always been something I support. People need to defend themselves, and their families. Clearwater is a safe town, but we have many people traveling through, so trouble can spring unexpectedly. We have a lot of small shop owners that could be in danger if a patron got out of control.” He adjusted his gun belt, looking off to the vacant land that at one time had been used for farming, surrounding the house. “Gun training…damn that’s the call I deal with most. Someone out hunting and they don’t know how to handle the weapon properly. Many of these hunters were taught by their father, or grandfather, passing it down the line, but guns have changed. They’re advancing and if people are going to use them they need to be trained.”

“You make a good argument, but I don’t know…” Cameron slipped his hand into his pockets.

“I understand.” Ryan looked around the ground again before turning his attention back to Cameron. “You have enough land here that you could do it right here. Put up a building for the classes and shooting range, and you could be running within a few weeks.” He grabbed his hat off the top of the truck, and slipped it back on. “All I’m asking is think about it.”

“I will.” Cameron watched Ryan walk back over to the Sheriff truck, and opened the door.

“One last thing, there’s a woman in Jackson Hole…she’s in a difficult situation…self-defense could make all the difference to her.” Ryan got into his truck and drove away.

Damn him! He knows I won’t turn away from someone in need. Self-defense…gun training…that could be the answer to what to do with my time.
He opened his truck door and climbed in. He needed to talk to Tessa before he made any decision.

Four Months Later…

Tessa was lounging by the lake, her head back with her eyes closed, soaking up the last of the early evening sun rays with Chloe. Rosalie slept peacefully in the bassinet, and the men were grilling. It was a perfect day, making her thankful for all she had. Her life had changed so much in the last few weeks, and everything for the better.

They had moved into their beautiful home only days before, but she already missed the daily connection with Chloe and Jordan. “How’s Hope doing managing Winterbloom on a day to day level? Or are you still having problems giving up the control?”

“Hope’s doing well. Once Jordan finishes our log home, she’ll move into our quarters. It’s nice to be able to give over some of the duties to someone else. Winterbloom has been my whole life for so long, it’s nice to have a little free time to step back and enjoy life, even better now that I have someone to do it with.”

Tessa opened her eyes and looked across the lake, midway between Winterbloom and the cabins where Jordan and a local construction team were building Chloe’s new home. The log home was coming along nicely, and would soon be ready for them to move into it.

“How’s motherhood and the new business?”

“Amazing. Rosalie is a doll, and she sleeps most of the night. I couldn’t ask for a better daughter. Which is great since Cam is busy getting Clearwater Combat and Guns set up.” Memories of how lost Cameron was without the schedule of the Marines controlling his day-to-day life flooded back. She had almost begun to think it was a mistake for him to leave his career for her and Rosalie. As much as she loved Clearwater, she’d have followed him anywhere. His leg grew stronger each day, and if he wanted he could have returned to the Marines within a few months, even the limp he had was beginning to fade.

Clearwater Combat and Guns had put the passion back in Cameron that he lost, bringing joy and harmony to their lives. He was doing something they both believed in. Even out of the Marines, he was still being a hero to many. The business was the final piece that completed Cameron, and gave her everything she ever wanted.

“It’s becoming larger than we originally expected. There will be a gun shop, and shooting range, but he’s also doing different classes for self-defense based on skills, gun training, and other weapons. Cameron also hired another retired Marine to teach karate and martial arts, he’ll arrive in August, there’s already a number of students from Clearwater School signed up.” She looked across the patio to Cameron and then towards Rosalie. “Oh Chloe, everything is just perfect. I love my life and wouldn’t want things to be any different.”