Ignite Me: Shards of Glass, Part One (74 page)

“Yeah, it was a girl’s holiday! And yes I can hold my own why?!” I wondered why he'd need to know?!

“Shall we go take a boat around the lake?! I didn't like to suggest it, but now I know you can swim I don't mind!”

I laughed. “Why you intending to throw me out of the boat?!”

He shook his head. “No, but knowing you I was worried you'd fall out!”

I rolled my eyes. “I did all the swimming stuff in high school! Yanno, swimming in your clothes and practice swimming with someone else!” I sat up and grabbed another mini sausage. “Besides, I can't imagine you letting me drown!”

I popped it into my mouth.

“No, I wouldn't! It's forbidden! Right, let's pack this away and then go rowing! Please don't take offense that I will be the one rowing, I'd much rather we didn't go around in circles.” He chuckled to himself as he packed the food away.

“Anyone would think I have a coordination issue!” I giggled. “But I'm more than happy to let you row me around the lake! I'm gonna take photos!” I grabbed the sun lotion. “But we should put some of this on if we're leaving the shade!” I shook the bottle.

“Let me, I'll apply yours!” He turned and held his hand out for the bottle of sun lotion.

I shrugged and handed it over. “Feel free, just my arms, and neck!”

He smiled as he took the lid off and held it ready. “Okay!” He sprayed my arms with the lotion and used his fingers to rub it in. I closed my eyes as he sprayed up my neck, his fingers running down into my chest.

“Want to make sure it's all rubbed in, take your sunglasses off I'll rub a little into your face.”

I smiled as I removed the sunglasses and closed my eyes as his fingers brushed softy around my chin, cheeks, nose and forehead.

“All done! You can spray me now!”

I opened my eyes to see him holding me the can. “Okay.” I gave it a good shake and then sprayed his arms, using my fingers to rub it in, and his muscle tone felt good under my fingers.

“Now for your face and neck!” I was enjoying this.

He smiled as he removed his sunglasses and closed his eyes.

I took advantage of his eyes being shut as I kissed him softly on the cheek before applying the lotion.

“Hmm, I rather liked that! The surprise element!” He opened his eyes again and put his sunglasses back on.

I stowed the lotion back in the basket. “I guess we'd better get up and roll the blanket up.”

He stood up, rising above me as he held his hand out for mine. “Let's go rowing!” His eyes were alight with excitement.

Now he was off the blanket I moved off and rolled it up attaching it to the top of the basket before taking his hand and allowing him to pull me up.

10 minutes later and we had joined the line waiting for a boat. Cameron had actually been good about waiting which shocked me.

It hadn't cost that much either. As we reached the front of the line the young man that was helping people in and out of boats smiled at us.

“Hello, if you want to leave your picnic basket with me, I'll look after it while you're out rowing, these are easy enough to row but try and stay away from the edges! Of course the other option is a pedal boat!” He had an air of smugness about him that annoyed me.

I smirked. “We’ll take the normal boat, because my boyfriend was on the Oxford rowing team at university, so he's gonna have no issues rowing this!”

Cameron smirked widely.

The young man's mouth popped open. “Oh wow really?!”

“Yes, we won every race while I was there! Oxford born and bred pretty much!”

He smiled and indicated us a wooden rowing boat. “Cool, well you have 15 minutes, enjoy your boating!” There was a hint of bitterness in his tone now.

“Oh, we will!” Cameron stepped forward and held the boat to the side for me. “Step in and sit down in one motion! Much easier like that!”

I grinned as I stepped in all at once like he'd said. It was a strange sensation, it made me feel like I was going to fall over, like when you first put roller skates on and your legs go all over the place so I sat myself down at the pointed end away from the oars.

“Well done.” He smiled as he stepped in and sat himself down at the other end, he flexed his hands out in front of him, stretching his biceps before taking hold of the ores and pushing them forwards and then back and we were away.

I smiled as we floated peacefully away, the sound of the ores knocking against their metal holders and the splash of water the only thing I could hear. It was heaven. I watched him with interest, his muscles perfect flexing in sync as he rowed us around.

“I'm gonna take a selfie!” I laughed as I pulled my phone from my pocket and turned the app on. I took a couple photos of myself, then of the lake.

“Can I take a photo of you?!” I asked because I didn't want to assume.

He grinned. “You don't need to ask! I like you taking my photo!”

I smiled as I took a few of him, I wanted to capture this moment for my photo collage.

“I'm gonna take a video for Instagram!” I turned the camera so it was facing me and turned the video function on.

I grinned into the camera. “So my boyfriend and I are on the Serpentine lake thing in Hyde Park in a rowing boat! I'm not rowing, but I have Oxfords finest at the helm!” I switched the camera around to film him. “That's Mr. Cameron Ballard rowing extraordinaire!”

He raised a brow at me. “Oh the pleasure is all mine darling, I can assure you!”

I giggled and I clenched my thighs, I knew what he was hinting at.

I panned the camera around to the lake and hit stop.

“You're very good at rowing! Do you practice still?!” I sat back and enjoyed the sun on my skin.

“I do occasionally row properly, but mostly it's on a rowing machine! I'm glad you don't get seasick or motion sickness! I'd love to take you out around where I grew up, we can hire a boat and row right down the river!”

I grinned at the idea. “That sounds lovely, I'd like that! And I've never really had motion sickness and I've not got a lot of experience with boats!”

Our time was almost up as he rowed us back around to the side we started.

“I'll get out first, then help you out, I don't like other men touching you!” His face was poker straight.

“Yeah, I had worked that much out! Not everyone is out to steal me away from you and even if they where I only want you so their advances would be pointless!” I grinned at him.

He'd really have to get his issues under control because the vast majority of my friends were male.

“I know I just can't help it! I tolerate your friends! Strangers not so much!” He brought us to a smooth halt at the side of the lake, the same young man from before stood smiling at us. “I'll help your girlfriend out first!” He held his hands out to me.

I cringed as Cameron glanced up. “No you won't! I'll do that, you hold the boat!” He stared at him until he got the hint and held the side of the boat to the side so Cameron could step out.

Once Cameron was on the side, he held his hands out to me. “It's not the same as getting in, stand up, take my hands and use your right leg to step out with, I'll pull you in after that!”

I took a breath, I could manage that! I stood up with no problem but as I took his hands the boat suddenly moved away from the side leaving me with one foot on the side and one foot still in the boat. I gripped Cameron's hands as tight as I could as my anxiety spiked and my brain span. It felt I was free falling even though he had told of my hands. “Don’t let go.”

“It's okay, I got you.” Cameron tugged me towards him as he stepped back so I was free of the boat. My heart beat funny in my chest as I felt the decking under my feet. Why had I suddenly been terrified of falling in?! I could swim!

“Why the hell did you let go?! She could have fallen in and hurt herself!” Cameron snapped at the young man now standing staring at him.

“Figured you'd got it! Sorry!” He shrugged. “Your stuff is there!”

“Do you like working here?!” To anyone else it would have sounded like a casual inquiry, but his tone said it was far from it.

He faltered. “Oh yeah, it's okay.”

“Then may I suggest you adopt a better customer service attitude if you want to keep your job!” His cut glass accent was a little more pronounced than it normally was.

This was Cameron's way of saying, I am a powerfully connected man, don't piss me off little boy and it had the desired effect.

“I'm really sorry, I didn't think, I didn't mean to scare your girlfriend. Miss I'm really sorry.” He looked sheepishly between me and Cameron.

“It's okay, we all make mistakes, don't worry.” I smiled.

Cameron seemed pleased as he let me go and took hold of my hand. “Let's go get a 99 with a flake!”

I laughed. “What the heck is that?!”

He led me off towards the picnic basket. “It's an ice cream cone with a chocolate flake in it! You'll like it!” He picked up the basket.

I shook my head. “Oh, I see! Well, all ice cream is good to me, but what has that got to do with the number 99?!” I laughed. I didn't understand that.

“Good question! Apparently it’s called that because the majority of ice cream merchants in the 50’s were Italian. The King of Italy had an army of 99 elite guards! So anything elite or really good after that was referred to as 99! I think the chocolate flake company called it a 99 to attract the Italian sellers.”

I puffed out my cheeks. “Oh I see! That’s actually really cool!” I loved that he had such a base of knowledge & didn’t mind me asking questions.

His hand gripped mine as we walked over to the little cafe building, it was bustling with people inside, but we headed for a little hatch to the side.

“Two 99's with a flake please, Evan do you want chocolate sauce on yours?!”

The smirk played at the corners of his mouth. I blushed automatically remembering how his mouth had removed the chocolate sauce from my body.

“Yes, please.” I shifted from foot to foot as the lady went off and did our ice creams.

“Hmm you’re blushing again!” He let go of my hand and traced his fingers down my cheek.

I closed my eyes and leant into his touch. “Probably sunburn!” I lied.

He chuckled as he counted out the money for the ice creams. “Hmm, no, that lovely shade of red is definitely a blush! Remembering are we?!”

I nodded at him. “Maybe!”

The lady came back over and handed us our cones, the ice cream whipped into a perfect little peak that fell to one side. Cameron handed her the money and then took the cones and handed me one. She gave him a wide smile as he thanked her.

As we walked away I took a lick of the ice cream to stop it melting.

“All the ladies love you! Even the older ladies!” I giggled as we walked back the way we'd come.

“Do they?! Well, I don't play them much attention to be honest! Only interested in my current company.”

I watched his tongue dart around the ice cream and had to force myself to look away. My body remembered perfectly how his tongue had felt on me.

Oh sweet lord... Get a fucking grip Watson!

I forced myself to concentrate on my ice cream.

By the time we'd walked back to his apartment building we had both eaten right down to the very bottom of the wafer cones.

“Wanna swap cone ends?!” I asked as I pushed open the door that opened out into the reception area.

“Sure thing! I'll feed you mine and you can feed me yours!” He grinned as we walked to the lifts.

“Oh, okay cool! I'll just call the lift down!” I poked the lift call button and turned to face him.

He smiled. “Open wide.” He held the cone out.

I opened my mouth and let him feed me the cone. I bit down on it, the melted ice cream filling mouth.

I held my cone to his mouth and fed it to him silently while I eat.

“Hmm, so yum!” I grinned at him.

“Yes rather was.” He grinned back at me.

We travelled up in the lift, Cameron was still holding my hand, he liked being able to touch me. I think in many ways he knew things were okay if I let him touch me, if I didn't or I was reluctant he knew there was something wrong. He was, is, a very physical man.

As the lift doors rolled open we walked off hand in hand, chattering between us as he pushed open the door Jones walked out of his office, he tried to hide the worried look on his face but failed.

“Cameron I need a word! It's about that trace you were following!”

I frowned, wondering what he was talking about as I glanced at Cameron he was studying Jones with interest.

“Has he resurfaced?!” He put down the picnic basket.

Jones shook his head. “Let's talk in my office!”

He?! They were talking about a person?! Who where they having a trace put on?!

Oh my god... Sean!
It had to be him!

“Are you having Sean followed?! Why?!” I looked at Cameron confused.

He sighed. “I always said she was more observant than she gave herself credit for but how did you guess?!” He narrowed his eyes, trying to work me out.

I chewed my lip nervously. “Oh well you know that night you fell asleep in your office?!”

The smiled spread to his eyes. “How could I forget that?”

I giggled embarrassed. “Uh, well when you moved your head it activated your laptop and a bunch of photos popped up of Sean! He looked kinda bad in the last photos! But you distracted me and I didn't like to ask after that!”

He smiled. “Would you extend me the courtesy of speaking to Jones alone, if I promise to tell you why and what's happening after?!”

I could have said no, but he was going to tell me so I didn't see the harm in it. “Sure, I guess! But I know him better than anyone else! If he's gone to ground, he'll be either drunk or high! Don't expect him to surface for a few days!” It wouldn't be the first time he'd gone on a bender and gone off grid so to speak. They were the worst weeks, either not knowing if he was okay or being involved and seeing him hit self-destruct.

He narrowed his eyes. “How do you mean?! Has this happened before?!”

I sighed, I knew I'd have to explain, but even thinking back to those days made me shudder. “Sometimes he'd get so mixed up in his own head that he'd drive off to some random small town down the east coast, no one knew where most the time we just prayed he'd come home! But one time he said he wanted to go on a road trip and I tried to say I didn't want to go but he insisted I went! It wasn't a good time! Seeing him when he's like that isn't nice!” I gripped my upper arms.