Kiss This (31 page)

He sighed and shook his head. “I wish I
could take a break with you, but I really need to finish this
scene.”

“I know you do,” she nodded. She placed her
hands against his neck and pulled him to her lips. “I really am
going to leave, though. I’m going to make you dinner, so I’ll just
see you at your house tonight.”

He reluctantly agreed, and gave her a very
apologetic kiss that was quite lengthy.

“Good grief, we can have makeup sex later,”
Camryn laughed, pulling her tongue out of his mouth. His crooked
smile was priceless and she shook her head at him. “You’d better
get your head on straight, daredevil. Come home to me in one
piece—” She stopped herself short and pressed her lips together
firmly. Those words hadn’t done her any good before…

He kissed her on the forehead and answered,
“I definitely will, beautiful. Drive safe.”

Camryn watched him walk back to the set,
smiling at her before he disappeared around a building. She let out
a breath of air before getting into her car, pissed that she’d let
another moment from her past creep in like that. The more she
thought about Teague’s career, the more she worried about his
safety. He’d repeatedly gone over how many safety measures they
went through before every stunt, but Camryn still couldn’t stop
feeling anxious about it.

She’d been sitting there for a couple of
minutes before a knock on her window made her jump. Max’s smiling
face was staring back at her and he motioned for her to roll the
window down. She started the car first, and then pressed for the
window to lower just a few inches. Max had two other men a distance
behind him, but she assumed they were bodyguards.

“I just wanted to apologize,” he said,
holding up his hands. “I didn’t realize you were my brother’s
girlfriend. I didn’t deliberately try to piss him off like
that.”

Camryn took a second to figure out a
response and decided to bag the smartass retort she had brewing.
Instead she went with, “No worries, but I suggest you respect his
request to stay away from me, starting now.”

She put her car in gear and left him
standing there.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

“I don’t understand why you guys drive back
and forth so much,” Melanie said, dropping another blob of dough on
the cookie sheet. “You should just live together.”

“That’s too much,” Camryn stated casually,
eyeing the haphazard mounds of mess scattered on the tray.

Melanie ripped a hunk of the dough off and
stuck it in her mouth. “Wow, Camryn. I can’t believe you met his
brother.”

“His brother is an arrogant ass.”

“Who cares?” her eyes widened. “He’s so hot
I would make an exception.”

“You’d rather date an asshole of a guy as
long as he’s hot?”

“And rich.”

“You’re so shallow.”

“And famous,” she grinned. “Oh come on, Cam.
You’re the one that tells me not to believe everything I hear or
read about them. Maybe you’ve heard lies about Max and now you’re
biased. And you’re also just too hung up on Teague to see how hot
Max is. And I understand why. Teague is so damn hot I think he
might be better looking than his brother. Actually I kind of think
he is, but I didn’t want to make you feel weird.”

Camryn couldn’t help but laugh.

“They have different looks to them, though,”
Melanie continued. “Max is…prettier, whereas Teague is…”

“Edgy and sexier,” Camryn sighed, swiping a
hunk of chocolate chip cookie dough.

“Agreed,” Melanie nodded. “You can tell
they’re related if you know they are, but they don’t look alike
except for the dark hair and their smiles.”

“Agreed. And up close, Max’s eyes are
really…”

“Dreamy?”

“No,” Camryn scoffed. “I was going to say
cold.”

“Cold? Wow, that’s rude.”

“Well it’s the truth. He just seems cold
compared to Teague. And Teague’s eyes are breathtaking. Max doesn’t
have that striking Caribbean tone. His are just blue. They’re
pretty and they suit him, but Teague’s are a different level of
sexy. I can see why his dad wishes his face was on the big screen,
but I’m glad he’s not.”

“So what did Max say to you yesterday? You
didn’t get around to telling me because mom called.”

Camryn gave her an abbreviated version of
the interaction as the cookies went into the oven and they filled
another cookie sheet.

“What if they started fighting over you,”
Melanie giggled. “Oh my God, that would be so awesome, Cam.”

“No it would not be,” she scowled. “I don’t
want Teague fighting with his brother. Especially over a stupid
girl.”

“You’re not stupid,” Melanie scoffed.

“I mean just the concept of it.”

“Well it’s not like it wouldn’t be anything
new. There’s all kinds of stuff written about that family.”

“Mel, don’t get hooked on tabloids. Those
things are ridiculous and full of lies.”

“But damn, are they interesting,” she
grinned big. “I did some Internet research on Teague’s family and
there is a mega load of stuff about them.”

“I’m sure. His life growing up wasn’t
exactly private. That’s why he completely avoids his family
now.”

“No, I’ve read some stuff about him
recently, like he adopted a few kids and then sent them all back
and—”

“Oh my God!” Camryn laughed loudly. “I sure
as hell hope you don’t believe shit like that!”

“Of course not!” Melanie scoffed. “I’m just
saying this stuff is crazy. I also read that he’s been married
before, his wife left him and she moved to another country. Another
story said that Teague’s dad sent him away to reform school when he
was a teenager because Teague threatened to kill him.”

Camryn frowned. “Well if he was married
before, he’d tell me. And it’s true that his dad sent him away, but
not to reform school. As for threatening to kill his dad, I almost
wanted to do it myself.”

Melanie’s mouth hung open. “You met his
dad,
too!? Are you serious? When? Oh my God—”

“His dad was a jerk, and technically I
didn’t exactly ‘meet’ him. He just barged into Teague’s house and
got into an argument with him.”

“Holy crap! When was this? Why don’t you
tell me this stuff?”

Camryn gave her a look that should have
clearly answered the question, but Melanie was still waiting for an
answer. “Because you get excited over this crap and you shouldn’t.
And plus, it’s none of your business. It’s Teague’s personal
life.”

Her phone jingled and Camryn glanced at the
text just as she peeked out the window. Teague had arrived. “Don’t
you dare mention tabloids or his family, Melanie. I’m not kidding,
okay? If you do, I will never share anything with you again—”

“Fine,” she rolled her eyes, waving her hand
to send Camryn to the door. “You know I can keep a secret.”

That was actually the truth. Both girls had
always been that way.

Teague was eyeing the neighbor two doors
down when Camryn appeared on the front step, but he kissed her on
his way inside and she lightly swatted his butt. “You look
yummy.”

“Yummy?” he cocked an eyebrow. “Hm, then
maybe we should—”

“My sister’s in the kitchen,” she said
quietly as she wrapped him up in a hug. She’d missed him, even if
she’d just left his house that very morning. She had to return to
Fresno to teach a couple of dance classes for Mimi while Teague
went to a therapist for his shoulder. He sometimes needed to after
certain stunt work.

He glanced across the room, and sure enough,
Melanie had a huge smile on her face as she watched the two of
them.

“Oh, don’t stop on my account,” Melanie
quipped. “Teague, I was dying to hear what kind of naughty remark
you had for her.”

“Hmm,” he replied as Camryn led him into the
kitchen with her.

“If you tell me, I’ll give you a cookie,”
Melanie added, holding one up to tease him. “And I’ve got two other
trays in the making.”

Teague eyed the ones that were in the oven,
all misshapen and different sizes. He glanced at Camryn and caught
her subtle command for him to not say a word.

“Do you want dinner?” Camryn asked him,
removing a dish from the fridge. “I have leftover lasagna.”

“That sounds awesome,” he agreed.

Camryn stuck it in the microwave for him, so
he sat at the counter. Melanie disappeared to her room for a while,
leaving Camryn to finish up the last batch. When he was done
eating, Teague helped her clean up the kitchen, and then they sat
in front of the TV with a plate of cookies. But when Melanie
emerged from the hall, Camryn almost birthed a cow.

“What the hell are you wearing!” she almost
choked on a cookie. “My God, put some damn clothes on!”

“I
am
dressed,” Melanie scowled,
smoothing down the front of the miniskirt.

“
That
is not called clothing,” Camryn
admonished her, gaping at the tiny cloth wrapped around her ass and
the amount of stomach that was showing.

“I have a jacket,” Melanie told her,
slipping into it. “It’s part of the outfit.”

Camryn shook her head. “Please change your
clothes. I’m not even kidding.”

“I can wear whatever I want. It’s not like
you can
ground
me.”

“I would hope that you’d change because you
look like trash, Mel. I wouldn’t say anything if I didn’t believe
it.”

Melanie strutted across the room in her
stiletto ankle boots. “Well I guess you don’t have to look at me,
then.”

Camryn wanted to scream, and after looking
at Teague, she could tell he didn’t want to be in the middle of
this either. “Where are you even going?”

She was hesitant to answer, which Camryn
knew was a bad sign. Melanie was an excellent liar, but she hated
lying to Camryn. “I’m meeting up with Jordan. And before you spew
your opinion, just know that
he
asked to meet with
me
.”

“Oh, so after he made you feel like a lying
piece of shit when you told him you’re pregnant with his kid, now
he’s ready to play house?”

Melanie wouldn’t answer.

“Why do you have to dress like that?” Camryn
asked.

“Because we’re going to Loopsy’s.”

“Ah, yes, it’s a requirement to dress like a
hooker when you go there.”

“Stop being a bitch.”

“I have every right to be! Melanie, you
don’t have to dress like that to make Jordan want you. If he
doesn’t have the common sense to see what he’s got, then he’s an
idiot and not worth your time!”

“He’s the father of my child,” Melanie
growled. “And if he wants a chance to work things out with me, then
who are you to interfere with that?”

“Because it’s Jordan we’re talking about! I
can’t for one second believe that he actually wants a relationship
with you! I bet you anything he’s going to talk you into an
abortion, or make some kind of arrangement with you so he doesn’t
have to claim the kid as his own!”

“You are so rude!” Melanie shouted. “Why do
you have to be so cynical about everything? You don’t even
know
Jordan! Maybe he really does want to accept
responsibility. Maybe he really does want to be with me!”

“I doubt it,” Camryn scoffed. “He uses women
like toilet paper.”

“Well, Miss High-and-Mighty, maybe you
should just shut up and let me figure this out, okay?”

“Like you’re really going to take off the
rose-colored—”

“She’s right,” Teague finally said.

Camryn whipped her attention to him. “Excuse
me?”

His face looked hard, angry even. But with
Teague it was difficult to tell. In a calm voice he said, “It’s not
your business to say what Jordan will or will not do, Camryn. You
can’t just dismiss him as the baby’s father just because you don’t
like him, or because he fits a particular stereotype. Let her
figure it out, okay? At least let her talk to him, see what he has
to say, and make a decision from there. It doesn’t matter if you
don’t like him, Camryn. It doesn’t change the fact that he’s the
baby’s father.”

The room was silent in an eerie way while no
one spoke. Finally Teague added, “Mel, you do look trashy, though.
It would be in your best interest to change.”

She didn’t even hesitate and headed straight
for her room.

Camryn felt ambushed and completely
confused. She was only looking after her sister and now her
boyfriend has to shit on her intentions? She exhaled and scooped up
the dishes from the coffee table, refusing to look Teague in the
eye when she headed for the kitchen.

***

When Melanie came down the hall in a pair of
skinny jeans, a tank top with the jacket, and the same heels,
Teague sighed his relief. He feared she’d come out in different
clothes but just as trashy.

She offered him a tiny, apologetic smile as
she grabbed her purse and headed out the door. But Teague stepped
onto the porch with her and felt inclined to ask, “Do you need me
to come with you?”

She barely shook her head. “No. Lynn and
Derek will be there, too. It’s safe.”

“Okay. Well, call me if you need to, okay?”
He held his hand out for her phone, and when she gave it to him, he
punched in his phone number. “I only put my initials in there as a
contact. I know you wouldn’t but please don’t share my number with
anyone.”

“I won’t. And I’m sorry, Teague,” she said,
slipping the phone back in her purse. “Please don’t be mad at
Camryn. I understand why she’s like that. I’ve given her tons of
reasons to be. Please don’t hold it against her.”

He barely nodded and she clicked down the
sidewalk to her car. Teague took a deep breath before he re-entered
the house. He wondered if he should smoke a cigarette before
dealing with Camryn. Maybe it would help him relax. But he
couldn’t. He hadn’t had a cigarette for five days straight.

Camryn wasn’t even in the kitchen anymore,
and assuming that she was either in the bathroom or hiding out in
her room, he took up a spot on the couch and flipped through the
channels.