Licked (L.A. Liaisons Book 1) (2 page)

AN HOUR LATER, and my gamble had paid off. Cameron had indeed found me after the group of former jocks decided to put their pressed suit pants and button-downs back on.
 

I know. Bummer, right?

And I swear I’m normally this cool, collected person, but seeing as this guy had been starring in my dirty dreams since I was fifteen, it was perfectly acceptable to be breaking a sweat. Especially if that happened to be on the dance floor.

It felt strange to be a part of his group, dancing among them like old friends. They had inside jokes and ridiculous signature dance moves—the “crack yo back” being my favorite—but somehow, when Cameron’s attention was on me, it made me feel like the only person in the room.
 

Until his ex cut in.
 

“May I?” Lauren Gambel was a five-foot-two brunette powerhouse with a syrupy-sweet voice and a wardrobe fit for a Playboy Bunny. She also happened to be Cameron’s high school sweetheart, though
sweetheart
wasn’t something anyone outside of her glam squad of followers would ever attribute to her. To say she terrorized everyone back in the day would be like saying Attila the Hun was an unpleasant fellow. I doubted much had changed in ten years.
 

She stood there smiling at Cameron, her hand rubbing up and down his bicep in a familiar, territorial way. Then she cut her heavily lined eyes at me. “You don’t mind if I steal him away, do you, Rebecca?”

“It’s Ryleigh. And
I
mind,” Cameron answered for me. His grip on my waist tightened as he pulled me closer, angling us so her hand slid off his arm. Moving us away, he called over his shoulder, “Go try Ted.”

And oh, the daggers that denial got. It was all I could do not to laugh at the explosive look on Lauren’s face. I did send her a friendly wave with the tips of my fingers, though, just before he spun me around.
 

I was—dare I say it—having
fun
, even with the death glares being sent my way. You would’ve thought Cameron and I were old friends reconnecting and not practically strangers who before tonight had never spoken a word to each other. Wait. That’s not true. He did say thanks to me one time our junior year when a paper slid off his desk and I picked it up and handed it to him.
 

Oh my God, how pathetic that I even remember that.
 

I know—you don’t have to say it. You’re cringing on my behalf. Let me just slap myself and put my game face back on.

I am an amazing, independent woman who has impeccable taste and phenomenal friends. Not to mention I’m a mad genius who owns a thriving business and doesn’t have to make up one that involves inventing Post-its.
 

There, much better.
 

“Drinks?” he asked when the song ended and the always lame Electric Slide took over.
 

“Please.”

Grabbing my hand, he led the way through our former classmates to the punch station.
Spiked
punch, I was positive. Cameron picked up two full cups, but when he saw Lauren sidle up next to him, he looked back at me and nodded at the exit door. I followed him out, not wanting to get caught up in another scene. Catfights were so not my thing.
 

The night air was warm, the breeze a soft caress on my skin, and I let out a happy sigh.

“Better?” he asked.
 

“Much.” I took a sip of the punch and shuddered. Oh yeah. That bad boy was majorly spiked.
 

Cameron recoiled when he lifted the cup to his lips. “Holy shit, did they pour gasoline in here?”

“I was thinking it was formaldehyde.”

“Yeah, we can do better than that,” he said, tossing his cup into the trash bin. “Are you staying around here this weekend?”

“No, I don’t live too far away. West Hollywood.”

His brow rose. “You’re kidding.”

“Nope.”

“I thought you’d be off in New York or something.”

“Why would you think that?”

“Just…isn’t that where people who like”—he pointed at my dress—“fashion-type stuff go?”

“I’m gonna take that as a compliment you think I could do something like that. Where are you these days?”

“Burbank.”

What?
“Burbank like…practically down the street?” Stupid question, but I had to clarify.

His lips quirked up on one side. “Looks like we’re neighbors.”

No. No way.
I had not been living mere miles from Cameron Mathis for years. My stomach flip-flopped.
Holy. Shit.

Swallowing, I put back on confident Ryleigh. “You’ll have to stop by my shop sometime. I’ll even throw in a free—” I stopped when the sound of my favorite eighties ballad began to play. I must’ve gotten a little too excited, because a gasp escaped my lips as I looked toward the gym.

Cameron chuckled. “You like this song?”

“I love this song.”

“Then we better not miss it.” He took a step closer to me, and even in my heels I had to look up at him. His hand went around my waist, firm and pulling me closer. I swear I practically fell into his arms.
 

As we moved to the music, I was back at senior prom, but instead of that wallflower girl on the sidelines without a date, I had snagged the guy of my dreams. Had my hands not been gripping his muscled shoulders, I would’ve pinched myself.
 

“It’s a shame we didn’t hang out more,” Cameron said, and he didn’t have to finish his sentence for me to know the rest of what he meant.
Back then.
It was probably better that we hadn’t; I wouldn’t have been the recipient of his arms around me then.
 

He pushed a stray tendril of hair behind my ear, and his eyes zoomed in on my mouth.
 

Oh hell.
He had the look. The I’m-gonna-put-my-lips-on-yours-now-and-all-your-fantasies-will-come-true look.
 

He was going to kiss me. Right there. Steps away from our high school. In front of…okay, well, no one, but still. My eyelids fluttered shut, and my lips parted as his head inched closer…

“Caaaaaam,” a slurred voice straight out of
Valley Girl
said before the owner draped herself over the side of Cameron’s arm, pushing in between us so I stumbled out of his hold.
 

Lauren was back, but this time she’d definitely overdone it with the tequila perfume. Her red lipstick was starting to smear around the edges, and Cameron grabbed her shoulders and pushed her back before she could wipe herself off on his shirt.
 

“I was trying to find you,” she told him, giving him a smile that I was sure she thought was flirty.
But no. Hot mess.
 

Cameron held her upright as she swayed. “Maybe we should get you home. Or to your parents’ house or wherever it is you’re staying.”

“Yes, good idea.” Lauren giggled and pulled out a keycard, tapping it on her nose. “Maybe we should go to my hotel and—” She hiccupped, and her hand flew to her mouth like she was going to be sick. Her face turned a light shade of green, and…
here it comes.

“That way,” I said, pointing to low-lying bushes nearby. He hauled Lauren over to them just in time for her Jose Cuervo dinner to come back up.
 

“Jesus, Lauren.” Cameron shook his head as he backed away.
 

“You know…I seem to remember her in this position a lot in high school.” I scrunched my nose. “I think it had more to do with getting rid of her lunch, though.”

Cameron groaned and rubbed his forehead. “I’m so sorry about this.”

I tried not to focus on the fact that our first kiss had been interrupted by a vomiting villainess. I supposed the bright side was that she didn’t get sick
on
us, which would’ve taken the night to a whole different level.
 

Shrugging, I said, “It’s not your fault. But are you sure you don’t want to go with her? I mean, she does look pretty tempting.”

“Hah, extremely. Too bad she’s married.”

My eyes went wide. “What?”

“Oh yeah. To the same guy she cheated on me with that knocked her up her first year of college.” He looked me over, a curious expression on his face. “Didn’t you stay in touch with anyone from here?”

Looking away, I struggled not to fidget under his gaze. How could I explain my lack of friends without sounding like a total loser? “Not really. A couple of girls, but they live on the East Coast now. I just…moved on.”

“Moved on,” he murmured, glancing back at Lauren, who was still heaving onto a poor succulent. “That’s a good thing. You’re better than this place.”

I had no response for that. Not a “thank you,” not a “but you don’t know me,” not a “damn right I am, thanks for noticing.” Nada. It was all I could do to keep my jaw from dropping to the dirt.

The door to the gym pushed open, the muted sound of the music blasting like earplugs being yanked out.

“Lauren?” a high-pitched voice called out. One of the glam squad members searching for their queen. As the lithe figure stepped out onto the sidewalk, she called out her friend’s name again but then stopped when she saw us. Her eyes narrowed as she looked me up and down before turning up her nose and focusing her attention on Cameron.
 

“The party’s inside, you know,” she told him.

“I know.”

“Doesn’t look like it.”

“If you’re looking for your friend”—he moved aside, revealing Lauren in the bushes just as she coughed—“maybe you could take her home?”

“Oh shit—Lauren?” Running over on wobbly heels, she reached for her friend’s hair and held it off her face with one hand while pulling out her phone to text in the other. “Why didn’t someone come get me? Why is she puking in the bushes and not in the bathroom? Where are your fucking manners, Mathis?”
 

She continued to babble as the rest of the squad began to file outside, her text obviously having sent a message to the masses. They flocked around Lauren in a protective circle while sending death glares our way.

Cameron sighed, loosening his tie as he moved toward me. “So.”

“So.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Wanna get out of here?”

I’D FOLLOWED CAMERON back to his place, which turned out to be a half-hour drive, traffic notwithstanding, from my apartment
. How the holy hell did Cameron Mathis live within breathing distance (okay, slight exaggeration), and I didn’t know it?
I should’ve been able to feel him on some intrinsic level, surely.

Yeah, I know what you’re thinking. Get a grip, Ryleigh. But I planned on getting a
very
good grip soon, spank you very much.

But first I needed some liquid courage. And wouldn’t you know it, there just so happened to be a bar a couple blocks down from his place.
 

He held my hand as we walked to The Tavern. Sat across from me at a high-top table and actually paid attention to what I said for the who knows how many hours we sat there. He laughed at my jokes. Paid for our drinks and left a generous tip. Stood up when I went to the restroom—and never ever checked out another girl or even his cell phone.
 

That’s it. We’re getting married. No ifs, ands, or buts.
The guy was perfect.
 

When we were ready to leave, he took my hand to help me down from the chair, and I caught his gaze drifting over my bare thighs, where my skirt had risen up to an indecent level. I let him continue looking before slowly smoothing it down. His eyes came up to mine, full of devilry, and he laced our fingers before walking us back to his place.
 

Cameron’s house was nothing like what I expected. For a guy in his late twenties, he seemed to have his shit together. A rarity in L.A., where everyone pretended they were in their early twenties while pushing forty and still had the four roommates and movie-poster walls to prove it.
 

But Cameron had…green plants…like, living ones. And leather couches, a stainless steel kitchen, gorgeous lighting fixtures, and a…
What the hell?
 

I crouched down next to the coffee table and touched my finger to the side of the glass as a blue fish swam up to meet it.
“You have an aquarium for a coffee table,” I said, shaking my head. Okay, so this must be the “bachelor” part of his pad. Even if Cameron hadn’t been a six-foot-four Adonis, I’d bet this one talking piece alone would have women handing over their panties.
 

“You like it?” I heard Cameron ask from the kitchen.
 

I smiled as I ran my finger back and forth across the glass before going over to grab the much-needed bottle of water he offered. I took a long swallow before nodding.
 

“I do. It’s absolutely—” As I turned my head to glance back at the aquarium table, my eyes caught sight of the enormous California king bed in the center of the room to my right, and I whispered, “Massive.”

I couldn’t seem to tear my gaze away as Cameron rounded the bar and came to stand in front of me. He set my water down and backed me against the counter.
 

If it was possible for hearts to beat so hard they flew out of your chest, mine would’ve. I felt the urge to pinch myself again, but Cameron’s arms were on either side of my body, and I didn’t dare move.