Kiss This (15 page)

“What stuff?” she asked anyways. “What’s
‘that stuff’? Teague? What happened?” Camryn gave her a firm look
and Melanie held up her hands. “Fine. I’ll drop it if you hang with
me on New Year’s Eve. Lynn’s band is hosting a party at Trimble’s
and proceeds go to cystic fibrosis. If you go with me, I won’t ask
about Teague until you’re ready to talk about him. I swear.”

“Deal,” Camryn replied as she headed for the
bedroom, glaring at the bird as she stalked by.

“Hey fatty, hey fatty,” he squawked.

“Shut up, Fucktard,” Camryn answered just as
a knock sounded at the door.

Melanie glanced out the window and said,
“Brandon’s here. You want me to send him away? I can tell him
you’re sleeping or something.”

Camryn sighed and shook her head. “No, don’t
lie to him. I wanna see him. I’ll get it.” She grabbed her purse as
Brandon knocked again. “Hey,” she smiled, opening the door. “Can we
go eat? I’m starving.”

Brandon paused briefly. “Yeah, sure. Of
course.”

Camryn stepped onto the porch while Brandon
looked her over. “Good, you haven’t changed at all,” he said,
pulling her close for a hug.

“You expected me to…what? Change?” she
chuckled. She wrapped her arms around his waist to hug him back
like she normally would, but it felt different. His body felt
different, his hug felt different, he smelled different…

He wasn’t Teague. She was ruined.
He
ruined her!

“Nah, I just haven’t seen you for what seems
like forever.” Brandon pulled away to kiss her forehead. “Let’s
feed you.”

“How was work today? Did you ever get that
douche to back off?”

Brandon smiled as he opened the truck door
for her. “You ever work with someone that causes you to look into
voodoo dolls?”

Camryn laughed as she climbed in, glad for
Brandon’s humor. Zach’s truck hit her with too many memories again
and she fought to stifle her emotions. “Yeah. A few times.”

His shrug was the answer to her question. He
shut the door and she watched him walk around the front to the
driver’s side.

“Want me to hit on him and then crush his
balls?” she asked when he climbed in next to her.

“Didn’t I already ask you that favor? You
turned me down.”

“Maybe I’m in a bargaining mood,” she
shrugged.

“You’re always ready to make a bet.”

Camryn couldn’t respond to that. The first
thing that popped into her head was Teague’s gorgeous face, and
then guilt flooded her chest.

She tried to put the last week out of her
thoughts as they hit up a great Mexican restaurant, and all it took
was to ask and Brandon stopped at the grocery store so she could
replenish her empty fridge. As they carried bags into the kitchen,
Camryn asked if Melanie had been good while she was away.

“I’ve barely seen her,” Brandon shrugged.
“Any time I called to see if everything was okay she was always out
somewhere. When I stopped by the coffee shop the other day, it was
the first time I saw her since you’ve been gone. The girl likes to
sow her oats, you know.”

Camryn frowned. “Yes, I know. And it worries
me. I feel like… Shit, I feel like a mom that’s failed her
kid.”

“Oh come on, Cam,” he smiled. “You know you
can’t put that on yourself. You practically raised Melanie and
you’ve done a great job. You’ve always looked out for her. I mean
you broke some guy’s nose, for God’s sake.”

She barely cracked a smile. “Well he
deserved it.”

“Yes he did. And you were there to make sure
she was okay. You always have been.”

“She was only seventeen,” she shook her head
with the memory.

“And that fucker was twenty-five. You did
what you had to.”

“Yeah but… I mean Mel lied about her age
and… Well I just feel she does shit like that and it’s because
she’s never been taught right.”

“Camryn,” he stated firmly. “You are the
most honest person I know. If she learned how to lie and deceive
people, it wasn’t from you. Zach used to say you were hell on
wheels with angel wings.”

Just hearing that again made Camryn’s heart
fall. Zach said the same thing to her a dozen times, and she could
even hear his voice in her head.

Brandon noticed her change in demeanor as
she put the last of the pantry items away. He stepped behind her
and wrapped her up in his arms, setting his chin on her head. “I’m
sorry that makes you sad. My brother wouldn’t want you to be sad,
Cam.”

“I know,” she whispered, swallowing back the
sob that wanted to escape. She wasn’t going to cry, though. She
didn’t like to cry in front of people.

Brandon kissed the side of her face. “Hey,
let’s take Melanie bowling tonight.”

Camryn’s smile was genuine, and she could
already picture her sister rolling the ball with two hands
granny-style and Brandon’s commentary to go along with it.

She took a deep breath as she nodded,
grateful for the distraction. “Yeah, that’s sounds perfect.”

But being back in California was already
turning out to be bittersweet…

Chapter Fourteen

“I haven’t seen you look this sexy since
Gina’s wedding,” Melanie said, looking Camryn over. She was wearing
a plum colored chiffon dress that went mid-thigh and a pair of
black heels. Her blonde hair was down and lightly curled, and her
makeup was that “barely there” look and just right.

“I guess sexy isn’t what I shoot for,”
Camryn replied.

“And tonight you are?” Mel questioned with a
tilt of her brow.

“Pssh, no. I just meant it’s not a look I go
for.”

“Well you hardly have to try. I was just
meaning I like seeing you in a dress. You have awesome legs.”

“So do you.”

“Yeah, but yours are…toned. Shapelier. Mine
are too scrawny.”

“Dance will do that for you. And this too,”
Camryn added, slapping her own ass. “I’ll always have a booty as
long as I keep dancing.”

“And a following of men that want to touch
it,” Melanie winked. She put on another coat of lip gloss and said,
“Let’s jet.”

After another minute of finishing touches,
both girls headed for Trimble’s. It was ten-thirty, an
hour-and-a-half after the party started, and a dramatic entrance
was what Melanie had in mind. More than half the men in the room
noticed the blonde sisters as they entered, and the other half
noticed within the next thirty seconds. Melanie was overjoyed with
the attention; Camryn was not. She scanned the room until she found
what she was looking for—her security blanket—and made her way over
to Brandon.

“Damn, you look gorgeous,” he said, kissing
her on the cheek. “You remember Danny and Nick, right?” Brandon
nodded to them.

“Sure. Hey guys,” she gave a polite
smile.

“Hi,” they both replied at the same
time.

Brandon angled away from them and put his
arm around Camryn. “You two walked in and half the room popped
boners.”

“Shut up!” she laughed, swatting his chest.
“You’re so crude.”

“Well like you, sweetheart, I only speak the
truth. Now for tonight’s plan…” He subtly nodded his head across
the room and Camryn could tell right away who he had his sights on.
“The brunette in the black dress.”

“Don’t you ever go for anything different?
You’re so predictable. I could have chosen her
for
you.”

“Go over there and ask if she wants to join
the two of us.”

Camryn snorted. “What if she prefers me
instead? Will you get jealous?”

“Nah,” he smiled. “I’ll cheer you on.”

“You’re shameless.”

“I know. But seriously, what do you think I
should do at midnight?”

Camryn felt a wave of regret wash over her.
She knew exactly what he was referring to and she felt guilty.
“Brandon, you don’t have to stick with me at midnight. Go talk to
her so you can have something better at the New Year.”

“Aw, Cam. That’s not what I meant.”

“Sure it is, and I don’t blame you one bit.
You were my crutch last year when you guys dragged me to that New
Year’s party at the hotel. I would’ve busted someone’s nuts if he
tried to kiss me, which is why you stuck close by.”

“You made me promise.”

“It was a deal, and I kept my end of it. I
came.”

“And we made another deal this year and I
plan on sticking to it again.”

“Brandon,” she sighed. “I don’t expect you
to miss out on opportunities. We have an understanding, and that’s
part of it.”

“But kissing you on the cheek at midnight is
turning into a tradition,” he smiled.

“Right, like it’s that thrilling to
you.”

“Cam, I get it, okay? You’re not ready and I
understand. I’m okay with whatever you need. I wouldn’t lie to
you.”

“Then tell me this. Would you like to kiss
the brunette at midnight?”

He shrugged. “Sure.”

“Then go introduce yourself. If it’s not
happening, I might still be here.”

“Might be? You’re gonna leave?”

“Maybe. I don’t know, Brandon. I barely know
anyone here.”

“You know Danny and Nick.” He turned so his
two friends could now be included in the conversation. “Nick plays
football for USC. I’m sure he’d keep you safe for the night.”

Nick looked as if he were handed a million
dollars and told he couldn’t spend it. He glanced at Camryn and
then back at Brandon, looking unsure of what to say.

Camryn’s claws went into Brandon’s arm to
let him know she wasn’t too pleased with his attempts at setting
her up with someone else. Nick was a decent looking guy, but she
had no interest in getting to know anybody new tonight.

“I’m sure Nick has already picked his target
for the night,” she smiled politely. “I don’t need a
babysitter.”

“I don’t mind,” Nick shrugged with
interest.

“I gotta go introduce myself to someone,”
Brandon told him. “Don’t let any douchebags touch her.”

Camryn rolled her eyes, and when Brandon
left, she turned to Nick and said, “I can take care of myself.”

“So I’ve heard,” he smiled. “But I’ll look
out for you anyways. Can I buy you a drink and we can just hang
out?”

“Sure, that sounds fine,” she nodded. At
least the appearance of being with someone would be playing it
safe. She understood that was Brandon’s intention, so why not stick
with the big football stud.

“So…you and Brandon?” Nick asked as they
entered the bar section.

“We’re friends.”

“Yeah, that’s what he says,” he smiled.
After they each placed an order and Nick paid, he added, “But he
tells us you don’t date anyone, so that kind of makes it
weird.”

“I do too date other people.”

“So does he. You guys are friends with
benefits, then?”

She gave him a watchful eye, wondering where
this conversation was leading.

“Hey, I’m just trying to figure you out,” he
said, holding up both hands. “I’ve known Brandon for a couple of
years now. He talks about you like a girlfriend, but tells people
otherwise. Chicks, I mean.”

“Brandon’s a great guy and we’ll always be
friends. Neither of us want a commitment, so it works out well that
way.”

“Ah, I see.”

“No, I doubt you do,” Camryn replied. “Not
many people do. So what about you? Tell me about football.”

She knew that would get them into friendlier
territory, knowing athletes loved to talk about their successes all
the time. She listened intently, asked the right questions, and
generally did a good job of passing the time. Brandon looked like
he was hitting it off with the dark-haired beauty, so Camryn
assumed she could head out early for the night.

Melanie joined her for a little while,
introducing her to several friends and acquaintances. They danced
for a little bit—Camryn even danced with Nick because she could
tell he was intimidated by her and wouldn’t push his luck. She
assumed the poor guy was biding his time, hoping for something
special from her at midnight. Well, maybe Camryn could push him
together with Melanie, who seemed to think he was pretty hot.

When eleven-thirty hit, Camryn found a table
and sat. Brandon had checked in on her but she sent him away. He
seemed to be having fun with the brunette, Angela, whom he briefly
introduced her to. The girl didn’t seem too thrilled for him to be
checking on his “friend,” but Camryn played it off like she didn’t
notice.

“Mind if I sit with you?” a deep voice asked
after they’d left.

She whipped her head upward and her eyes
settled on a handsome blonde with piercing blue eyes. She tried to
do a onceover on his personality and didn’t come up with much. His
expression looked friendly but neutral.

“Sure, go ahead. My boyfriend will be back
in a little bit, though.”

He slowly smiled, like he knew she was
lying. “Okay,” he nodded as he sat. “I’m Ken,” he added, holding
out a hand.

“As in the Barbie doll?” she smiled wryly,
allowing him to shake her hand.

He lightly laughed. “Sure, if his full name
is Kenton.” He waited for a reply but she didn’t offer one. “Is
it?”

“I doubt it, but I’m not really up-to-date
on my Barbie trivia.”

“Me neither. I know that’s shocking
but…”

She actually smiled for real as she took a
sip of her water. “Well I’m Camryn. Nice to meet you, Ken.”

“You too. Can I buy you a drink? Something
more flavorful than that?” he pointed to her water.

“No thanks. My sister will come by and sneak
a drink. She’s not legal yet.”

“So is that who you came with?”

She gave him a smirk. “Yes, she’s my date
that’s been collecting her own little book of phone numbers
tonight.”

He laughed easily and Camryn relaxed a bit.
Maybe Ken would be cool with just hanging out like this until
Melanie was ready to go. It was a long shot, but she could hope. It
wasn’t her ego telling her that, but just history itself.