Mistletoe Between Friends (5 page)

Lily's breathing was ragged, and her eyes were glazed and intense as she studied him. “Yes.”

The relief he felt at that one little word was so great that Cam nearly sank to his knees. Both of his hands snaked up into her hair and ruined its beautiful, upswept style, but he didn't care. He kissed her with a ferocity that scared him. For once in his life, he was going to give in and be impulsive and allow himself to simply feel. He heard Lily's purse drop to the floor and then felt her wrap shimmy down her arms. “I want to make love to you, Lily Cavanaugh,” he said huskily as he leaned his forehead against hers and did his best to regain his breath.

She smiled shyly. “I'd like that very much.”

And then, hand in hand, they walked into the bedroom where Cam closed the double doors and turned to the woman who was his every dream come true.

The sun was just beginning to rise when Lily opened her eyes and instantly smiled. They had made love. Repeatedly. She felt a little giddy when she thought about it, because she'd always known that Cam was thorough in everything he did, but that thoroughness had a whole new meaning now.

He was pressed against her back, completely wrapped around her, and Lily loved the way he felt. She wanted to bask in the afterglow of it all, but a little voice of doubt crept into her thoughts. One night. That was what he had asked for—just the one night. After such a night, could she really be okay with it never happening again?

Cam's lips on her shoulder told her he was awake. Turning her head slightly, she looked at him and smiled. “Good morning.”

Rather than speaking, he continued to trail kisses along her shoulder and then down her spine, all the while, his hands conducting their own exploration.

Interesting
, Lily thought. Clearly, the super-genius mind of Cameron Greene did not recall his one-night rule. That was more than fine with her. If she had her way, there would be no rules, no limits. Forever actually worked quite well for her.

Arching her back, she purred with delight as he worked his way back up and rolled her beneath him before diving in for a kiss so hot, so deep, and so wet that she simply forgot how to breathe. Just when she was about to completely wrap herself around him in silent invitation, Cam pulled back and smiled at her.

“Good morning to you too.” His hair was mussed and he had stubble on his chin, but he looked good enough to eat. Cam always was the portrait of neatness, never a hair out of place, but she liked this look a heck of a lot more. She smiled as she ran her hand along his cheek and then down to his chest. “See anything you like?” he asked lightly.

Her green eyes met his, and her expression turned serious. “Everything.” And then she pulled him down for another searing kiss, forgot all about rules and nights, and gave him a morning he was sure to remember.

* * *

For the first time since…well, ever, Cam was late for a meeting. He'd felt a moment of pure panic when he first looked at the clock after he and Lily had nearly destroyed one another with their enthusiasm, but then he couldn't find the strength to care. Time had no meaning right now because he had a beautiful woman wrapped around him. Now
that
had meaning.

He just wasn't sure what it was.

Everything was different and yet it wasn't. Cam had expected that they'd make love and be done. Maybe there would be a little awkwardness, but then they'd move on. He'd never expected her to respond to him the way she had or that he'd be so insatiable for her. And she for him! He certainly hadn't expected them to still be so needy for one another this morning, and if he wasn't careful, he'd never want to leave this room today.

Reluctantly, he slowly got up and smiled at her sleepy protest. He kissed her forehead. “Believe me, I'd much rather stay here, but I'm already late.”

Lily instantly sat up and looked at the clock. “Oh my gosh! I'm sorry! I'm really sorry, Cam! I didn't mean… I mean, I didn't even think that—”

He silenced her with a kiss. “Stop worrying,” he said. “I'm going to grab a quick shower and then I'm leaving, but after this afternoon's session, I'll let you show me all around Times Square.”

“Because I'm such a pro after my day yesterday?” she teased.

“Something like that,” he said as he walked toward the bathroom and shut the door.

Lily sighed and smiled at the same time. Okay, so Cam had completely forgotten about his rules and about time. That had never happened. Ever. But what did it mean for them? For all Lily knew, this morning was just a small detour or an extension of the night, and now Cam was done. She pouted slightly. Well, she wasn't ready to be done. No, she was about as far from done as a person could get. Pretending wasn't an option for her anymore, and she only had six weeks to convince him that their reality could be so much more than either of them had imagined.

* * *

Cam had never been a clock watcher, but today he was. Every meeting seemed endless, and all of his conversations were forced. All he wanted was to be done and to get back upstairs to Lily. The thought of going out on the town with her filled him with anticipation. Images of her from the night before kept flashing through his mind—and when he thought about the things they had done this morning? Well, several times during his meetings, he found himself shifting uncomfortably in his seat.

This wasn't supposed to happen. While Lily didn't seem outraged or even shocked by them becoming intimate, Cam wasn't sure it had been smart. Lily was a woman who led with her heart; she put everything she had into everything she did. Cam was a lot more closed off. He was studious and serious, and while their friendship had always worked for them, there wasn't a doubt in his mind that if he pursued a serious romantic relationship with Lily, he'd end up killing some of the essence that made her who she was.

What made him love her.

Shaking his head at his own negative thoughts, he almost wept with gratitude when the afternoon session finally came to a close and he was free to leave. Doing his best to stay under the radar, he quickly made his exit and hit the bank of elevators before anyone noticed his departure. Tapping his foot and waiting for the doors to open, Cam looked at his watch and saw it was only two minutes after five.

A new record.

At the sound of the elevator's arrival, he was glad there was still no one around as he quickly stepped on and pushed the button to close the doors. By the time he arrived at the suite, he had only used up another two minutes. His fingers fumbled with the key card, and when he finally got through the door, he was treated to the sight of Lily walking across the room in nothing but a towel.

“Cam!” she cried and then looked for the nearest clock. “You're early. Is everything okay?”

He tried to tell himself he had planned on coming back to the room and taking Lily sightseeing, and making love to her wasn't on the agenda. He wasn't going to allow himself to do that again. But one look at her, and all of his good intentions flew right out the window.

He knew the second she caught his train of thought because her smile went from sweet to sexy in the blink of an eye. She walked toward him slowly, and Cam began to wonder how she had become as anxious to be with him as he was to be with her. For years he had pined after her, and she had never given even a hint that she was interested in pursuing a more intimate relationship. But now? Now they were clearly on the same page, and he loved it.

“So?” she said sweetly as she stood nearly toe-to-toe with him. “Are you okay?”

Cam's hand crept slowly up to where her towel was knotted between her breasts and lingered there. His eyes met hers, and the heat he saw there mirrored his own. With a gentle tug, the towel dropped to the floor. “I am now.”

* * *

Snow had begun to fall again as Lily and Cam walked along Seventh Avenue. “Isn't this amazing?” Lily asked excitedly. It had been well after seven when they finally left the hotel, and an hour later, they were strolling hand in hand and trying to decide where to eat. Every few minutes, she would stop Cam so they could either take selfies in front of something she considered fun or ask random strangers to take their picture. She was having a blast. “All of the lights and the activity are invigorating.”

Cam wasn't sure he fully agreed. What they'd done earlier in the room had been invigorating. Walking along Seventh Avenue and now Broadway in the cold and the snow was something he could easily live without. He was starving, and as much as he hated to admit it, he'd go along with anything Lily wanted for dinner at this point, even if it came from a street vendor.

“Ooo, we have to go in here,” she said as she dragged Cam into the Disney Store.

“Why? Why do we need to stop in here?” The sheer magnitude of the colors, music, and lighting assaulted him as they walked in. “Seriously, Lil. Why?”

“I haven't been to Disney since I was a little girl. I came in here yesterday, and it just made me wish I could hop on a plane to Florida right now.”

“It would be a lot warmer, I can tell you that,” he grumbled.

“Oh, stop being such a baby. We're having fun.”

“If you have to remind me, then no, I'm not.”

Lily stopped and made a face at him. “Remember the trip we took to Disney World when we were eight? Remember how much fun we had?”

“Remember how I got sick on the rides?” he replied sarcastically, then hated himself when her expression fell. “Okay, okay… Yes, it was a fun trip. If you don't count the throwing up. So, we're here in this…monstrosity of a store. What are you looking for?”

“Looking for? Cam, you don't come in a place like this to look for something specific. You come in and explore and then surprise yourself when you find something that you absolutely have to have.”

Cam didn't need a store to do that. He'd already found something he absolutely had to have.

Lily.

She dragged him around and commented on just about everything they saw. The way her whole face lit up with each new thing she discovered had Cam smiling as well. It was hard to stay serious and stern when she was bursting with excitement. Cam wanted so badly to be able to free himself up enough to find something that made him so happy and carefree. Something that would make him grin from ear to ear when he saw it.

Something like the woman standing in front of him wearing a sparkly tiara and posing like a princess.

Cam took the tiara off her head and led her to the front of the store. When they approached the registers, she blushed as she watched Cam pay for the tiara and then hand her the bag.

“Thank you,” she said as she leaned in close and got on her tiptoes to kiss him on the cheek. Once they were back outside, she looked around, trying to decide which direction they should go to find a place to eat. “Okay, what are you in the mood for? Italian? Burgers? Steak?”

He chuckled at the fact that she mentioned burgers, even though she knew his feelings on them, but decided to throw caution to the wind. “You decide,” he said lightly. And found that he liked letting go. The smile that lit up Lily's face was worth it.

Even if it meant eating burgers.

“Um… Let's see,” she said, looking around again. “There's a diner with singing waitresses we can try.” Looking at Cam, she saw him merely shrug. “Or…we can do the Hard Rock.” Another shrug. “You know, it's a lot easier when you just tell me where we're going rather than letting me decide. We'll probably eat a lot quicker, too.”

“You were so excited about going out and exploring that I want you to choose the place,” he replied. “Tonight is all for you, Lily.”

Well, if he had said that sooner, life would have been a whole lot easier. “Okay then,” she said with a firm nod of her head. Taking his hand, she turned them around and took off in the direction she wanted with a purposeful stride. It didn't take long for Cam to question what she was doing.

“Uh, Lil? Why are we back at the hotel?”

With a saucy glance over her shoulder, she smiled. “You said tonight was for me, right?” Cam nodded. “Well, then what I want is room service and…you.”

Far be it from Cam to argue.

* * *

The next night was their last in New York because they had a flight out the following morning. Cam's last session of the conference had ended at noon, so they spent the afternoon doing more sightseeing and finally went out for an Italian meal outside the hotel. As they lay in bed, Cam knew what he had to do. It wasn't what he wanted to do, but in the long run, he was doing what was best for Lily and their friendship.

“I'm really glad you came with me this week,” he said softly as he tried not to focus on the way her hand was tracing lazy circles on his chest.

“Mmm…me too,” she said. “This was a great idea.”

It was hard to focus but Cam trudged forward. “We're supposed to have dinner with everyone tomorrow night, and I know we had planned to pretend to be involved and announce our relationship, but…”

Lily lifted her head from his shoulder, not liking where this was leading. “But what?”

“Well, things took a bit of a turn here, and I think that it would be best if…this stayed here,” he said awkwardly.

Lily sat completely upright and looked at him with disbelief. “Excuse me?”

Cam sat up beside her. “Lily, you and I have been friends forever, and I don't want to do anything to risk that. I wouldn't be able to handle it if you weren't a part of my life. Your friendship has gotten me through some pretty rough times, and I treasure what we have.”

“I do too, Cam. I don't understand where this is all going.” Lily was thoroughly confused. Her gut was telling her that he no longer wanted to sleep with her, but more than that, he didn't even want to have a fake relationship with her.

“The physical turn in our relationship wasn't something I had planned on, and I think lines are getting blurred. We both know it's never good to combine sex with friendship. Eventually things get too awkward and the friendship suffers. I don't want that for us. So I'm thinking that this”—he cleared his throat—“isn't something we should continue once we get home.”

She stared at him like he was insane. Not continue this? Was he out of his mind? This was some of the most amazing sex of her life, and things hadn't gotten weird between them at all. Why end it? Which is exactly what she asked him rather snappishly.

“It has been amazing; I'm not denying that. I just value our friendship more. Can you understand that?” His eyes were earnest as he tried to get her to see his point of view.

“And the fake relationship?” she asked coldly. “Is that something we should continue when we get home?” Cam nodded. “Just without the sex,” she stated matter-of-factly, and Cam nodded again. Lily considered her options. While this was not the way she had envisioned things going, all was not lost. The rules had changed several times already, and after these past few days, she was certain she could get him to change the rules again.