Jules Bennett - From Best Friend To Bride

“What do you need, Evan?” Megan asked as she took a step back, landing her next to Cameron.

Good. Cameron wanted her to feel safer with him there. The silent gesture clearly showed who she trusted, who she felt more comfortable with. The primal part of Cameron liked to think her easing closer to him showed whose side she was on, as well.

“I need to talk to you,” Evan told her, then shifted his eyes to Cameron.

“Go ahead,” Cameron replied, resting his hands on his hips and in absolutely no hurry to budge.

“Alone.”

Megan moved down the hall, squaring her shoulders. “I’m not giving you money,” she informed him as she got closer. “If you want to visit with me, that’s fine.”

Evan raked a hand through his hair, then threw another glance at Cameron and back to Megan. Cameron didn’t move, didn’t even consider giving them privacy because he wanted Megan to know he was here for support. He wouldn’t chime in, wouldn’t say a word unless he saw she couldn’t be strong. But he had faith in her. He knew she was getting tired of her brother only coming around for money.

Evan leaned down, whispered something to Megan and gripped her arm. Cameron went on full alert.

“No, Evan,” Megan said softly, shaking her head. “I don’t have it to give. I’m sorry.”

“You’re not sorry,” he spat as he released her with a forced shove. “I don’t need that much.”

Megan stumbled back a step, but caught herself as she crossed her arms and tipped her chin. “I have obligations, too, Evan. I can’t always give you money because you get into trouble.”

Evan’s focus darted over Megan’s shoulder, and Cameron merely narrowed his eyes, silently daring Evan to cross the line. The arm incident was more than enough to have Cameron ready to smash his face, but Megan wouldn’t like Cameron interfering. Plus as an officer of the law, Cameron couldn’t just go around punching all the people who pissed him off. Such a shame.

Cameron would like nothing more than to show Evan some tough love, but Megan was right. That was easier said than done. And as much as Cameron loathed the man, he was Megan’s brother and she loved him.

“I’ll come back when we can talk in private,” Evan said, looking back to Megan.

“My answer won’t change,” she informed him. “But you’re always welcome in my house.”

Evan merely grunted and started to turn.

“I love you,” Megan said, her voice shaky.

Evan froze, didn’t look back, didn’t comment, just paused before he disappeared around the corner. Moments later, the back door opened and closed again.

Megan turned, a fake smile pasted across her face, and started down the hall toward her room, skirting around him. “Well, let me change and then maybe we can do dinner. You want to go out? I’m not sure I have a lot here—”

Cameron followed her into the bedroom and watched as she jerked off her robe and tossed it onto the mound of clothes on her bed. As she glanced into the mirror and sighed, Cameron came up behind her, resting his hands on her shoulders and meeting her gaze in the reflection.

“You don’t have to pretend with me.”

Her bright green eyes held his. “I’m not pretending,” she assured him. “I’m ignoring the fact that for years I’ve been an enabler to someone who really doesn’t care about me, and I’m done. I’m also starving, so while I change, figure out what you want to eat.”

Cameron knew there was so much more in her, but he wasn’t pressing the matter...not when she was staring back at him with such vulnerability and was half-naked. They were back to that damn body-hugging dress again, and Cameron didn’t know if he wanted to keep looking or if he wanted her to cover up.

Megan’s entire body relaxed against his. Her bottom nestled against his groin, and Cameron tried to ignore the innocent gesture as he wrapped his arms around her shoulders and held her securely. She needed comfort, needed to lean on someone even though it was against everything she stood for. She’d never admit she needed to draw from his strength, but Cameron was freely giving it.

Unfortunately, his fingertips barely brushed across the tops of her breasts before he could complete his hold. A shiver racked her body and vibrated through his.

“I’m glad you’re here,” she whispered, her eyes still locked on his in the mirror.

Looking at her reflection was quite different from being face-to-face. He didn’t know why, but in the mirror he saw so much, too much. Her vulnerability stared back at him at the same time that her killer body mocked him. He was her friend, damn it. He shouldn’t be having these thoughts of how perfect she felt against him, how sexy she was.

“I wouldn’t be anywhere else.” Even though his libido was taking a hard hit, it was the truth.

With a deep breath, Megan straightened and turned, all but brushing those breasts against his chest. Okay, really. He was a guy already on the brink of snapping the stretched line of control, and there was only so much more of this he could take.

“Are you working tonight?” she asked, oblivious to his inner turmoil.

“No.” He dropped his arms to his side and took a slight step back, away from that chest, the killer body that was slowly unraveling him. “Why don’t I run to the store and grab something while you change?”

“A night in?” She beamed. “Only if I get to pick the movie.”

Cameron groaned. “If I have to watch The Godfather again...”

With an evil laugh and a shrug, Megan stepped around him and started digging through clothes. “You choose the meal—I choose the movie. You know that’s how we work.”

Yeah, that’s how they worked. They’d been working like this for years, before his deployment and since. But in all the years they’d had this routine of spontaneous date nights with each other, never once had the urge to peel her out of her clothes been this strong.

Of course now that he’d seen her, held her and visually enjoyed her in this dress, he could think of little else. So in a moot attempt at holding on to his sanity, and their friendship, Cameron conceded.

“You win,” he told her. “I’ll be back.”

Even if he removed himself from the situation, Cameron knew he was screwed. Now that he’d seen her lush, curvy body, and felt it so intimately against his, he couldn’t not see it. The image, the feel of her, was permanently ingrained into him.

Penance for his sins of lying to her.

* * *

Every single time they settled in for a movie, Megan fell asleep within the first hour without fail. Tonight was no exception.

She’d curled her feet beneath her, rested her head on his shoulder and before the mobsters could leave the gun and take the cannoli, Megan was out.

Cameron propped his feet up on her coffee table and slid farther down on the sofa. Carefully, he adjusted Megan so she lay down, her head on his lap. Resting his own head against the back cushion, Cameron shut his eyes and attempted to relax. Her delicate hand settled right over his thigh as she let out a soft sigh.

With his hand curled over her shoulder, feeling the steady rise and fall, Cameron realized he actually preferred resting just like this to his bed at home. At least here he had company. At home he had thoughts that kept him awake and staring at the ceiling fan. Work never fully left him—occupational hazard.

But here, with Megan, he could let work shuffle to the back of his mind. He didn’t want to burden her with his stress, so he purposely tried to be a friend first and a cop second whenever he was with her. Added to that, he reveled in the fact she was comfortable and sleeping soundly. He wanted to be her protector, her stable force. Somehow knowing he was all of that allowed him to let down his guard just a bit.