Tiffany Ashley - Beyond the Velvet Rope

Suddenly, in a room crowded with strangers, Cam’s eyes found hers. As if seeking her out, his dark gaze locked with Thandie’s and refused to let her go. In that instant, Thandie was able to define what she’d felt earlier. Desire. She desired Cam. It was as if seeing him with someone else stimulated her sexually in a way it never had before.

As if reading her thoughts, Cam’s gaze grew darker, and then he did something shocking. Cam disengaged himself from the statuesque beauty at his side, and purposefully crossed the room. When he was standing less than a foot away from Thandie, he wordlessly took the flute of champagne out of her hand and deftly pushed the glass toward a shocked Bailey. Not caring who was watching, Cam pulled Thandie into his arms and kissed her with a passion that left them both shaken.

Details became blurred after that point. Thandie vaguely remembered Cam guiding her onto the patio. There, the two of them began frantically kissing and pulling at each other’s clothes. Cam lay her down on a chaise longue, and the two of them became wildly intimate.

They were so enraptured in each other, they paid little mind to the crowd of partygoers surrounding them. Thandie vaguely recalled Gage pushing her way through the throng of voyeurs, hurrying her and Cam out a back exit, and shoving them into the backseat of her waiting town car.

The short ride to Cam’s apartment was filled with more hot kisses and a great deal of fondling. Things only escalated when they arrived at their destination. Their lovemaking was quick and fervent; their climaxes hard and satisfying. Afterward, they tumbled back onto the damp sheets; too exhausted to move. They fell asleep to the sound of Cameron’s cell phone ringing incessantly; no doubt from his girlfriend.

5:45AM

Now, in the light of day, Thandie regretted everything. She should have never given in to such madness. It had been satisfying for her, but the big problem was that Cam would assume more from their encounter. Thandie cringed at the thought of hurting him further.

Ashamed, Thandie buried her face deeper into the pillow. Perhaps she could escape before he woke? Maybe she could sneak out without being noticed. She wouldn’t be able to entirely evade their showdown, but she could at least put it off for a day or two. She would run and hide until she was ready to deal with Cam on her own terms. And preferably with clothes on.

Opening her eyes slowly, Thandie surveyed the room. Although dimly lit, she could make out Cam’s shadowy bedroom. In their haste to get to the bed, they’d made a mess of the room. She could see a trail of discarded clothes starting from the hallway and ending in a heap at the bedside. She groaned inwardly. It would be impossible to find all her clothes among the debris without making noise.

Turning her head slightly, Thandie noted where Cam lay. He was sound asleep in his favorite position, on his back with one arm tossed over his eyes. This might be her saving grace.

Clenching her teeth together, Thandie slowly and soundlessly attempted to ease herself out of bed. Inch by precious inch, she slipped free of the sheets. With one hand pressed firmly on the floor, and one foot extended to brace her weight, she was almost there. Thandie knew she looked ridiculous, but if she could just slide the rest of her body out of bed, there was a chance she could collect her clothes and sneak out of Cam’s apartment undetected. Holding her breath, she inched farther off the mattress.

She might have made it had it not been for the sound of a cell phone chiming at that very moment. It shattered the silence of the room like a bullhorn. Thandie froze. She watched in horror as Cam jerked awake and then rolled out of bed. The movement pulled the bedsheets with him, making them spill off the foot of the bed. As if in a sleep-induced trance, Cam shuffled to the dresser and snatched up his cell phone. Rubbing his eyes, he looked at the display. And then he swore. He seemed to be debating whether he should answer. Deciding not to, he tossed the phone aside, and then looked up.

“Oh, shit,” Thandie grumbled.

Cam blinked, taking in her bizarre position. Half of her was hanging off the bed, while the other half was outstretched toward the floor. Her intentions could not have been more obvious. Cam leaned his hip against the dresser and simply stared at her. His expression was solemn. “What are you doing?”

Awkwardly, Thandie came to her feet. Self-conscious because of her nakedness, she grabbed a pillow and held it in front of her. It offered little coverage, but since her clothes were not easily accessible, it was her best option.

“I have to go,” she said, her voice husky from sleep.

Cam looked up at the ceiling, hurt settling onto his features. “Why are you leaving?”

She sighed. “You know why I’m leaving.”

Cam threw his hands up helplessly. “I thought after last night...” His voice trailed off.

Thandie looked away, too ashamed to meet his pleading eyes. She regretted her actions last night, regretted the way she’d fallen into his arms without a care to the world. Regretted the way she’d blindly disregarded the consequences. There would be plenty of time to feel humiliation over the public episode. Everyone would be talking. It might even be reported in a local gossip column.

But Thandie couldn’t be bothered with that right now. She was too guilt-ridden to consider anything except that she was hurting Cam again.

“I made a mistake,” she said.

“You made a mistake? That’s all?” he said with a humorless laugh. “I had a girlfriend, Thandie.”

“I—I can fix that,” she stammered. “I can try to explain to her—”

“Explain what?” he snapped. “Explain that in the blink of an eye, I chose you over her? Explain that I’ll always choose you over her?”

“I’m sorry,” she whispered.

“Yeah, well I’m sorry, too,” he snapped.

“I’m sorry, Cam. I truly am.”

“And your mother?” he asked quietly. “Does she know about us?”

“Don’t,” Thandie said sharply. “Don’t you dare bring her into this.” The mention of her mother caused Thandie’s eyes sting with sudden tears.

Cameron swore, all the fight gone out of him. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that. I’m just so...” he dragged a hand through his tousled hair, searching for the right word. Then he froze, a thought having occurred to him. He looked at Thandie with tired eyes. “You don’t love me anymore, do you?”

She’d been expecting this question, but was still unprepared with where the answer would leave them. “Of course, I love you,” she confessed. “Just not like that anymore.”

“But last night—”

“I’m sorry,” she said in a small voice. “Nothing has changed. Last night should have never happened.”

“Thandie, please don’t do this,” he groaned.

“Cam, we’ve been broken up for weeks. What did you expect? Did you think things would magically go back to the way they were?”

“Yes,” he said defiantly. “Yes, I did.”

“Oh, Cam,” she choked out. “I thought you understood—”

“Get out.”

Thandie’s head popped up. “What?”

“I said get out,” he repeated in a voice void of any emotion.

“Cam.” She took a step toward him, but he turned his back on her and abruptly walked out of the room. Thandie jumped when she heard the bathroom door slam shut.

She stared at the spot where Cam had stood. She hated hurting him. Cam deserved better. He deserved to be with someone who would mirror his bright, happy personality. It hadn’t been that way between them for a long time.

She called out to him again. When he did not respond, she debated going after him or simply leaving.