Page 29 of End Game

Leaning in, she kisses my cheek before going back to eating her pasta.

It isn’t too long before the other guys come back in.

Cami shrieks when Dex drops his freezing hands against her neck, and my body tenses for a second before my brain catches up to the fact that she’s safe.

“You know what they say… cold hands, warm heart,” he declares.

“With hands that cold, I’m worried your heart might literally be on fire,” she contends.

Everyone laughs, and Cami’s laugh sounds more like hers this time.

We sit around and bullshit for a while, but finally we all decide it’s time to go off to bed.

Dex disappears down the hall with Micah, their voices fading toward his room.

Cami hesitates long enough to kiss me goodnight before heading back to Ronan’s room with him.

And then I’m standing there alone.

For the first time since this whole thing started, I’m the fifth wheel.

It doesn’t hurt tonight.

I’m tired. Cami’s safe. She needs whatever Ronan is giving her tonight, and I don’t begrudge either of them for that.

But I know myself well enough to know there may be a night when this does hurt.

Tonight though, I’m exhausted. I have another extra shift tomorrow, and my wife is safe in a house full of people who love her.

I can live with sleeping alone.

At least for tonight.

Cameron

The second we’re back in Ronan’s room, his attention shifts completely to me.

“You’re sure you’re okay?”

“I am.” And this time, I don’t have to convince myself before I say it. “I think that was actually good for me. Being with everyone. Letting myself… not be okay for a minute.”

“I think so, too,” he agrees before pulling me against him, and I let myself stay there for a few breaths before leaning back enough to meet his eyes.

“So….” I drag the word out, letting my fingers settle deliberately against his chest now that I know I’m allowed. “You want to tell me about these other plans you had?”

The small laugh he lets loose is almost evil. “I think I’ll let that be a surprise, but sweetheart?”

“Yeah?”

“I am going to take you apart with my voice. I wasn’t joking about that.” His eyes stay locked on mine. “I’m going to teach your body what certain words mean until you react before you’ve had time to think about it.” His mouth curves. “And I can’t fucking wait.”

My thighs press together before I even realize it.

Ronan notices. Of course he fucking notices.

The satisfaction that flickers across his face makes the ache between my thighs considerably worse.

“Ronan?”