“Well, I wouldn’t think so. You were too busy singing.” I eyed him skeptically. Still smiling I asked, “What are you listening too?”

“Music.”

“Uh huh, what music? You seemed pretty into it. How about we plug it into the stereo, and we can listen to it together?”

“Nah. It’s just rap shit. You don’t like that kind of music.” He narrowed his eyes at me. “How long have you been down here?”

“Long enough.” I took a few steps toward him.

“Blue…” His brown eyes looked nervous.

“Yeah.”

“What’re you doing?”

I wanted to know what was making him so nervous. He was listening to something that was making him hide from me. Determined, I was going to find out what it was. Playing it casual, I walked into the kitchen. Shrugging my shoulders, I picked up a ripe strawberry and took a bite. He was only a few feet away from me, watching me skeptically. “Nothing, just grabbing some breakfast before I leave to go to the mall.”

His shoulders visibly relaxed. “What are you going there for?”

Camden still had one ear bud in. I could hear the faint sound of music playing through the one dangling at his side. Pretending to reach for a banana I moved quickly. Grabbing the iPod out of his briefs I dashed around the counter and swiftly put one of the ear pieces in. His face blanched. He started to come toward me, but I put my hands up to stop him. Recognizing the voice singing I burst out laughing.

“Celine Dion? You’re listening to Celine Dion?”

“Yeah, so what?” He tried to let it roll off as if it wasn’t a big deal.

“So what? Camden, you’re not the type of dude that listens to the woman who helped make Titanic popular.” I kept giggling, and I could tell it was ruffling his feathers. “Are you a closet Celine fan, Cam?”

Shaking his head slightly, I could see light dancing behind his eyes. “I’m going to give you three seconds to come back over here and hand me my iPod like an adult, or I’m coming after you.”

“Oh come on. I swear, your little secret is safe with me.”

“One.” He stood with his hands braced on the counter.

Giggling I took a small step back. Dramatically lifting my arms I held them out to him. “Never let go, Jack.”

I saw a ghost of a smile cross his mouth. “Two.”

“I can totally find you tickets to see her in Vegas, if you love her that much.”

“I warned you. Three.”

I squealed and dashed for the dining room table. Making it to the other side before he caught me, I turned and saw him grinning from ear to ear. I was breathing heavy but enjoyed taunting him. “I guess I never would have pegged you for a ballad kind of guy. That’s sort of sweet.”

“You’re pushing your luck. I’m going to catch you, and when I do, you’re going to wish you’d handed the music over like a good girl.”

“It’s a good thing you won’t catch me then.”

We were in a staring contest. Who would jump first? Almost as if we moved at the same time, Camden hopped up onto the table and scrambled across it while I went running back toward the kitchen. A yelp came from my mouth, and I tossed the iPod over my shoulder, hoping he’d give this up if I gave him what he wanted. Arms came around my waist and lifted me in the air. He caught me. I was laughing so hard, I knew I couldn’t escape him.

“Gotcha.” He spun me around and walked me into the living room toward the couch.

My legs were swinging freely, and I tried to kick away from him. “Let me go.”

“Huh uh. For all I know, you’re going to run out of here and tell everyone that I like chick music.”

Chortling I said, “But you do like chick music.”

He dropped me onto the couch and came over the top of me to straddle me. “I swear to God, I will tickle you until I’m sure you’ll keep your mouth shut.”

I gasped. “You wouldn’t.”

He raised his hands like claws and wiggled his fingers. I started laughing before he even touched me. “Oh God no, please don’t. I hate being tickled.”

“Then tell me what I want to hear.”

“What do you want me to say?”

He lifted a brow at me. Those darn eyebrows always said so much. “You’re going to say, ‘Camden, I promise I won’t tell anybody what I heard today.’”

I let a few seconds pass by. “I am sure that Macie and Dodger won’t judge you for your eccentric musical tastes. In fact I’m sure they’d sing right along with…AAAAAHHHH!” I screamed as his fingers came down and wiggled against my armpits. I was laughing so hard tears were streaming from my eyes. “Stop, stop, stop!”

“Say it.” His voice was gruff but playful. He stopped moving.

Taking a deep breath I sang, “Near, far, wherever you are…” His fingers began their torture again. “Ahhhh okay, okay…I won’t say anything. Just stop! I swear I’m about to pee my pants! STOP!”

He chuckled. Leaning down to get closer to my face he said, “You promise?”

There was a crackling in the air. All of the playfulness was being sucked back and something else was taking its place. “I promise,” I stated sincerely.

A calloused finger came up, brushing down my cheek and stopping under my chin. “So beautiful,” he whispered.

He continued to hover over me. His eyes seemed to look from my eyes, cheeks, nose, lips, and back again, as though he were searching for something. My heart began pounding in my chest, and I was certain he could hear it. Swallowing, I tentatively asked, “What’s happening here?” I’d said it so quietly, I barely even heard myself.

“What do you mean?” he said, clearing his throat slightly.

Did I ask him what was going on between us? Would I be embarrassing myself if I threw out every thought I’ve had about our relationship, and how it was shifting onto unsteady ground that I couldn’t define? Lying underneath him for the second time today, I took note of how he was once again turned on. But was it because he was touching me or was it because I was simply a female and that was just what happened to every guy? Deciding better of my question, I changed the subject.

“Are you going to the Halloween party?”

His head tipped to the side, and I briefly wondered if he was going to let me get away with ignoring what he just asked. “No, I stopped going to those frat parties three years ago.” I sagged in relief that he let it go.

I shifted under him, and he took the hint to move off of me. I felt the loss immediately and wished he would come back. I loved his weight being on me. “Oh, okay.”

He sat with his arms resting on his knees, and he was looking at the ground. “Are you going with Luke?”

“Yes,” I replied softly.

He glanced over at me with a seriousness I hadn’t yet seen in him. “Be careful with him, Blue.”

“What—?”

Shaking his head he stopped me. “I’m not going to say anything else other than, just please be careful. Okay?”

I nodded my head in understanding. I’d seen so many expressions on Camden’s face in the past couple months, but this one, this one unnerved me. He was warning me about Luke, but I had no idea why. I sat there wondering what could possibly make him say this to me, but I’d felt nothing but comfortable with Luke. He was warm, gently, caring, and endearing. If I should be worried about anybody, it would be Camden. He was the one who had an air of dangerousness, edginess, and darkness that I’d never touched before. Well, not until last night. I should be scared of the man sitting next to me, because he made me feel like his very essence was a drug. The draw I felt to him was so potent, that even now, I wanted to taste him. I wanted to feel him on me, caressing me, whispering things in my ear that made me blush. Rubbing my hands back and forth on my legs, I needed to get going. Some fresh air and time away from Camden would do me good. I stood on shaky legs and made my way to the door. Camden remained on the couch and watched me walk away.

“I’ll be home later,” I said over my shoulder.