“But yet you let me go to one knowing full well that it might have been a set-up?” I sat up, my body was half turned toward him while I leaned on my arm.

“No, it wasn’t like that at all. You aren’t anything like what they used to bring in to those parties. You’re smart, funny, stubborn, and drop-dead gorgeous, Keegan. How would I have known that they changed the game?”

“How about the simple fact that they even played games like that? You should have told me. I wouldn’t have gone anywhere near that house had I known.”

He clenched his teeth, his jaw was set in stone. “If you want to blame me for how tonight played out, then fine, I’ll take the brunt of it. But don’t think for one second that I think you deserved what happened to you. I would have fucking thrown you over my shoulder and hauled you out of there if I’d known you were a part of their game. Hell I would have tied you up and locked you in my closet and told everyone you were sick if I’d known beforehand. Like I said, I didn’t know that those assholes changed their tactics.” He leaned forward and slid his hand underneath my hair to my neck. “It’s going to stop.”

My pulse picked up at his touch, while confusion settled on my features. “What’s going to stop?”

His eyes became hard, and my tough exterior Camden was back. “I’m going to find every single one of the assholes that had the balls to do this to you, and they are going to wish they’d never joined a fraternity. They’ll be lucky if they are still walking when I’m done with them.”

My eyes widened. “Camden, you can’t go beating up everybody who hurts my feelings.”

“The fuck I can’t. This shit has been going on for years. Maybe someone needs to put the fear of God in them… or rearrange their pretty little faces.” The smile that spread across his lips was scary. “They messed with the wrong girl.”

“I wish you wouldn’t. Fighting doesn’t solve anything.”

“That’s cute, Keegan. You sound like a fucking school counselor.” He smirked. “Luke knows what’s coming for him. I bet he’s shaking in his prissy little boots, and I plan on delivering.”

“Seriously Camden. No. Just leave it alone. I want to forget this night ever happened. Okay? Let. It. Go.”

“Not gonna happen, Blue.”

I laid my head back down on him and shook my head in frustration. Yet another battle I didn’t feel like fighting with him. He chuckled at my resignation. I hated that he felt the need to fight for me. I wasn’t an advocate for using fists. He was right though, Luke better be shaking in his boots. Not only was Camden very capable of taking him on, I was pretty sure I was going to flip my shit if I saw him again. Sighing deep into Camden I buried myself into his side and inhaled his scent again. His need to stand up for me was sweet, but misguided. He’d eventually figure out that there wasn’t much to me but a plain girl who could offer a nice friendship. It pained my heart that I thought so little of myself, but it was what I felt was true. I wanted Camden. I wanted him more than my next breath, but at what expense? Sadness seeped back into me as my eyelids grew so heavy I could no longer keep them open. While I drifted off to sleep, I had the scary thought that I was becoming attached to this man. With all of the passionate fighting and sometimes gentler moments, he had become a source of comfort. The apartment didn’t just feel like home to me, Camden did.

Opening my eyes, I saw that it was still dark outside. Looking at the clock on the bedside table, it was two in the morning. I closed my eyes and stretched my still muscles. The feel of the bed was foreign. Where was I? It dawned on me that I wasn’t in my room. Grabbing the sheet I pulled it up to my chin. The scent of Camden washing over me, I moaned in contentment. I was in his bed, and I’d fallen asleep on him. Except, I glanced around and he wasn’t in the room. Where did he go? Maybe he moved to sleep in my room to give me space. I wouldn’t blame him. First I flung myself at him and bawled my eyes out, then he felt obligated to take care of me. I was the quintessential needy girl. I bet this was why Luke chose me. The events that happened only a few hours ago plowed into me like a Mack truck. The game, their words, Veronica, Luke… it was real. He must have sensed my loneliness and zeroed in on me. It was like I was a standing target who was flashing a bright red sign screaming ‘pick me, I’ll be your next victim.’ Tears welled in my eyes, and the sorrow I felt came down around me like a heavy weight. Why me? What did I do in this life to deserve this? I was a decent daughter growing up, and I took care of my little sister like she was my own. I showed up at my job on time and did what was required of me. And academically I was an overachiever. It was like the world was playing a cruel joke on me. Was I so desperate for attention that I missed any warning signs from Luke? At any point did he do anything to indicate that it was all pretend? I wracked my brain to the point of pain. A deep ache was settling in just over my eyes and made me feel queasy. I gave myself to him in every way that I could. I felt so stupid.

So where did Camden fit in to all of this? I was definitely frustrated with him for not telling me about the frat’s history. If he’d known about it, he should have said something, not just warn me away from Luke. I’d thought his only reason for doing that was because he was jealous. What a ridiculous thought. Camden couldn’t be jealous… could he? I knew we had something going on between us, but was it what I thought it was? Clearly my track record with figuring out men wasn’t very on point. But Camden had kissed me, he had pushed me to the brink of orgasm, and touched me like he wanted me just as bad. I couldn’t be that far off base.

Sliding out of bed, I picked up my clothes and padded to the door. It wasn’t closed all the way, and I noticed that the shower water was running. Why on earth was he showering at two in the morning? Well I take that back. He had just gotten back from the gym when I went running into him, so he probably didn’t have a chance to get cleaned up before he was picking me up off the floor. I walked out into the hallway and tossed the nurse costume that I hated so much through my open bedroom door. I made a mental note to throw that sucker away the first chance I had. Turning and looking at the bathroom door I took a few steps toward it, noticing that the door was cracked open. The shower that we shared wasn’t one that had a curtain hanging on a rod. This one had a glass door. Peeking in, the whole bathroom was fogged up. The glass that he stood behind was steamed over, but I was able to make out his figure on the other side. Swallowing hard, I felt like my heart was in my throat. What was I doing? Since when had I become a Peeping Tom? I knew I should go back into my room like I’d planned, but something was holding me here. I watched as his muscled arms came up and brushed several times through his hair, the white foam from the shampoo cascading down his body. I was riveted. Lust and desire were burning hot through my veins. I was drawn to him. An ache deep down was pushing me forward. Placing my hand on the door, I inched it open and took a step inside. My thoughts were going nuts, screaming at me to get the hell out of there, and pretend like I didn’t just walk in there like a little pervert. But I couldn’t. I needed something, and it was propelling me to keep moving. I watched in fascination as if every move of his body was the most incredible thing I’d seen. Seeing his hands move over his chest and down to his abdomen… lathering areas I wished I could run my tongue over. Just as the thought passed through my head, his eyes snapped up like he had sensed me. I braced myself, thinking he was going to yell at me or kick me out. Instead he tilted his head to the side. His large hand came up and wiped the glass so he could see me better. Connecting with his brown eyes, I was hit with the innermost need for him to touch me…to hold me. Whether he understood what I couldn’t say out loud or not, he opened the glass door, never breaking eye contact.