Mistletoe Between Friends (6 page)

And she could even make him think it was his idea.

Reclining back on the pillows, Lily pulled the sheet up snugly around her and stared at the ceiling as she continued to ponder. She knew it was a tactic that would drive Cam mad. He was used to people quickly falling in line with what he wanted, and whenever she didn't, it infuriated him.

Good. Let him stew.

Without a word, she kicked off the sheet, walked completely naked into the living room, grabbed a bottle of water from the mini-fridge, and then came back to bed as she drank. Then she resumed her earlier position and stared at the ceiling again. The tension was rolling off Cameron in waves to the point that Lily had to stifle the giggle that was dying to come out. After a solid five minutes, she turned and simply said, “Fine.”

Cam's eyes grew wide. “Fine? That's it? All this pressure, and all you have to say is
fine
?”

“What would you have me say, Cam?” she asked innocently. “Should I kick, scream, and carry on? I can't force you to keep having sex with me, so what would you have me do? You want to go back to us just being friends who are pretending to date? Fine, that's what we'll do.”

“And you're okay with it?”

“Sure.”

He didn't like it. Cam couldn't quite put his finger on what was wrong, but Lily never gave in to anything this easily. “So…we're good?”

Lily nodded. “Of course. Why wouldn't we be? We tried something new, and it didn't work for you. Besides, you're right; being friends is a better option. You'd probably make me crazy after a while with this dating thing. This way, we stop before any real damage is done. Plus, this means that if either of us meets someone we're really interested in, even if it's during the holidays, we're free to date or sleep with them.” Lily did her best to sound blasé about the whole thing and the play of emotions on Cam's face was nearly comical.

“No,” he said adamantly. “Absolutely not.”

Lily quirked an eyebrow at him. “Excuse me?”

“Until the week after New Year's, we are exclusive. No dating—and certainly no sleeping with anybody else!” Cam never raised his voice to Lily and he was surprised he was doing it now, but how dare she even suggest such a ridiculous concept! Sleep with other people while they were pretending to date? Why would she even consider that?

“So you're telling me that I'm not only supposed to play the part of the fake girlfriend but I'm supposed to be celibate too?”

“I didn't think it was such a sacrifice,” he replied snarkily. “I mean, I never knew you to be unable to go for a couple of weeks without being intimate with a man.”

Unable to help herself, Lily burst out laughing. “Being intimate with a man? Is that how we're speaking now? It's sex, Cam.
Sex
. And I happen to enjoy it. And since you're just my
friend
,” she reminded tartly, “and not my real boyfriend, you have no real say in what I do on my own time.”

This was so not going as he had planned. How had he lost control of the situation? Pinching the bridge of his nose, Cam counted to ten and then looked at Lily, who was sitting beside him like the picture of innocence. “Look,” he said calmly. “All I'm saying is that we both know a lot of the same people, and how would it look if someone knew you were sleeping with somebody else when you were supposed to be dating me?”

“How do we know it's going to be me sleeping with somebody else? Maybe you'll meet someone you want to sleep with.”

He highly doubted that. After these last couple of days, Cam doubted that he'd want to sleep with another woman for a very long time. “I'm not the one who can't go without sex.”

“Good to know,” she said confidently. “Then you won't mind if this last round of sex we just had was indeed our
last
round of sex.”

Cam jaw dropped. “What are you saying?”

“I'm saying that since you think our sleeping together wasn't the smart thing to do, you won't mind sleeping on the sofa bed tonight. We go back to our old relationship starting now.”

Like hell. If he was going to sacrifice having Lily to himself from now on, he wasn't going to give up his last night with her. “As a matter of fact, I do mind.”

Lily smiled confidently. “You can't have your cake and eat it too, Cam. I'm just following your rules.”

With lightning speed Cam turned and pinned Lily beneath him. “I don't want cake,” he said huskily, “but I could definitely eat.” His mouth claimed hers, and Lily didn't even bother trying to fight it. She instantly wrapped herself around him, and Cam wasn't sure who the winner was in all of this. But as her tongue dueled with his, he realized that, right now, he didn't even care.

They walked into the usual controlled chaos at the home of Cam's parents, Richard and Angela Greene. Everyone was talking at once while they were hugging and kissing Cam and Lily hello. After years of experiencing the same scene, Lily was able to have several conversations with different people as she made her way through the group and into the kitchen where she found her own parents and said hello.

Cam was by her side with his hand low on her back, and Lily couldn't help but smile. He might not want to touch her, but she knew that deep down, he couldn't help himself. Was he even aware he'd done nothing but touch her since they'd left the hotel that morning? He'd held her hand, touched her arm, kept his hand on her back… Other than while she was getting ready at her apartment once they got back into town, Cam had always had his hands on her in one way or another.

It was both amusing and arousing.

Cam had stepped away for a moment to tell his father and Lily's dad about the conference when he noticed his mother heading toward Lily.

“So what's new with you, Lily?” Angela Greene asked as she handed Lily a glass of wine.

“Well,” she began and then looked over her shoulder at Cam. He nodded, so Lily turned back and faced their parents and siblings. “Cam and I just got back from New York.”

“Oh really?” Angela said. “Did you have business in the city too?”

“No,” Cam said, coming over to stand beside Lily and put his arm around her. “I invited Lily to come with me. I thought it might be nice for us to get away before the hectic holiday schedule kicks in.” The room fell silent as their parents all looked at one another and then back to Cam and Lily.

“I-I don't understand,” Angela said, confusion written all over her face.

“Well,” Lily said with a shy smile, “Cam and I wanted to have a little time away before we came here and told all of you that”—she looked at Cam again for confirmation—“we're dating!”

The room became a flurry of activity, and it was like walking in all over again. Everyone began talking at once and asking questions. Lily and Cam were so in sync with one another that even though they had never discussed their “story,” their accounts were close enough that no one seemed to notice.

“It's just so romantic…”

“We always hoped the two of you…”

“So it was a romantic getaway?”

“How long has this been going on?”

The questions came at them in rapid-fire succession, and they each took turns answering. Lily had to wonder if their announcement was real or fake because they seemed to be pulling it off. They really weren't lying, because in her mind, what she and Cam were doing was one hundred percent real. She just had to convince Cam.

Conversation moved to the dining room as dinner was served. Angela made sure the two of them sat together, and by the time everyone was seated, their mothers seemed to be of one mind. “So this is real? This is serious?”

Cam picked up one of Lily's hands and kissed it. “Yes, it is. I've been in love with Lily for a long time, but I never wanted to risk our friendship.”

“So what changed?” Mary Cavanaugh asked, grinning from ear to ear.

Cam looked lovingly at Lily as he spoke the truth for what seemed like the first time tonight. “Some things you just can't fight. We didn't plan this. It just sort of happened, and now that it has, I'm sorry we waited so long.” Lily's gaze softened at his words, and it took all of Cam's strength to not lean in and kiss her right now. But he remembered his rules. Although he knew he would have to kiss her in front of other people at times during the upcoming weeks, he had to be strong and only do it when absolutely necessary or he'd make himself crazy.

“The trip was amazing,” Lily said while everyone at the table simply sat and grinned at them. She told them all about Times Square and their hotel and the dinners they'd had with Cam's colleagues. “We danced, and the food was amazing, and everything was already decorated for Christmas. It was all so beautiful. There was this spot by the banquet hall that had the most amazing display of mistletoe, and we always made sure we stopped and kissed under it before going in to dinner.” The women at the table sighed collectively, and Lily glanced back at Cam while doing her best to look like the adoring girlfriend. “It was all very romantic.”

“It sounds like it,” Angela said and then looked at her son with a wink. “Who knew my son could be such a romantic? I'm glad you finally came to your senses, Cameron. We've all known for years that you cared for Lily as more than a friend. I think I can speak for all of us when I say this is going to make the holidays even more special.” She looked over at Mary. “Just think of the excitement this is going to cause at all of the parties! I think people were starting to take bets on when the two of them would get together, weren't they?”

Mary nodded. “I believe so.” She turned and looked at her daughter and Cam. “Seems like the two of you were the last to know.”

Lily knew she shouldn't take that as a dig, but somehow she did. Her whole body tensed, but Cam gave her hand a slight squeeze to let her know that he was there for her. He spoke up. “We don't really care what everyone else was thinking; we needed the time to be right for us. Let them think what they want. What Lily and I feel for each other needed to come out when the time was right. Our trip only confirmed it was the right decision to wait.” He kissed her hand again. “She was worth it.”

Their fathers finally interrupted and turned the topic of conversation to something they all could participate in. Cam was more than a little relieved for the break. He'd known their mothers were going to be thrilled about their dating, but he hadn't expected them to make such a big deal out of it. Slipping under the radar was no longer an option, and he had a feeling they were going to be thrust into the spotlight more than he had ever dreamed possible.

Once dinner was over and things were cleaned up, Angela and Mary took out their calendars and went through the list of social engagements they were all expected to attend. “And now with Cam and Lily's big news, you know everyone is going to want to see them,” she said to the group as a whole. They were all sitting in the living room, and Cam had Lily tucked beside him with his arm around her. It felt natural and very comforting, although at the same time a little bizarre, because everyone kept looking at them and wanting to talk about them.

When Cam had come up with this idea, he'd figured they'd announce they were dating, and everyone would be happy and then move on. He didn't expect them to become the event of the season.

“We're going to decorate here tonight, and then we'll all meet for dinner on Sunday at Mary and Jack's to do all of their decorating. Thanksgiving will be here on Thursday,” Angela continued as she checked her list, “and then the Christmas parties will kick into gear!” Everyone began talking at once, and then Mary spoke up.

“We'll be doing the Christmas cookie baking for the exchange at our place on the fifth, followed by the open house for friends and family on the eighth, and,” she said, looking to Angela to confirm, “you will be hosting the neighborhood get-together on the tenth, and then you have Richard's company party on the twelfth, right?” Both Richard and Angela nodded. “Then”—she double-checked her list—“we have Jack's company party on the sixteenth.” Again, everyone nodded.

“But this year we have a surprise,” Richard Greene said, addressing the group. He looked at his daughters, Megan and Lisa, and their husbands, John and Michael, and then to Cam and Lily and Lily's sister, Beth, and her husband, Kevin, before finally focusing on the senior Cavanaughs with a smile. “We're breaking tradition this year for the first time. We've rented a place up in the mountains to spend Christmas week and New Year's!” All of the adult children looked at one another and then their parents, and mass confusion ensued as everyone began asking questions at once.

Jack Cavanaugh stood and tried to quiet everyone down. “Now, we realize some of you here have in-laws you will want to spend part of the holidays with, and we understand. The house is ours for ten days, and you are free to come and go as you please. But we're hoping you'll want to spend a lot of that time up there with us. We have the house from the twenty-third to January first, and it would be wonderful if we could enjoy some quality family time after all these parties,” he said with a laugh.

“Well, we know Cam and Lily will be there the whole time because the only in-laws they have are us!” Angela said with obvious delight. “We'll be able to spend time talking about what your plans are, and—not to put too much pressure on you—we can maybe talk about engagements and weddings and all of that good stuff.” Mary readily agreed and threw in her own two cents on how she saw them spending time with the couple and helping them plan their future.

Cam felt ill, and Lily wanted to run screaming from the room.

“Um…” Lily interrupted and raised her hand. “I don't think I'll have the whole week off, Dad. Especially after taking this week to go to New York.”

“Oh, for crying out loud, Lily,” her sister, Beth, said with a hint of irritation. “It's not like you have a real job. I'm sure the coffee shop will run fine without you. Get a grip.”

Cam literally felt Lily shrink beside him as she simply nodded and bowed her head. He loved the Cavanaughs; they were a second family to him. But he had listened to them all dismiss Lily for years, and he'd never understood why. Furious with himself for never speaking up before, Cam knew that even as her pretend boyfriend, he needed to do it now.

He turned directly to Beth. “And why exactly isn't it a real job?” Before she could answer, Cam cut her off. “I mean, she goes to the coffee shop. She has a schedule. She works her shift, and she gets paid for the work she does. Tell me, Beth, how is that not a real job?”

“Well…um…” Beth stammered, looking around the room for someone to back her up. Usually her parents would, but they were remaining surprisingly quiet.

“Lily may not go to an office to work, but that doesn't mean what she does is any less important. Instead of giving her life to a company, she tries to find the things that give her pleasure so she can actually enjoy her life.” He looked around the room now with condemnation. “We could all learn something from Lily. How many family dinners were missed because of work? How many school events did you skip because of your jobs?” Finally, he turned to Lily.

“You are an inspiration because you are out and experiencing life while the rest of us experience the four walls of our offices. I, for one, am proud of you.” Leaning in, he kissed her on her forehead and then leaned back and put his arm around her to pull her close. With one last sweeping look around the room, he asked, “Anyone else have a problem with Lily needing to work a couple of shifts that week?”

Everyone shook their heads in stunned silence. “Good,” Cam said with a nod. “I'll probably have to work a couple of days myself, but I'll be sure to line my schedule up with Lily's so we can enjoy our time together with all of you.”

Only Lily knew that was really a tactic so they could present a united front and wouldn't have to deal with either set of parents on their own. Once again, he was her knight in shining armor. She leaned over and kissed his cheek and murmured a thank-you to him.

“Well,” Richard Greene said as he stood up, “I guess we can work out all of those details later. For now, why don't we break out the decorations and get things going here?” Everyone stood and they all knew the drill because it had been a tradition for years.

When Lily started to walk away, Cam took her hand and held her back. “You okay?” She nodded, still unwilling to speak. He forced her to look at him. “Hey, it's me. Are you sure you're all right? Because if not, I'll make an excuse for us and we can go.”

She smiled weakly. “I'm fine. I know I shouldn't let those little comments get to me, but they do. And really, it's not like they enjoy having me around, so I don't see what the big deal is if I miss a couple of days. If anything, you'd think they'd be glad. A little less time they have to spend staring disappointment in the face.”

“That's enough,” Cam said with more force than he intended. “I'm not going to stand here and let you keep putting yourself down. I'm done listening to it, Lil. I should have spoken up and put an end to this years ago, and I'm sorry I never did. But from now on, they'll have to deal with me if they open their mouths against you.”

Tears filled Lily's eyes, and she didn't even try to wipe them away. “You really are my knight in shining armor. You know that, right?”

Cam actually blushed at her praise. “I don't know about that.”

“It's true. No one ever stands up for me except you, and I want you to know I really love—”

“Hey, you two!” Angela popped back into the room and walked toward them with a big smile on her face. “We're about to start.”

Cam looked from his mother to Lily and then back again. “Uh, Mom…could you just give us a minute?”

“Okay, but just a minute because we have a ton of decorating to do, and you know it takes all of us to get it done.” She gave them a knowing grin and a wink before leaving the room.

“You were saying…” Cam prompted.

Lily could have kicked herself. She had almost blurted out that she loved him in the middle of his parents' living room. What was wrong with her? “I just wanted you to know I appreciate you being such a good friend.”

Disappointment flooded him. Cam had been certain Lily was going to say she loved him. True, she could have been about to say she loved him as a friend, but he had a feeling it was more. Was that even a possibility? Could she really feel more for him than friendship, or had their vacation fling simply confused her? Cam hoped that wasn't the case, but he was too afraid to get his hopes up.