The Mighty Quinns: Cameron (9 page)

“Were you planning for this?” she asked. “Or do you always carry protection?”

“I never planned for this,” he said. “And I do usually carry protection.”

Cameron skimmed his hand from her hip to her belly and then dipped lower to touch the spot between her legs. Her body seemed to melt into his, and he knew his caress had the intended effect. Her eyes closed; her lips parted slightly.

As he brought her closer to her release, she reached around him, her fingers closing around his erection. Slowly, she stroked him, bringing Cameron along with her.

It was so simple, each of them teasing the other, testing the limits of their control, searching for the one caress that would bring the ultimate experience. Cam sensed that she was near, and knew exactly what it would take to send her over the edge.

But when she cried out, then dissolved into a series of deep spasms, he wasn’t prepared for the effect that it would have on him. In a heartbeat, Cam was there with her, unbearably tense and then incredibly relaxed. He tried to stop himself, but the sound of her pleasure was enough to send him over the edge.

When it was finally over, when the last of their tremors had dissolved, she nuzzled against his chest. Sofie drew a ragged breath. “Oops,” she whispered.

He chuckled, pulling her close to kiss the top of her head. “Oops,” he replied. “We’ll have to try that again. Best to get it right.”

“You know what I’d like to try? I’d like to take a long shower and then wrap myself up in that robe over there and order room service. I’m starving.”

“Then go,” he said. “I hope you don’t mind if I watch?”

She crawled off the bed and stood beside it, her dark hair tumbling over her shoulders. He’d tried to imagine the body beneath the faded jeans and simple shirts, but Cameron had never pictured anything like this. From top to toe, she was sheer perfection—long legs and slender hips, a tiny waist and small breasts.

“Are you done looking now?” she asked.

“Not quite. Turn around.”

With a laugh, she spun on her heel and walked over to the rack with the robes. A moment later, she’d wrapped her body in the plush fabric. A sigh slipped from her throat. “Oh, this is nice,” she said. She grabbed the other robe and hurried back to the bed. “Go ahead, try it.”

Reluctantly, Cameron stood and slipped into the robe. Though it did feel nice on his naked skin, he much preferred seeing Sofie without clothes.

She grabbed the booklet of services from the bedside table and sat down on the bed. “I’ve never been to a spa before. Maybe we should try some services. Look at all these massages. Couples massage, chakra massage, hot-stone massage. I would love to have someone massage my feet.”

“I can do that,” he said. Cameron turned and grabbed her foot, then slowly began to knead it with his fingertips. She watched him, a playful smile twitching at her lips. “I better get a decent tip for this,” he murmured.

She flopped back onto the bed. “I should really stop thinking about you and start focusing on Walter.”

Cameron continued to rub her foot. “What’s there to focus on? As soon as you get a few photos, you’ll be finished, right?”

“I’d still like to know what he was up to out at that dig site.”

“Maybe he’ll tell me when we’re talking business tonight.”

“I just don’t feel right about this. When I was doing police work, it was really easy to tell the bad guys from the good guys. But now, no matter what I do, everyone is going to get hurt. Stella Fredericks is going to hate her sister, Walter is going to hate Stella, and Vivian will probably end up hating both of them. And Walter and Stella have kids, two teenage girls. What’s going to happen to them?”

“You were hired to do a job,” he said.

“It just doesn’t feel like a job. It feels like I’m destroying a family.” She cursed softly. “Why do men have to cheat?”

“Haven’t we discussed that subject before?” Cameron asked.

“Yes. But you didn’t give me an answer. Why do men cheat?”

Cameron drew a deep breath, then pulled Sofie into his lap. “Maybe they just haven’t found that one woman who makes their life worth living. Maybe they’re looking for someone who makes them want to be a better man, a woman who looks at them and sees the perfect body and thick hair and boyish smile that they had when they were younger.”

“Does anyone find that?”

He nodded. “I think they do. I think my parents had that.”

“I think mine do, too.”

A long silence grew between them. “How’s the foot? Feel good?”

She nodded. “Now do the other one. Maybe by the time you’re finished I’ll have this all figured out.”

* * *

S
OFIE
STOOD
IN
the elevator, watching as the numbers above the door ticked down to the lobby. She was dressed in a pretty cotton halter dress that nearly reached her ankles and a pair of sandals decorated with turquoise beads and copper medallions. She’d seen them in the hotel dress shop and couldn’t resist. After all, she needed more than just sexy red underwear to attract a man like Cameron.

With her hair freshly washed and her skin drenched in the spa’s signature body lotion, she felt…beautiful.

“Do you remember the plan?” Sofie asked Cameron, who was standing beside her.

“I do. If Vivian is with him, you’ll get some photos and then join us. If she isn’t, you’ll wait for me by the pool.”

“Right.”

The elevator door opened. Cameron took her hand and gave it a squeeze. “Don’t worry.”

“I’m not worried,” she said lightly.

They went their separate ways, Sofie heading out to the pool while Cameron headed toward the bar. She stopped at the gift shop and bought a magazine, then wandered past the dress shop, considering another purchase.

She stepped inside and flipped through a rack of swimsuits before moving on to the dresses. When she found a pale blue sundress, she pulled it off the rack and held it up to herself in front of the mirror.

“That’s a beautiful color on you, with your dark hair and eyes.”

“Thanks,” Sofie said, turning to smile at a slender blonde.

She had a large handbag slung over her shoulder and wore a voluminous cover-up over her swimsuit. “There are just so many pretty things in here. I’ve already bought two dresses and a bunch of their lingerie.”

Sofie pulled another dress off the rack and held it up. “What do you think? This is nice.”

“Oh, that is. Nice deep neckline. It’ll show off a little cleavage.” She giggled. “Nothing wrong with that.”

“I guess not.”

“Well, I’ll leave you to your shopping,” she said. “Oh, by the way, I’m Vivian.” She held out her hand. “Just in case we run into each other again.”

Sofie’s breath stopped in her throat. She pasted a smile on her face. “I’m Sofie,” she said. “I—I was just going to go sit by the pool and have a drink. Would you like to join me?”

Vivian glanced at her watch. “Sure,” she said. “My sweetie is having some kind of business meeting. He won’t be done for a while. And I could certainly use a drink. All this healthy stuff is driving me crazy.”

They walked out to the pool together and found a pair of lounge chairs away from a noisy group of women seated at a long table. Sofie relaxed into the comfortable cushions, and a moment later, a waiter stood beside them.

“I’ll have a strawberry margarita,” Vivian said. “With lots of sugar on the rim. And double tequila.”

“A mojito,” Sofie said. She closed her eyes, her mind spinning with topics of conversation. What kind of luck was this? Cameron was sitting inside with Walter, and here she was spending time with Vivian. “So, you’re here with your husband?”

“Boyfriend. What about you?”

“I’m alone,” Sofie said. “But I did meet a man this afternoon. Tall, dark and very handsome. We’re going to have dinner together later.”

“How long are you staying?” Vivian asked.

“I’m not sure. Until I feel renewed. The hydrotherapy makes my hip feel so much better, and the Pilates helps keep me limber. If I could live here, I think I’d almost feel normal again.”

“What happened?” Vivian asked. “I mean, if you don’t mind my asking.”

“Skiing accident. I broke my right leg. In three places. I’m just starting to feel better.”

“I’m sorry. That’s terrible. I don’t do anything that might result in a broken limb. Except wear ridiculously high heels.” She giggled. “That’s the benefit of being with an older man,” she said. “They prefer more sedentary activities.”

“Your boyfriend is older?”

“Not that much older. Thirteen years. But he’s just the sweetest thing. Believe me, nothing they say about older men is true. They can go all night long.”

“How long have you been together?”

“Three years,” she said. “Three wonderful years.”

“That’s a long time.”

Vivian’s smile faded. “I know. We plan to get married.” She paused. “Just as soon as he divorces his wife.”

“He’s married?”

She nodded, her smile forced. “I mean, they barely speak anymore. But they have two daughters, and he’s afraid that the girls will hate him if he leaves. There’s also a prenup that will leave him with pretty much nothing. I have money, but he refuses to consider that I could support us.”

“What does he do?”

“Oh, he has lots of businesses. Real estate and investments. He helps run the family car dealerships. And he’s a city councilman in Albuquerque. That’s why we have to keep our relationship quiet. It would be such a scandal.”

“Yes,” Sofie said. “I suppose it would.”

“But everything will work out,” she said. “I love him and he loves me. I just have to be patient.” The waiter returned with their drinks, and Vivian took a long sip of her strawberry margarita. “I haven’t even had a drink and I’m telling you my life story.”

“I don’t mind,” Sofie said.

“Well, I guess you can’t help who you love. I didn’t want to fall in love with Walter, but I did. I just hope it all works out someday.”

The waiter handed Sofie the mojito she’d ordered and she took a sip. This wasn’t getting better; it was getting worse. She felt like a marriage counselor, not a private investigator. Was Stella really done with the marriage? If she was really only interested in the money, then maybe Walter and Vivian could have their happy ending. But once Stella found out that Vivian was the other woman, their relationship would be ruined. Or was it possible that she might be happy for her younger sister?

“Have you ever been in love?” Vivian asked in a wistful voice. “Oh, of course you have. What am I saying? Someone as beautiful as you are must have the guys lined up around the block.”

“No,” Sofie replied. “I thought I was in love once, but it wasn’t right.”

“Well, you never know when you’re going to meet Mr. Right. He could be here. He could even be the man you met earlier today. I met Walter when I was seventeen. He was thirty so he was too old to even look at me. But I was in love with him from the very start.” She clapped her hands. “Boom, just like that. Like I’d been struck by lightning.”

Sofie couldn’t help but like Vivian. She wasn’t at all what Sofie had imagined her to be, some evil hussy out to ruin her sister’s marriage. She was clearly in love with Walter, and though Sofie wasn’t sure that her feelings were being returned in full measure, she had to think that Vivian believed they were.

The subject moved from men to interior decor as Vivian chatted about the work she was doing at the ranch. And when that subject was exhausted, she moved on to dogs, talking about the Border Collie she planned to buy just as soon as the house was redecorated. Luckily, Vivian was such an animated conversationalist, Sofie barely had to do more than nod and reply.

“Where do you live?” Vivian finally asked.

Sofie paused, fighting the urge to tell the woman the truth, to warn her off and get her to think about how her actions would affect her sister and her nieces. “I—I live in San Francisco,” she lied.

“I’ve always wanted to visit San Francisco, but I’m terrified of earthquakes. And tornadoes. And hurricanes. That’s why I like living in the desert. Have you ever been in an earthquake?”

“Some small ones,” Sofie said.

Vivian looked at her watch and then let out a tiny squeal. “Look at the time. I have to go.” She gulped down the last of her drink and stood up, clutching her bag to her chest. “Let’s do something tomorrow. Walter plans to go golfing. And I’d love to try the mud baths. We could go together. What’s your room number?”

“I’m in 308,” Sofie said.

“I’ll call you. I promise. Mud baths. You and me.”

Sofie watched Vivian disappear inside, then turned back to her drink. Until now, all the cases she’d worked with her uncle had been simple. This one seemed to be pretty much the same at first. But suddenly, it felt…personal.

“Hey.” Cameron appeared from behind her and sat down on the chair that Vivian had abandoned. “What are you drinking?”

She handed him her glass. “Mojito. It’s good. Very refreshing.”

He took a swallow and then winced. “Mint?”

“It’s an acquired taste. Finish it. You’ll be hooked.”

“We’re having dinner with Walter and Vivian.”

“Great. I just met Vivian. We had drinks together.”

“Why do you look so…”

“So?”

“I don’t know how to describe it. Perplexed?”

“I almost wanted to tell her everything. To warn her about what’s going to happen if she continues this affair with Walter. But then she told me how much she loves him, and I think maybe—maybe—they might belong together.” Sofie groaned. “I can’t believe I just said that. I’m turning into a sap.”

Cameron laughed, then pulled her into a hug. “I promise, you’re not a sap. You’re just having trouble finding the bad guy in all of this.”

“Walter. Walter is the bad guy. I’ve got no problem with that. He’s cheating on his wife and daughters with his sister-in-law.”

“Well, you might be right about that.”

“What did he say?”

“It’s what he didn’t say that was interesting. We talked about commercial real estate and car washes and golf courses and strip malls. But then he brought up another opportunity that was sensitive in nature.”