Unforgiven (Wanderers #3) (28 page)

“Xander dear, would you go get Cameron and Dean and
let them know we’re ready to leave.”

“Of course Gran.” He nodded to her but then glared at
me one more time before he wrapped his arm around Jasa and walked
back into the party.

She let go of my arm and I looked at her confused.
“Gran, I’m not crazy. She had a mark. I saw it.”

Before she could say anything Dean and Cameron were
by our side. “Xander said you were ready to go?” His eyes darted
down to my bracelet. “Well that’s new.”

“Dean, I’m going to need your help. I have to –”

“Gran wait –”

“I believe you Ella, I do.”

“You do?” I asked, feeling a small sense of
relief.

“Yes, but I need you to relax because it’s not just
the bracelet, it’s you that’s doing this.” I looked at her with a
big question mark on my head. “The power inside of you is what is
adding to the power of the protection bracelet.” She turned to
Dean. “You ready?” He nodded.

“Ready for what?” I asked a little panicked. Dean
stood behind me and Gran took a step forward grabbing my wrist with
the bracelet and then put her hand on my forehead.

“I’m sorry bumble bee, but this is the only way.” My
eyes darted all around the room, scared of what was going on. Gran
closed her eyes and whispered a few words in Gaelic and before I
knew it I was very, very tired. So tired I could barely stand.

Dean caught me before I hit the floor. “Well, that
worked faster than I thought. I guess this old girl still got some
tricks up her sleeve,” Gran smiled. Dean and Cameron helped carry
me to the car. That was the last thing I remembered before I passed
out.

Dean was a little irritated when they got back to the
house. He was actually starting to have a good time at the party
before the drama with Ella. There always seemed to be drama with
Ella, which was putting a damper on his social life. Why couldn’t
he have a normal sister?

Dean sighed and kicked off his shoes. His thoughts
went back to the party where he was having the night of his life.
There were tons of women there from his dad’s office and they were
more than willing to offer him a ride home, but there was only one
girl there he wanted to go home with. One girl he couldn’t have. He
thought if he drank enough he could handle it. He threw himself
into the sea of women that were giving him the eye all night,
including some of the wait staff, and it helped for a little while
at least. He was distracted by the different pecks on the cheeks,
the brightly colored nails dragging down his chest seductively, and
the subtle grabs of his rear end and some not subtle of his
package. Women everywhere were trying to get their hooks into him,
but he still couldn’t manage to take his eyes off of the caramel
skinned beauty sitting by herself at the table.

Cameron looked like she was having a miserable time.
That was until Zach, one of Xander’s high school buddies decided to
keep her company. Dean liked most of Xander’s friends and if it was
anyone else he would have been encouraging Cameron to go for it,
but not with Zach. He was the biggest douche of all. Dean watched
as Cameron laughed and flirted with Zach. He tried not to let his
anger show, but it was hard with the way he was touching her. He
watched as he put his hand on Cameron’s knee, and would whisper in
her ear, making her blush.

Cameron looked up and caught Dean staring. He raised
his glass to her and she did the same. Zach turned to see who
Cameron was looking at. When he saw Dean, he winked, and then
leaned in closer to Cameron. He stood up and then offered her a
hand. Dean was ready to put a stop to this, but then he relaxed
when he saw he was only leading her to the dance floor. Determined
to not let this ruin his night, he extended his hand to the blonde
who had her hand in his pocket half the night. She gladly accepted
and he walked her out to the dance floor. Dean made sure they
danced close to Cameron and Zach, but when Zach’s hands started to
roam in places he shouldn’t Dean couldn’t take it anymore. He told
the blonde to go get him another drink and then quickly turned to
Zach and Cameron. “May I cut in?” he knew Zach wanted to protest
but Cameron stepped away clearly indicating it was okay. Zach
smiled and bowed to Cameron. Dean stepped in front of him wrapping
his arms tight around her. The moment his arm slipped around her
back and slid into her hand, he knew he was home. Their bodies
molded perfectly together as they swayed to the music. He tried his
best to impress her with his moves. Growing up, his mom always made
Xander and him take dance lessons and he hated every moment of it.
He also swore he would never tell a living soul, but today was the
first time ever he was happy to have the experience.

He twirled Cameron around the floor. He dipped her
making her laugh and then shuffled around the floor with her tucked
safely in his arms. He knew she was impressed. He could see it in
her eyes. Dean looked deep into those steel gray eyes and for a
moment he thought he saw something. Something that told him she
felt the same way. This was it he thought. This was his moment to
see if he was right. Dean was just about to make his move when the
blonde with the grab hands cleared her throat. Dean sighed and
pulled away taking the drink she offered him. Cameron shrugged her
shoulders and walked off the dance floor where Zach was waiting. He
extended an arm and she took it graciously as he escorted her back
to the table.

Dean ran his hands through his hair and sat on the
edge of his bed. He guessed he shouldn’t really be mad at Ella. For
once her drama actually worked to his benefit. It gave him an
excuse to get Zach away from Cameron. The look on Zach’s face was
enough to bring Dean joy. But now back at the house, Cameron was
down the hall in the guest room, and Dean was in his room. Not how
he planned for the end of his night to go. Dean looked at the clock
on the wall. It was just past eleven, still early. He still had a
chance.

Dean stood up and emptied all the numbers and room
keys that were slipped into his pocket throughout the night. He
didn’t really have a plan, but he knew if he waited too long it
would be too late. Dean crept quietly down the hall to the guest
room where Cameron was staying and hopefully not sleeping. He
contemplated about just barging in in hopes of catching her
undressing, but he knew she was too wise to let that happen and
would lock the door.

He stood just outside the door, thinking of the right
thing to say. The perfect excuse to see her, but nothing came to
mind. “Usually, I think better when I’m drunk,” he thought to
himself. “Why can’t I?” He heard her footsteps near the door. In a
panic he ran back to his room and closed the door behind him. In
the safety of his room, he pressed his back against the door and
tried to catch his breath. Normally he could move with great speed
and grace, but all the scotch he had tonight was weaning down his
powers and he needed to be on his game. He was going to find out if
Cameron liked him the way he liked her.

He never would have thought it possible but at the
party he started to pick up on the subtle things she would do. He
knew all the signs of when a girl was flirting. He’d been studying
them for years and had plenty of practice.

Dean thought Cameron was different, but at the party
he started to notice the way she would look at him. At first he
thought it was just the booze, but she would watch him while he was
surrounded by all the women. She would even search the room for him
when she was talking to Zach as if she purposely wanted Dean to see
the attention he was giving her. Not to mention the few times she
barged in between him and the woman he was talking to and then lean
over the bar to order a drink, begging him to check out her ass,
which he gladly did. And then when they danced. The way she would
look at him. The way her eyes begged for his attention. At first he
thought he was imaging things – wishful thinking. But deep down
something told him not to dismiss this. Dean knew if he wanted to
prove himself right he would have to make a move. It would be his
only chance.

He flew over to his own privately stocked bar and
poured himself a glass of scotch. “Much better, now I can think,”
he said.

He looked around the room. Okay first thing first,
pick up all the dirty clothes and put them? He looked around, the
closet he thought. He quickly made the bed and then checked himself
out in the mirror. He smiled at himself. “Damn, I am one good
looking dude.” He touched up his hair and then sprayed some air
freshener around the room.

“Dean,” Cameron whispered, knocking lightly on the
door.

Shit! That was an unexpected surprise. He wasn’t
expecting her to come to him. He thought he would have to go to
her, but maybe this was better. He quickly checked everything and
then looked down at his outfit thinking if he should answer the
door in his boxers or…no, too much. Instead he just untucked and
unbuttoned his shirt, and threw his tie on the bed. He prepared
himself by taking a deep breath before opening the door.

When Dean swung the door open, Cameron thought she
would lose her breath. He was looking as sexy as ever with his
shirt hanging open, exposing his chest and rock hard abs. He leaned
casually up against the door frame with a drink in hand and a sexy
smile on his face. “Hi I was…” the words stuck on her tongue and
she couldn’t spit them out.

“Wondering what I looked like naked?” he said
cockily.

Yes.

“Please, get over yourself. I was wondering what you
were doing creeping by my door,” she said, finally finding her
voice.

“I wasn’t outside your door,” he said, looking like a
deer caught in headlights.

“Really?” Cameron leaned in close and took a whiff.
“So that wasn’t your cologne I smelled lingering outside my
door?”

“This is my house. My scent is going to be
everywhere.”

“Uh-huh,” she nodded, smiling. She knew she was
making him feel uncomfortable and she loved every minute of it.
“So,” she said, peeking her head through the door. “What are you
doing?”

“Well as you know, now that my ladies have caught
wind that I’m home, I’m just passing the time until they
arrive.”

“Right,” she said, knowing clear well no one was
coming over or so she hoped. She dealt with guys like Dean before
and knew how the game was played, but what he didn’t know was that
she could play the game just as good as any guy.

“I might be able to spare a few minutes if you’d like
to join me for a night cap,” he smiled coyly.

Cameron took a step into the room as he opened the
door wider for her. It was just as she had expected; neat,
masculine, carefully and strategically placed items and own mini
bar. There were magazines on the night stand, dumbbells over in the
corner, pictures of him and his family and some of girls she was
sure that had come and gone over the years. Over on his wall was a
mural of girls all shapes and sizes. “What’s this?” she asked.

“Oh, that’s um…” Dean stuttered. “Just pictures of
some friends.”

“Why are they all girls?” she asked, even though she
was pretty sure she already knew the answer.

“What can I say, I have a lot of girl friends,” he
shrugged, playing it off like it was no big deal.

Cameron just nodded. “So how about that drink?” she
asked, changing the subject.

“Right,” he said, smiling again. Dean made his way
over to the bar. “What would you like?”

“Surprise me.”

“I think I know the perfect drink.” He made her an
Appletini which just happened to be her favorite drink.

“Are you happy to be home?” Cameron asked, as she
took in the rest of the room.

“Yes,” he said, lying back on the bed with his one
arm behind his head. It took Cameron everything she had not to
stare at him. She snuck a quick peek and he had caught her. His
smile was wide and satisfied.

She turned away and tried to find something on the
wall to distract her. Then she heard his phone go off. “Do you want
me to leave so you can answer that?”

“No. It’s just a text,” he said, as his thumbs moved
swiftly over the keyboard. “So what about you? Are you happy to be
back?”

“I’m happy we accomplished our mission,” she said.
And happy Tristan complied with her request to stay behind and
leave Ella alone. “I was a little sad when we had to leave. I mean
I was getting home sick, but I liked it there.” It wasn’t a total
lie. Cameron liked being there with Dean. That was what helped her
cope with all her own inner demons she was fighting. Without him
there she didn’t think she would have lasted as long.

Cameron walked over to the dresser and picked up a
small stuffed frog. She turned around to ask him about it when he
was texting again. “I’m sorry am I keeping you from something?” He
looked up and hopped off the bed tearing the frog from her hands.
She laughed and his cheeks turned red. “What’s the matter? Is Mr.
Frog your little bedtime buddy? Don’t like other people touching
him?” she teased.

He blushed and then his phone beeped for the fourth
or was it the fifth time now she thought? “I think I should go,”
she said, setting her drink on the dresser.

“No.” Dean put his hand next to her on the dresser
blocking her path. “I’ll turn it off.”

“I wouldn’t want you to disappoint your ladies.”

“They’re not the ones I’m worried about
disappointing,” he said in a husky voice. Cameron held her breath
trying not to shake from the goose bumps that he was giving her.
Dean looked straight into Cameron’s eyes, raised his hand to touch
the delicate skin along her jaw. His hand slipped closer to her
neckline and she knew he was just about to kiss her when it was her
phone that went off this time.