“Uh-huh,” Julian responded. “Well, come on; give me some,” he invited with a smile as he turned Cameron around and began pushing him out toward the kitchen, heedless of the fact that he was still nude.
Clearly, Julian was a man who was either used to being naked or was very comfortable with his body. Possibly both, Cameron speculated. He laughed as Julian urged him along. “I was getting ready to open the next bottle when you knocked,” he explained. “I’m making lasagna!” he claimed, as if that justified it.
“Sounds like a drinking task to me,” Julian affirmed with a sage nod.
“You’re humoring me,” Cameron accused as Julian pushed him into the kitchen.
“Yes,” Julian answered with a laugh.
Cameron stopped at the bar. “You’re laughing at me too.”
“Only a little,” Julian insisted with sincerity.
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Cameron reached out to snag the corkscrew and slid around the bar that separated the living room and the kitchen, putting it between him and Julian. “No wine for you,” he muttered.
Julian snorted and turned his head a bit when the sound of tiny feet came stampeding around the corner toward them. “Oh, fun,” he commented as the puppies lobbed themselves at his bare ankles.
Cameron snickered at the look on Julian’s face. He set the corkscrew on the bar and walked over to the lasagna fixings. “How was work?” he asked.
Julian looked up at him, a hint of the guarded mask appearing before he looked back down and gently lifted his foot, trying to shake off a puppy without booting it across the floor. “It was… predictable,”
he answered vaguely.
“Predictable,” Cameron commented. “Sounds… exciting.
Although, I guess you would think my job is predictable.”
“I waited tables once,” Julian told him. “
Once
, as in
one
night,” he was quick to clarify. “Nothing predictable about that. I’m much better off doing what I do, thank you.”
Cameron looked over his shoulder, grinning. “I can’t see you as a waiter,” he agreed. “You sort of have to talk to people, you know?” He turned back to the pan and finished layering the second lasagna.
“I talk,” Julian responded, sounding affronted by the implication that he didn’t.
Cameron wiped his hands off on a dish towel and covered the deep pan with aluminum foil. “Uh-huh. And just
how many
dinners at Tuesdays did it take before you said word one to me?” He glanced to Julian as he carried the pan over to the freezer.
“I was nervous,” Julian offered lamely.
Cameron shook his head in disbelief as he shut the freezer door and turned around. “Then why sit in my section every Tuesday for who knows how many months?”
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Julian grinned and finally wrapped the towel around his waist again after wresting it from two growling dogs. “Ten. Because I liked to watch you.”
Cameron blinked. Ten months. Wow. That long? “Watch me, but not speak to me.”
Julian sighed as his smile fell, and he lowered his head for a moment. “I was afraid I would say something out of line,” he said seriously.
Cameron’s brow furrowed. “Out of line?” He tipped his head to one side as he walked back to the bar and started opening the bottle of wine.
“Blake Nichols is a very good friend of mine, as well as a business partner,” Julian explained softly. “It wouldn’t do to get on my knees in the middle of his restaurant and beg you to come home with me.”
Cameron fumbled with the corkscrew while he blinked in shock that was aided by too much wine. His mouth dropped open as he tried to say something, but nothing came out; he could do nothing but stare at Julian with wide blue eyes.
Julian returned the look earnestly, waiting.
“Would you really have done that?” Cameron finally managed to ask.
“Probably,” Julian answered with a nod. “Blake told me I couldn’t,” he added in what was nearly a sulk.
Cameron’s eyes widened again. “Probably?” he repeated weakly.
“I would have been subtle,” Julian insisted with a straight face.
Cameron was completely bowled over. “Subtle? How is getting down on your knees and begging
subtle
?”
“I could make it subtle,” Julian insisted under his breath as he waded through the puppies and around the bar to join Cameron. He took the wine cork with one hand and Cameron’s hand with the other before he gracefully dropped to his knees in front of him and looked up at him with impish dark eyes.
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Cameron had not one single idea what to do. All he could do was stare down at the gorgeous sight in front of him. That glittering gaze held him mesmerized as he tightened his fingers around Julian’s.
“See?” Julian asked innocently. “It’s less subtle when I’m naked, but you get the point,” he said in a low voice, obviously trying not to smile as he released Cameron’s hand and slid his hands up the backs of Cameron’s calves. It was obvious he was enjoying himself, but Cameron wasn’t quite getting the joke.
Cameron waffled a little and finally lifted his free hand to ghost over Julian’s short hair. He thought about it for a long moment before finally murmuring, “Point taken.”
Julian grinned up at him and let his hands move up over the backs of Cameron’s thighs. “Were you cooking?” he asked.
“Cooking?” Cameron repeated in a daze, hand still moving lightly over Julian’s head to curl down and coast over his ear and cheek.
Julian laughed softly, seeing the effect his actions were having.
Cameron shook his head to clear it and dipped it to one side. “I would have said yes,” he whispered.
Julian gave that a genuine smile that warmed his eyes to a deep brown. “That’s good to know.”
Cameron felt a flash of panic. “You’re not going to try it, are you?”
As he put a hand to his heart, Julian gave him the most angelic face Cameron had ever seen. “Try what?” he asked.
Visibly worried, Cameron reached down to tug at Julian’s hand, urging him to stand. “Not that I would mind the effort,” he clarified as Julian grunted and got back to his feet slowly. Cameron looked up at him. “C’mon; I’ll feed you,” he said abruptly, trying to dispel the sudden tightness in his chest. “But you’d better get dressed or I’ll get distracted again.”
Julian smirked as he looked down at his towel. He watched Cameron moving toward the oven for a moment before turning on silent feet and padding across the main room to disappear behind the 80
Madeleine Urban & Abigail Roux
screen. Cameron’s eyes lifted to watch him the whole way, and he slowly licked his bottom lip. Once the man disappeared behind the dividing screens, he let out a shuddering sigh and practically collapsed against the counter.
Julian had wanted to beg him.
Beg him
. The concept literally took Cameron’s breath away. For his own reasons, Julian wanted him.
Badly. And in no way would Cameron put any sort of stop to it.
Cameron took a long, shaky breath. He could very easily love this man. That was far scarier than any gun or ambiguous job.
Julian was frowning and rubbing at his chest when he stepped back out into the outer room, wearing one of Cameron’s T-shirts and a pair of sweats that didn’t quite reach his ankles.
“How are you?” he asked Cameron abruptly.
Cameron looked up from the heated lasagna he was pulling out of the oven when Julian spoke from across the room. He really had no idea how to answer that question, given the last half-hour. He settled on the easier answer. “Hungry.” He nodded down to the hot dish. “This just needs to set up some, and I’ll get some French bread and salad out.”
Julian came closer carefully. “It smells wonderful.”
Nodding, Cameron unwrapped the bread with only slightly shaky hands and turned back around to look at Julian and grasp for something to say. “Wine?” he asked after his eyes cast over the newly opened bottle.
Julian looked down at the bottle and smirked. “No, thank you,” he responded. “Am I making you uncomfortable?” he asked, his voice low and calm once more. “I can go,” he offered.
Cameron glanced at him and just as quickly looked away. “I just don’t know what to say,” he said. “No one’s ever said something like that to me before. I don’t want you to go,” he managed to get out as he stared at the wine bottle. “Why did you come back?” he asked starkly.
“I promised I would,” Julian answered in surprise. “I intended to get here earlier, but I tend to drive faster than I can walk.”
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“I didn’t expect to see you again,” Cameron told him. “Like I said earlier, you’d never spoken much to me at all.”
“You didn’t think I’d come back?” Julian asked in a hurt voice.
“I don’t know you,” Cameron answered defensively. “Not really.
And for the most part, anybody I get involved with isn’t interested in sticking around,” he added.
Julian stared at him in open shock. “Then you’ve been fucking the wrong people,” he finally said with absolute certainty.
Cameron’s head snapped up, and he boggled. “I have?” he said, voice cracking a little.
“Of course,” Julian responded with a nod of his head. “Someone would have to be out of their mind not to come back to you. I walked through a blizzard to get here.”
Cameron met Julian’s eyes. “I’ve never met anyone like you before,” he said in quiet amazement. “You make me feel…”
Julian raised an eyebrow and rubbed his chest distractedly, waiting.
“Special,” Cameron supplied, barely audible. “Wanted.”
Julian grinned widely. “Good,” he said matter-of-factly.
“And confused,” Cameron added with a sigh of resignation. “Why is that good? Strokes your ego?”
Julian pressed his hand over his heart as if he’d been hurt. “Ouch,”
he responded with a slight huff. “No,” he added as he leaned his elbows on the counter. “Because that’s exactly how I want you feeling.”
“Oh.” Cameron just looked at him in wonder. “I just might have to kiss you now,” he warned.
“Well then, just let me move closer,” Julian drawled cheekily as he glided around the counter and stopped next to Cameron. He wrapped an arm around Cameron’s waist carefully and leaned down to give him a chaste kiss on the corner of his mouth.
As soon as Julian came close, Cameron lost his hold on his worries, and they melted into the background. Instead, he turned into 82
Madeleine Urban & Abigail Roux
the heat of the other man’s body, lightly bumping Julian’s lips against his again. He drew a shaking breath and tilted his head back to kiss Julian gently.
“Maybe I need some more wine,” Cameron whispered.
“No, you don’t,” Julian assured him, tugging him closer and kissing him hungrily, cradling his head in one large hand as he did so.
It was easy to relax against Julian’s chest and be kissed, and Cameron reveled in it, feeling the heat spark between them just like it had the night before. Just like that morning. Just like he hoped, at that very moment, it would for more time to come.
Julian hummed contentedly and smiled as he pulled back from the kiss. “Thank you for letting me stay,” he whispered against Cameron’s lips.
“Any time,” Cameron murmured without thinking, raising his eyes to meet Julian’s. Somehow, being in Julian’s arms soothed the nerves and worry of the unknown.
“I could grow used to this,” Julian said.
Cameron let his eyes move over Julian’s face. “Okay,” he said softly.
“Okay?” Julian echoed.
Cameron nodded solemnly. “I’d like it,” he clarified, “if you grew used to this.” He held his breath as he waited for Julian to answer.
Julian smiled slowly—a real, honest smile that seemed to melt away his hardened exterior. “Good,” he responded as he slid his hands into the rear pockets of Cameron’s jeans possessively.
Cameron released his breath and smiled as he gulped for another one. He shifted and hooked his wrists behind Julian’s neck. “You might change your mind once you get to know me. I’m awfully boring.”
“So am I,” Julian retorted with a spark of mischief in his eyes.
“I really don’t see how that’s possible,” Cameron said dryly. “The man who would get on his knees in the middle of a four-star restaurant to beg a waiter to go home with him?”
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“That’s not interesting. It’s just being smitten,” Julian corrected.
“Smitten? With me?” Cameron asked with a disbelieving laugh.
“You think I get on my knees for just anyone?” Julian asked with another playful sparkle in his eyes, as if sharing a private joke with himself.
“Had I not seen it with my own eyes, I would bet you got down on your knees for
no
one
,” Cameron said with absolute surety.
Julian lifted an eyebrow. “Well. You were mistaken,” he chastised gently. His eyes flicked around the kitchen. “What shall we do for the few minutes it takes for dinner to finish?” he asked softly.
Both Cameron’s brows rose as he considered the question and grasped for some sort of answer. “Roast chestnuts?” he threw out.
“Is that what you call them?” Julian asked innocently as he turned and looked at the herd of tussling puppies. Cameron’s jaw dropped, and he rapped Julian on the chest with his knuckles. Julian gasped and pressed his hand to his sore chest, backing away. “Ow,” he protested, though he still laughed.
Cameron turned up his nose. “Love me, love my dogs,” he said snootily, trying to make a joke.
Julian tried to suppress a smile as he looked at the puppies again.
“Well,” he sighed with regret. “I suppose I could learn.”
Cameron wondered about that answer. Learn to love the dogs? Or learn to love
him
? He edged slightly closer to the other man again. It was a weakness of Cameron’s, something the majority of men he met didn’t like: he thrived on physical contact. He loved the simplicity of touching. He craved it even more than the thrill of hot sex. So he stole the opportunity to lean his temple against Julian’s shoulder for just a moment and press his nose to the warm skin of Julian’s throat.
Julian wound his arms around him, and he dropped his chin and kissed Cameron impulsively before he let loose a long, growling sigh.