Cameron woke up beside him the next morning. Well... not really beside him, more entwined with him. His arm was around her shoulders and her head was resting on his bare chest. She could still remember last night, feel him on her body and taste him on her lips. Somehow it was starting again. She'd thought she'd escaped him, but seeing him against had brought the old memories back, the good and the bad. She couldn't resist having him be hers one more time.
But where would things go now? She knew she could keep throwing Chase around like a ragdoll, but that's how her feelings seemed to be—all over the place. When she had time to think about it, she knew she'd done the right thing when she'd left, but in the spur of the moment when emotion overtook her, all she wanted was Chase. She wanted his arms around her, she wanted his breath on her ear. Why couldn't she just let herself have those things?
Beside her, Chase stirred and his eyes flickered open. The first thing his beautiful blue eyes focused on was her face, and she smiled at him. "Sleep well?" he asked, his voice a sleepy murmur.
"Better than I have for a month," Cameron replied softly, leaning forward to give him a slow, gentle kiss. He slid his hand up her back and pressed his mouth harder against her, like her wanted more, but—with great self control—she broke away. "We have to go to work."
Chase looked disappointed, but she rolled over anyway and sat up. They got ready for the most part in silence. She showered first, then got dressed while he did. The room was silent except for the muffled sound of running water, giving Cameron some time to think. She soon found it was painful to do so, though, so she forced her mind blank as she checked her reflection in the mirror. She looked calm and collection—not like she'd just had a hot and probably incredibly stupid night with her ex-husband.
The door to the bathroom open and she glanced over to see Chase step out with a towel wrapped around his waste. His short hair was still damp but quickly drying and she felt that same pull in her heart that she did every time she saw him. His eyes glided over her slowly, taking in her outfit, and she felt herself feeling self-conscious. Only Chase could make her worry that she looked good.
As if reading her mind, he said, "You look beautiful." She gave him a smile that she knew revealed more of her love for him than she would have liked. When they were both ready and standing outside her apartment, Chase leaned in and gave her a good-bye kiss. "I'll see you after work, okay?" he said, his Australian accent coloring his words. It made what she had to say next hurt even worse.
"I don't think that's such a good idea..." she said slowly, hesitantly, then watched as his expression shifted from confusion, to disbelief, to anger.
"You can't do this to me!" he exclaimed. "You left me and then you came back again only to sleep with me and tell me we can't see each other anymore?"
If looks could kill... Cameron thought sadly. His face was a mix of outrage and frustration. She knew what she was doing to him, but for some reason she couldn't stop. "I'm sorry, Chase," she said, thankful for the calmness of her own voice. "I'll see you around." She met his eyes one last time before brushing past him, leaving him staring after her in shock and disbelief.