In fact, I wanted to burn.
I wanted to throw myself right into the flames.
“I can feel you, Sunshine.” His voice lingered at the edge of my desire-induced delirium. “You’re close.”
I nodded, soft moan after soft moan spilling from my lips. Cameron did something with his fingers, something deeper, more intense, and my world exploded into tiny white stars. And there, on Cameron’s counter, drowning in pleasure, trying to catch my breath, I realized he wasn’t only dangerous on the field.
Cameron Chase was dangerous for my heart.
Cameron
Hailee’s body melted against me, her breathing rapid and her skin flushed. Fuck, she looked good on my bathroom counter in nothing but my jersey. I’d never let a girl wear my number before, but I had a strange desire to make sure she never took it off. Shit, Chase, get a grip.
“I... Cameron,” she breathed, fighting a smile. “I can’t feel my legs.”
Untangling myself from her body, I backed up, giving her some space. She was all over me and I wanted nothing more than to bring my fingers to my lips and suck them clean, but Hailee was panicking. I saw it written all over her face.
“You okay?” I asked, not caring I had a raging hard on that was impossible to hide in my tight boxers.
“I... that was...”
I braced myself for her smart-assed reply, but instead she caught me completely off-guard.
“Amazing,” she sighed dreamily.
“Yeah?” Sounding far too pleased with myself, I cringed.
But it was her.
Hailee made some of the other shit disappear. The constant pressure. The worry over Mom. About picking a college. And although I enjoyed nothing more than the push and pull between us, I also just enjoyed her.
The quiet moments.
Being around Hailee was like a breath of fresh air, and I already craved another hit.
“I’ll let you get cleaned up.” My lip curved in a smirk. I couldn’t help it. Knowing I’d made her come apart did things to me. Serious things.
Things I hadn’t anticipated.
“Okay.” She gave me a small smile and I left the bathroom.
If we didn’t materialize soon, Xander would come looking. He had questions about my friend. Heaps of questions and I knew I couldn’t trust him to keep quiet in front of Mom and Dad, so when I’d delivered him to the kitchen, I’d given them a brief explanation as to why I had Jason’s step-sister in my bedroom on a Saturday morning.
Of course, they probably didn’t expect me to have my fingers deep inside her and my tongue down her throat.
When Hailee reappeared, she was dressed, if you called wearing my jersey over the top of her dress, dressed. “I, hmm, is this okay?” Her eyes lowered the floor. “I didn’t want to leave the house in just my dress.”
“It’s cool, you can borrow it, I have plenty more.” Hailee sucked in a harsh breath and I backtracked. “I didn’t mean... that came out wrong.”
“It’s okay.” She moved to sit on my bed. “So...”
“Listen Hailee, I—”
Xander’s screams pierced the air and my body tensed. “Shit.” My heart lurched into my throat. “I need to go. Stay here, I’ll be right back.”
“O-okay.”
I left my room and ran downstairs, taking two steps at a time. “Mama, Mama.” Xander screamed and as I rounded the kitchen my world imploded. Mom was on the floor, pancake batter splattered up the cupboards, streaked across the tiles, and her blouse.
“Dad,” I yelled, rushing to her side. “Mom, Mom, can you hear me?” I gently shook her shoulders. She was out cold, but I saw the gentle rise and fall of her chest. She was breathing.
Thank fuck, she was breathing.
Rolling her onto her side, I glanced back at Xander. “Hey, Buddy, where’d Dad go?”
“The tore o get srup.”
“He left to get syrup?”
Xander nodded, his eyes wide and brimming with tears. “Mama kay?”
“Mom’s going to be fine, buddy. Just fine.” But as I said the words my stomach plummeted. Mom wasn’t fine.
Not even a little bit.
“Oh God.” At the sound of Hailee’s voice, I sucked in sharply. “Is she okay?”
“Ailee,” Xander shrieked.
“Hi, buddy.” She went to him, stroking his hair.
“I know this is probably a lot to ask.” I met her concerned gaze. “But can you get him out of his chair and take him into the other room?”
“Of course. Should we call 911?” Her eyes motioned to Mom’s lifeless body.
“I don’t—”
“Cameron?” Dad entered the back door. “What happened?” He dropped the bag of groceries on the counter, stuff spilling everywhere, and rushed over to me.
“I don’t know, I heard Xander screaming and found her like this.”
Dad ushered me out of the way and checked Mom over. “Karen, darling, can you hear me?” His fingers gently traced her face and she began to stir, and relief like I’d never known before slammed into me.
“C- Clarke? What happened?” Mom tried to sit up but crumpled back to the floor. Dad slipped his arm under her neck cradling her head in his lap. “You passed out, sweetheart.”
“I- I did?” Tears collected in the corner of Mom’s eyes and I was vaguely aware of Hailee’s gaze burning into the back of my head. “Is Xander—”
“Xander’s fine, Mom,” I reassured her, sliding my eyes to Hailee. She gave me a small nod, my brother clinging onto her like a spider monkey.
“Why don’t you and Hailee take him into the den while I call Doctor Kravis?”
“Are you sure—”
“Cameron, now, Son.” Dad glanced down at Mom and I realized he wanted to protect Mom’s privacy and dignity.
“Sure, if you need me, just shout.” I went over to Hailee and Xander. “Come on, let’s show Hailee your toys.”
The second we stepped into the den, Xander wriggled out of Hailee’s arms and plopped to the floor. “Ome on, Ailee. You ike Aze?”
“Aze?” she mouthed at me.
“Blaze and the monster machines.”
“I, uh, I don’t know that one.”
I smiled, watching as Xander grabbed her hand and pulled her further into the room. And it occurred to me I wasn’t the only one smitten with Hailee Raine. She listened patiently as Xan got her up to speed on all things Blaze. When he was absorbed in the game, Hailee crept away, coming over to me. “Is your Mom going to be okay?” she asked.
Moving to the couch, I waited for her to join me. “Honestly,” I confessed. “I don’t know.”
“What’s wrong with her?”
“She has postpartum depression and anxiety.”
Hailee’s brow crinkled and I knew what she was thinking. “But I’m not sure that’s all there is to it,” I admitted. “Dad said she’s getting some tests.”
“What tests?”
“I’m not sure.” I buried my face in my hands, rubbing my eyes with the heel of my palms, letting out a shaky breath. I’d seen Mom lose it more times than I could count; I’d seen her in puddles of tears, sobbing about something as trivial as burning the dinner. I’d watched her unable to get out of bed for days on end, complaining she was too exhausted. But I’d never seen her unresponsive like that before.