kept his other hand on her waist as he hovered over her. She was warm and soft and entirely too tipsy for him to leave alone.
He slid his gaze over her, taking in her flushed cheeks and mussed hair. “How long have you been here? Why didn’t you call someone?”
Her jaw hardened. “Who would I call? They kicked me out.”
And the pain over that still lingered in her voice.
“You could have called me. I’ve been looking for you all day.”
“I didn’t ask you to do that.”
She might not have, but he wasn’t the type of guy who could sit around twiddling his thumbs. He’d seen her expression as she’d walked away from the Underhills, and it had concerned him. She was an expert at pushing things down and not letting them show but, this time, her face had been damn near placid. It hadn’t been a good sign. The proof had been in the way she’d sparred with him in her office afterwards. Him—somebody she avoided like the plague. He’d been half out of his mind worrying about her all afternoon.
Apparently, with good reason.
“Have you been here all day?” he asked. How much of it had she spent drinking?
She brushed her hair out of her eyes again. It was tumbled around her shoulders, all silky and touchable. As approachable as she seemed, though, there was fire in her eyes. “Yes,” she said defiantly. “I popped in and decided to stay when I found my sister .”
All that stubbornness faltered when she glanced at the bar. When her gaze came back to him, the brown depths were soft and aching. “Did you see that, Cam? Did you look at her? I have a sister. A full-blooded sister.”
The fight drained out of him. She acted so stunned, so overwhelmed and so delighted, he couldn’t stay upset with her. Besides, she’d called him by his name.
He bent his head down closer to hers. “I can see that. It’s hard not to.”
“We’re twins. We’ve got it all figured out.” She watched fervently as the dark-haired woman behind the bar passed out drinks. “Her name’s Roxie. She was the one on that billboard. Not me.” Her eyes narrowed again, and her chin thrust out. “Not. Me.”
From out of nowhere, she gave him a shove solid enough to rock him back on his heels. Surprised at the spitfire side of her, Cam leaned back in, settling close. The feel of her hands on him was just too good. “I knew it wasn’t you,” he reminded her.
“You didn’t know…” She stopped. “You did .”
Uncertainty made her face fall, and she glanced back to the bar. “You said our eyes were different.” The uncertainty turned into a frown. “Is she prettier than me? Was that it?”
“No, that wasn’t it.” He cupped her chin and brought her attention back to him.
He sighed when he saw the glaze in her eyes. She wasn’t a sloppy drunk. She didn’t slur her words, and she didn’t get belligerent. Well, not that belligerent. Alcohol just seemed to break down the walls she constantly kept erected around herself. Let loose, her emotions were fighting over which could show itself first. Hurt, joy and confusion were all there for the world to see.
With her, alcohol brought out honesty.
Cam took a deep breath. He had to get her out of here. Sober her up and help her get things straight in her head. The misunderstanding with the Underhills needed to be cleared up as soon as possible—for her sake as well as the company’s. They’d hurt her this morning and without cause. She deserved an apology, and he was going to make sure she got one.
This newfound sister, though. He glanced over his shoulder to the bar. She was a different issue entirely.
He watched as Roxie flirted with a particularly ugly biker, checking out the tattoo on his shoulder. He didn’t like coincidences, and he didn’t like surprises. This woman was both, and he didn’t want Lexie around her until he had the opportunity to check her out.
And he had the resources to do a really close check.
He brushed his thumb against Lexie’s waist
He slid his gaze over her, taking in her flushed cheeks and mussed hair. “How long have you been here? Why didn’t you call someone?”
Her jaw hardened. “Who would I call? They kicked me out.”
And the pain over that still lingered in her voice.
“You could have called me. I’ve been looking for you all day.”
“I didn’t ask you to do that.”
She might not have, but he wasn’t the type of guy who could sit around twiddling his thumbs. He’d seen her expression as she’d walked away from the Underhills, and it had concerned him. She was an expert at pushing things down and not letting them show but, this time, her face had been damn near placid. It hadn’t been a good sign. The proof had been in the way she’d sparred with him in her office afterwards. Him—somebody she avoided like the plague. He’d been half out of his mind worrying about her all afternoon.
Apparently, with good reason.
“Have you been here all day?” he asked. How much of it had she spent drinking?
She brushed her hair out of her eyes again. It was tumbled around her shoulders, all silky and touchable. As approachable as she seemed, though, there was fire in her eyes. “Yes,” she said defiantly. “I popped in and decided to stay when I found my sister .”
All that stubbornness faltered when she glanced at the bar. When her gaze came back to him, the brown depths were soft and aching. “Did you see that, Cam? Did you look at her? I have a sister. A full-blooded sister.”
The fight drained out of him. She acted so stunned, so overwhelmed and so delighted, he couldn’t stay upset with her. Besides, she’d called him by his name.
He bent his head down closer to hers. “I can see that. It’s hard not to.”
“We’re twins. We’ve got it all figured out.” She watched fervently as the dark-haired woman behind the bar passed out drinks. “Her name’s Roxie. She was the one on that billboard. Not me.” Her eyes narrowed again, and her chin thrust out. “Not. Me.”
From out of nowhere, she gave him a shove solid enough to rock him back on his heels. Surprised at the spitfire side of her, Cam leaned back in, settling close. The feel of her hands on him was just too good. “I knew it wasn’t you,” he reminded her.
“You didn’t know…” She stopped. “You did .”
Uncertainty made her face fall, and she glanced back to the bar. “You said our eyes were different.” The uncertainty turned into a frown. “Is she prettier than me? Was that it?”
“No, that wasn’t it.” He cupped her chin and brought her attention back to him.
He sighed when he saw the glaze in her eyes. She wasn’t a sloppy drunk. She didn’t slur her words, and she didn’t get belligerent. Well, not that belligerent. Alcohol just seemed to break down the walls she constantly kept erected around herself. Let loose, her emotions were fighting over which could show itself first. Hurt, joy and confusion were all there for the world to see.
With her, alcohol brought out honesty.
Cam took a deep breath. He had to get her out of here. Sober her up and help her get things straight in her head. The misunderstanding with the Underhills needed to be cleared up as soon as possible—for her sake as well as the company’s. They’d hurt her this morning and without cause. She deserved an apology, and he was going to make sure she got one.
This newfound sister, though. He glanced over his shoulder to the bar. She was a different issue entirely.
He watched as Roxie flirted with a particularly ugly biker, checking out the tattoo on his shoulder. He didn’t like coincidences, and he didn’t like surprises. This woman was both, and he didn’t want Lexie around her until he had the opportunity to check her out.
And he had the resources to do a really close check.
He brushed his thumb against Lexie’s waist
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