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Did I come too hard? I haven’t drunk any alcohol. What’s wrong with me?

And then, as if it’s answering my question, my stomach rumbles and gurgles so loudly it causes me to jump. Cam’s arms tighten around me, and a sense of safety blankets me.

“When did you last eat?” he asks. I wince, opening my eyes to look straight into his.

“Lunchtime. I thought we might have eaten before we got started,” I tell them both.

Cam’s brows knit together, and his eyes spark with what looks like anger. I gulp at the sudden change in him, but then he draws in a breath and his face relaxes as he speaks, “Well, we can’t have that. Let’s get some food in you. How about some crackers and cheese to tide you over, and we can go get a bite?”

“I’ll grab them,” Saffy says, tugging her t-shirt over her head this time before she leaves.

“If you guys have other plans, I can just stop for something on my way back to my hotel. You don’t have to include me.”

“You think I’m done with you, Pixie? Because I can assure you, I am not.” Cam’s timbre is gruff, which I’m starting to realise might be his usual tone. I wet my lips in anticipation, desperateto know how he sees the rest of the evening panning out. “Let’s get you fed, little one. You gave us a fright.”

From anyone else, that nickname would annoy me, but I can’t deny that it fits. Rather than allowing myself to enjoy his need to take care of me, I try to brush it off. “I just get dizzy sometimes when I’m hungry. It’s nothing.”

“Not nothing. You need to be taking proper care of yourself. And I want to help you do that tonight. How do you feel about Italian?”

“Italian sounds amazing,” Saffy declares as she comes back in, holding a plate of crackers and cheese. They’re heaped up, and I frown, not wanting to spoil my dinner. But then, Cam reaches out his meaty hand and snatches two, wedging a thick slice of cheese between them, and putting the sandwich into his mouth in one go. A couple of crunches, and he swallows before reaching for his glass of water and guzzling most of it down. I quirk a brow at him.

“What? Sex makes me hungry and thirsty. Why haven’t you eaten yet?”

“I don’t think she could get in there with your big bear claws in the way,” Saffy teases as I reach for a singular cracker. I break one of the cheese slices in two and add it before eating it in several bites.

“Here, I saved you some.” Cam holds out the glass he just drank from. I can’t be precious about germs when we’ve just had our mouths all over each other, so I shrug as I reach for it and take a few sips. “Another,” he demands, adding the other half of my cheese to another cracker and approaching my mouth with it.

“I can do it myself,” I tell him, mutiny apparent in my tone as I grab it.

“I know,” he leans close to my ear, “but sometimes it’s more fun when you let others take charge.”

Chapter four

Cam

The three of us are squeezed around a tiny table at Enzo’s Italiano. The place is packed, a sign of how bloody good it is. Although, I wasn’t expecting it to be this crazy mid-week.

“Pixie’s not your real name, I take it?” Saff asks our date for the evening.

“No, it’s not.”

“You don’t want to share?” Saff asks with a hopeful lilt.

“Don’t be pushy,” I tell her, reaching across to tap her nose.

“I find it’s best to keep everything anonymous,” Pixie states. I can’t help but wonder if there’s a story there that led her to feel that way. But I respect her decision, deciding to steer Saff away from her nosiness. Even if I’m intrigued and eager to know more.

“Are you working tomorrow?” I ask Saff.

“Yes, although I don’t need to be in the studio until 11, thank goodness.” She turns to Pixie to explain. “I’m a photographer. Mostly portrait stuff. I’ve been branching out into boudoirrecently. That’s where my comment came from earlier. I’d love to take even more intimate photos— of people in the throes of passion.”

“Huh, that’s interesting, because there was a point earlier when I wanted to capture you in an image,” Pixie tells her. Saff’s delight lights up her face.

“Really? When?”

“When we were right in the middle of it all. Your head was thrown back, and you looked divine, all coiled and ready to let go. It would have made an amazing picture. Perhaps you should try shooting yourself, with a remote control or a timer?”

“That’s an amazing idea. Dammit, I wish I had the equipment with me today. We could have done it when we head back.”