Page 65 of Merry & Bright
“Good. Make sure you give Rob a massive snog for me at midnight, okay?” She didn’t wait for him to answer before she added, “And call me tomorrow—I’ll want to hear everything.”
“I’ll call you,” he promised. “Have a great time tonight. Don’t drink too much.”
“My hangover is going to be epic,” she promised.
“You’ll have to eat steak pie and trifle tomorrow night. Just remember that.”
“Mañana, mañana,” she replied airily. “’Bye, Cam.”
“’Bye.”
Thoughtfully, he put the phone back on its stand.
“She’s worried about you being on your own, is she?”
Cam glanced up at Rob’s words to discover he was standing in the doorway of the kitchen, two open beers in his hands, looking lean and sexy in that rumpled way of his. Cam felt heat creep over his face as he considered what Rob must’ve heard.
“Sorry for earwigging,” Rob said before Cam could reply. He walked forward and held one of the beers out to Cam, “I wasn’t doing it deliberately. I just heard you saying that thing about the Bells.”
Cam shrugged, pretending indifference. “Yeah, well, I don’t want her moping about me when she’s meant to be ringing in the New Year with her friends.” He offered Rob a tight smile and took one of the beers, trying not to shiver at the feeling of Rob’s fingers brushing his own. To distract himself he tipped his head back and took a long, cold swallow.
God, that was good.
Rob was still looking at him when he lowered the bottle, his gaze steady. “You don’t have to go home tonight if you don’t want to, Cam. You’re welcome to stay here and see in the New Year with me. To be honest, I’d be glad of the company. I’d planned to go down to The Stag for a few drinks, but”—he gestured out the back windows—“it’s not getting any better out there and the forecast looks pretty grim so I was just planning on holing up in here.”
Cam looked out into the blackness. He couldn’t make out anything but heavy, swirling snow. There was no way he could ask Rob to drive him home in this, even if he wanted to, and disturbingly, hedidn’twant to.
He cleared his throat. “Thanks. I’d be glad to stay, if you really don’t mind putting me up for the night.”
Rob smiled. “I’ve got two spare bedrooms, so it’s no bother at all. Why don’t you go upstairs and take that bath now? Help yourself to whatever you need—I think there might be some Radox up there. Clean towels are in the hamper. I’ll cook something while you soak. Anything you don’t like?”
Cam shook his head. “Whatever you make will be great,” he said, adding, “I’m pretty easy pleased.”
“Hmm, that so?” Rob said, and his eyes did that smiley thing again.
For some reason, that secret, twinkly smile caused a weird reaction in Cam’s body—his stomach flip-flopped and his heart sped up and his cock began to thicken with interest.
“I’ll—um, get that bath then,” he mumbled, mortified, and fled.