Page 21 of Only in Our Dream (Moonflower Cove #15)

Cameron

B est Christmas ever.

That thought kept running through Cameron’s mind as the day progressed.

Everything had been so magical and fun and Cameron tried to savor every minute.

She soaked in making homemade pizzas with the kids and Melanie.

Enjoyed the way they all ate around the small kitchen table as if they did it every night.

Everything felt so natural and fun that Cameron wanted to pinch herself to make sure she wasn’t dreaming.

But Melanie’s soft hand on her thigh as they watched a movie was all the reminder Cameron needed that things were real.

Melanie had really asked her out earlier and they had spent the rest of the day together.

And Melanie had asked the kids before asking Cameron.

That had sent Cameron over the edge in the best way.

The fact Melanie not only cared so much about her but also her kids meant the world to Cameron.

And the feeling being mutual with Jonah and Dylan and Melanie helped Cameron settle in nicely into their hours old new normal.

Jonah and Dylan had retreated to their rooms before the final movie of the night.

Home Alone: Lost in New York , at Melanie’s request. They’d stayed on the couch, hips and shoulders touching as Melanie kept her hand on Cameron’s thigh.

Cameron craved more contact; wanted to pull her into her embrace and cuddle her.

They’d cuddled before. Sure, it was platonic, but it had happened. So shouldn’t it be easier now that they were girlfriends? Was Melanie having the same feelings as Cameron was? Or was she just ready to go home and Cameron was holding her hostage with Christmas movies?

Shaking her head, Cameron tried to clear the thoughts from her head. She knew Melanie better than that. If she didn’t want to be there, she would have left already. Melanie was the queen of an Irish goodbye, after all.

“You okay?” Melanie bumped her shoulder against Cameron’s.

“Yeah,” Cameron sighed, knowing communicating her feelings was the best option, “just overthinking.”

Picking up the remote, Melanie paused the movie and turned to face her. She gently put her hand on Cameron’s arm as she spoke. “Talk to me. What’s going on in that pretty head of yours?”

“I’m just trying to convince myself this is all really happening. That you’re sitting here on my couch after the most perfect Christmas Day ever and we’re girlfriends .”

God, why did I say that like Dylan?

“It’s really happening.” Melanie’s smile calmed every nerve in her body. “But maybe this will help make you believe that.”

Cameron watched with bated breath as Melanie slowly leaned toward her. Her lips hovered mere millimeters away from Cameron’s lips for a moment before closing the space between them. They had kissed before, yes, but it was nothing like Cameron was currently experiencing.

Her head felt like it was spinning as Melanie opened her mouth slightly and Cameron’s kiss deepened.

Melanie ran her hand through Cameron’s hair, and Cameron was for sure she was going to lose it then and there.

But when Melanie slowly sank into the couch, pulling Cameron down on top of her, every fiber in Cameron’s body was ready to come undone.

Oh, my god. What’s happening? We can’t have sex right here. Not now. Not on my couch with my kids upstairs still awake. I have to stop this before it goes too far too soon.

But making herself stop kissing Melanie? That was something Cameron didn’t know how to do. She’d spent the last few months—hell, years—wanting to do nothing but kiss Melanie. And now that she was, she didn’t want it to ever end. However impractical that may be.

If Melanie hadn’t been such a damn good kisser, it might have been easier.

Cameron had never been kissed like Melanie was currently kissing her.

Granted, she hadn’t dated enough to be a knowledgeable source on the different types of kisses.

All she knew was she was loving the way Melanie kissed her lips, her cheek, her ears.

God, why is kissing my ear turning me on?

Her thought was rudely interrupted by another thought to dampen the mood.

Or at least send Cameron’s mind reeling.

How did Melanie know how to kiss like this?

She knew from her countless talks with Melanie over the years that this wasn’t something she would do with Rob.

At least not in recent years. But on the other hand, it wasn’t as if she’d dated anyone either.

Cameron would have been the first to know that.

Maybe she was born a damn good kisser. Way to fumble that one, Rob.

Cameron hated herself for even thinking of Rob while kissing Melanie. She squeezed her eyes shut, knowing she needed to end the kiss before Melanie’s hand made it further down her back.

“Mel,” Cameron whispered breathlessly as Melanie kept kissing her. “Wait.”

The one word seemed to bring everything to a screeching haunt. Cameron sat up as Melanie followed. For a moment, they both sat facing directly in front of them, not daring to look at the other. Her breathing was still more rapid than usual when Melanie finally uttered two words: “I’m sorry.”

“Mel, no.” Quickly, Cameron turned to her. She took hold of her hands and squeezed tightly, begging Melanie to understand why she had stopped their passionate kissing. “You didn’t do anything wrong. I promise. This was amazing .”

The corner of Melanie’s mouth rose slightly. “But?”

“But we can’t do this here.” She didn’t know why she’d resorted to whispering. “My kids are upstairs and they’re not asleep. And besides, I don’t want our first time to be on my couch without thinking it through and talking about it.”

“Bold of you to assume I haven’t been thinking about it for weeks.”

Cameron felt a warmth between her legs that she hadn’t felt in a long time.

“But I understand what you’re saying.” Tenderly, Melanie caressed Cameron’s cheek in her hand.

“I want this, our new relationship, to be the best it can be. And I know starting it out immediately with sex on the couch—no matter how much I want that—I know you’re right. Now’s not the time or the place.”

“Melanie,” Cameron groaned, sinking back into the couch, “you can’t say shit like that then not expect me to want to take you up the stairs and have my way with you.”

“I’m worth the wait.”

Winking, Melanie leaned in for another kiss.

Cameron expected it to just be a quick kiss after their conversation, but the joke was on her when Melanie straddled Cameron’s legs and continued kissing her.

The warmth from Melanie’s center on her legs didn’t help Cameron want to end the kiss.

In fact, she began to try to justify that enough time had passed since their conversation two seconds ago to take Melanie upstairs to her bedroom.

But that wasn’t the best thing to do.

Cameron reluctantly knew that.

“Are you trying to kill me?” Cameron finally asked when Melanie began gently sucking on her neck. “Because it’s working.”

Melanie’s husky laugh turned Cameron on even more. Dammit, this woman is going to be the death of me.

Whether they wanted it or not, they got their sign to cease the kissing by the sound of footsteps on the stairs.

It was Jonah; she could tell from the heavier steps.

Definitely not Dylan’s light gait down the stairs.

Melanie quickly scampered off Cameron as they both stood, straightening their clothes as if they were kids getting caught by their parents and not the other way around.

Jonah looked them up and down, a smirk on his lips.

“Well, I’m glad to see the clothes are still on. ”

Cameron threw a pillow at him in response. With his quick reflexes, Jonah caught it before it hit him.

“I thought we couldn’t throw things in the house.”

“You can’t, but I can. I thought you were asleep.” It was a lie, and Jonah immediately clocked it. She followed him into the kitchen.

“It’s nine thirty. That’s your bedtime. Not mine.”

Rolling her eyes, Cameron tried not to laugh. “So, what brings you downstairs?”

“Thirst.” Opening the fridge, he pulled out a pitcher of water before refilling a cup on the counter.

Cameron had no idea if it was his same cup from dinner but didn’t ask.

She wasn’t sure she wanted to know. “Good thing I came downstairs, though. Have to make sure you two don’t get into any trouble now that you’re together. ”

Jonah nodded his chin toward Melanie, who was standing behind Cameron in the archway of the kitchen. She looked bemused at the scene in front of her. Picking up a banana from a basket of fruit, Jonah’s smirk grew.

“Do you need me to go over the safe sex talk with you?”

“That’s it,” Cameron laughed. “Take your water and your banana upstairs. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Night, Mom.” He was still laughing as he hugged her and kissed her on the cheek before doing the same to Melanie. “Night, Aunt Mel.”

He whispered something into her ear that made Melanie laugh and blush as she playfully patted his back. Jonah trotted up the stairs, leaving them alone again.

“Kids,” Cameron rolled her eyes. “What did he tell you?”

Melanie hesitated for a moment. She walked toward Cameron, stopping a few feet short as they both leaned onto the kitchen island. “That it was okay with him if I stayed over.”

The words hung between them like a dense fog. That thought hadn’t crossed Cameron’s mind yet. She tried not to worry that it had crossed her sixteen-year-old son’s mind, though. Shaking that image from her head, Melanie must have misunderstood what Cameron was doing.

“I’m not expecting that, by the way. I didn’t pack an extra bag of clothes or a toothbrush or anything.

And I didn’t ask you to be my girlfriend today because I wanted to sleep over tonight.

I just wanted you to know that the divorce was final and to ask you to be my girlfriend so I didn’t have to spend another minute not being able to freely kiss you.

I don’t want to stay over. Or have sex. Not right now.

Cause you were right. We need to do this right, you know? And you deserve that and…”

Cameron shut up Melanie’s ramblings with a kiss. She knew it would be the only way to get her to be quiet long enough for Cameron to think of a response. As she pulled away, Cameron noted the dreamy look in Melanie’s eyes.

“You shut me up by kissing me.”

“I did.”

“I thought that only happened in movies.”

“And in my kitchen, apparently.”

Reaching out her hand, Cameron gently tucked Melanie’s hair behind her ear before cradling her cheek in her hand. She looked into her beautiful green eyes, studying the specks of brown that she’d never paid attention to before.

“I’m not expecting anything more than the amazing day you have already given me.” She smiled softly. “But if you wanted to stay over tonight, you could.”

Melanie started to say something, but Cameron put a finger to her lips.

“Let me finish first,” she grinned, loving having the upper hand for a moment.

“I don’t want to have sex. Not tonight. We’re not ready for that step yet.

But,” Cameron inhaled sharply, “I’ve had an amazing day with you and the kids and I’m not ready for that to end.

So, stay. Spend the night with me like we used to when girls’ night went too late and you were too drunk to drive home. ”

Again, Melanie started to say something, but it was Cameron’s turn to ramble away.

“Just think about it. We can watch the rest of Home Alone and start another movie or we could play a game. And then you can let me snuggle with you and smell the lavender in your hair. I’m not expecting anything more than that. And in the morning, I’ll make us breakfast.”

“Well,” Melanie’s eyes sparkled, “you know I’m a sucker for snuggles and breakfast.”

Cameron couldn’t hide her excitement. “So, you’ll stay?”

“Cam,” Melanie placed a hand gently on Cameron’s chest, “I was going to say yes when you cut me off the first time.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

And to Cameron’s excitement, that was exactly how the night played out.

She offered Melanie a set of her pajamas to wear to bed after they finished watching the movie.

Out of respect, she offered to sleep on the couch if Melanie wanted the bed to herself.

You promised to cuddle with me , Melanie had said as she crawled into bed.

Not once had Cameron had a woman she was dating in her bed.

Never. And even though she and Melanie had shared a bed before, it was so much more special now.

Cameron had wondered who would be the big spoon, but Melanie had surprised her by taking the position as soon as Cameron lay down beside her.

Melanie wrapped her leg over Cameron’s, pulling her body closer to hers.

As Melanie wrapped an arm around Cameron’s waist, she felt a rogue tear slide down her cheek.

To be loved by anyone was a gift. But to be loved by Melanie Wright was the best gift Cameron could have ever gotten for Christmas.