~ ~ Cameron ~ ~

Landing home, closing the door with my foot, I dropped my gym bag. My muscles ached, and my head was banging.

Shucking off my coat, I threw it on the side along with my keys. What? Something shiny caught my eye.  It looked like a clip.  Bending down, it was definitely a hair clip. Weird. Picking it up, I called out. "Finn?" I couldn't hear any movement.

"Out in a sec," yelling from his bedroom.

Heading into the kitchen, I prepped my coffee machine.  Rolling my shoulders, I'd gone straight down to the gym to try and clear my head.  Instead of doing my usual work out, I'd spent an hour on the treadmill, replaying the moment my lips had touched hers.

Every second flooded back. The feel of her pressed against me, the perfect fit of her soft curves burning me from the inside out. The heat of her hands dancing up my arms as she gripped on to me as if I'd disappear if she let go.  The swell of her breasts, full, round and fucking perfect.  It was hard not to miss her nipples poking into my chest.

As our kiss deepened...fuck, how I'd missed the taste of her...sweet, fiery.  Her hips pushed into me and my dick needed no invitation, knowing what was underneath her skirt.  She'd looked damn sexy upstairs, bent over...but now it was in my way.

My head didn't care about the location, I wanted her here, now.  I couldn't get close enough as I pushed her against the vast glass window.

Each, suck, stroke of her tongue she let out a soft moan, needy almost desperate.  It kicked off a chain reaction.  She was triggering every fucking last nerve as my fingers moved over her hips, a little further down to slowly inch her skirt up, needing to be closer, wanting to feel the heat of her skin under my fingers.   This one kiss was breathing life back into me, shredding the last four years of my empty existence.  The dreams I'd had of her...of this was nothing to feel of her in my arms.

This was real.  And I wasn't letting her go, I'd fight for her.  I'd do anything to make sure she did didn't leave again.

An alert to my phone dragged me back to the room.  I bit back a curse as my dick was again painfully hard.  Fuck, I'd walked around with a semi from the second I'd laid eyes on her this morning.  At one point I'd considered jogging to toilets and rubbing one off.

My phone alerted again.  Fuck.  Adjusting myself  I reached  inside my pocket, it was from my sister, checking I was okay. I couldn't risk going to my parents, not tonight. My sister would have taken one look at me and knew something was wrong and grilled me until I cracked.

"Your back early?"

Not turning, I reached for another mug.  "Yeah, I tried to call, but it went to voicemail. Want a coffee?"

"Ah, right. Sorry, been busy. And yeah, sure.  Straight up though, black, nothing sweet."

"Does this have anything to do with you being busy?"  I reached for the hair clip, holding it up, turning to face him.  It surprised me to find him standing in just his boxers, with his hair wet, a towel in his hand. "Heading out somewhere?" He rarely was out on Monday nights, unless he had a late booking.

He scrubbed his hair with the towel. "Nah, I just needed another shower."  A stupid grin curled his lip.

"Let me guess. The hair clip belongs to your new client, and she's the reason a stupid grin is plastered to your face and for the second shower?"  I had to admit, happy was always a good look on Finn.

"She must have dropped it.  She left her phone too."  He threw his towel on the side and stepped up, plucking it from my fingers his smile widened. "Looks like I really did distract her?" He shoved the clip into his pocket.

Distracted eh?  "I'm right, yeah. This would be the new client? What did you say...remind me again...I'm not going to fuck her Cam?"

He threw me a wry glare but didn't answer, turning, pulling out a chair to sit his arse down.

Did he just sigh?

"I'm not hearing a no..." I smirked, unable to help myself from teasing him.  It was fun, and I wasn't able to do it often.  "Should have made our bet for seven days, would have snagged that hundred."

"And you would have still lost your money—who's saying I fucked her, did you hear me say that?"

My eyebrow arched.  "What? So you two just ended up naked and... played scrabble?"

He laughed, holding up his hand in defence. "Okay, okay I won't deny the naked part.  But I just didn't want to rush it." Lowering his hands, his tone dipped from playful to something more serious. "I think I want more Cam."

Shit.  I stilled,  forcing my attention to finish making his coffee. "She must be really something, huh?" I opened the draw and grabbed a spoon, stirring the coffee before lifting and taking them to the table to sit opposite him as he watched and waited for my reaction.

"Cheers." His eyes dropped as his big hand wrapped around his mug, spreading his fingers wide.  "She is.  I think I really like her and as pathetic as this sounds, I'm hoping she's into me."

"Do you think she is? Into you?"

He stayed quiet then nodded slowly. "Yeah, I think she might be." He scraped his hand across his chin. "The chemistry, it's insane." He lifted his cup, and then set it down. "I didn't feel this with Jenny, not even close. And I know how it sounds—Its not even a week yet! Batshit, right?"

"No, not crazy." I'd been in love with Bea for years, even before I knew what love was. I was always drawn to her.  My mind headed back to kiss as I licked across my bottom lip.  Perhaps things were about to change for both of us. I wasn't sure how I felt about that. Finn had been a big part of my life and I'll admit, it didn't sit right the idea of him with someone else.

I shook the thought away. That was stupid and so fucking selfish. Finn deserved to be happy.  I wanted him to be happy.  Finn was one of life's givers, never taking or asking for anything in return.  Emotionally he kept himself detached, he wore self preservation like a mask, and I couldn't blame him, his ex having done a serious number on him.

But I couldn't expect things to stay the same or carry on as fuck buddies. It was expected that one of us would meet someone we wanted to settle with.  "If she means this much, then I'm happy for you man, honestly."  I took a sip of my coffee.  "When do I get to meet her then?"  I hoped I could introduce him to Bea—if I could persuade her to give me another shot.

"You will."  His smile was disarming and I seriously hoped she deserved him.

"Sorry, shit, Cam.  Listen to me going on. How was your day?"  He lifted his mug to blow over the top. "The new boss, was he a complete wanker?"

I leaned back in my chair, biting my lip.  "You will not believe it."

He sat up.  "What?  Did you know him?"

"You could say that."  I ran my hand across the back of my neck, it was still surreal.  "For a kick off—it wasn't a man."   Fuck, I was still trying to get my head around it. "It was Bea, Finn.  Bea's come back home."

"Fuck me!" he gasped.  "What happened?"

I blew out a puff of air.  "I kissed her."

"Christ!"

"I know, tell me about it."

"And what? She let you...kiss her—or did she slug you?"

A small smile teased my mouth. "She kissed me back."  We both went quiet.

Finn broke the silence. "Okaaaay. So, this is good, right? What you wanted?"

What I wanted, hell yeah...but good? Again for me a big hell yeah, but for Bea? "Truthfully, I don't have a fucking clue.  I kissed her... she was into it just as much as I was. And then she froze and pushed me away, and left without a word."  The look on her face was one I couldn't identify, shock maybe?

"Just left?"

"I think ran is a better description.  I didn't know if I should go after her."  My guts twisted. "Fuck, Finn.  I've dreamed of this happening, her showing up in my life. Giving me...us another shot, and I think I just fucked it up again.   I should have talked first, but I wasn't thinking." Yeah, my brain had taken a day trip to my dick.

Finn nodded in understanding. "It probably surprised her too.  I mean, c'mon, she hasn't seen you for four years and she left because she thinks you cheated on her."  He reached for his coffee, taking a drink. "What's your next move?"

I shrugged.  "Find her and talk, I guess."

"You gonna tell her the truth?"

Pushing my mug out the way, I rested my elbows on the table and dropped my face into my hands.  "Fucked if I know."  Bile rose up my throat. How the fuck would I start that conversation?

"Listen, I can't tell you what to do.  But you've clearly never moved on from this woman." He paused. "You still love her.  But she won't be able to trust you unless you open up."

Was it that obvious to everyone that I was still in love with her? "How the fuck do I tell her?" I dropped my hands, clenching and unclenching one hand. There was no easy way to tell her what had happened.

"How can you not, Cam?" He reached out his hand and took mine in his, his thumb stroking over mine.

My eyes dropped to his hand, staring as a strange vibe strummed through me.  I opened my mouth to crack a joke, lighten whatever it was, but nothing came and I shut my mouth, watching his hand.  He was gentle. Finn had never openly shown this kind of affection, yeah we kissed but that was either a prequel to something happening or whilst in the moment. This felt weirdly intimate. And oddly, it didn't freak me out. It felt...normal...natural.

He must of noticed the silence between us as he pulled his hand back. "Sorry," he muttered before clearing his throat and sitting back in his chair. "If she kissed you back, then I think you have a good shot at getting her back." he shrugged. "I know its what you want. So go for it." He lifted his cup, "And let's face it, you have nothing to lose here...right?"

Finn was right.  "And you know I've got your back, Cam. I'm here for you, whatever you need from me. You only have to ask."

I honestly didn't think I could have got past what happened if I hadn't met Finn, and I wasn't sure if he knew just how much it meant to me...he meant to me. He was more than my best friend. I opened my mouth to tell him when the buzzer echoed in the hall, making me jump.  "You expecting anyone?"

He shook his head.  "Nah, but I got it." Pushing up from his chair, he darted off to answer the buzzer.  A minute later, I heard him tell whoever it was to come up.

Fuck. Visitors were the last thing I needed.

"Just gonna grab something to wear.  Trix sent a friend to collect her phone."

Trix? Why did that sound familiar? Hold up. People at work had called Bea, Trixie?

"Trix?" I asked as Finn walked back in, wearing his sweats and dragging a grey t-shirt over his head.  "This new client of yours is called Trix?" An uneasy feeling shuttered down my spine. That's her name?"

"Yeah, Trixie—did I not tell you?" He shrugged. "Thought I had."

I shook my head my brain trying to piece this together. "What's her last—" I was interrupted by the tap on our door.

"I'll grab that. She won't be here long," he said, jogging toward the front door as a familiar accent caught my ear.

No, it couldn't be?

I pushed out my chair, heart banging out of my chest as I darted to the front door.  Fucking hell. It was... there stood Ivy Simcox, Bea's assistant.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

"Shut the fuck up?"  Her eyes landed on me.  "Nooooo, somebody spank me. This is too good," she said. Her eyes darted between me and Finn, a slow smile creeping across her lips. "Well, colour me happy, boys."

Finn turned to look at me, confused, and then back toward Ivy.  "You two know each other?" His hand waved between us.

Ivy barked out a laugh.  "You could say that."  She reached inside her bag to pull out her phone, quickly firing off a message before dropping it back in her bag.  "Right, I've just let my shiny new friends know I've been held up—so you better invite me."  She looked between us again, planting one hand on her hips. "We need to talk...you both need to sit...and I need a drink."

My entire body tightened as it took several long beats for me to figure it out, the dots connecting.

His Trix.  My Bea... were one of the same.

What the fuck!  My best friend and my Bea.

Dread and nausea flooded my body as a lump thickened in my throat, trying to swallow past it, my hands curled and uncurled by my side. I felt as if I was coming apart at the seams. This was my worst nightmare.

I could lose Bea again...but not only that, I could lose Finn too.

Ivy walked past us both "I'm guessing this way...and mine's a glass of red, or a beer if your offering." She was already popping her bag down, looking around our place as Finn walked in front of me. On autopilot I headed to the kitchen to grab Ivy a beer. My head was all over the fucking place.

Clipping off the top, I headed back through to join them. Handing Ivy her beer, I turned to face Finn. He sat on the sofa, angled his head up, his eyes locked on mine.  The penny dropped.