Kiss This (39 page)

Chase. Oh, God. Chase.
The presents in
Teague’s closet
. And right there if front of her face was a
picture of Teague—
her
Teague—with his arm around a woman
she’d never seen before. They were both smiling as they held a
newborn baby together.

They were both fucking smiling.

“He’s on his way to see them right now if
you want more proof,” Craig added. “Try Douglas Park in Santa
Monica. They’re taking Chase to the playground today. He’s not an
infant anymore; he’s over a year now. He loves the swing.”

He left, leaving Camryn on the porch
speechless. She also didn’t move as she watched Craig walk across
the street to the sedan and climb into the backseat. In her mind
she was calculating the time it would take to Santa Monica and
back, and if she wanted to waste the gas just for Craig to get his
way.

She counted to ten after he left and then
sprinted across the lawn to her own car. Today Teague was supposed
to be in Burbank, getting some sort of special instructions on
wirework. The next movie he was going to work on entailed more
harnessing and wiring for one of the action sequences, so Teague
was working with the stunt crew to test the stunts before they
started filming in a month. Every time he went to work she begged
him to be careful, and that morning especially she felt anxious
about his job. Now she was wondering if he was even working today,
and the thought of him lying to her made her stomach sick.

When she got to Santa Monica, she grabbed
her phone from her purse. She called him before she could change
her mind.

“Hey, sweetheart,” he greeted. “You make it
back from Fresno okay?”

Her heart was pounding from hearing his
wonderful deep voice, and after the information that she’d received
from his father, she wasn’t sure how to respond. But she forced
herself to. “Yes, I was just going to leave you a message since
you’re at work,” she answered.

“Oh. Well I’m done now. Got finished a
little early. I’ll be home in about two hours. I have a couple
things to do first. Aren’t you heading to the doctor with
Melanie?”

“Yeah, at three.” She just now realized she
hadn’t checked her phone for her sister’s text. She didn’t know
where she was, and now Teague’s whereabouts were driving her
crazy.

“You feel like going out to dinner tonight?”
he asked. “There’s a Thai place I really want to take you to. I
think you’ll love it. And I, of course, will be your dessert,” he
added, his voice giving away his smile.

“Sounds good,” she replied vacantly. She was
just turning onto Chelsea Avenue, concentrating on her
surroundings.

“You okay, Camryn? You sound kind of off.
Did everything go all right today?”

She spotted the playground and hung a right
on California Avenue, slowing to the curb. “Everything went fine.
Visiting the cemetery was fine, breakfast was fine, the drive was
fine… Everything’s fine.”

He paused on the other end. “Camryn, what’s
going on? Where are you?”

She remained in her car, but she could see
his truck plain as day up ahead. Her heart started to pound again
and she tried to swallow down the panic that wanted to escape.

“Camryn? Are you there?”

“Yes, I’m here.”

“Are you okay? Something doesn’t sound
right. I had another stop to make but I’m gonna head straight home.
I’m worried about you.”

“I’m fine, Teague. I’m just tired. And I
won’t be home. I’ll be with Melanie at the doctor. Just take care
of your business and I’ll meet you at home tonight.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m positive. Hey, I gotta go, though.
Melanie wasn’t home when I arrived so I need to track her down.
Drive safe, I’ll see you later.”

“Okay, babe. If you’re feeling run down,
take it easy, okay? I love you.”

“I love you too.” It wasn’t forced. She
truly meant it. And when she heard the line beep with the
disconnection, she closed her eyes and laid her head back against
the seat.

Teague was exactly where his dad said he
would be.

Or at least his truck was.

She opened her eyes again and focused on the
beautiful charcoal and chrome machine that she’d come to know so
well, just as the driver’s door opened and Teague’s long legs
stepped out. He slid his phone into his pocket and walked around to
the back of the truck. He leaned one arm against the tailgate and
just stood there for a moment, watching the playground.

Then he jutted his thumb over his shoulder,
signifying to someone that he needed to leave. Camryn climbed out
of her car so she could see better, almost wishing she hadn’t. A
woman pulled a toddler out of a swing and set him down. She took
his hand and walked him to the sidewalk, just as Teague stepped
through the gate. He dropped to his haunches as the dark-haired
little boy stopped in front of him. Teague said something to him
and then ruffled his hair as a goodbye, leaving him with whom
Camryn assumed was his mom. She looked just like the brunette in
the photo that Craig had shown her.

It was Kate.

Cement filled Camryn’s chest. She couldn’t
breathe. She watched Teague return to his truck and drive away,
leaving behind his secret family and a devastated girlfriend on the
street that didn’t have a clue. She was numb and confused. How
Teague could have a son and not tell her was beyond her
comprehension. It’s not like she would have loved him any less. Why
would he lie to her?

She put herself on autopilot and left for
Camarillo. The sounds from the passenger’s seat finally registered
and she grabbed her phone to answer it.

“Cam! Where the hell are you?” Melanie
whined. “You’re not back from Fresno yet?”

“Yes, I am. Where are
you
? I got
home—er, to Teague’s—and you weren’t there.”

“What? I’ve been here the whole day. I was
taking a nap, but I never heard you come home.”

Melanie had been home when she arrived?
“Well where was your car? I didn’t see it.”

“Oh. Teague had Jay take it today so he
could get new tires on it. Badass Jay is driving my little car
today,” she giggled.

Camryn smiled. That image was kind of
funny.

Then she thought of Teague again. Sweet,
sexy Teague who had been keeping secrets from her. She had no idea
what she was going to do with the information. If she—

“Cam? You there?” Melanie’s voice cut
through the line.

“Yeah, I’m here.” She glanced at the clock
and said, “I’m running some errands, but I’ll be there by twenty
till, okay?”

“Okay. Just honk and I’ll be ready.”

They hung up with each other and Camryn’s
thoughts immediately went to Teague again. Had she been thinking
straight, she might have followed him after he left the park. He
wasn’t at his house when Camryn pulled up and honked for Melanie.
Maybe he was meeting up with
another
secret family before he
finally came home to his girlfriend.

Stop
. She wasn’t going to do this to
herself. She took a deep breath as she watched her sister
practically skip down the sidewalk to her car. Melanie was pregnant
with some loser’s baby and she could still find reasons to smile.
Camryn decided to follow her sister’s example for once and look on
the bright side. She did love Teague—truly, madly, deeply—and yes,
he’d been keeping something from her. But there had to be a reason
for it. Maybe she just needed to ask him about it and they could go
from there.

Or…she needed to trust him, give him a
chance, and see if her patience and faith paid off.

What else could she do?

Chapter Thirty-Five

Teague tried not to pace, but what the hell
was taking her so long? Melanie’s appointment was at three; it was
now almost six-thirty. He’d sent Camryn a text but she hadn’t
replied yet. Would calling be too meddlesome? He hated feeling so
paranoid.

Finally he heard the front door open and two
familiar voices chatting back and forth. He stepped out of the
kitchen and watched Melanie and Camryn file through the entry, both
loaded with shopping bags. Camryn was smiling and laughing with her
sister, so a bit of relief washed over him. She sounded so odd on
the phone earlier. Normally a phone call with her was more like how
she was in person: sassy, feisty, playful, and just…happy.

“Hey, I’ve been worried about you,” he said,
and both girls came to a halt and looked up at him.

“You can’t worry about women when they’re
shopping,” Melanie replied right away. “Unless, of course, it’s
with
your
money,” she laughed.

Teague smiled as she collected all the bags
that Camryn was carrying too and headed down the hall for her
bedroom. He came across the room as Camryn set her purse down and
shrugged out of her sweater. She seemed reserved again and he was
cautious.

“So you two went to the mall after the
doctor?”

“Yep. Well, just to a couple of stores in
particular. We got some pregnancy stuff and a couple of baby items.
I got her a book so she can know what to expect and stuff like
that. Her appointment went well. I like her doctor.”

He gave a slight nod. She was rambling about
her sister instead of coming to kiss him hello. He watched her
mouth move as she spoke, such pretty lips that were soft and
kissable. He liked hearing about her afternoon, but he wanted to
hold her first. As she continued to talk about the appointment and
what the doctor said, Teague stepped forward and gathered Camryn in
his arms.

She froze mid-sentence. “Um ,what are you
doing?”

“Hugging you, obviously. I’ve missed you.
Can’t you talk while I hold you?”

She was silent for a moment and then
mumbled, “Yeah, I guess.” But she didn’t say anything further as
her arms came around him loosely and without commitment.

Teague pulled back and placed his hands
against her neck. “Please tell me what’s wrong with you, Camryn.
You’re not acting like yourself.”

She glanced to the floor before softly
answering, “I’m just tired. I didn’t really want to go shopping,
but I thought it would be good for Melanie. She was excited to get
the book the doctor suggested and that made my year. I hope she’ll
actually read it, though. I might have to climb in bed with her and
read to her like I used to. Two grown women. That’ll be a
sight.”

Teague chuckled, pleased that her dry humor
was returning. “Well that would be kinda cute. You can read to me
anytime and I would be in heaven. I love listening to your voice.
And I love
you
.” He leaned down and put his lips on hers. As
he slowly worked against them, she began to return the affection.
There was the Camryn he knew. Her kiss could do amazing things to
him.

But she pulled away after a few seconds and
said, “Were we going to go out to eat or something? I should go
change—”

“No, I brought food home for you. Earlier
you said you were feeling tired so I figured we could stay in. It
needs to be reheated though. I was kind of expecting you
sooner.”

She studied him for a few seconds and seemed
to relax a little. But then she glanced at his neck and
frowned.

“What?” he asked, his hand following her
eyes. “Oh, that. Yeah, that’s a rope burn,” he smiled. “Not my most
graceful moment when the slack was too loose.”

“It looks like a hickey,” she stated
casually.

“Does it?” he chuckled. He walked over to a
mirror that was on the wall by the front door and examined it. “It
does not. It looks like a rope burn. And good, it’s not as bad as
it feels. Funny how something so small can hurt like a
motherfucker.” He turned around to face Camryn and noticed she was
still frowning at him. “I’d wear this baby proudly if it was a
hickey, hon,” he smiled, trying to keep the mood light. Jesus, he
needed to get this girl fed and tucked into his bed. Her humor
seemed to be on strike. “Follow me, I’ll feed you,” he
motioned.

She sat at the counter and watched Teague
scoop a bit of everything onto two plates to stick in the
microwave. He started to talk about his morning in Burbank because
she asked him how it went.

“So can I ask you a question?” Camryn said
as he set a plate and fork in front of her.

“Sure.”

“So…you started out in the movie industry by
being a surfing…whatever it’s called.”

“Stunt surfer. Yeah.”

“So how come you don’t do that anymore? And
how come you don’t surf
period
anymore. I’ve heard so many
stories about how good you are, but you’ve yet to tell me why
you’ve given it up. And before you do it again, I know you always
change the subject somehow whenever I inquire about it. So just
don’t, okay? Tell me why you don’t surf anymore.”

He stared at her with surprise. She’d
finally just flat out asked him what the fuck his problem was. He
leaned against the counter across from her and decided since she
asked, he would tell her. “I almost killed someone that was
stunting the same wave with me. It was my fault, I fucked up, and
he almost died.”

She returned his gaze but seemed wary. “How
did you almost kill him?”

Teague barely shrugged. “My head wasn’t in
the right spot that day. I could barely focus. Executed the stunt
incorrectly with him and he ended up crashing into the camera boat.
It was my fault. And then two days later my mind wasn’t together
for the motorcycle stunt on the beach, and I almost killed
myself
. Wasn’t a good weekend for me,” he ended dryly.

He could tell Camryn was considering his
confession and was measuring him up. It still hurt to think about
and he was extremely remorseful, but whether or not she realized
that, he wasn’t sure.

She licked her lip before she asked, “So was
that when you left California and moved north? That’s why you
hadn’t been on the beach for ten months?”