Take Me In Your Arms
“Okay.” His smile widened. “On the perfect car, like a good woman, the first thing we notice is the body—the sleek, appealing curves and pleasing aesthetics. If those attributes grab and hold our attention, we can’t wait to see what’s on the inside to make sure she’s not just another pretty face. We check under the hood to see if her engine and inner workings are powerful, well tuned and, more importantly, turn us on. If they do, we have to step inside and sit down to ascertain if her soft curves will cradle us in all the right places—maddeningly caressing us every second we’re inside her, making us feel right at home.” Angela’s breathing was arrested, and she was certain her pupils dilated, judging by Cam’s sexy grin before he continued, “If she’s the right one, she’s responsive to our every whim, caress and desire. She heightens all of our senses and gives us the ride of our lives until we can’t wait to get back inside of her again and again.”
Angela was breathing hard when his soft, sexy voice finally ended the most erotic description of a car she had ever heard. Mercy, she needed a cold glass of water.
“I see.” She purposefully averted her eyes on the pretense of removing the blood pressure cuff from his muscled upper arm.
“You asked.” Cam’s voice held a hint of laughter.
“I did.” She turned away from his intense gaze to pour him some water.
“Are you all right?”
She took a moment to compose herself before turning around to face him again. “The question is, are you all right?” Thankfully, she sounded coolly professional when she felt anything but.
“I told you, I’m good.” She agreed he certainly was good enough to tease her. “How long have I been here?”
She glanced at her watch. “A few hours. Here, drink this.” He took the glass and downed the contents before returning it to her. “More?”
“No, thanks.” A smile turned up the corners of his mouth. “You know, when the accident happened, I was on my way to see you.”
“You were?” Her eyes widened in shock. “Why?”
“I was going to ask you to dinner.”
“Why?”
“Why?” He echoed, laughed and answered, “Because I want to spend time with you.” He scratched his hair-covered chin thoughtfully with his free hand and said, “We should have gotten together last year.”
“Things happen for a reason.” Angela shrugged. “You were busy with Derrick’s campaign. I was very busy with my new promotion to head nurse, and—”
“All true,” he interrupted, his thumb caressing the back of her hand. “What about now?”
“What about now?” Lord, she wished he would stop stroking her fingers with his. It felt too good. What was it about this man that sent her pulse racing?
“Is the time right for us to get to know each other better now?” At her silence he continued. “I meant what I said a few nights ago. I really want to get to know you better. Don’t you want that, too?”
“Cam, this isn’t the time or the place for this.” She tried to retrieve her hand, which he refused to release. “I meant what I said, too. I really don’t have time...”
Thankfully, Derrick and Alesha chose that moment to enter the room, allowing Angela the diversion she needed to retrieve her hand and move to the foot of the bed out of Cam’s physical reach, though his eyes stared straight through her, silently promising they weren’t finished with their conversation.
Derrick walked over and squeezed Cam’s shoulder. “Thank God, you’re awake.”
“Don’t tell me you were worried about me.” Cam smiled at his best friend.
“We both were.” Alesha squeezed his hand. “How do you feel?”
“I’m fine.” He gingerly touched his temple. “Just a few aches.”
“Consider yourself lucky.” Derrick heaved a sigh of relief.
“I do.” Cam grinned at Angela and then glanced around the room as if searching for something. He returned his attention to Angela and asked, “Hey, where are my clothes?”
Angela frowned. “Why?”
“That’s your favorite word, isn’t it?” At her frown he elaborated. “I want to get dressed. I can’t wear this thing home.” Cam pointed to the flimsy hospital gown. “Since Derrick is here, he can give me a ride.”
“You’re not going anywhere, Cameron Stewart,” Angela firmly promised.
“Oh, yes, I am.”
“Oh, no, you’re not.” Angela placed her hands on her hips, preparing for a battle she was determined to win. “Not until you’re officially released.”
“Says who?” Cam defiantly crossed his arms across his chest. “You’re not the boss of me.”
“Maybe she isn’t,” Derrick said, chuckling, “but I know who is.”
Cam turned his frowning gaze to his friend. “What does that mean?”
Derrick took his phone out of his pocket. “Do you really want me to make this call?” Comprehension dawned in Cam’s eyes.
“You wouldn’t.”
“Oh, wouldn’t I?” Derrick turned his phone so Cam could clearly see the name and number on the screen. “Are you staying, or do I press Dial?”
Alesha and Angela stared at each other in confusion and then glanced from Derrick to Cam. Cam glared at Derrick for long, tense seconds, but Derrick didn’t flinch. Finally Cam sighed in resignation, all fight seeming to leave him.
“All right, you blackmailer.” Cam dejectedly plopped back against the pillows. “I’ll stay.”
“Wise choice,” Derrick said.
“Who were you going to call?” Alesha asked.
“His mother.” Derrick laughed at Cam’s dark scowl.
“Oh.” Alesha said, “Shouldn’t we call her anyway?”
“No, I’m fine,” Cam quickly interjected. “If you call her, she’ll drop everything, hop on a plane and mother me to death for the next few weeks. I don’t have the strength for that. I was just in a car accident.” His loud sigh elicited laughter from all present. Cam fixated on Derrick’s pleased countenance. “I’ll pay you back for this, Senator, when I get out of here.”
“I’ll be ready for you.” Derrick winked. “You really should call Mama Mabel, though.”
“I know, and I will when I’m home and I can assure her that I’m fine.”
“Okay,” Derrick reluctantly agreed. “Since you’re obviously in good hands and apparently as stubborn as ever, Alesha and I will leave you alone. We just had to make sure you were all right.”
“Thanks for coming by to coerce me into staying.”
“Anytime.” Derrick patted his shoulder.
“Obey your doctors, and you’ll get out of here soon.” Alesha bent down and kissed his cheek.
“I’ll try.” He gave her a halfhearted smile.
“Do you need anything?” Derrick asked.
“No.” Cam’s eyes strayed to Angela. “I have everything I need.”
“I see.” Derrick smiled, following his friend’s line of vision. “Okay, then. We’ll check on you tomorrow.”
“I guess I’ll be here,” Cam said grudgingly, watching Derrick and Alesha leave hand in hand.
“You’ll be here,” Angela said, and smiled when he groaned as if in pain. When he eyed the closet, she warned, “Don’t even think about it.”
“Think about what?” he asked innocently.
“Leaving,” Angela answered. “If you’re not here when I come back to check on you, I’m going to call Derrick and tell him to call your mother.”
Angela fought a smile. Cam sighed heavily and looked like a child caught with his hand in the cookie jar. He really was extremely cute.
“I’ll be here,” he promised before adding, “I’m really enjoying the company of my beautiful nurse.”
“Get some rest.” Angela ignored his second comment. “I’ll check on you later.”
“I’ll look forward to it.”
Angela shook her head at his wolfish grin and exited the room. A smile turned up the corners of her mouth, and she chuckled lightly as she walked down the hall. Cameron Stewart was something else. He was just as handsome and funny as ever.
If she wasn’t a magnet for disaster when it came to relationships, she would have taken the time to get to know him better. However, she knew from past experience that she didn’t do relationships well at all, and she had no intention of getting serious with anyone ever again.
She was focused on her career like a laser beam, and that’s where her attention would remain. But...if she was going to date someone, Cameron Stewart would be at the top of the list, she admitted.
“But you’re not looking for a relationship,” she firmly reminded herself. “No good will come from that, and you know it.”
Having sufficiently chastised herself, she quickly walked down the hall, away from the heady temptation that was Cameron Stewart.
Chapter 2
The next morning when Angela entered Cam’s room, he was sitting up in bed flipping through channels on the television. His frowning countenance and cagey appearance informed her he couldn’t wait to escape from what he deemed his unjust imprisonment. She had the feeling that if he wasn’t released soon, he’d plan on leaving against medical advice. Luckily for all concerned, his test results had come back negative, and she had the feeling he’d be released today.
“Good morning,” she greeted him brightly. “How are you feeling?”
“Bored out of my mind.” Cam threw the remote back onto the bed. “When can I get outta here?”
“Tired of us already?”
“Of you? Never.” His appreciative eyes roamed over her face. “Of this place? Definitely. I don’t do hospitals.”
“Well, you’ll do this one until your doctor says otherwise.”
“I feel fine.” She fought a smile at his defiant expression. “Why can’t I leave now?”
“Dr. Jackson wants to make sure you’re okay. You don’t want to go home only to be readmitted, do you?”
He shuddered at her question. “Heaven forbid.”
“Well then, be a good boy, behave and just enjoy the rest.”
“Rest?” He raised an eyebrow, and the corners of his mouth turned down. “You’re kidding, right?”
“What do you mean by that?”
“People come in here at all hours of the night, poking, prodding and taking blood, needing to check this or that and asking if I’m okay, or more annoyingly, waking me up when I do manage to catch a few z’s to see how I’m doing.” He paused for emphasis before ending theatrically. “Who can rest in this place?”
Light laughter bubbled from Angela’s smiling lips as he finished his heartfelt tirade. “Would you rather they ignored you and missed something vital that was detrimental to your health?” she asked.
Cam cracked a smile. “Taking their side against me, huh?”
“I’m part of them,” she reminded him wryly.
“You can bother me all night long anytime you want.” Cam’s eyes sparkled. “In fact, I wish you would.”
“Do you now?”
“Mmm-hmm.” He treated her to a disarming smile and asked, “Will you go out with me when I’m sprung from this joint?”
“No.” She bit her lip to stop a smile when he frowned at her quick denial.
“Why not?”
“Maybe I’m just not interested in you romantically.”
“Oh, you’re interested,” he replied confidently, and grinned when she chuckled.
“What a conceited thing to say.”
“It’s not conceit,” he quickly denied. “I know you feel that spark of awareness between us whenever we’re in close proximity.” Oh yeah, she felt it, but she had no intention of acting on it.
“Sorry to disappoint you, but no, I haven’t.” She told the little white lie with a straight face, hoping to convince him of her sincerity.
“No?” His eyes twinkled in challenge.
“No.” Before she could blink, he grabbed her hand and pulled her until she was sitting beside him on the bed. “Let go, Cam.”
“What’s wrong?” He tugged on her hand until she was leaning over him slightly. “Tempted?”
“No,” she lied. Who wouldn’t be tempted by your gorgeous brown eyes, alive with mirth and dogged determination? “Not in the least.”
His free hand moved to softly caress her jaw before anchoring behind her neck. “Then why are you trembling?”
“You’re imagining things.” Lord, he was too close, too handsome and much too tempting.
“Am I?” He pulled her nearer still. “I don’t think I am.”
“Cam, please...” She placed her free hand on his chest for leverage, which was a big mistake because the feel of his hard muscles only made her want to press tight against his unbending length instead of escaping.
“Please what? Kiss you?” She fought a groan when his gaze darted to her lips before returning to her turbulent eyes. “You don’t have to worry. I plan on kissing you a lot once I get out of here. In fact, let’s get in a few trial runs. Shall we?”
At that moment the door opened and Derrick waltzed in. He chuckled when he saw Cam and Angela’s intimate position. Angela was relieved—and if she was honest, a little disappointed—by the intrusion.
“I see you’re feeling much better,” Derrick drawled, placing a change of clothes over the back of a chair.
Cam sighed. “Senator, you have lousy timing.”
“Sorry. Want me to leave?”
“No.” Angela seized the opportunity to break free of Cam’s loosened hold and back away toward the door. “Good morning, Derrick.”
“Angela.” Derrick grinned.
“We’ll finish this later, Angela,” Cam promised from the bed.
“The only thing you’re going to finish is your breakfast.” Her shaky voice took the sting out of that order as she pointed to his tray. “See you later, Derrick,” she murmured, and left.
* * *
“Well, well, well.” Derrick eyed his friend with interest.
Cam folded his arms behind his head and reclined on the pillows. “What are you grinning about?”
“Are you finally ready to date Angela?” Derrick asked.
“Yes,” Cam affirmed. “You know I believe in taking advantage of opportunity, and Lord knows there’s nothing like a brush with danger to light a fire of urgency underneath you.”
“So—” Derrick pulled a chair to the bedside and sat down “—am I to understand that now you’re happy about your accident even though your baby was totaled?”
“Oh, please, don’t remind me about that,” Cam groaned at the mention of his beloved car. “It’s going to take a long time to get over losing Yvette.” He paused and then said philosophically, “I guess you have to lose something to gain something, though.”
“True.” Derrick stretched his legs out in front of him and switched subjects. “Have you called Mama Mabel yet?”
“I’ll call her when I get home, dude.” Cam sighed and treated him to a frustrated glare. “When I get home.”
“She’s gonna skin you alive for not calling her sooner.”
“Not really.” Cam smiled slyly. “I’ll just tell her I was out of it and thought you had called her.” Alarm lit up Derrick’s eyes, and Cam’s smile widened.
Derrick sat up straight in his chair and growled, “Oh, no, you don’t!”
“Look at you, scared of my mama!” Cam slapped his thigh and laughed heartily.
Derrick smiled and asked, “And you’re not?”
Cam sobered and said, “I plead the Fifth.”
“You just keep me out of your alibi.”
“I’ll consider it, although it would be the perfect payback for your blackmail to keep me here last night.”
“Cameron—” Derrick’s eyes glinted dangerously “—you wouldn’t want me to tell Angela some of your most embarrassing moments, would you?”
“No more than you’d want me to share a few of yours with Alesha,” Cam shot back easily. At Derrick’s darkening countenance, he promised, “Don’t worry. I know how to handle my mother without implicating you.”
“Good,” Derrick said, relaxing back in his chair again. “Do you know when they’re going to spring you yet?”
“Today, I hope.” Cam frowned at his untouched breakfast tray. “I can’t take any more of this so-called food.”
“You’ll live.”
“Easy for you to say.”
Cam’s eyes suddenly turned to the door through which Angela had escaped. The delighted expression spread across his face until he laughed out loud again. Cam’s jubilance coaxed a corresponding smile out of Derrick.
“What’s so funny?”
“I have the feeling totaling my car is going to be well worth it in the long run. It’s given me a new lease on life.”
“Uh-oh.”
“Uh-oh is right,” Cam agreed. “I’m about to unleash the full brunt of my charm on Angela Brown, and you, my brother, know how devastatingly charming I can be.”
He winked at Derrick, who shook his head and wagged a finger in reproof before joining in his friend’s optimistic, determined laughter.
* * *
Later that morning when Angela entered Cam’s room, she found him fully dressed in faded jeans and a white T-shirt that was stretched tight across his muscled chest. He was standing by the bed and talking on his phone. He motioned for her to come in and quickly ended his call.
“I see you got the word from Dr. Jackson that you’re being released.”
“Not a moment too soon.” Cam raised his eyes heavenward. “I told you I was fine.”
Lord, yes, you are! she couldn’t help silently agreeing.
“Well, it’s our job to make sure. Now that everything officially checks out, we agree with you.” She paused before adding, “You were very lucky.”
“In more ways than one.” Her breath caught at the way he was looking at her. “Cam...”
“What?”
He didn’t try to mask the appreciation shining in his eyes as he slowly examined her from head to toe and back again. She’d never met a man who made her feel like the sexiest woman he had ever seen when she was dressed in loose-fitting, bland hospital scrubs—until now. A shiny stethoscope was slung around her neck, and Cam had a look in his eyes like he would love to play doctor with her, and if she was honest, that might be a lot of fun.
“Nothing,” she finally answered, shaking her head to chase away forbidden thoughts. There were a lot of things she could have said, but she settled on, “I just wanted to say goodbye and take care.”
“Oh, this isn’t goodbye,” he said, walking toward her.
“You are leaving today, aren’t you?”
“With wings.” He stopped directly in front of her. At five feet eleven inches, she had to tilt her head to stare into his eyes, which made him a little over six feet.
“Well then, this is goodbye.”
“This is only see you later,” he contradicted. “And speaking of later, I have a request of you.”
“What?” She eyed him warily.
“Have dinner with me tonight.”
“I’m working tonight.”
“Tomorrow night, then.”
“I don’t think so.”
He frowned. “Why not?”
“Because you need rest.” She adopted her sternest voice and continued, “You suffered a mild concussion, and you should be concentrating on your recovery, not dating.”
“I’ll rest for the remainder of the day and tonight, if you’ll have dinner with me tomorrow night,” he bargained. “Come on.” He grinned infectiously. Lord, she could make out faint dimples visible through the light hair covering his cheeks, as if he needed another attribute to add to his handsomeness. “Give me a reward for being a model patient.”
She arched an eyebrow. “You think you’ve been a model patient?” He nodded vigorously, and she suppressed a smile with difficulty. “I think your head injury was worse than we thought.”
“I don’t know what you’re smirking about. I’ve been very agreeable.” At her continued skeptical expression, he suggested, “Ask any of my nurses.”
“That won’t be necessary. I’ll let you cling to your delusions.”
“Will you also reward my good behavior and go out with me tomorrow night?” he persisted.
“Isn’t getting out of here incentive enough for you?”
“You’ve got me there,” he quickly agreed. “But...”
She sighed. “There’s always a but.”
“Yes there is,” he agreed. “And this one’s very important.”
“Well, let’s hear it,” she prompted drily.
“But we’ve waited long enough to go out on a real date. Granted, we’ve both been insanely busy, but now fate has brought us back together, so let’s not waste this opportunity. Let’s seize the moment and do something we should have done months ago.”
“Is that the reason you want to go out with me? To check off some to-do list?” she challenged.
“Of course it isn’t.”
“Why do you want to go out with me?”
“Because I like you. I have since the moment I met you,” he answered immediately. His warm eyes held hers captive. “Don’t you like me?”
“You’re a very nice man, Cam, but—”
“No buts,” he interrupted with a smile.
“No fair, you got to use buts, so I should too,” she argued.
“Sorry.” He shrugged. “Those are the rules.”
“Some rules,” she huffed.
“Come on. You know you want to give in. I promise to show you the time of your life if you’ll go out with me.” A smile played about her lips at his persistence. “I’m not seeing anyone. Are you?”
“No.” Her truthful response tumbled out before she could stop it.
“I don’t understand how that’s possible, but I’m not looking a gift horse in the mouth.” He grinned again, showing off those dimples that her fingers were itching to trace. “Don’t you want to see where this leads—finally?”
She did and she didn’t. She did like Cam, she had since meeting him, but she was dedicated to her career—a career that was very demanding of her time and focus. She also had a lousy track record with men, and she didn’t want to travel down that losing road again...but maybe this time could be different. Maybe Cam would be different. He certainly made her feel different. She wished she knew whether that was good or bad.
“You’re thinking too much,” he said. “That means you really want to say yes.”
“It means no such thing.”
“Yes, it does.” He reached out and took her hand. “Come on, Angela, you know we’re long overdue for our date.”
“We’ve seen each other several times. A few nights ago, to be exact,” she reminded him.
“For a few minutes at Alesha and Derrick’s.” He grimaced, and she bit back a laugh with difficulty. “That hardly qualifies as a date. Does it?”
“That depends on your perspective.”
“Well, my perspective is that seeing each other at our mutual friends’ house is not a real date.” He made another distasteful face, and this time she did laugh. “Come on, I’ll show you the time of your life.” Of that she had absolutely no doubt. She was having a good time just standing here sparring with him.
She hadn’t been on a real date in ages—years, in fact, and with good reason. She liked her life the way it was—predictable and uncomplicated. She had no intention of starting anything serious with anyone, but where was the harm in sharing a good meal with a man who was funny, smart and godfather to their best friends’ son while she was the godmother?
“All right,” she heard herself agreeing.
“Excellent.” He brought the back of her hand to his lips, sending goose bumps up her arm. Suddenly the room seemed much too small for the two of them, especially when he said, “Your skin is very soft.”
“Um...I have to go.” She cursed her breathless voice and removed her hand from his. “I’m due in the O.R.”
“Okay, I guess I can’t object to that.” Her eyes widened when his fingers smoothed her bangs off her eyebrows. “I’m looking forward to our date, Angela.”
“Just remember you promised me a great time.” She was surprised she could articulate this, because his nearness was doing strange things to her ability to breathe naturally.
“And I’ll deliver,” he promised. “Where would you like to go?”
“Surprise me.”
“You may be sorry you said that,” he teased.
“On second thought...”
He placed a silencing finger lightly on her lips. “Too late to take it back.” Her lips tingled from his touch. She took a step backward, ending the disturbing contact.
“Your nurse will be in with your discharge papers soon.”
“Hallelujah!” A small smile played about her lips at his jubilant response.
“Try to contain your enthusiasm.”
“No can do.” His smile widened. “I can’t wait to get outta here.”
“Just make sure you rest when you get home.”