Deb still had a few months left on her leave, but she said her plans had changed and that she'd go back to work at The Yard very soon, but Rick had assured me that my term still held and I had a permanent position there if I wanted, but our auto repair shop had been demanding all my time. Some nights I prayed for a robot I could program to do my tasks. Or a clone. Shouldn't they have invented that by now? I bet Cameron would like that. Since Deb's plans had changed, I considered dropping my position at The Yard as soon as Deb comes back, providing that she wouldn't need me anymore, of course. "And you know I can't just leave Tala's house for a long time," I finished. Cameron groaned, his long arm reaching to support me on my side for a moment as he shifted, then carefully turned on his back. I sat on the mattress, but he grabbed my hips and pulled me to sit on top of him. His palms stroked my thighs, squeezing, gliding up to my hips, my ribs, the sides of my breasts, then my arms, gently pulling me down so that I hovered over him. His hands slid up on both sides of my neck, thumbs stroking my jaw. "Just in case you change your mind," he said softly. "I won't." He looked so tan from working outdoors and sometimes he'd have sunburn. I'd become that girlfriend who'd remind her boyfriend about doing things like drinking a lot of water and applying sunscreen. What if he got skin cancer? What if he fell from the roof? What if he got abducted by aliens? Shit. Cameron was busier than ever. Some nights when he'd come home late from work, he'd look so exhausted he could barely keep his eyes open to take a shower, eat, then passed out in bed. Somehow though, he always managed to wake up in the middle of the night, reached out for me, and make me cry out in pleasure. I wanted him as much as he wanted me, and there seemed to be no end to it. Not even long after he had me, I wanted him again. The nights that we couldn't be together, I'd feel a sadness whenever I reached out for his side of the bed and realized it was empty. Shifting back, I tried to sit up again, but Cameron's massive hands firmly but gently locked me in place, fingers caressing the back of my neck. His blue eyes darkened, deepened, and I knew he wanted to say something, but he held back. "What is it, Cam?" When he didn't answer, I turned my head to the side. His hold loosened slightly, letting me kiss his hand. I heard him take a deep breath. "Kara." "Right here with you." Pulling me closer, he pulled me to his mouth, gently claiming my lips, licking at them slowly, retreating, teasing, then back again. My legs tightened around him, and I couldn't stop myself from rubbing myself against his naked skin. I was wet, and he knew it. He deepened the kiss, and I heard him moan. But I knew he was exhausted. He woke up at four in the morning today, left at five, then came home at seven p.m. It was ten p.m. now and I knew he had to be up at four a.m. again tomorrow. I pulled away. "You need to get some sleep," I said. "No." He pulled me back to his mouth again. This time I was the one who moaned. "But I do need some, all right." I giggled—what the hell was that sound—and slapped his cheek playfully. "Get it later. Sleep first. Cameron," I warned when he reached under my nightshirt. "Fine." He grabbed my hips, lifted me up so easily off him that I gasped. He placed me on the bed, then flipped on his stomach, turning his head away from me. I sat there, watching the muscles on his back rise and fall for a moment. Grinning, I swung my legs off the bed, but before I could get up, a strong arm wrapped around my waist and pulled me back. Just as I knew he would. I giggled again—dammit—as he sat up and leaned against the headboard, pulling me to sit on his lap. "Where do you think you're going?" he whispered. "Nowhere." I felt a little breathless when he started nibbling on my ear. "You have too many clothes on," he said. I bit my lip, raising my arms so he could pull my nightshirt up and off. "I've been meaning to ask," he began, teasing me by dragging his finger on my collarbone, down to the top of my breast, stroking there, back and forth, back and forth, never going down to where I want him to lick and bite and suck. His mouth was magic. "You want to talk right now?" He laughed a little, his eyes moving from my face down to my breasts. "These things you're wearing, they always match." "You mean my bra and panties?" I gasped when his finger trailed down, down, until it slipped underneath the cup of my bra and lightly pinched my hardened nipple. I moaned. "Yeah. Makes me hard when you wear these ones especially. White, lacy thing." "Stella McCartney," I breathed. "I only have two pairs. I'll buy another. Now, can we get back to this please?" He raised a brow. "A little impatient, aren't we?" "I—" "And here I thought you wanted me to sleep." Before I could form a reply, he hooked my legs around his waist, his powerful hips surging up to rub between my legs. His mouth was possessive and hard as he claimed mine in a hungry kiss that made me desperate to have him inside me. I clutched at his broad shoulders, matching his hunger. He secured me against him, never breaking our kiss as he pushed me down the bed so that he was on top of me. His hands locked on my wrists as he dragged them above my head, yanked his mouth away from mine as he said my name. "Kara." "Yeah?" He leaned forward, his mouth close to my ear as he murmured, "Are you ready?" "For what?" "I'm going to fuck you now." I fell asleep on top of him after he made me cry out three times. * My eyes snapped open, a sound of distress jarring me awake. Beside me, Cameron was breathing hard. He was talking in his sleep. I tried to make out what he was saying, but his tone was quiet and in pain.