"What's for breakfast?" His blue gaze lingered on my lips for a beat before he answered, "Whatever you want." I swallowed loudly. "Jesus, Cam." I blew out a breath. "Slow down a little, will you? I can't keep up." He was like wildfire. He'd swallow me alive while I burned if I let myself get caught. He blinked. His eyes blanked for a second before they filled with understanding. He opened his mouth to say something, but I interrupted. "Shh. Don't ask me any more questions in the morning. My brain can't handle multisyllabic words until I finished two cups of this." I gestured with my mug. "'Kay?" He gave me a boyish grin. "We only have toast and eggs. I can go to a drive-thru and order something for you if you like." "Toast is fine," I said. "Toast is great for breakfast. And put a shirt on." I can't believe I'm telling him to cover up. Any other time I would have enjoyed watching Cameron do anything shirtless, but this was DEFCON 1 and some self control was imperative. Showing off his body wasn't helping. Desperate times call for desperate measures. "Just?" he asked. "A cape or jacket too for good measure." He chuckled. "I meant just toast?" "Just one." "Two," he insisted. "One." That crooked smile appeared on his lips again before he turned around and got busy, ignoring my request about a shirt. "We'll be heading out soon," he said. "I'd like to drive you home and pick you up." I shook my head at his shirtless back. "I'd like to get my car at The Yard first. Do you think we can make it before anyone comes to work?" He turned around, holding a plate with two toasts on it, offering it to me. "I don't want to do the walk of shame at work," I added, grabbing the plate from him. He froze. "Is that what you think we did last night?" His voice had gone cold, his face a blank mask. "Something shameful?" "That's not what I meant, and you know it." His eyes narrowed on my face. "Do I?" How did the conversation come to this point? We were just having fun. I could see in his demeanor that he had shut down. Whoever said relationships were easy was delusional. They were hard work and made you want to pull your hair out and your partner's too. "I don't know how to deal with you when you're like this. Talk to me." I placed the plate on the counter behind me, raked my fingers in my hair in frustration. "Don't shut me out. Not after last night." The coldness in his eyes thawed. "I'm sorry," he said roughly. "I..." "You're what?" He'd said before he wasn't good with words, and I could see the frustration and struggle in his face at trying to find the right words in his mind and express them. "I want you," he said softly. "I want to be with you." Suddenly he closed his eyes. "I'm sorry. Might not be what you want to hear first thing in the morning, but...fuck." He raked a hand through his hair. "I like seeing you," he continued, his voice low and filled with emotion. "Here. In the morning. In my bed, in my kitchen, drinking coffee. With me. And I don't know if. You. Still. Want. Me. After last night." "Cam." There was a hitch in my voice, but I didn't care. I couldn't have stopped myself if I wanted to. I walked to him. His arms opened to welcome me. "Of course I want you," I murmured against his skin, wrapping my arms around him. "I want to be with you too and I'm not going anywhere. Especially after last night." Last night when he had confessed what happened in the maze, where a helpless young boy died. Last night when he had carried me to his cabin and we did things that made me feel hot just thinking about them. He kissed my hair, breathing a sigh of relief. His hand stroked my back gently. I could feel the tension in his body dissolve. We stayed like that for a moment, basking in each other's presence. I felt a shift in our relationship, like a deeper bond had formed between us. I stepped back to look at his face. "Kara." He always looked so sure of himself that sometimes I forgot that he had insecurities too. I just never thought that he would have them about me. I thought that my feelings for him were obvious, that he would know how much I felt for him. I also realized that he must be feeling vulnerable from all the things he'd told me last night. The things that changed the course of his life. "Last night was special for me. I don't care to tell everyone at work about my personal life. It's mine to keep or to share," I explained. "I haven't done this before, Cam. Last night was the first..." He visibly relaxed. "Besides I don't really want them to know what we were up to last night," I added. A playful glint lit in his eyes. "What were we up to last night?" Just like that his mood changed. He was smiling and flirting again. Maybe he was no different from me after all. He thought the worst possible scenario and flew off with it. When someone is important in your life, you're always aware of the words they speak, holding every word meaningful in your heart. So even a joke or a careless word can slash your heart. When you don't want to lose someone in your life, you're careful that the words you speak would not be misinterpreted because you don't want to hurt them. It was natural to talk to each other and explain to clear up any misunderstandings. And I loved that Cameron and I were doing that. "Do I have time to shower?" I asked, stepping away from his embrace so I could pick up one of the toasts he made and took a bite. "I have to be home before nine." "We have plenty of time but if you don't want people coming in The Yard and seeing you, then get your ass in the shower." He picked up the discarded blanket on the floor, folded it and set it on the counter.