He stopped as the third ring sounded, his lips open against the base of my neck. He lifted his glazed eyes to mine on the fourth, then blinked, and just like that, the spell was broken. A flare of panic, of regret widened his eyes.

No. No. No. It was over too soon.

My heart lurched as he set me on the counter, and his arms slackened, letting me go. I fought every instinct to keep him close, to fight his withdrawal, but I uncrossed my ankles, and he literally slipped through my fingers as he retreated.

My body still hummed at a frequency only Cam knew as he reached to adjust a hat he wasn’t wearing. As if realizing that, he stared at his empty hands and shook his head.

“Cam,” I said, hopping down.

“No.” He backed away. “What was I…?”

That hum died a little.

“I can’t touch you,” he muttered. “Not like that.”

“Yes, you can,” I assured him. It probably sounded like a plea. Whatever. I didn’t care. If it brought him back to my arms, I’d say whatever he needed.

“No,” he repeated, looking anywhere but at me. “I can’t.”

“It was just a kiss.” But it wasn’t. It was deeper, and we both knew it.

“And what happens when it’s more?” he challenged, his eyes clashing with mine for a heartbeat. “Did you feel that?”

“Of course I did, and more is fine! Wonderful, in fact!”

“You. Don’t. Mean. That.”

“Don’t tell me what I mean. I know what I want.” I always had. I’d simply been too scared to say it. To reach for it. I’d always known the chances were I could have him like this once but never twice. Even if I let myself slip twice, he never would. And that’s what he would see this as. A slip. A mistake.

“Then, you’re wrong. There’s no way in hell you could want this,” he snapped and gestured between us.

“Because you don’t? I’m only allowed to want what you do?” I wrapped my arms around my torso, suddenly cold. It was like heat that had been coming off my very skin had simply vanished, leaving me chilled and empty.

“I don’t? Are you kidding me right now? You think any of this has to do with what I want?” He shook his head.

“It doesn’t?” I sagged against the counter, shriveling a little. It had been about what I wanted. I never gave him the opportunity to say no. Had he really only kissed me because he’d known I’d wanted him to?

No, he wanted me. Any idiot could see that. Athletic pants weren’t exactly helpful in the camouflage department.