Just then the doorbell rings.
“Enjoy your night, darling girl. And whatever happens, let it. You deserve this night out.”
“Thank you,” I breathe, swallowing back my urge to cry. I’m scared but I don’t have the courage to admit it out aloud.
I open the door and feel my heart jump into my throat.
“Wow,” Cameron says. “You look amazing.”
I blush at his compliment.
“You don’t look so bad yourself,” I reply. I peruse his body slowly. His whitewashed jeans fit him perfectly. They’re a sharp contrast to the cargo shorts he had on earlier. His navy blue button down shirt shows off his chest and the sleeves, rolled up to his elbows, accentuate his forearms and show off the hint of the tattoos that are showing. The navy blue also makes his eyes look brighter.
“Are you ready to go?” he asks.
I nod and grab my purse, shutting the door behind me. He rests his hand on the hollow of my lower back and leads me to his truck. He opens the door, helping me inside and then walks around to the driver’s side. He starts the ignition and pulls away from the curb.
“So, where are you taking me Mr. Argent?” I’m curious and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t expecting the ‘fancy restaurant’ cliché.
Cameron grins, looking at me from the corner of his eye. “If I told you, I’d have to kill you Miss. Tanner. And that would be a crying shame, especially with you looking so gorgeous tonight.”
Again, his compliment catches me off guard and even though he’s laying the charm on thick, I like how it makes me feel. Tonight may be the only night like this that I get with him so I’m going to enjoy it, live it and store it in my memory box, to look back on and remember.
Smiling shyly, and say, “Thank you,” and look away.
“We’re here,” Cameron states. If I’m not mistaken there’s some excitement in his voice.
We’ve stopped outside a palatial sized house and suddenly I’m the one overcome with nerves. Is this his house? Am I about to meet his parents? Oh dear, this can’t be happening.
He hops out and meets me on the passenger side of his truck, taking my hand and helping me out. Wordlessly, he leads me to the front door and unlocks it. The foyer is huge, with two matching marble staircases on either side. There’s a long passage to my left, and ahead of me is a cinema-sized living room, with plush leather couches that fill the large space perfectly. It is exquisite to say the least and while I’ve been privy to seeing the inside of houses much like this in my old life, as I like to call it, this house oozes warmth, and hominess. It is obvious that this house is lived in and houses an actual family, instead of ‘occupants’. Cameron locks the door behind me and then continues to lead me further into the house until we’re in the kitchen. My feet cement themselves to the tiles floors when I see that a dinner for two has been set up on the island in the center of the kitchen, complete with candles and beautifully laid out silverware.
“Wow,” I breathe. “This is…” I trail off.
“Surprised?” Cameron asks next to me. The look of worry on his face is faint, but I see it.
“Very,” I reply. “But I love it.”
He grins, revealing those sexy dimples. “Good.”
We walk into the kitchen until we’re standing next to the island. “Are your parents home?” I ask nervously. I find it strange that he’d bring me home and introduce me to his parents on first date but I’ll just go with it.
He chuckles, saying, “I don’t live here.”
Oh. Now I’m very confused. “But I thought…”
“No,” he replies, shaking his head slightly. “This is Hannah and Noah’s house. They let me use it for our date tonight.”
Hannah and Noah live here? Huh. I never expected that since they’re very unassuming about their wealth. I like them even more, if that’s possible.
“Now, if you’d take a seat, I will pour you some sparkling wine and get dinner started.”
“You’re cooking for me?” I ask. I flush when I realize how shocked I sound. But truthfully I can’t help it. Cameron doesn’t look like he knows his way around a kitchen but I’m intrigued enough to hope that he’ll prove me wrong.
“Yes,” he replies, chuckling again. Relief floods me when my shock is met with humor instead of defensiveness. “I am preparing out meal this evening, Miss. Tanner.”
I laugh when he mimics the voice of a waiter, noting the playfulness with which he’s said it. His nerves seem to have disappeared and been replaced with an easiness I’ve never seen him before.
“What will you be making me, Mr. Argent?” I tease. “Grilled cheese sandwiches.”
Cameron brings a hand to his chest and gasps, feigning hurt. “I will tell you right now that I make a mean grilled cheese sandwich, but no, I’m pulling out all the stops.”
“Don’t tell me, you’re adding peanut butter to it, for that extra kick.”
Cameron’s nose scrunches up. “You eat peanut butter with your grilled cheese sandwiches?”
No, but my daughter does, I say in my head. “No,” I laugh. “But now I’m curious to see what you’ll be making me.”
He grins, “You’ll have to wait and see.”
With that he turns around and wraps an apron around his waist and slips it over his head, tying it around his neck. He sets to work pulling pots and pans from drawers, placing everything he’ll need within reaching distance. I make myself useful and pour us each a glass of sparkling red wine. I take a sip, enjoying the sweet taste. It’s delicious.
“So why are we having dinner here and not at a restaurant?” I ask.
Cameron starts slicing mushrooms and peppers as he answers me, “Because that’s exactly what you were expecting.”
He’s certainly got me there. I shrug. “I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect to be honest. I was coerced into coming on this date.” My tone takes on a teasing quality and I playfully roll my eyes to show my false exasperation.
Cameron accidentally drops the knife that was in his hand and looks at me. “I can take you home, if you don’t want to be here.” He’s serious. Worry flits across his eyes and I immediately feel guilty for putting it there, for making him think that I don’t want to be here.
Giving him a warm, reassuring smile, I reply, “There’s no other place I’d rather be.”
It’s only half a lie, because as enthralled as I am being here with Cameron, my thoughts are never far away from the two year old angel tucked away safely in her bed. But he doesn’t know about her yet and I can’t deny that I’m enjoying a night out of the house.
His shoulders relax and he continues cutting and slicing. He does it with speed and precision, as if he’s done this before. He looks like a chef.
“You enjoy this,” I state. It’s on his face, the way he moves around the kitchen.
Cameron’s lips tilt into a half-smile but he’s eyes don’t look up. “I love it,” he replies.
“Then why are you studying Business Management?”
He sighs. “Because I’m supposed to take over my father’s construction company once I graduate.”