Chapter 18: The Kiss

Ella Lattone's POV

"I never knew that you were good at playing the guitar. Is that your composition?" Cameron asked me as we were walking to my front door after we were coming from the dinner at his parents' mansion. I blushed.

"It was nothing. I love to do it when I was…not busy," I said as I was looking at the ground before I tucked my hair behind my ears.

"Not busy?"

"Well, between working to translate the article and trying to keep the budget for the month, I was composing if I wanted to, it keeps my mind clear for the day ahead," I said before I have to stop myself from being exposed to him. I don't want that to happen.

"I see," he said as he was stopping in front of the door before he was waiting for me to get the keys and unlocked the door. I turned the keys in the keyhole before I was opening the door and stepped inside.

"Well, this is me," I said as I turned to look at Cameron. He was still damn dashing in the moonlight even after all that was happening at the mansion.

"Yes, this is your stop," he said as he was making any move to leave at any moment. I was looking into his green eyes before he cleared his throat.

"I wanted to thank you for making the effort to be with my family tonight. I know it was unbearable and it was a disaster," he said as he was sighing. I chuckled before he turned to look at me. Then, he smiled.

"Well, not a disaster but I think it was fun to be with your family from time to time," I said as I was leaning against the door frame before he chuckled as well.

"You're right. It's not I will see them always," he said before we were staring at each other. The silence between us was…comforting and I think I was smiling at him.

"Okay, then. I'll get going now," I said before he took my wrist to stop me from going inside. I looked at his hand before I was staring at him.

"Thank you again for doing this," he said as he was looking into my eyes. I smiled.

"No problem, oh I almost forgot," I said as I was trying to take off the necklace. Cameron stopped me.

"Keep it on. Maybe next time, I will invite you again to the dinner," he said as he was smiling. I arched my eyebrow.

"Well, Mr. Hayes, if I don't know any better, you do want me to be in your family," I said before I can stop myself. What is wrong with me?!

I was shocked, sure but I don't think I have it at all.

But then, I did something more shocking. I kissed him back as I was locking my hands behind his neck and I was pulling him closer. I can sense that I was pushing against his hard chest where his hands were roaming my body.

"God, you're beautiful," he said as he was pushing me toward the door. My back was hitting it and I grunted before I was pulling his face to deepen the kiss. I did not know what was possessing me to do it but I did.

He was nice and toned. He was a Greek God while I was…well, me. I don't think that he would be happy with someone like me but I don't think that stopped my feelings from developing toward him.

"Stop," I said before Cameron was kissing my jaws and neck as he was sucking on a sweet spot that was making me flustered and the heat was pooling lower my stomach.

"Cameron, stop," I said as he was pulling my skin before he was breathing heavily at his spot. It was wet and arousing. I don't think I ever had anything like this before. It was too surreal.

"God, Ella, I'm sorry," he said as he was looking up from nuzzling my neck and his eyes held regret in them. I sucked in my breath. He was regretting that kiss.

He did not want this to happen.

"I should go," he said before he turned and walked away from me. I think my heart was shattered to pieces before this rejection, after the heat and fire that we shared, was much worse than having my crush shattered.

Cameron Hayes' POV

I walked away from Ella as soon as my head was cleared. I don't know what was happening and I think that it was making some hold into my heart. And at that moment, my phone rang.

"Hello?" I answered as I was getting inside the car, refusing to see if Ella was still staring at me. I hoped she was not.

"Where are you? I heard that you're in the city, want to hang out?" Brad said as he was speaking to me through the phone. I put in the ignition into the hole and started the engine. I sighed as I looked at the clock. It was 1 AM.

"I can't. I have some…papers to look at," I said as I was speeding away from the parking of Ella's apartment. I don't want to be here any longer but I don't want to be at the club, getting drunk and forget all the memories that I shared with Ella tonight. I gripped the steering wheels even more.

"Oh, come on. It will be fun and I think you might want to hear some gossip," Brad said as he giggled. I rolled my eyes. I think my friend right now was a drunkard and I don't want to deal with him but I cannot leave him without supervision.

"Are you with Alex?"

"What! Why would I stick to that married man? He was no more fun but you, on the other hand, I think it will be much fun as you're much more aggressive than Alex," Brad said as he hiccuped and I sighed.

"Where are you at?" I said as I was rubbing my face as I stopped at the traffic light. Brad giggled again.

"You know where. See you later," he said before he hung up on me. I threw my phone to the passenger seat as I shook my head. I cannot believe that guy. But importantly, Brad never gets drunk before so it must pretty serious if he wanted to forget the memory so much. I sighed.

"So much for my night," I said as I was turning right to get to the bar that we frequented when we're together.

I entered the bar as I was looking for any sign of Brad. He was usually by the bar but tonight, he was not there.

"Cam, over here!" He shouted as I was looking at one of the booths that were facing the entrance. I sighed as I was looking at them before I was walking toward them.

"Cameron, my man. You came," Brad said as he was hugging me before I saw the ladies at the table.

"Sorry, girls. It's over and I will pay for your time with him. Thank you," I said before they moved out of the table and I was looking at the drunkard in my care now.

"Brad, Brad! Wake up!" I said as I was slapping his face before he mumbled something.

"No, five more minutes, mum," he mumbled before I was slapping him harder than before. He jerked in his drunk state before he was looking around until he saw my face.

"Cam, you're here. Come on, let's get something to drink," he said as he was trying to call for the waiter to serve us. I jerked his hand before I was sighing and I was sitting next to him at the table.

"Okay, what's wrong?" I asked him before I was looking at Brad. He was blinking his eyes at me before he was furrowing his eyebrows.

"Wrong? Nothing is wrong, man. I was having the best time of my life," he said as he was drinking his brandy before I stopped him and I was staring at him.

"Brad, something's wrong when you're drunk. So tell me. What is bothering you?'' I said as I was looking at him. He was staring at me before his eyes were gleaming with tears.

"I messed up. I messed up bad, Cam. I don't know what I will do but I think I cannot leave her. Not ever, not again," he said as he was leaning to my shoulder. I sighed before I was patting his shoulder.

"Okay, tell me who was it. Who did this to you?" I asked before he was still crying.

"Brad?" I shook him before he was snoring at my shoulder. I sighed as I was shaking my head. Then, I chuckled as I was staring at my drunkard's best friend. I wondered what happened to him in the Bay Area and his research in Reno.

"Brad, let's go," I said as I was pulling him to lean against me before he was mumbling something and I caught what it was.

"Barbara,"

Now I see what was bothering him. It was a woman and it was none other than his wife. Or wife on papers only. I wondered what changed. I guessed two of my friends were besotted with their wives.

Like you any different, my mind said as an image was coming into my mind before I shook it off.

Not now, not when I have a friend to send home to.