twenty dollar bill and slapped it into Mia's brother's hand, hoping the payout would work as hush money, as well. 'Look, I'd really appreciate it if you didn't say anything to anyone about Mia and me just yet. She's still playing hard to get about all this relationship stuff, and I've learned that she's got to come around in her own good time.' Never mind that she was being stalked and he'd yet to find out by whom.
'Fine,' Joel said, nodding in understanding as he tucked the cash into his front pocket. 'I'll keep this to myself for now. However, if you hurt her in any way, I'll be the first in line to rip your nuts off.'
Cameron didn't doubt that for a minute.
LATER that same night, Mia unlocked her apartment door and turned to Cameron, who was standing behind her, his hands tucked into the front pockets of his jeans. Because it was Saturday night and neither one of them had to work tomorrow, she really didn't want to spend the rest of the evening alone. Not after the wonderful day they'd had together at her niece and nephew's birthday party.
'Care to come in for a little bit?' she asked, smiling up at him. 'I wouldn't mind having the company. We can watch a movie or just talk,' she said, wanting him to know she wasn't inviting him in for the sole purpose of jumping his bones. She honestly, truly, just wanted to be with him tonight, without any ulterior motives in mind.
'Sure, I'd like that,' he said and followed her inside the apartment.
She set her purse and keys on the foyer table. 'Are you hungry?'
He laughed lightly. 'I can't believe I'm saying this after everything I ate today at the party but yeah, I am kinda hungry.'
'You're a big boy with a big appetite,' she teased, her voice laced with a sexy underlying innuendo. 'Come on, let's go see what we can find to fill you up.'
She led the way into the kitchen, with Cameron following behind, and was surprised to find that Gina was there. She was standing by the stove making herself a cup of hot tea. As they walked into the kitchen, she cast them a quick, cursory glance.
'Hi guys,' she said but didn't turn around as she stirred cream into her tea.
'Hey there.' Mia was glad to see Gina was safe at home, instead of at Ray's for the weekend, which had been the norm for the past month. 'I didn't realize you were here.'
Gina shrugged and lifted the collar of her long-sleeved terry robe so it covered her neck, which immediately tipped off Mia and put her on alert. 'I came home from Ray's early,' Gina said and finally faced them. 'He had some things to do this weekend, and I didn't want to stay at his place by myself.'
Mia noticed right away that Gina had been crying. Her eyes were puffy, and her nose was pink. And Mia didn't care for the way she was clutching the thick material of her robe at her throat, as if Gina was trying to cover up something she didn't want them to see. Like new marks or bruises courtesy of Ray.
Gina picked up her mug of tea, and her hand trembled slightly. 'I'll just take this into the bedroom so the two of you can be alone.'
'You don't need to go,' Mia said quickly, hating the thought of Gina sequestering herself in her room when it was obvious something was wrong. 'We were just going to make something to eat. Why don't you sit out here with us?'
'It's okay, really.' Gina forced a smile. 'I'm really tired. I'm going to drink my tea and then go to bed.'
Mia watched Gina go, and as soon as she heard her bedroom door close, she released a frustrated sigh. 'He's still manipulating and abusing her.'
'I agree. All the signs are definitely there.' Cameron came up to her, his gaze searching her face. 'Do you want me to leave so you can talk to her?'
'No. I've said everything I can, and most of the time she doesn't want to hear what I have to say, anyway.' Mia dragged her fingers through her hair. 'I'm just grateful she's here at home, where she's safe. I'll spend some time with her tomorrow, just the two of us. Maybe take her to a movie.'
'Okay, if you're sure you want me to stay.'
'I do.' She opened the refrigerator and grabbed the lunch meat, mayo, lettuce, and tomato, and set everything on the counter. 'Besides, I just don't trust her excuse that Ray was busy this weekend, and I feel much better having you here. At least for a little while.'
'Not a problem, then.' He helped her make his sandwich, spreading the mayo on the bread and then layering on the sliced ham and turkey while she rinsed off the crisp lettuce leaves. 'If I don't find out something on Ray, and soon, I'm going to have to set up surveillance on the guy.'
She cut up a small tomato and added those slices to his sandwich. 'I hate for you to have to do that. I know how busy you've been lately.'
'It's gotten to the point that I'm determined to find out who and what he is, and what's in his past that he's trying to hide from.'
'I can only imagine.' She opened a can of chilled fruit cocktail and poured it into a bowl and then filled two glasses with lemon-lime soda. 'Come on, let's take this into my bedroom where we can watch TV and talk while you eat your snack.'
In her bedroom, Cameron propped her pillows against her headboard, toed off his shoes, and made himself comfortable on her bed with his sandwich in hand. Mia gave him the remote for the TV so he'd be right at home, and he automatically switched the channel to a cop show. Thinking he was such a typical guy, she grabbed her nightclothes from her dresser drawer and went into the adjoining bathroom to change. Ten minutes later she emerged, wearing a pair of soft cotton drawstring pants and a matching camisole top, both of which were designed more for comfort than seduction.
Still, Cameron's chewing slowed, and his hot, dark gaze raked over her as though she was wearing a provocative teddy instead. After a lengthy and very appreciative perusal, his eyes finally came back up to her freshly scrubbed face, free of any cosmetics.
A warm smile eased up the corners of his mouth. 'You look nice without your makeup on.'
'Oh please,' she drawled, and rolled her eyes as she laid her blouse and skirt over a chair to send to the dry cleaners next week. 'We're already having sex, so flattery at this point isn't necessary,' she joked.
'I'm being serious.' He took a drink of his soda, his expression earnest 'You've got beautiful skin and a great complexion. Even without all that stuff you women wear on your face.' Finished with his sandwich, he set his plate on the nightstand.
'Well, thank you.' Accepting the compliment, she settled in beside him on the bed, crossed her legs, and picked up the bowl of fruit cocktail. 'Judging by pictures I've seen of my mother, I definitely get my looks and complexion from her.'
'Thank goodness, because I don't think you'd look very pretty as a female version of Joel.'
She laughed as she fed him a slice of peach from her fork. 'You know what I mean.'
'Yeah, I do.' He reclined against the pillows and laced his hands over his now full stomach, content to let her feed him the fruit. 'If you get your looks from your mother, she must have been gorgeous.'
A warm blush swept across her cheeks, and she picked out a cherry half, her favorite part of fruit cocktail, and popped it into her mouth. 'I don't remember much about her, just what I know from photos and from memories that are faded or even imagined at this point since I was only five when she passed away.' She felt that familiar pang of sadness that always accompanied thoughts of her mother and the pain of losing her. 'I miss her, yet I don't think I ever really knew her, if that makes sense.'
'It does,' he reassured her and accepted the chunk of pineapple she put to his lips. 'What about you and Amelia? The two of you aren't very close, are you?'
His question startled her, and she stiffened defensively before she could catch herself. 'What makes you say that?'
'You keep forgetting that my job is to study people, to gauge their actions,' he said with a casual shrug. 'I find I just do it automatically.'
He'd obviously spent way too much time watching her at the party, and that thought made her bristle. 'Well, you can stop analyzing me.'
'I'm not analyzing you,' he said, unfazed by her dismissive tone. 'I'm just curious about your relationship with Amelia. Did you consider her the wicked stepmother?'
'Of course not!' Amelia had always been nothing but kind to her. If anything, it was Mia who'd been the
