The Mighty Quinns: Cameron

“You think so?” he asked, frowning.

“You need to be careful. They’ve been around—they know how to read men, how to get exactly what they want from a guy. And they have really good radar. They’re going to know if you’re hiding something or lying to them.”

“I can handle it. I got you to hire me, didn’t I?”

“I could always fire you,” she said. “You’re still on probation.”

“You have too much invested in me to fire me. You bought me lunch.”

And she was about to pay for his new wardrobe. In truth, Sofie was curious about their future together as partners. As she’d worked her way up through the ranks at the SFPD, she’d always had male partners, but they’d been more like brothers or uncles. She’d never once considered indulging in a sexual affair with one of them.

But that’s all she could think about with Cameron. Sure, they’d work together on the case. But she was much more interested in what was going to happen outside of the workday.

Cameron grabbed the straw cowboy hat they’d chosen and put it on his head. “What do you think? Can I pass for a local?”

She laughed, then readjusted the hat on his head. “No. Not at all. There aren’t any men like you living within a hundred miles of Vulture Creek.”

“No?”

“You’re just too pretty. Look at that face.”

He shook his head. “What does that even mean?” His voice was soft, distracted.

“Oh, come on,” she teased. “Don’t pretend that you don’t know what you do to women. A guy like you doesn’t go through life not realizing the advantages you have because of your looks.”

Cameron glanced over at her. “I look like my brothers.”

Sofie groaned inwardly. He was the most dangerous of men, the kind of guy who didn’t even have a clue as to the devastating effect he had on women.

“My mother used to tell me I was handsome. She’d dress us all up for church on Sunday, then line us up and go on and on about how handsome her boys were. After she was gone, I didn’t like to hear it. It would always bring back that memory.”

“I’m sorry,” she said.

He reached out and grabbed her hand, giving it a squeeze. “No, it’s all right. I haven’t thought about that for such a long time. It’s kind of a nice memory.”

“My dad always used to tell me I was pretty. I was his princess. And he’d tell my brothers that they were strong and clever.” Sofie sighed. “I wanted to be strong and clever. I didn’t want to be a princess.”

“Is that why you became a cop?”

“Yeah, I think I had something to prove. To my dad and my brothers. And now that I’m not a cop anymore, I have even more to prove.”

“What if you’re never a cop again?” Cameron asked.

She closed her eyes and shook her head. “I can’t think about that. It’s all I know how to do.”

“That’s not true. I thought all I was good at was designing boats. But since I stepped off that bus, I realize that I just haven’t considered anything else.”

“You think you want to be a private investigator now?”

Cameron laughed. “No. But I’m not my job.” He grabbed her hand and pulled her next to him, their gazes meeting in the reflection of the mirror. “I haven’t known you long, but I can tell you the woman in that mirror could ride a bicycle to the moon if she decided that’s what she wanted to do.”

“You’re a nice guy, Cameron Quinn.”

“I’m handsome and nice,” he said. “And strippers will love me.”

She met his gaze and smiled. He didn’t say much, but when he did, they were words she could believe in. She could trust Cameron to tell her the truth. “You’re handsome and nice and honest.”

Maybe she should start to consider other options, Sofie mused. What if she never got back to form? So much of her life had been spent trying to prove something to her father and brothers—that she was good enough to be one of them. Maybe it was time to find out who she really was.

“And you’re just about the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen,” he said.

His words startled Sofie at first. It had been a long time since a man had noticed her. Since her accident, she’d put up a wall around herself to ward off any interested parties. The scars from her injury had faded, but there were other scars buried much deeper.

Could she trust herself again? Could she imagine a life that didn’t include the career she’d dreamed about since she was a little girl? Her friends had wanted to be princesses and fairies, then movie stars and supermodels, and finally wives and mothers. Through it all, Sofie had wanted the uniform, the badge, the power to make a difference in the world.

Sofie stepped away from the mirror, but Cameron caught her hand and pulled her back, placing him in front of her. She couldn’t be beautiful and be taken seriously. Beauty meant weakness, not strength.

His hands smoothed over her shoulders and down her arms. Sofie’s heart slammed in her chest and she couldn’t catch her breath. This was crazy! She’d always been known for keeping her cool under pressure, but now she was having trouble holding it together, simply because of some guy. Some handsome, sexy, irresistible guy.

“I—I really don’t have time for this,” she murmured. If this was the way the next few weeks were going to go, then she’d be lucky if she got anything done. “The sooner I close this case, the sooner I can get back to—” She cursed softly in Spanish, then turned to him and wagged her finger in his face. “You need to stop distracting me.”

They stared at each other for a long moment, and then, in a heartbeat, Cameron took her face between his hands and kissed her.

It was brief, barely a touch, but as she pulled back, a tiny gasp slipped from her lips. Sofie’s knees felt weak and she reached out, pressing her hand against his chest for balance. “I’ll wait for you outside,” she muttered, grabbing her hat.

When she’d put some distance between them, Sofie leaned back against the wall and tried to calm her racing pulse. She’d been waiting for something like this, for the chance to indulge her fantasies. And now that the moment had arrived, she wasn’t sure what to do about it.

This was her problem. For the most part, she was like her mother—calm, rational, self-controlled. But every now and then, her father’s fiery personality showed itself in her, and she did something so rash and impulsive she wanted to slap herself. It was that half of her nature that usually got her in trouble.

Cameron joined her at the counter, and Sofie paid for the clothes before they both walked out into the afternoon heat. A shiver skittered down her spine as Cameron’s shoulder brushed against hers. Her thoughts returned to the kiss.

Why hadn’t she just allowed it to go on a little longer? It had happened so quickly, she wasn’t even sure it was a kiss. Maybe it had been just incidental contact. The dressing room was small, the mood a bit tense and—

No, it had definitely been a kiss. And it was something they ought to discuss. But if they talked about it, it might happen again. And if it happened again, Sofie wasn’t sure she’d want to stop things so quickly.

“What’s next, boss?” Cameron said. “Should we go see if Walter is at the strip club?”

Sofie pulled the car keys from her pocket. “We’re too late for today. If he follows his pattern, he’ll be there tomorrow.” She stopped and faced him. “About that—that—”

“Kiss?” he asked.

She nodded. “I’m not sure that’s the most productive use of our time.”

Her breath was soft and shallow, and Sofie was sure he could hear her heart pounding in her chest. Had any man ever made her feel this way? Her fingers and toes had gone numb and her head was spinning.

“You’re the boss,” Cameron said.

“Yes,” Sofie replied. “Yes, I am.” And though it was easy to say the words, she had the distinct impression that when it came to kissing, Cameron was definitely in charge.