When the Earth Moves

“Were you close to her?”

“Like sisters.”

In the shadows of the cab, she thought she saw him wince at that. “How’d you meet her?”

“Chris came to Sierra Springs when I was three, almost four. She was pregnant and looking for work. Evidently, she and my mom—the only other single mother in town at the time—hit it off. Mom gave her a job at her beauty salon and they practically lived next door to each other. Chris was like my aunt, which is what I’ve always called her. And Katie was just always…there. Ever since I can remember.”

For a long time he didn’t say anything. He stared out her window, his expression pained. Jo studied his face, the heart-stopping features changing from dark to light with the passing cars. His deep-blue eyes had a faraway look, his square jaw clenched with some unspoken emotion.

Don’t think too much, Cam. Don’t change your mind.

Just sign the damn petition.

She didn’t want to push too hard, but her nerves felt frayed from waiting. “Have we talked enough yet?” She sucked in a quiet breath, and held it while she waited for his answer.

His gaze shifted from the world outside to focus on her, the hint of seduction back in his eyes as his expression relaxed. “Ready to make out?”

She almost laughed at the tease. “Will you sign that paper now?”

His lips curled up in a smile, and he moved imperceptibly closer, his now-familiar scent tickling her nose as he invaded the little bit of space between them. “You are persistent, I’ll give you that.”

“You should see me rough out a dent.”

“I’d like to,” he whispered, closing more space.

She tapped his rock-hard chest. “Sign.”

He slid his hand under her hair. “Kiss.”

“That’s blackmail.”

“Actually, it’s extortion.” He moved so close she could see the dilated pupils against his irises, even in the unlit cab.

She forced herself to turn to the window, in time to read a green-and-white highway sign as they passed it. “We’re almost at the airport.”

His gaze dropped over her face, settling on her mouth. She had to fight the urge to pull his head closer, to press her mouth against his again. Instead, she reached into his suit jacket pocket and closed her fingers around the envelope.

He must have known what she was doing, but he didn’t stop her.

“Here.” She held it out to him. “Do you need a pen?”

He didn’t take the paper, instead he dropped back against the seat with an air of defeat. “I need to read it.”

Her heart sank. “It’s long. A lot of legalese.”

“My native tongue.”

The cabbie suddenly knocked on the privacy window. “What airline?”

Oh, Lord. They’d arrived at JFK and she still didn’t have his signature.

She opened the envelope while Cameron leaned forward to talk to the cab driver. The document was short, just two pages. On the bottom of the second page was a line for his signature. Digging through her bag, she found a ballpoint pen.

“Here.” She handed both to him.

He just shook his head. “Inside. I’ll read it in the terminal.”

She had to accept that.

The cab pulled to a stop at the departures terminal. While Cameron paid for the cab, she climbed out, holding the paper.

“You don’t have any other bags?” he asked as they headed into the terminal.

“I didn’t plan on staying.”