Gannon’s eyes appeared glassy, but Cam wasn’t sure if that was lust or some other emotion.

As much as Cam wanted to heat the car up for the entire ride to Gannon’s, he knew they needed to talk first. The sex … yeah, Cam had missed that too, but more than that, he’d missed Gannon, and until he could assure himself that they could move forward—permanently this time—that Gannon could forgive him for being a royal ass, he had to put a halt to this.

Taking Gannon’s hand in his, he took a deep breath.

And before he could say anything more, the driver alerted them that they’d arrived at their destination.

Damn. That was fast.

Thirty

Gannon was pretty sure he was dreaming. There was no way this could be real. Life simply hadn’t been that good to him, so for Cam to show up out of the blue … it was surreal. The only thing that made him believe it could be real … in his dreams, Cam didn’t kiss like that. Sure, it was good, but nothing compared to the real thing.

“Sirs, we’ve arrived,” came the disembodied voice from a speaker behind them.

Unable to look away from Cam, Gannon remained where he was, fingers linked with Cam’s, still trying to convince his overtaxed brain that this was really happening, that Cam was really there.

That Cam had actually come to the airport to pick him up.

That Cam had made the first move to fix this.

Please, God, let it be real.

The back door opened, sunlight spilling in, and Gannon managed to regain some of his faculties. Releasing Cam’s hand, he grabbed his carry-on, then forced his legs to move. Outside the limo, he walked around to the back in time to see Cam passing the man a tip and taking Gannon’s luggage. That was when Gannon noticed Cam’s truck parked in his driveway.

Surely he wasn’t dreaming that, right?

“Come on,” Cam urged. “I’ll make us some lunch and we can talk.”

“You’ll make lunch?” The words were out before Gannon could stop them.

Cam’s lips curled up at the corner, reigniting that spark in Gannon’s stomach. “Nothing fancy. I picked up a couple of cans of SpaghettiOs on my way over.”

Gannon laughed, relaxing for the first time since he’d seen Cam standing in the airport waiting for him.

Once they made it inside and Gannon dumped his luggage in his bedroom, he returned to the kitchen to find Cam peering into the freezer.

Cam glanced over at him. “I’m disappointed in you, Gannon. I thought for sure you’d been lying about not cooking frozen meals.”

Gannon unbuttoned his cuffs, then rolled up his sleeves as he stared at Cam, not sure what to say to that.

“But don’t worry,” Cam continued. “I’ll find something.”

Before Cam could open the refrigerator and resume his search, Gannon moved closer until there wasn’t a breath between them. Cam’s hard chest pressed against his own, his body heat infusing Gannon.

“I don’t want food,” Gannon whispered, reaching up and cupping the back of Cam’s neck. Cam was tense; he could feel the tight muscles beneath his fingers.

“I need to apologize,” Cam said quickly, his hands fisting into Gannon’s shirt, as though he were holding on for dear life. “What I did… I was … wrong. It’s just…”

“You were scared,” Gannon filled in for him.

“Petrified.”

“I know the feeling.” Gannon brushed his thumb along Cam’s cheek. “And I’m not talking about what you’ve been through. I won’t pretend to know how that feels, but I do understand the fear, the pain.”

Hell, he’d endured the pain of losing the most important thing in his life for a solid week. It was a wonder he was still standing, still capable of breathing when there’d been moments he’d felt as though his chest had been filled with jagged shards of glass. The pain unbearable. Truth was, he’d never thought he’d see Cam again, never believed he’d feel the overwhelming surge of emotion that filled his soul right now as he stared at the man he loved.

“I thought by pushing you away… It seemed an easier decision than having you taken from me.”

Gannon met Cam’s gaze. “You won’t lose me, Cam. Not if I have anything to say about it.”

“I wish it were that simple,” Cam said, placing his hand on Gannon’s mouth before he could argue. “Regardless, while you were gone, I realized something.”

Gannon waited patiently for Cam to continue, his heart pounding in his chest.

“It dawned on me that either way, whether I broke up with you or … you know … I wouldn’t have you in my life. And only in one of those scenarios do I actually have control.”

Control. Something Gannon felt he had so little of when it came to Cam.

“The past week was brutal,” Gannon admitted.

“I know.” Cam took a deep breath. “Milly kept me afloat the entire time.”

Gannon wasn’t as shocked by that as he should’ve been. He knew she’d been up to something, and he should’ve suspected she would stick her cute little nose in the middle of his business. She was his friend, she cared about him, and he loved her for it. Even if she had been meddling.

Cam smiled. “She loves you.”

“I know. I love her, too. And that’s what friends do.”

There was a strange flicker in the cobalt-blue orbs staring back at him, but Gannon didn’t get a chance to ask before Cam’s eyes widened and he said, “I’m sorry that I hurt you. It’s just…”

“You’re safe with me,” Gannon whispered, tightening his grip on Cam’s neck. “Those are the words you told me that day when I went into the water after you. Remember?”

Cam nodded.

“I don’t like water. No, actually, I detest it,” Gannon told Cam. “Not because of a traumatic experience. I just don’t like it. But when you told me to trust you, I did. And when we made love…” Gannon watched Cam’s face. “When you asked me if I trusted you, I wasn’t lying when I said I did. I still do. But I need you to trust me.”

“It’s not about trust,” Cam said. “I do trust you. It’s the fear…”

“Of losing me?”

Again, Cam nodded.

“Maybe this didn’t go as slow as we’d planned, or maybe it did. I don’t know. Regardless, I fell in love with you somewhere along the way. It wasn’t until you sent me away that I realized I couldn’t control everything; I couldn’t predict the future. But that’s okay. As long as I have you, I don’t need to know what tomorrow will bring. I just need you beside me.”

Cam pulled Gannon forward. “You really love me? I mean … I know you said it that day … but…”

“Yes. I love you. With every breath I take,” Gannon whispered.

“I love you, too. And that’s not easy for me to say.”

“Trust me, I know.” Aside from Milly, Gannon hadn’t loved anyone else since his parents had so selfishly tossed him aside years ago. He’d been scared to love anyone, for fear of being rejected.

Cam wrapped his arms around Gannon’s back, pulling him even closer. “I can’t promise it’ll be easy. In case you haven’t noticed, I’m a little fucked up.”

“Aren’t we all,” Gannon teased.

Cam smiled, his eyes raking over Gannon’s face. “Tell me you forgive me.”

“That’s part of loving someone, Cam. You accept them for who they are, faults and all. And you forgive them.”

They stood like that for several heartbeats, holding one another. And every second that passed, Gannon felt as though his heart was mending, the jagged edges not quite so sharp.

“God, I missed you,” Cam muttered just before he slid his hands behind Gannon’s head, pulling him down.

Their mouths met, and Gannon gave in to the overwhelming heat that had suffused him from that very first kiss they’d shared right here in his kitchen. He honestly loved this man. It was scary how much he cared for Cam.

“So what do we do now?” Gannon asked, planting kisses over Cam’s lips, his chin.

“Bedroom?” Cam mumbled, kissing him back.

Pulling back so he could meet Cam’s beautiful gaze, Gannon smirked. “I was thinking shower.”