BK 5 - Chapter 32 - The Hotel
Jamie couldn't stop thinking about the weird feeling she had felt when Cameron touched her hand. Why did it make her want to touch him again? As he drove, she kept stealing glances at him. She'd never met anyone like him before. He didn't seem much older than she was, yet he acted older and more mature.
Jamie began panicking when they pulled into the parking lot of an expensive hotel. She looked at him and shook her head.
"No, not here. Just take me to a cheap place." She said, feeling tears sting her eyes. Cameron looked at her, concerned, when he heard the distress in her voice.
"What's wrong with this place?" He asked as he put the car in park. Jamie looked down at her hands.
"Look at me. I don't belong here. I belong in a dump with the rest of the trash." She said as she wiped her tears away. Cameron reached over and gently took her hand. Her instinct was to pull away, but when she felt those sparks again, she didn't.
"You're not trash. You're the diamond in the rough. Everything around you may seem dirty, but your beauty shines through. You deserve to be here more than anyone else," He said gently. Jamie looked into his eyes. She didn't understand the feelings he was causing in her, but they felt good.
"I'm not beautiful, and I don't deserve anything. I'm invisible." She said. Cameron shook his head.
"You're not invisible to me. I think you're beautiful. Will you please let me get you a room here?" Cameron hoped she was feeling the mate bond. It would help when he told her the truth. She was still letting him hold her hand, so that was a good sign.
Jamie bit her lip nervously. She didn't want to go into the hotel alone, but she also didn't want to give Cameron the indication that she was asking him to stay with her.
"Will you go inside with me, just until I get to the room?" She asked. Cameron tried to hide his excitement. She was showing signs of trusting him.
"I'll stay with you as long as you want. I have nowhere I need to be." Jamie wanted her heart to stop beating so hard, or he might hear it. She had never depended on anyone or asked for anything, yet she didn't want Cameron to leave her. Maybe she had been alone too long.
"Thank you." Jamie looked down, not wanting him to see how happy he had made her. Would he try to use her vulnerabilities against her? She didn't think so, but she couldn't let her guard down.
The rain had slowed to a light drizzle, but it was still cold. Cameron took off his coat and put it around Jamie when he saw her shivering. Jamie was going to give it back, but it felt too good. Not only the warmth from the coat but the warmth she felt from his scent that was on the coat.
Jamie kept her eyes on the floor when they went to the counter. She didn't want to see the disapproval on the clerk's face. Cameron took her hand and led her to the elevator. He kept her hand in his as they went up.
When it stopped, they were near the top floor. Cameron took her to a room at the end of the hall and opened the door. Jamie glanced in and saw it wasn't just a room but a suite. She felt too dirty to step inside.
"Do you want me to leave now?" Cameron asked as he tried to hide his fear that she would say yes. Jamie looked into the suite and up at him. There was no way she wanted to be in there alone, but what if he expected her to have sex with him as a thank you?
"I can help you get settled if you'd like. You don't need to be scared that I have ulterior motives." He had seen the conflicting emotions on her face.
"Yes, please come in with me. Are you sure this isn't too much?" Jamie asked, kicking her shoes off as soon as they stepped inside. She didn't want any of her street dirt getting on the clean, cream-colored carpet.
"I wanted to make sure you were comfortable," Cameron said as he walked further into the suite. He could have gotten her one of the smaller rooms. He figured she probably hadn't stayed anywhere decent in a long time, if ever.
"Thank you," Jamie replied. She looked around the suite in awe. There was a small living room with a blue couch, grey chair, and TV on the wall. The small kitchenette had a few complimentary snacks and drinks on the counter. In the bedroom, there was a kingsized bed with dark blue bedding. Jamie wanted to shower but wasn't sure if she should with Cameron there.
"If you want to change clothes or anything, go ahead. I'll just watch television until you come out if that's okay." He had seen her looking longingly toward the bathroom. Jamie smiled and nodded.
"I would like to clean up a little. Thank you." She turned to go, but Cameron took her hand.
"Jamie," She looked up into his eyes. "You don't have to keep thanking me. I'm glad I found you when I did, and you're allowing me to stay here to keep you company for a while."
"Can you tell me why every time you touch me, it causes a weird feeling?" Jamie asked softly. Cameron smiled and squeezed her hand.
"After you're done, we'll talk. I have a few things to share with you." He lifted his hand and stroked her cheek gently. Jamie had never wanted to kiss anyone, but she suddenly wanted to kiss Cameron. She looked down at the floor. There was no way someone like him would be interested in someone like her. What did she have to offer?
"Okay." She said before she released his hand and went into the bathroom. After she shut the bathroom door, Cameron sat on the couch and turned the TV on even though he had no interest in watching anything. He pulled out his phone and called his mom when he heard Jamie turn on the shower.
"Hello," Lisa answered.
"Hey, mom." Cameron leaned back on the couch, looking up at the ceiling.
"Hi, honey. Did everything go okay with the purchase contract?" She asked.
"Yeah, that went fine, but Mom, I met my mate."
"That's fantastic news. Is she human or a shifter? Did she accept you? What's her name?" Cameron chuckled as she spat out one question after another.
"She's human, her name is Jamie, and I haven't told her what I am yet. When I found her, four men were attempting to rape her. She's homeless and has really low self-esteem. I talked her into letting me get her a hotel room, and she's in the bathroom washing up now. I know she's feeling something for me from the mate bond because she asked me to stay with her for a little while, but I don't know how to tell her about being a lion."
Lisa's heart broke for her son's mate. Her instinct was to jump in the car and go to the hotel to let Jamie know she'd be safe with their family. She knew she couldn't do that, though. Lisa needed to let Cameron handle telling her everything.
"Just be honest with her. Grandma Cat always says we meet our mates when they need us most. She also says that humans with a bad past tend to be more accepting of shifters because they've already seen real monsters. Just take it slow and follow your instincts." She was proud of Cameron. He had one of the biggest hearts of anyone she knew.
"Thanks, Mom, I will. I think I'll order us some lunch, and we can talk while we eat." He heard the shower water turn off and knew he didn't have much time.
"Okay. Let me know if you need anything, and what about the men who attacked her?" Lisa asked. She'd let Ali and Ace get them if needed.
"Don't worry, we have their scents, and we'll take care of them, but right now, I need to take care of her." Lisa smiled. They'd raised him right.
"Alright, honey. I love you."
"Love you too, Mom."
After they hung up, Cameron ordered room service. He ordered cheeseburgers, french fries, sodas, and strawberry cheesecake for dessert.
Jamie looked through her bag and pulled out the cleanest thing she had. She felt so much better after taking a hot shower and washing her hair. She didn't really want to put on her dirty clothes, but she didn't have a choice. She pulled on a pair of old grey sweats that were too big but not too dirty and a T-shirt. She didn't want to put her dirty panties back on, so she left them off, stuffing them into her bag.
When she looked at herself in the mirror, her skin looked better, and her hair looked a lot better after being washed, but to her, she still looked homeless. She was embarrassed to see Cameron in her ragged clothes but didn't want to keep him waiting when he had been so kind to her.
Jamie opened the bedroom door and walked out. Cameron was sitting on the couch with his back toward her. She slowly walked around the far side of the couch and sat down on the opposite end. Cameron looked at her and smiled.
"Feel better?" He asked. Jamie looked down at her hands and nodded. He hoped he could help her gain the confidence to look up.
"Yes." She answered, fidgeting with her old T-shirt. Cameron turned toward her, but she didn't raise her head.
"I ordered us some lunch. I hope cheeseburger and fries are okay." He moved slightly closer to her.
"That's fine, but you didn't have to. I could have eaten the snacks that are here." Jamie felt him getting closer, but she couldn't raise her head. The more she was around him, the more attached she felt. She was already dreading him telling her he had to leave. He probably had a girlfriend somewhere who would be angry he was in a hotel with another woman. The thought of Cameron looking at or touching another woman made her heart hurt.
"I don't know about you, but I'm starving." Cameron inched a little closer to her until he could reach her hand. He put his hand over hers, and this time, she pulled away.
"I don't think your girlfriend would appreciate you touching another woman." Jamie was unable to hide the bitterness in her voice. Cameron bit his lip so he wouldn't laugh at the look on her face. He reached over and took her hand again.
"Well, we don't need to worry about that because I don't have a girlfriend." She slowly brought her eyes up to meet his.
"Really?" Jamie asked hopefully.
"Yes, really." Cameron wanted to say more, but there was a knock at the door. He couldn't leave Jamie hanging, so he raised her hand to his lips and kissed it. "That should be our food. I'll be right back."
Jamie sat frozen as Cameron went to answer the door. No one had ever kissed her, not even on the back of her hand. She still felt all tingly from the feel of his lips on her skin. What was he doing to her? He smiled as he carried the food over.
As soon as the smell of the greasy cheeseburger hit her nose, her stomach growled. Jamie was so embarrassed, but Cameron pretended he didn't hear her when he saw how red her face was. He sat a soda on the table and handed her a container with the food. He sat the two pieces of cheesecake on the table, too.
"I hope you like cheesecake; I ordered that for dessert." He said as he opened his food. Jamie did the same, and her mouth watered.
"I've never had cheesecake. Not real cheesecake anyway, only that no-bake stuff." She took one of the fries and stuck it in her mouth. It tasted so good she closed her eyes and moaned as she savored the flavor. Cameron watched her in fascination. He wanted to be that fry. He wanted to kiss her lips and hear her moan in satisfaction. Next, she took a bite of her hamburger, and he decided it was time to tell her the truth.
"Jamie, I have something I need to tell you." He said. She looked at him as she sipped her soda.
"Okay. If you tell me I have to give you this food back, I may bite your hand. This is the best thing I've tasted in a long time." She smiled, and his heart stopped. It was the first real smile he'd seen from her, and it made her whole face glow.
"No way am I taking your food away when you're enjoying it so much." He sat his food on the table and turned toward Jamie.
"Good, so what is it?" She asked, taking another bite from her cheeseburger.
"I'm a werelion."
