my cheeks. ‘I’m not going out with you, Cam.’
‘I didn’t ask you at this moment, now did I?’ One side of his lips curved up. ‘But you will eventually.’
My eyes narrowed. ‘You’re delusional.’
‘I’m determined.’
‘More like annoying.’
‘Most would say amazing.’
I rolled my eyes. ‘Only in your head.’
‘In many heads is what you meant,’ he replied, turning back to my stove. ‘I also brought banana nut bread baked in my very own oven.’
Shaking my head, I glared at his back. ‘I’m allergic to bananas.’
Cam spun around, brows raised in disbelief. ‘Are you shitting me?’
‘No. I’m not. I’m allergic to bananas.’
‘Man, that’s a damn shame. You have no idea what you’re missing out on. Bananas make the world a better place.’
‘I wouldn’t know.’
He cocked his head to the side. ‘Anything else you’re allergic to?’
‘Besides penicillin and guys who bust into my apartment? No.’
‘Hardy-har-har,’ he replied, bending down as he started opening cabinets. ‘How many weaker, less assured guys have you slayed with that tongue of yours?’
‘Apparently not enough,’ I muttered. I went to adjust my bracelet and realized I wasn’t wearing it. My heart dropped. ‘I’ll be right back.’
Humming to himself, Cam nodded. I darted back to my bedroom and grabbed the bracelet off the nightstand and slipped it on. A shudder of relief went through me. Halfway out of the bedroom, I glanced down and cursed again.
No bra.
The thin material of my shirt stretched taut across my chest and my nipples were poking out, saying hello. ‘Oh, Jesus.’
Tossing the shirt off, I grabbed a sports bra out of my dresser.
‘Hey! Are you hiding back there?’ yelled Cam. ‘Because I will come back there and drag you out.’
Sports bra stuck around my head and breasts bouncing everywhere, I blanched. I yanked it down, smushing my right boob. Ow! ‘Don’t you dare come in here!’
‘Then hurry up. My eggs wait for no one.’
‘Oh my God,’ I muttered, pulling my shirt back on. I made it to the hallway before I then realized I also hadn’t brushed my teeth. Cam and his eggs were going to have to wait.
When I returned to the kitchen, he had several eggs boiling in water, and a perfect sunny-side-up egg in the little frying pan he’d brought. He’d found the bag of shredded cheese in my fridge and was sprinkling it across the eggs.
Seeing him in my kitchen, at my stove, unnerved me. Knots formed low in my belly as he easily found the plates and silverware. I crossed my arms, shuffling from side to side. ‘Cam, why are you over here?’
‘I already told you.’ He slid the eggs onto a plate and then walked them over to the bistro set butted up to the wall. ‘Do you want toast? Wait. Do you have bread? If not, I can—’
‘No. I don’t need toast.’ He’d taken complete control of my kitchen! ‘Don’t you have anyone else to bother?’
‘There are a shit ton of people that I could reward with my presence, but I chose you.’
This had to be the most bizarre morning ever. I watched him a moment longer. Giving up on getting him out of my apartment, I sat in the high-rise chair, tucking my legs against my chest. I picked up a fork. ‘Thanks.’
‘I choose to believe that you mean that.’
‘I do!’
He flashed a quick grin. ‘I doubt that for some reason.’
Now I felt like a total bitch. ‘I do appreciate the eggs. I’m just surprised to see you here … at eight in the morning.’
‘Well, to be honest, I was planning to woo you with my banana nut bread, but that shit ain’t happening now. So all I have left is my delicious eggs.’
I took a bite of the cheesy goodness. ‘It is really good, but you’re not wooing me.’
‘Oh, I’m wooing.’ He opened up the fridge and grabbed a bottle of OJ. Pouring two glasses, he sat one in front of me. ‘It’s just all about the stealth. You don’t realize it yet.’
Dropping that no-win conversation, I moved on. ‘Aren’t you eating?’
‘I am. I like boiled eggs.’ Cam gestured to the stove as he sat in the chair opposite of mine. He propped his chin on his fist, and I focused on my plate. The bastard looked too adorable and cute. ‘So, Avery Morgansten, I’m all yours.’
I almost choked on the piece of egg. ‘I don’t want you.’
‘Too bad,’ he replied, grinning. ‘Tell me about yourself.’
Oh hell to the no, the bonding shit wasn’t happening. ‘Do you do this often? Just walk into random girls’ apartments and make eggs?’
‘Well, you’re not random, so technically no.’ He got up and checked the eggs boiling. ‘And I might be known to surprise lucky ladies every now and then.’
‘Seriously? I mean, you do this normally?’
Cam glanced over his shoulder at me. ‘With friends, yes, and we’re friends, aren’t we, Avery?’
My mouth opened. Were we friends? I guessed so, but still. Was this normal? Or was Cam just that confident? He did things like this because he knew he could, knew that no one would really make him leave. Most people probably wouldn’t want him to leave. And I could’ve made him get the hell out if I’d really wanted to, and that was the truth. Cam was the kind of guy who was probably used to getting what he wanted.
Just like Blaine.
That thought turned the eggs in my stomach, and I placed my fork down. ‘Yeah, we’re friends.’
‘Finally!’ he shouted, making me jump a little. ‘You’ve finally admitted that we are friends. It’s only taken a week.’
‘We’ve only known each other for a week.’
‘Still took a week,’ he replied, poking at the eggs in the water.
I pushed the last remaining chunk of eggs around my plate. ‘What? Does it normally take you just an hour to have someone declaring best friends forever?’
‘No.’ He pulled out the eggs, dropping them in a bowl. Coming to the table, he sat again. His eyes met mine, and it was hard to maintain that stare. Those eyes really were a beautiful shade of azure, sharp and clear. The kind of eyes you could easily get lost staring into. ‘It usually takes me about five minutes before we’ve moved on to best friend status.’
A smile snuck out as I shook my head. ‘Then I guess I’m just the odd one.’
‘Maybe.’ His lashes lowered as he started peeling his boiled egg.
I took a drink. ‘I guess it’s different for you.’
‘Hmm?’
‘I bet you have girls hanging all over you. Dozens would probably kill to be in my spot and here I am, allergic to your bread.’
He looked up. ‘Why? Because of my near godlike perfection?’
A laugh burst from me. ‘I wouldn’t go that far.’
Cam chuckled and then shrugged. ‘I don’t know. Don’t really think about it.’
‘You