Chapter Six

In the morning Nina awoke early. She’d had a night of stressful dreams regarding Isla. She lifted her phone. Isla had texted just before midnight and said she’d be there around ten a.m. Nina messaged to acknowledge the text and ask what Isla had been doing. Then she got up and showered, putting on the bikini, vest top and shorts that Ash had left out for her. She steeled herself to become immune to her attraction to Cam. She was not his type. He wasn’t interested in her, and thinking that he might be just made her delusional. Plus, it was not okay to be fantasising about another woman’s man.

She made her way downstairs, deciding to go in search of coffee. In any case, I don’t go for men who are only into the aesthetics of a female. She could certainly appreciate the beauty of those women and the talent it took to make themselves up a certain way. She didn’t begrudge that because it was their choice and they were entitled to it. But it wasn’t her preference, so men who were into all that weren’t on her radar.

She checked her phone as she went through the living room and a wave of nausea washed over her. Isla had messaged back telling her to stop prying and it was none of her business what she’d been doing. Shit. She should have been more careful about what she’d texted, because she hadn’t meant it in that way but could see how it had been misconstrued, given Isla’s current mood. Nina hated fighting with Isla. It wasn’t like them and it was causing her significant stress.

Nina entered the kitchen, her heart rate reacting to her anxiety. The smell of freshly brewed coffee went some way to soothing her. One of the others must be up. Instinct told her that it wouldn’t be Ash, because she’d given the strong impression that she liked to sleep in. In addition to napping in the day. Nina smiled. No wonder, with all her late-night networking and partying, the woman must need all the day-naps she could get.

She got out a mug and poured herself a coffee. Footsteps sounded on the stairs from the basement and Cameron appeared at the top, shirtless and wearing only gym shorts. His towel obscured his face as he wiped the sweat from his face and hair. She froze with her coffee cup en route to her lips.

He glanced up and his eyes widened, clearly not expecting her to be there. “Morning.”

She swallowed, trying to get her voice out. “Hi.” She dragged her eyes away from his torso, trying to remind herself of the talking to she’d just given herself.

Cam came over, placing the towel across his shoulders. “Sleep okay?” He reached into the cupboard next to her, and she squeezed her eyes shut in an effort not to stare at his body.

“Great, thanks,” she said, opening her eyes again before he noticed.

He poured some coffee. “Good. I didn’t think you’d be awake this early.”

“I’m an early riser,” she said.

He nodded. “Me too.” He took a sip. “Not like Ash… She could sleep all day.”

For some reason Nina felt a needle of resentment at that comment. Maybe it was the stress of receiving Isla’s belligerent message. She decided not to acknowledge it. “Been working out?

“Yeah,” he said. “I’m going to grab a shower then get into the studio. I usually get some time in before Ash wakes, because she gets annoyed if I’m in there once she’s around.” He drank from his mug. “She needs constant attention.”

The sliver of annoyance grew stronger. He must’ve known what Ash’s characteristics were when he’d gotten into a relationship with her, so why was he being critical? Probably because a woman’s looks were the only attribute that interested him.

Nina sipped her coffee. “Isla said she’d be here at ten.”

He checked his watch. “Cool. Do you need anything before I go? There’re some croissants and some cereal.”

She calmed her simmering temper. What he thought or said about his girlfriend was none of her business. And he was being nothing but pleasant toward her. “Thank you. I’ll fend for myself. You get your shower.”

He smiled and left the kitchen, rubbing at his hair with the towel as he went. Nina forced herself not to admire him from behind.

She went out to the terrace with her coffee, taking a croissant with her. She bit into it, savouring the buttery taste as she scrolled through her new Twitter feed. She perused Ash’s posts and wondered if she should also create an Instagram account and follow Ash on there too, though perhaps it would make more sense to come to grips with just one social media app first. Nina moved on to scrolling through Cam’s page. She could tell from knowing him that it was someone else posting on his behalf.

Nina decided to search Isla and see what people were saying about her. She smiled as she read things that Isla’s fans had said, moving from one post to another and scrolling through the comments. She frowned when a negative one came into view, then another. Nina followed one troll to the next, nauseated by some of the horrible things that internet strangers had said about her friend’s music, her personality and also her appearance. Bastards. Why would they be so nasty? They wouldn’t say such awful things to her face, and what was the need for it? Why put such vile energy out into the world instead of just keeping quiet and only commenting on the things a person did like?

She put the phone down in disgust just as Cam appeared onto the terrace. “More coffee?” he asked, holding the pot.

“Yes, please,” she said, still thinking about the terrible excuses for human beings she’d just witnessed online. She’d been right to stay off social media. It was too negative. A horrible thought occurred to her. What if Isla read all that awful stuff? As much as it pained Nina, it was bound to be a hundred times worse for poor Isla. Nausea washed over her. What if Isla’s parents read it—or her little sister?

Cameron was pouring the coffee. “Ash isn’t awake yet, so I’m going into the studio. Even if she rises soon, it’ll be okay, because it takes her that long to do her makeup and choose an outfit.”

Nina’s stress over Isla and her jealousy surrounding Cam’s choice of girlfriend caused her frayed temper to snap. “There’s nothing wrong with her wanting to look good, you know.”

He paused, raising his eyebrows. “I’m not saying that—”

“You should be glad that she wants to make an effort for you, and more to the point, for herself. Women are allowed to do whatever they want with their appearance for their own benefit. Their actions don’t revolve around you.”

He appeared stunned into silence, and Nina ignored the inner voice that told her she was taking out her hurt over Isla on him—and her jealousy. “You chose her because you like her appearance and the effort she puts into it. That’s what does it for you. So don’t go on to complain about her doing that or how long it takes to achieve.”

She finally managed to bite her tongue, immediately feeling terrible. It wasn’t just her stress talking but also her resentment that he’d never find her attractive in the way that he did Ash and all those other women she’d seen online. And maybe there was some truth in what she’d said, but it was none of her business.

He studied her, frowning. “I didn’t mean it like that, Nina.”

She winced, expecting him to lay into her and tell her his relationship was none of her concern. And he would be correct. It wasn’t. They hardly even knew each other. Plus, she was in his house accepting his hospitality.

But he didn’t. He just kept appraising her with a concerned expression.

She sighed. “Cam, I’m sorry. I had no right to say any of that.”

His tone was gentle. “Then why did you?”

She hesitated. She couldn’t tell him that she was jealous. “I’m just worried about Isla.”

He nodded. “Listen… I’ll give you some space.” He rose from the table. “If you need anything, just come down.”

“Okay,” she said, her throat dry.

He disappeared into the house, leaving Nina with her overwhelming guilt. A tiny inner voice told her that she was right. It was hypocritical of him to exclusively court women who chose to dress and make up extensively then be critical of them making for that choice. But it’s still none of my business—and rude to call him out on it so bluntly when he’s been very kind toward me.

Nina blew out a deep breath. It was going to be a stressful day. She drained her coffee and washed her mug then went to the pool, stripping to her bikini and doing some lengths. The flow of the cool water washed away some of her stress and the exertion worked the tension from her muscles. She lost track of time, and once she emerged, the air was getting hot.

She checked the time. Isla should be there in about an hour or so. Nina dried herself and put on her clothes, then went back to the bedroom to fetch her audio book. She brought it down and sat on the terrace, listening and trying not to think about how she’d hurt Cameron’s feelings or about what she’d read about Isla online.

Nina repeatedly checked her watch as the time ticked past ten. When it got to half-ten, her tension started to peak. Where the hell was Isla? She’d bailed the previous day and now she was late. If Cameron dropped her from the track, it’d be her own fault.

Eventually it got to eleven and Nina took out her phone to call Isla. It started ringing, but not just in her ear, she could hear it from within the house too. Is she here? She walked into the kitchen and Isla was coming along the hallway. Cam must’ve left the door open for her.

Isla glanced up from her phone screen. “No need to call. I’m here.”

Nina didn’t know what to say. She was walking on eggshells with Isla right now. She wracked her brain to think of something neutral. “Want a coffee?”

Isla nodded. “Please.”

Nina got the pot going, glancing at Isla along the way. She appeared tired.

Isla took a seat at the breakfast bar. “You’ve found your way around the kitchen pretty quick.”

Nina got out two mugs. “I stayed over last night.”

Isla raised her eyebrows. “Oh?”

“I ended up hanging out with these guys yesterday. I think they took pity on me not knowing anyone else out here.” That last sentence was a gamble. She stayed silent while she poured the coffee.

Isla took her mug from Nina. “I’m sorry for leaving you on your own.”

“It’s okay,” Nina said. “Cam and Ash looked after me.”

Isla nodded. Her eyes were sad.

Nina’s heart was heavy. She wasn’t sure how to get Isla to open up without making her angry again and that was an alien situation. She sipped her coffee.

Isla glanced toward the terrace. “Where’s Cam?”

“In the studio,” Nina said. “He’ll be expecting you. Want to go down?”

“Yeah,” Isla said, standing.

“Hold on,” said Nina. She got out another mug and poured one for Cam.

They made their way down, and once they arrived at the studio door, Nina peered through the window. Cameron was at the keyboard, his headphones on. She waved, hoping the movement would catch his eye rather than interrupting him abruptly by opening the door. He turned his head and waved them in.

Isla opened the door and went over to Cam, giving him a kiss on the cheek. He removed the headphones.

Nina handed him his coffee. “Thought you might want this.”

He smiled. “Mindreader.”

Her fingers brushed his and she met his gaze, hoping he might see the gesture as the olive branch it was intended to be. He took a sip then broke eye contact to go over to the desk.

Nina expected him to ask Isla what had kept her, but he didn’t. He started showing her what he’d done so far with the song. Nina sat on the large sofa that ran across the back of the room, watching them intently. Cam played back the track and Isla’s face lit up. She loves it. Nina smiled, hoping that today things would improve.

Cam took out a notepad and showed Isla a page. “I was thinking of changing the lyrics we talked about the other day.”

Isla took the pad and studied it, nodding. “These flow better.”

They started to discuss how the words might dovetail with the music and Nina tuned out, relieved that they seemed to be making headway. She finished her coffee and decided to make herself useful. It was about time she started earning her keep as PA. She stood and went over to the desk. “I’m going to go fix you guys some lunch. Any particular requests?”

“There’s some chicken salad in the fridge, if you’re sure you don’t mind,” Cam said.

“No problem,” Nina said. She turned to Isla.

“I’ll have—”

“A chicken sandwich?” finished Nina. It was Isla’s go-to lunch.

Isla smiled. “Please.”

Nina left the room for the kitchen, making up the plates and also getting some bottles of water. It wouldn’t be any good for Isla’s voice if she were dry.

She found a tray to carry everything downstairs then managed to open the studio door with her elbow. They all sat on the sofa to eat and Cameron and Isla discussed further what they wanted to do with the song.

“Do you want to jump in the booth and try it out?” he asked.

Isla nodded, placing her empty plate on the table. She went into the singing booth and shut the door, putting on her headphones.

Cam smiled at Nina. She lifted her water bottle toward him. He smiled and clunked his against it. He took a drink then went to sit at the desk again.

Nina leaned back as Isla started singing against the track, but after a couple of minutes Nina winced. Isla’s voice was a little hoarse over the top of her range. Nina had been right about the dehydration. She slipped out of the room to go fetch more water.

She snuck back in and placed a few bottles into the small studio fridge, then signalled to Isla to come out and get a drink.

Isla left the booth and took a bottle from Nina. Her voice wobbled a little. “Thank you.” She took a sip and Nina had the feeling she was close to tears. Nina touched her arm.

Isla smiled weakly and drained the bottle.

“Should we take five?” Cam asked.

Isla shook her head. She turned and went back into the booth. Nina sat on the sofa, her anxiety mounting.

Isla started. It seemed to go a little better at first, but she once again struggled to hit the high notes. She shook her head as she sang, and her voice started to wobble.

That’s it. Nina stood and made a cutting motion across her throat. Cameron killed the music. Nina went over to the booth and opened the door, at which point Isla put her hands over her face and sobbed. Nina pulled her into a hug, murmuring that it was going to be okay.

Isla put her arms around her. “I’m so tired.”

“Come on,” said Nina. She led her out.

Cameron was stood just outside the booth, clearly having heard their brief exchange. “Listen… Let’s take a break. You go have a lie-down upstairs and we’ll pick up later.”

Isla rubbed her eyes. “Are you sure?”

He nodded. “Of course. Choose whichever room you want.”

“She can use the room I stayed in,” Nina said. “Saves getting more sheets dirty.”

Cam shook his head. “There’s plenty of space. You guys might as well have one each in case you want to stay over again while you’re here.”

Nina smiled. “Thank you.”

He smiled back and moved over to the door to open it for them. Nina took Isla’s hand and led her up the stairs onto the ground floor, then along to the first floor. She took the doorway next to her room and Isla practically collapsed onto the bed. Nina helped get her under the sheets. She wanted to talk to her in order to get the bottom of what was going on but Isla seemed too exhausted. I’ll speak to her after she’s rested. Nina gave her a kiss on the forehead and Isla smiled then closed her eyes.

Nina went back to the kitchen where she found Cameron holding two bottles of beer.

He handed one to her. “Want to sit by the pool for a bit?”

She took the bottle. “Yes, please.”

Nina followed him down to one of the loungers where they sat next to each other, drinking their beers in silence for a of couple minutes.

Cam glanced at her. “Well, today’s been fun.”

Nina laughed despite herself. “Yeah, I know. What a riot.”

He smiled. “Wanna do it again tomorrow?”

Nina met his eyes. “Absolutely not.”

Cam laughed and sipped his beer.

Nina watched him for a second. “Cam?”

“Yep?”

“I’m sorry about earlier,” she said quickly, nervous about his reaction. “I was out of order.”

He didn’t reply for a second, and at first she was worried that he was offended. Then she realised he had that expression, the one that meant he was carefully thinking about what he wanted to say. It was strange that she was able to read him, even though they’d only known each other a couple of days.

He ran a hand through his hair. “You know, when I was younger, I was so shy that I couldn’t even speak to a girl?”

Nina frowned, surprised at both his statement and the change in subject. “I can’t imagine that.”

He glanced at her. “If you think back to how awkward I was at our meeting the other day, then you probably can.”

Nina remembered his cold demeanour at the bar on her first day and also at her initial visit to the villa.

Cam picked at the label on his bottle. “I was a total geek at school. I got into making music in my early teens and spent every waking moment on it. I even got a part-time job once I turned thirteen to fund my habit,” he smiled. “It drove my mum mental.”

Nina imagined him on his makeshift decks in his adolescent bedroom, making a racket and his mum banging on the door. She smiled.

“Needless to say,” he continued, “no girl ever looked twice at me in high school, and university was pretty much the same.”

Nina frowned. She’d looked only once and found him very attractive. But she’d been attached at the time and so couldn’t act on it.

“Then I started to make a success out of my passion and things changed,” he said. “It was like fame drew people in and suddenly I was more interesting…more desirable.” He rubbed the back of his neck.

She studied him intently, hanging on every word, aware that he was revealing a significant vulnerability. She touched his arm. “Go on,” she said quietly.

He fiddled with the top of his bottle. “Once I really hit it big and broke in the States, there was more pressure to appear a certain way. I went with it and the attention spiralled.” He glanced at Nina. “Not that I’m complaining… I was more than happy about it, and I’m aware the pressure I experienced regarding appearance is nothing compared to what women have to endure.”

Nina shook her head. “It’s still a lot to deal with.”

He smiled. “Anyway…I think it all went to my head. I’d like to think I’ve never been conceited, but it’s like I got addicted to the attention of attractive women who never would’ve been interested in me in a million years”—he shook his head—“and who I know wouldn’t have been interested in Cameron Wild from a working-class estate in Glasgow. Yet they were all delighted to be in the company of Logan Wild, LA producer. However, in spite of the name I hide behind, it’s still just me.”

Nina absorbed what he was saying and understood what he was getting at. He’d been flattered and unable to believe his luck. He’d had low self-esteem and being courted by all these beautiful women had boosted his confidence.

“So,” he said, “I don’t think you were one hundred percent wrong before when you were critical of my being with certain types of women. And I’m not defending the superficiality of it, just trying to explain and hoping you won’t think I’m a shallow dick.”

Nina smiled. “I don’t think that.”

He let out a deep breath.

“Can I say something, though?” she asked.

He shot her a worried look.

“It’s nothing bad,” she said, and his expression softened. “At high school,” she continued, “and at university, for that matter… Was it really all the girls who didn’t go for you—or just the popular, confident ones?”

He frowned. “What do you mean?”

“I mean,” she said, “that there probably were plenty who liked you, but they just went under your radar because perhaps they were also shy.” Nina realised she’d need to be careful. She didn’t want to reveal that at university, she’d been one of those women.

Cameron peeled the label right off his bottle. “I hadn’t really thought of it that way before. I don’t know. I pretty much kept away from anyone of the female gender.” He smiled.

“Anyway,” Nina said, smiling back. “I definitely don’t think you’re a dick, and I understand where you’re coming from.”

He studied her and the scrutiny of his hazel gaze sent her pulse through the roof. “I didn’t expect you to understand, to be honest,” he said. “I figured someone like you would’ve been on the other side of the popularity fence.”

Nina nearly spat out the beer that she’d just sipped. “What? A mixed-race girl who was into science? I was pretty much a social leper.”

Cam leaned back onto the cushions and she caught his scent. It made her head swim for a second. “I can’t imagine that,” he said.

She shrugged. “Sad, but true.”

He tipped his head back farther so that he was facing her head on. “I didn’t know you were mixed-race.”

She nodded. “Half-white, half-Middle Eastern.”

He studied her intently. “And people gave you a hard time over it?”

“Some did,” she said, feeling like he was reading her soul. “But most people don’t guess, because my skin tone is fair,” she said. “Not that I mind them guessing. It’s something I’m proud of.”

He nodded. “Of course.”

Nina had the feeling that they were gravitating toward each other. There was something about him, some sort of magnetism. It must be what drew all those other women in.

Cameron turned so that he was lying on his side and she instinctively mirrored him. Nina quashed the thought that they resembled a couple lying in bed together, connecting before sleep.

He was studying her again. “I’m sorry you experienced prejudice.”

She shook her head. “That’s okay. I really got off lightly compared to a lot of people. When you’re mistaken for being white, you benefit from white privilege—and many others don’t have that luxury.”

He nodded slowly, appearing to be processing what she was saying. “I’ve never even thought of that before. Sometimes I think we all get so caught up in our own problems that we forget to consider what it’s like to walk in someone else’s shoes. That’s the blinding nature of having privilege, I guess.”

Nina watched him. She never would’ve known how insightful and thoughtful he was from his public persona, and that was on her for being judgmental. She touched his hand. “It doesn’t negate your own worries though. They’re still valid.”

He glanced at where her fingers were still resting on his skin. “Still,” he said. “You’ve reminded me that it’s important to get out of my own head.”

Nina let her fingers drop in case she was making him uncomfortable. “I wonder if the main reason you felt overlooked in the past was because it was hard for anyone to get close to you? With you being too shy to talk to them.”

He stared into the middle distance for a second. “Good point.” He glanced back at her and smiled. “I suppose a girl can’t let you know she’s interested if you keep six feet away at all times.”

Nina laughed. “Yeah, that kind of hinders the chemistry.” She realised that the movement of laughing had caused her vest strap to fall over her shoulder. Cameron reached over and lifted it back for her, his fingers brushing her skin. She met his gaze and he let his touch linger, sending ripples of fire through her body. He slid his fingers over her neck so that his thumb was resting on her jawline. There was something burning in his eyes and Nina tried to fathom what was happening. Was it all one-sided? Or did he feel what she was experiencing?”

He took a breath. “Nina, I—”

“Hey, guys!”

They jumped apart. Nina quickly rolled onto her back just as Ash came down the stairs.

Cameron sat up. “Hey.”

Ash took a seat on the next lounger. “So, what’d I miss?”

“Not much,” Nina said, glancing at Cam. “Isla’s pretty tired so she’s having a sleep.”

“I don’t blame her,” Ash said. “This Ibiza life is exhausting. Good job we can just rest in the day.”

Cam ran a hand through his hair. “I’m just going to sort something in the studio. Anyone need anything before I go?”

“No thanks, babe,” said Ash.

Nina caught his eye, and something pulsed between them. She swallowed in an effort to lubricate her dry mouth. “No thanks.”

He held her gaze for another second then nodded and went into the house.

Nina lay back, feeling exhausted all of a sudden. The trip was turning out to be an emotional rollercoaster. She settled down to listen to Ash as she chatted away about various people Nina had never heard of.

 

* * * *

 

Cam leaned back in the studio swivel chair, glancing at the wall clock. He’d been in there a couple of hours. He rubbed his forehead, trying to stop thinking about what an idiot he’d made of himself by the pool before. He’d found himself so drawn to Nina that he’d been close to kissing her. What was I thinking? His girlfriend was living under the same roof and Nina was involved with his girlfriend’s ex, who was also involved with Nina’s best friend. It was like a bad soap opera. He shook his head. In any case, even if he and Nina were both single, he doubted she’d be interested. The celebrity lifestyle clearly wasn’t her thing, and she had much bigger fish to fry with her work, inventing medications that could save lives.

He sighed. She also lived in the UK and he was based over five thousand miles away. Except that she might go for that job in LA… He got up and opened the mini fridge, taking out a bottle of water and glugging half of it in one go. Stop being stupid. This is never going to happen. Typical that just as he had an epiphany regarding finding someone to connect with on a deeper level, the perfect candidate came but he wasn’t able to do anything about it. He couldn’t remember getting so close to someone so quickly—or perhaps at all. He’d already told her things that he hadn’t disclosed to anyone else, except for his mother and sister. There was something about her that pulled him in and made him trust her.

It wasn’t fair to Ash for him to be getting close to Nina, and even if he had been single, it would’ve been too messy with the love triangle going on between Nina, Isla and Zac.

He took a deep breath. Better go see how everyone was doing. He left the studio for the stairs, hoping Isla felt better soon. He could sympathise with life going off the rails. He’d struggled at first, being an introvert at heart. The temptation to ease the anxiety of fame and performance was to overindulge in unhealthy pastimes like partying too hard. He wanted to get the project done for Isla’s sake but also had a vested interest in it being over so he could distance himself from Nina.

He entered the kitchen. The sound of laughter drew him to the window. He smiled, watching Nina and Ash in the pool together.

“Hi.”

Cam turned. Isla had entered the room.

“Feeling any better?” He asked.

“Yes, thanks,” she said, taking a seat at the breakfast bar. “Sorry for flaking out.”

He shook his head. “It’s no problem. We’ve all been there.”

She smiled. “Not you. Your work ethic is too strong.”

He took a seat next to her. “Most of the time, but not always.”

“Thanks for trying to make me feel better,” she said.

“I’m not,” Cam said. “Well…I am. But it’s true.” He fiddled with a coaster. “You should talk to Nina.”

“I know,” she said, sighing. “I just keep messing it up. I don’t know why I feel so irritable all the time.”

There were footsteps on the terrace and Nina appeared. Cam tried to keep his eyes off the way her vest was clinging to her wet bikini top.

“All right?” Nina said, coming over and kissing Isla’s cheek.

Isla nodded, but her eyes appeared moist.

Cam caught Nina’s eye and they exchanged a silent look of concern.

Nina stroked Isla’s hair. “How about I make you some of my patented formula?”

Isla gave her a wobbly smile. “Yes please.”

Cam watched Nina put the kettle on. “What formula?”

“I used to make it for Isla when she had a cold or something. It helped her throat,” said Nina. “I need some honey and lemon.”

Cam stood and opened one of the cupboards, passing her a jar of honey and bottle of lemon juice. Nina made the drink with hot water. She moved her shoulder in front of his gaze as she placed the quantities of the ingredients into the mug. “Hey. This is a secret recipe, so no peeking.” She winked at Isla, who laughed.

Cam smiled. He realised that the effort of making the drink was more to lift Isla’s spirits than make any real difference to her voice.

He took a seat again and Nina presented Isla with her mug, sitting on her other side. “Thank you,” Isla said.

“No problem,” Nina said. “I need to pull my weight as PA.”

Isla smiled. “Your talents run way past fetching food and drink.”

Nina sucked air in through her teeth. “I’m afraid my other talent on showcase for today is being bossy.” She met Cam’s eye and he nodded, able to read where she was going with this.

“I think,” Nina said, “that it’s best if we call it a day in the studio.” She was monitoring Isla carefully, clearly gauging her reaction. “I don’t think a couple of hours is enough for your voice to recover, and we don’t want to cause any damage.” She went silent, watching Isla.

Isla swirled her drink in the mug. She sighed. “Yeah, you’re right.” She glanced at Cam. “Is that okay with you?”

“Of course,” he said. “We need you at your best.”

“We’ll get right back on it tomorrow,” said Isla.

“No pressure,” said Cam. “Let’s see how you feel in the morning, then decide.”

Isla smiled and it appeared her eyes were filling up. “Thank you.”

Nina was looking at him over Isla’s shoulder. She mouthed thank you.

“My pleasure,” he said, addressing Isla but meeting Nina’s gaze.

“Right,” said Nina. “We’ve encroached on the hospitality of these good people for long enough. Well, I have anyway. Let’s go back to the hotel and grab some dinner.”

Cam’s heart sank at the thought that Nina would be leaving, even though it would be for the best in order to give him a chance at his previous vow to put some distance between them. “Are you sure?” he said. “You’re both more than welcome to stay over.”

“Thank you,” said Nina. “But we’ll leave you to it.”

He nodded. “I’ll just let Ash know you’re going.” He went to the terrace and called on Ash, who was lying on a lounger. He gestured for her to come into the house.

Cameron turned back to where Nina was gathering her things into her beach bag. Ash appeared by his side. Her face fell. “Are you guys going?”

“Yes,” said Nina. “But thanks so much for having me.”

“It was so much fun,” Ash said. Cameron thought her voice sounded a bit strained. But he was probably imagining it.

“We’ll see you again soon,” Nina said.

Cameron noticed that Isla was standing with her arms folded, not looking at Ash and Nina.

“Hey,” Ash said, “can I get your number?”

“Course,” said Nina, and told her the digits. Ash typed them into her phone.

“I’ll meet you outside,” said Isla. “I just got a message that the cab is on its way.” She left the room.

Ash hugged Nina then went over to rummage in the fridge. Cam followed Nina out of the kitchen to the front door. Isla was standing farther along the driveway, staring down the hill road.

He turned to Nina to say goodbye but before he could speak, she put her arms around him. He froze for a second, taken by surprise. She smelled gorgeous and the feel of her pressing against him was sending his pulse through the roof. He managed to recover and lift his arms around her waist, returning her hug.

“Thank you,” she said, pulling back to meet his gaze.

He lost himself in her deep-brown, amber-flecked eyes. “What for?”

“For being kind to me—and to Isla.”

His breath caught in his throat. “That’s no problem.”

She smiled and kissed his cheek, leaving a trail of fire in her wake. She released him and gave him a wave as she made her way over to Isla. The cab arrived and they climbed in. Cameron stayed by the doorway until the last glimpse of Nina was gone.

 

* * * *

 

Cameron decided to shower before bed. He needed to wash the stress of the day away. He placed his hands on the shower wall, letting the hot water cascade over him and appreciating the contact of the cold tiles under his palms. He turned the temperature up another couple of notches in an effort to soothe the tension in his shoulders. He’d often have an issue in that area when he’d been in the studio for a few hours, but it was worse today after the stress with Isla. Though perhaps more to do with my stress over Nina. Cam groaned, trying to quiet his mind. He couldn’t stop thinking about her. He couldn’t wait until he saw her again and hoped it would be the next day. And that wasn’t because he wanted to get the song finished, he just wanted to be around Nina.

Cam climbed out of the shower and dried off, securing the towel around his waist. Ash was asleep already, lying in bed with her sleep mask on. That was two early nights in a row, unusual for her. Not that anything seemed to happen between them in bed for the past few weeks anyway. It had started out pretty hot and heavy but that hadn’t lasted long. His relationships never did. They just didn’t seem to have that chemistry, the sort that was hotter than just physical attraction. It was nice, but she didn’t set him on fire. He pondered how merely hugging Nina or brushing his fingers against hers caused more heat in his body than an intimate act with Ash.

Cam entered the bedroom and lifted a glass of water from the side to take a drink. His phone started ringing with a video call. He picked it up and moved into the hallway so as not to wake Ash. He didn’t recognise the number and was wearing only a towel, but instinct told him to answer anyway. It might be news about Noah. He connected the call.

Nina’s face came on screen. “Hey.” She clearly took in his appearance and lifted her gaze away. “Oh God, sorry. I didn’t realise you were in the shower.”

“It’s okay,” he said, his heart rate picking up at the sight of her. “I was finished. Anyway, you’ve seen me wearing as much by the pool.”

She shrugged, bringing her eyes back to him. “True. I got your number from Isla. I hope you don’t mind.”

On impulse Cam went into the room Nina had stayed in and smiled at the sight of the perfectly made-up bed. “Of course, I don’t mind. Is everything all right?”

“Yes and no,” she said.

He sat on the bed, placing his glass on the bedside table. “What do you mean? Did Isla speak to you about how she’s feeling?”

“Not really,” Nina said. “We went to dinner and I tried to get her to talk. Normally it wouldn’t be hard, but this time she really struggled. She seemed so on edge and emotionally labile.”

He ran a hand through his damp hair. “Did you get anything out of her at all?”

She shook her head. “She just wanted to reminisce about our younger days, so I went with it.”

He nodded. “You did the right thing in letting her lead the conversation.”

She hesitated. “I’m worried that if she keeps flaking, you’ll have to look elsewhere for a vocalist.”

Cam realised that was the reason for her call. She was worried that he’d drop Isla and was protecting her friend. He was impressed by her loyalty. He shook his head. “There’s no way I’d do that. I wouldn’t let her down…or you.”

Nina met his gaze, the trust in her soft brown eyes unravelling him.

“Thank you,” she said. “I know you wouldn’t. I just don’t want you to be put out.”

“It’s no problem,” he said. He needed her to know she could rely on him. “We’ll get there, whatever it takes.”

She smiled. “I appreciate that.”

A warm glow filled his chest.

Nina sighed. “She’s gone to meet Zac again. I feel like a failure.”

He lay back on the bed and was thrown for a minute when it smelled like Nina. “You’re not a failure. You can’t push it or tell her what to do.”

She sighed. “I know. I just want to fix whatever it is for her.”

Cam frowned. Surely a big part of it was the situation they were both in with Zac? But he didn’t want to mention it and overstep the mark.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, studying his expression.

“Nothing,” he said. “I just think you’re being too hard on yourself.”

She didn’t appear convinced, and his heart was heavy for her. Then an idea came to him. “Listen… Tomorrow morning you and Isla come meet me at the marina.”

She raised her eyebrows. “Why?”

“It’s a surprise,” he said.

“Okay…” she said. “Sounds intriguing. What’ll we bring?”

“Just your beach stuff,” he said.

She smiled. “Great. It’s a date.” She lifted something into the frame. It was a cup of tea and she was making to virtual clink it with him.

He laughed and lifted his water glass. “Clink.”

She grinned. “Clink.”