The Pucking Wrong Man (Pucking Wrong, #4)

by C.R. Jane

With each leap and turn, she cast a spell. My life changed. There was only before her, and after her.

Whatever was happening, it was outrageous and terrifying and I was pretty sure... I was in love. Holy shit…I was in love?

Unfortunately, the three hundred followers she had were all men. So, I’d spent thirty minutes reporting all of them—and then reporting her account, too, because it was nothing but a thirst trap for horny assholes. We’d be having a discussion about privacy and who to accept as friends at a later date.

Her plate outstretched as she stared at me politely. Politely. Like I was nobody. Here I was, having the most visceral reaction of my life, and she was staring at me as if I was paint drying on a friend’s wall that she was forced to look at.

I mean, I was so interested in this girl I might as well have a neon sign over my head that said “pick me, choose me, love me,” like I was an intern on Grey’s Anatomy.

But I didn’t care. Didn’t care that I looked like an idiot right now, or that I had been completely off my game all night. Because now I knew one thing. She had noticed me.

Camden James. Yes...I’d remembered his name. Like it was tattooed in my brain as a matter of fact. Like it had melded itself to my ribcage, destined to never be forgotten or ignored.

It was impossible to explain to a normal human being that they’d done something to you. That one look at their face and you’d come undone—become obsessed. You couldn’t tell them that you now lived in the space between their breath and their heartbeats.

“I’ve never wanted anything like I want you, Anastasia Lennox.” “You have me, Camden James,” I whispered back.

“I’ve never seen something as perfect as you, Anastasia. I’m not convinced any of this is real yet, because perfection like yours doesn’t seem possible.”

“She’s the one,” I said before shrugging. “I just don’t think she knows it yet.” Walker laughed. “I know all about that,” he said. “Spoiler alert, though, we always win.”

“I love you, Camden,” she finally whispered, so much hope in those eyes too...but also a plea that was written there as clear as a handwritten note. Don’t hurt me, they were saying. Don’t make me regret this.

It seemed we’d been uncovering each other’s triggers really well over the last few days. Except, mine was in direct opposition to his. He wanted to take care of me...and I was terrified to let him do it.

“What if you do all that, and you decide I’m not worth it? What if you think I’m someone I’m not? What if you wake up one day, and you realize that I’m...nothing? I’m nobody." My lips were quivering, because I’d realized that I wouldn’t survive. I wouldn’t survive him deciding he didn’t want me anymore. He’d ruined me. Just like he’d threatened. I’d survived losing everything else in my life...but I couldn’t survive losing him.

“You ever study cockroaches, Michael?” he asked, and I blinked, because that’s what Michael was. A cockroach. “Can’t say I have, Camden.”

“Well, the thing about them is that if you kill one, there’s always another one that’s waiting in the wings. I’m sure someone has described you as one before, so you should get that allegory.”

“I’m not paying you that money. Cockroaches like you never give up. There’s really only one way to get rid of them. Do you know what that is?”

“Pinch me, Golden Boy. Because I’m obviously in some kind of nightmare where people like Disney and the rookie are better than me. I’d like to wake up now,” Ari hissed.

Walker: It’s happening. Man your stations. My baby is coming. Linc: I’m pretty sure that my job was to stay away so that the baby doesn’t think I’m her Daddy.

Walker: Lincoln, on second thought...maybe you should be a second-day visitor. You’ve brought up a valid concern. Ari: Just because you secretly call him “Daddy” doesn’t mean that the baby will.

“Don’t lock me up again, Camden James.” “Don’t try to run from me, Anastasia Lennox,” he combated easily.