"Holy fucking shit," I panted as I pushed myself to my feet and dusted off the seat of my leggings. "Fucking mutant raccoon."
I grabbed the bag of trash and dropped it inside the can before I closed the lid. My heart was still pounding as I turned to go back into the house. I glanced behind me as I walked across the patio and inside. I wanted to make sure that the fat bastard hadn't doubled back to jump me when I least expected it.
When the door shut behind me, I twisted the lock and leaned over, putting my hands on my knees.
My heart rate finally calmed and I straightened, only to see a figure clad in white standing at the end of the hall.
"Fucking fuck me!" I yelped, backing up into the door.
"Sierra?" Cam asked, coming further into the living room to turn on the lamp behind the couch. "What's wrong?"
I slapped a hand to my chest. "Just having a heart attack. Nothing major."
She shook her head. "Sorry I scared you but I heard something outside."
"Probably a mutant raccoon," I muttered.
"Mutant raccoon?" she asked, rubbing her eyes. "I don't understand."
"I took out the trash that I forgot earlier and there was a humongous raccoon sitting on the trashcan. It fucking hissed at me. I thought I was going to get bitten and end up needing a rabies shot."
Cam shook her head, laughing softly. "That was Gary."
"It has a name?"
She laughed louder. "Yeah. He's pretty tame. He usually comes right up on the back patio when I'm out there. You must have startled him."
"Are you crazy?" I asked. "He could have rabies!"
Cam rolled her eyes. "He's been coming around since he was a baby. His mother got run over by a car and he was starving. A couple of us left food for him until he was old enough to fend for himself and he's been lurking ever since."
"Well, he was definitely lurking tonight. Between him and you appearing at the end of the hallway like an apparition, I may need to see a cardiologist tomorrow."
"So dramatic," she commented right before she yawned. "What are you doing up at four-fifteen in the morning, anyway? Did you just get home?" she asked. "Did you have fun with Ben?"
I shrugged, hoping the dim light and the beanie I wore would hide the evidence of hanky panky. "Nah. Been home for a little while, but I couldn't sleep. I was about to get ready for bed when I remembered the trash and took it out. You were right. Ben's a nice guy."
"You didn't have to do that," Cam said, yawning again and missing my comment about Ben.
"I filled it up, I need to take it out."
"Okay, well, I'm going back to bed. G'night," she mumbled as she disappeared back down the hallway.
"Night," I called after her, grateful she'd been too sleepy to realize I'd never really answered her questions about the time I'd spent with Ben.
I heard her bedroom door shut and breathed a silent sigh of relief. I knew Cam wouldn't judge me for sleeping with Ben, but she might not be happy that I was hooking up with her family friend. Or she'd start to get ideas and would be disappointed when I didn't fall head over heels in love with Ben Murphy.
God, what a mess. Why did I do this to myself?
A sliver of guilt pierced me at the thought. I should text Ben and tell him that we couldn't do this. That it was a bad idea.
Then I remembered his hands on my skin. The way his mouth devoured mine. How he played my body like a virtuoso, bringing me to orgasm after orgasm until I had no strength left in my muscles.
I wanted to feel that again and that urge, that desire, overwhelmed the guilt. Ben and I would have some fun over the next month or so, and then it would be over. Someday, I'd tell Cam and she'd be surprised, but not hurt. She would understand. She might not engage in no-strings sex, but she never condemned me for it in the past and I doubted she would do so in the future.
No one was going to get hurt. Especially if she didn't find out.
There was a small noise behind me and I turned to look out the back door. I didn't see anything at first until a shadow near the glass moved. I glanced down and jumped. Gary crouched by the back door,