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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.”