“Did you come, too?” I asked.
Cam nodded curtly, his blush deepening.
“Why are you embarrassed?” I asked, confused.
“Just don’t want you to think I’m a fucking teenager who won’t make it good for you,” he mumbled.
“Did I not make you feel good?” I asked, worried.
Cam drew me in, a firm hand at the back of my neck.
“That was the hottest fucking experience of my life. You made a grown-ass man come in his fucking pants.”
“Oh good,” I said, smiling. I felt proud that I had made Cam feel good, too.
Cam laughed. “Fucking cute. Alright, change your clothes and then come downstairs. We need to feed you.”
He kissed me on my forehead before heading downstairs, leaving me feeling more relaxed and settled than I could remember.
ChapterSixteen
Ben
Itossed and turned in bed, my sheets tangling around me as I sighed in frustration. I hated going to bed early and often had trouble falling asleep, but knowing that my mate was on the other side of the hall, probably all curled up under the covers looking luscious, was torture. What if she was cold or uncomfortable or lonely?She would probably sleep much better if I was wrapped around her body, one arm curled right underneath her amazing breasts, my knee shoved up between her legs in the perfect position for her to grind her sweet pussy on my thigh.
I groaned, throwing my fisted hand over my face. I had already jacked off three times in the shower earlier and once in bed, but my dick was a fucking rock again.
Josie seemed to enjoy me touching her, but there had been a few times when her mask had slipped and I had seen flashes of fear and uncertainty. It killed me that she felt anything but confident and settled with us. I wasn’t upset that she wasn’t ready to have sex yet, but I couldn’t stand the idea of her being in pain during her heat and being helpless to fix it.
When she and Cam came downstairs earlier, it was obvious something had happened between them. Cam was drenched in her scent and had a proud, satisfied look in his eyes. A burst of jealousy had flared through me—I wanted to be the one who made that soft expression appear on her face. But it also made me hopeful that she was already getting more comfortable around us.
Josie was more settled at dinner, her scent bright and sweet. But she had still been quiet, picking at her food. I’d offered her something different to eat, but she refused and then went to bed early. Alone.
My heart pounded as I heard the soft padding of feet and the opening of a door. I leapt out of bed, straining my ears to listen. There were footsteps down the hall, followed by the slight creak of the stairs. It had to be Josie. Was she okay? Did she need something? I forced myself to take a calming breath, but I got a lungful of her scent through the door, making me grow even harder. I pulled on some sweatpants before slipping out of my door to follow her.
I heard the click of a light switch and saw the faint glow coming from the kitchen. I followed the faint glow of light, drawn towards her as if a beautiful, golden thread connected us both. Josie was leaning over the counter to reach the brownie container. Her tiny sleep shorts were riding up and her tank top showed off a sliver of her waist. She looked soft and adorable and utterly sexy.
I cleared my throat softly, not wanting to startle her. She let out a small shriek and spun around, throwing the brownie she had grabbed straight at me. It hit my face with impressive accuracy. I would have caught it before it hit me, but I was so surprised that I only snagged it after it bounced off my cheek.
“I’m really impressed with your aim, beautiful. Next time I’ll know to be ready and catch it in my mouth,” I said with a wink.
“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry I threw that at you. I didn’t hear you come down here. I shouldn’t have left my—umm—the guest room. I hope I didn’t wake you up. I’ll just go back to bed,” she squeaked out, her cheeks turning red as she started moving around me. Moving on instinct, I quickly stepped towards her, grasped her around the waist, and set her down on the kitchen island.
“Take a breath, precious,” I said, concerned with her quick, shallow breaths and the scent of her rising shame.
“I’m really sorry, Ben,” she whispered, tears gathering in her eyes.
“Beautiful, why are you crying?” I asked, panic tightening my chest as one of her tears spilled over and ran down her cheek. I stepped between her legs, pulling her close and running my hand through her hair. “It’s my fault for startling you. You did nothing wrong.”
“I shouldn’t have left the room.”
She trembled beneath my hands and I tightened my hold on her. My inner alpha urged me to purr for her, something I’d never wanted to do until this moment, but I wondered if it would freak her out, so I refrained.
“You can leave your room whenever you want,” I said with a bit of confusion.
“But I shouldn’t be walking around your house or touching your things.”
“Of course, you should, precious. You should do anything you want to do, anything that makes you happy.”
