“This looks amazing, you two,” Theo said, kissing Josie’s forehead.
“Ben’s a creative genius in the kitchen,” Josie said easily.
“That he is,” Cam said, slinging his arm around my shoulder.
Happiness bubbled through my body. After years of waiting, our family felt complete, and it was better than anything I could have dreamed.
ChapterThirty-One
Josie
Iglanced over at Cam. His jaw was clenched, and his eyes kept sweeping the restaurant as if he were ready to jump into action. I realized he probably was. He hadn’t told me much about his past, but I knew he had served in the military for several years. It wasn’t hard to imagine Cam commanding people in dangerous situations. And right now, he was acting as if we were at imminent risk of being under attack.
When we arrived at the restaurant, one owned by a friend of Ben’s, Cam had demanded they seat us in a booth in a far corner where he could see the exits. He also insisted I slide into the booth first so he could better protect me. His anxiety caused an uncomfortable kernel of guilt to form in my stomach. I had been the one who wanted to go out to eat, and now Cam was upset.
I reached under the table and tentatively took hold of his hand. “Do you want to leave?” I asked in an almost whisper.
Cam tore his gaze from the restaurant entrance and looked at me with a bewildered expression. “Why would I want to leave?”
“You seem stressed,” I said, shifting in my seat. “Maybe this was a bad idea.”
“Fuck,” he said, running his free hand over his face. “Trust me, sweetheart, I want to be here with you.”
I thought I caught Theo scowling at Cam from across the table, but his expression transformed into a relaxed smile when he saw me looking.
Cam placed his hand on my thigh and gave it a squeeze. I leaned into him automatically, reveling in his warmth. He was wearing a tight black t-shirt that showed off his tattoos, having taken off the leather jacket he’d worn to the restaurant. I was feeling a little drunk off his scent and lamented that I hadn’t had a chance to explore every one of his tattoos yet.
“What looks good to you, love?” Theo asked.
In contrast to Cam’s casual outfit, Theo wore a black suit and a green plaid tie. His dark brown hair was neatly combed back and the candlelight danced across his chiseled jaw. God, he was like an even sexier James Bond.
Ben cleared his throat. I had been staring at Theo without saying anything for an inappropriate amount of time. My cheeks heated as I finally tore my eyes away.
“Next time, I’ll know to wear a tie,” Ben said, his eyes dancing with amusement.
I bit my lip and looked down at the menu. “I like what you’re wearing, too,” I mumbled.
I meant it—Ben had layered a soft blue sweater that brought out the color of his eyes over a white button-down. It looked perfectly cozy, and my omega wanted to curl up on his lap.
“I don’t know what I want,” I confessed, feeling overwhelmed by being out to eat for the first time in years. Ben had already taken charge of the appetizer order, getting almost everything on the menu.
“If Ben’s in charge, he’ll just order every entrée and make you try them all,” Cam snorted, squeezing my thigh again. Was I imagining it or had his hand moved closer to my core?
“Not all,” Ben responded with a glint in his eye. “Josie doesn’t like shrimp, so we’ll skip that one.”
I opened my mouth to say they shouldn’t spend so much money on me—I had planned to just order the smallest, cheapest thing on the menu—when Cam pressed his face to the top of my head.
“Don’t even try to argue with him, sweetheart. Ben takes his food ordering very seriously,” he said. Then he moved his lips to my ear and murmured, “I’ll get better at this, I promise. Can’t tell you how much I love being seen with you, to have all these people know you’re mine.”
My body tingled with warmth at his words and I snuggled close to him, unable to suppress a smile.
“Hate this de-scenter on you, though,” Cam said, his voice almost a growl.
My breath caught and I went to shift away from him. De-scenter could have an unpleasant metallic smell, but the idea of going out in public without it had been too much to cope with.
“Didn’t say I wanted you to move away, now did I?” he asked.
My lips parted as the authority in his voice sent a shiver through me.
