Cameron squeezed his hand tightly, pressing his forearm along the length of Emory’s much larger arm. “Well, you look amazing in them.”
Emory’s lion shook out his mane, hoping Cameron would think he looked just as good. “Speaking of pretty colors. I really like your sweater. It suits you.”
Cameron’s cheeks flamed fire-engine red, which seemed unwarranted for such a simple compliment. Perhaps he was responding to the whole conversation? That was a lot to share in the middle of a party, but Emory wanted it to be okay to open up like that.
They were joined by another set of guests, and they continued socializing as they made a slow circuit around the room. There was still no sign of Ronan, but he was usually behind the scenes at big gatherings like this. Emory followedCameron’s lead, introducing him as his partner to each new person they spoke with. His lion was practically panting in excitement, eager to claim their fated mate in any way they could, even if only through a relationship title. They hadn’t discussed the title change, though, so Emory tried to remind his lion not to get too attached to it just yet.
It took another full hour to make their way around the room. He watched in fascination as Cameron engaged with each person, drawing out small facts and tidbits Emory hadn’t known about his coworkers, while providing almost nothing about himself in return.
By the time they finished, Cameron had drunk two glasses of champagne to Emory’s four. He’d noticed at dinner that Cameron monitored his alcohol consumption, so Emory was trying to temper his as well. It would take a lot more than a few glasses of bubbly for him to get drunk, though.
They passed by a drinks cart, and Cameron shyly glanced up at him and then back down at the cart. Emory decided to make himself a mixed drink he could nurse, and Cameron followed suit, splashing a surprising amount of alcohol into a glass with some soda water.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a group of three omegas sitting on the couch in the corner of the room stand up. Emory took advantage of the moment and gently guided Cameron over to it.
“So…you’re my partner?” he hedged, taking Cameron’s hand in his once they were seated.
Cameron leaned his shoulder into Emory’s. Just that soft pressure and subtle heat had his lion purring in satisfaction. For all his grumbling and blustering about biting and mating, his lion was really just an overgrown kitten. He wanted to be cuddled and pet, and more than anything, he wanted to be loved.
“I wasn’t sure if you wanted your colleagues to know you found your fated mate. I thought partner was innocuous enough, but…” Cameron shifted on the couch cushion, leaning slightly away as he looked up at Emory. “Are you asking to have the ‘what are we’ talk right now?”
Emory reached out, just as he had every time he was with Cameron, and tried to sense his omega. It felt like trying to grab water, which seemed appropriate given the smaller man’s shifter type.
He tried not to squirm; meanwhile, his lion was bounding around in excitement. He hadn’t had many “what are we” talks before. In fact, the last boyfriend he’d had was half a decade ago. He liked to keep things casual, and for the past few years, casual had meant nearly nonexistent. There wasn’t time to balance the needs of a partner while also leading a family and company.
“Now might not be the time,” Emory admitted, but then an idea struck him. “But I’m happy to discuss what type of shifters we are.”
Before Cameron could respond, a rather drunk alpha from the marketing department collapsed onto the couch next to them, giggling and laughing as he pulled a beta man down with him. The couch wasn’t big enough for the four of them, and Cameron ended up squished against Emory’s side.
While his lion chuffed at the added contact, Cameron’s body tensed, and he stared with a furrowed brow at the alpha. Emory had noticed Cameron was squirrely about being touched. One of the party guests had put their hand on his back to pass by him, and Cameron had nearly jumped out of his skin, latching onto Emory’s hand and scurrying around behind him.
The drunk alpha tilted to the side, further encroaching on Cameron’s space. He let out a soft whimper, and Emory only had a moment to wonder if this was moving too fast before his lion spurred him to grab Cameron’s hips and pull him onto his lap.He made sure to place Cameron far enough down towards his knees that it wouldn’t be too intimate a position. To be safe, he tilted his body to the side, creating a barricade between Cameron and the stranger.
Cameron looked shocked, but then the drunk man laughed and threw his hand out, hitting the exact spot on the couch Cameron’s face had been moments before.
“Thanks for the save,” Cameron said with a rueful smile.
“We can take this conversation somewhere else if you prefer.”
Cameron seemed to really consider the offer, but then his smile turned teasing. “Oh, you mean the conversation where I’m finally going to guess your animal correctly?”
Emory adjusted his grip on Cameron’s hip as he took a drink with his other hand. “Is that so? I was prepared to give you a hint, but if you’re ready, go ahead and make your guess.”
Cameron chugged his drink, much to Emory’s surprise, and leaned over to put it on the side table. When he sat back up, he was several inches higher on Emory’s legs. His warmth seeped through Emory’s dress slacks, and he tried to savor the feeling, but it was overshadowed by amusement as Cameron puffed up his chest. “You’re a tiger!”
Emory barked out a surprise laugh but shook his head. “You’re very close, honey, but no.”
Cameron’s shoulders slumped, but his cheeks pinkened at the endearment. Emory had noticed a similar response the night they met and had been trying to temper his use of it, even if he was only somewhat successful. He didn’t want to scare Cameron off, but he also loved making his fated mate smile and blush.
“Okay…maybe I need one more hint.”
Emory glanced at the couple beside them, but they were fully wrapped up in each other. There was no one else nearby, soEmory drained his drink and set it on the table. The alcohol went straight to his head, and he had to really concentrate.
Slowly, his tongue thickened and roughened in his mouth. Lions, like many other felines, had hooks on their tongues. It made them a little rough, but not painful. He took Cameron’s hand in his and lifted it as if to kiss the back, but instead gave it a small, kittenish lick.
Cameron gasped and snatched his hand back, but he didn’t look upset. If anything, he looked elated. “So youarea cat! I could tell by the way you tilt your head when you’re confused.”
Emory found himself tilting his head, and Cameron laughed, his posture relaxing for the first time that evening. His smile lit up his entire face, illuminating his eyes and crinkling the skin around his mouth. Those two freckles completely disappeared when he smiled like that.
