Later in the evening, as the room was buzzing with stories and laughter, I noticed Camille had wandered toward the kitchen, drawn into a conversation with one of the wives about school. She was smiling warmly, curls catching the light.
And that’s when Sean slid in.
Sean, the kind of guy who thought charm was currency anddidn’t notice when it ran out. He wasn’t a bad man, just one who’d never learned the line between friendly and flirting.
He leaned in close to Camille, his hand braced casually on the counter near her hip. She laughed politely but in a careful way that told me she wasn’t sure how to brush him.
Jealousy wasn’t something I let myself feel often. In the military, it was pointless. But standing there, watching another man angle toward her, stirred something primal in me. The jealousy didn’t feel ugly. It felt clarifying, because tonight, with her by my side, I wasn’t guessing anymore. I knew I couldn’t let anyone else have her.
She wasn’t just a date I brought. She wasmine.
Nick, standing next to me, caught my shift before I even moved. “Uh oh,” he muttered, half amused. “Here we go.”
I set my beer down slowly.
“Sean doesn’t mean anything by it,” Nick said.
“Doesn’t have to,” I replied.
Logan’s brow lifted, a ghost of a smirk forming. “Man, I haven’t seen that look on you before. You about to take him down or just glare him into submission?”
I ignored them both and crossed the room. My steps were easy, but my pulse wasn’t.
Camille saw me coming, relief flickering in her eyes just before I reached her.
I slipped an arm around her waist, the move natural, unforced — like muscle memory I didn’t know I had. “Careful, Sean,” I said lightly, but there was steel beneath it. “You’re talking to my girl.”
Sean froze mid-laugh. “Hey, no offense, man. Just talking.”
“Well, now you’re done,” I said easily, smiling like it was a joke. But I didn’t move my arm.
Camille leaned back into me, allowing her body to be soft against mine while her hand found its place resting on my chest. Her cheeks flushed, but her eyes gleamed with something that looked an awful lot like trust.
I leaned down, murmuring just for her, “You look too damn good tonight to expect me not to notice when someone else does.”
She nudged me with her elbow, whispering back, “Play nice, Marine.”
“Always.”
Sean laughed it off, moving on, but I didn’t miss the look Logan shot me from across the room, both half-teasing and half approving.
Later, when the laughter died down and the kids were half-asleep on the couch, we all sat out on the deck. The night smelled of smoke, beer, and fresh California air.
Nick cracked open another bottle, leaning back in his chair. “You know,” he said, nodding toward Camille inside, “You did good, Bennett.”
Logan nodded. “Yeah. She fits.”
I stared through the sliding glass door at her laughing softly with Sarah, her hands moving as she spoke, that light in her eyes I didn’t think I’d ever get tired of seeing.
“She’s it, boys.” I said quietly.
Nick smirked. “Careful, man. That’s how it starts. Next thing you know, you’re buying a minivan.”
I snorted. “Not a chance.”
“Uh-huh,” Logan said. “That’s what Nick said too.”
We all laughed, but then the quiet settled again, the kind that said more than words could.
