by Jamie Craig
* * * *
Josh watched the passing desert and decided if he never drove through Nevada again, it would be too soon. Was there an uglier place on the entire planet? He looked over his shoulder, finding Sara’s peaceful face far more interesting. She had barely opened her eyes when Cam herded them down to the car, and fell back into a deep sleep as soon as she stretched out in the backseat.
Josh didn’t blame her. A part of him wished he could curl around her and go back to sleep himself.
“Do you think I’m crazy?” Josh asked, resting his forehead against the cool window.
Cam frowned and cast a glance sideways. “Why would I think you’re crazy?”
“Because I kidnapped a good friend of mine, and plotted to kill us all in a horrible fireball that would probably have been seen for miles around,” Josh said flatly.
“I don’t think that makes you crazy. Maybe not the best candidate to plan our next big secret mission, though.” When his joke fell flat, Cam reached across the distance separating them and rested his hand on Josh’s thigh. “You’ve been under a lot of stress ever since we got Sara back. What you did…is understandable.”
Josh covered Cam’s hand with his own. “I don’t think stress is usually a valid defense. What I did was scary, Cam. I feel like I just took a vacation from reality.”
Cam looked in the rearview mirror before responding. “I think we’ve been walking that line ever since Sara went missing,” he said, his voice slightly lower. “We killed two men to get her back, Josh. And another one to protect her from having it happen again. And the truth is…I’d kill a hundred more without batting an eyelash if it got us the same result. You thought you were protecting us, and you were broadsided by JD’s betrayal. I don’t think that makes you crazy. I think it makes you human.”
“Did you make it look like Marco did it?”
“Yeah. I shifted to do it. Iocor should think Marco turned on him and then got caught in the blaze, and the police will just write it off as an animal attack. I’m not sure how they’re going to write off the fire, but there’s nothing left to tie us to it. As long as JD doesn’t change her mind, we should be good.”
“I wish I could tell you she won’t, but I don’t know her. I thought I did.” He looked over his shoulder again at Sara. “Maybe me going off like that wasn’t so awful. Maybe you two needed some time.”
“No, your going off like that was so awful. Sara and I would’ve found the time one way or another.” He squeezed Josh’s thigh. “The three of us belong together. Weren’t you the one telling me to be patient before?”
“It’s much easier said than done, isn’t it?” Josh’s skin itched for more contact. They were nearing Vegas, and he knew he’d have plenty of time later for the physical intimacy he craved, but his fingers snuck up Cam’s arm anyway. “Are we going to be able to put all of this behind us?”
“I think so. Sara suggested something when we were on our way to JD’s…” He grew thoughtful. “How do you feel about San Francisco?”
“San Francisco? You mean…how do I feel about it in general, or how do I feel about living there?”
“Living there.” Cam smiled. “You should’ve seen the way Sara lit up when she talked about it. I haven’t seen her that excited about something since the spring pageant she was organizing right before…well. You know.”
“I think San Francisco is a beautiful city. I would love to live there. And I can see why Sara wants to live there. I think she’ll always be a California girl at heart. But I can’t imagine the prospect of living in a city like that fills your heart with joy.”
“Maybe it wouldn’t be my first choice,” Cam conceded. “But this isn’t about me. This is about us. What’s going to make me happy is having both of you with me, and it doesn’t matter if that’s in Delta, or San Francisco, or Timbuktu.” He paused. “Well, maybe it would matter a little if it was Timbuktu. I can’t live anyplace if I can’t get Internet access.”
Josh leaned over to brush his lips across Cam’s cheek. “We would never ask you to live somewhere without the Internet. I think San Francisco is a great place to be happy.”
“We house hunt together this time.”
“I think that sounds like a fair arrangement. You are aware of the price of housing in the Bay Area, right? I’m just warning you now so you don’t have a heart attack and ruin all our plans.”
The casual flick of Cam’s fingers said that he probably didn’t, but Josh merely smiled and shook his head. The reality check would come soon enough.
They drove in silence for a few more miles, passing into the city before getting slowed by traffic. When they pulled to a stop at a red light, Sara sighed in her sleep, and both men turned at the same time to see if she would wake up.
Cam smiled in embarrassment as he sat back in his seat. “Part of me still can’t believe I can touch her whenever I want again,” he admitted.
Josh couldn’t help but smile at the sense of awe in Cam’s voice. He didn’t care what Cam said, if it somehow eased things between Cam and Sara, then he didn’t regret leaving at all. “Can you tell me what happened? I wasn’t gone that long.”
His smile faded, and his eyes flickered to the mirror again. “It was on the way back to the house. She was scared, more scared than she would admit, and when I pulled over to make her talk about it, she bolted from the car and shifted to the hawk.”
Josh nodded. It wasn’t hard to piece together what happened after that. “Then you shifted and followed her into the desert.”
“I wasn’t even thinking that I had to calm her down so much. I was terrified of losing her again. Of losing you, too.” The car jerked a little as he pushed too hard on the accelerator to get through the green light. “Those seconds were the worst of my life.”
Josh’s heart twisted. “Cam, I thought you were going to be so angry with me when you figured out who took her. I laid there and watched you sleep and tried to think of what I would do if you…I’m glad you followed her.”
“I’m glad he followed me, too.” Sara smiled sleepily when her sudden appearance between them made both men jump a little. “Do you guys always talk about me when I’m asleep, or is this just a special treat for this car ride?”
“This is pretty standard actually,” Josh said, leaning over to steal a kiss. “Did you sleep well? We’re almost home.”
“I want my bed. And a shower. And then my bed again.” Her hand cupped his cheek, stopping him from pulling away yet. “Hey, you.”
Josh allowed her to draw him closer. “What, you?”
The honeyed kiss she gave him was almost dreamy in its languor, lingering on his lips long after she’d pulled back. “No more being gone when I wake up,” she said. “I mean it.”
“It’ll never happen again,” Josh promised. “I’ll be the first thing you see when you wake up from now on.”
“Good.” Her gaze caught Cam’s in the mirror. “That goes for you, too.”
Josh couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen such a pleased smile grace Cam’s face. “Yes, ma’am.”
They lapsed into silence as Cam drove the last few miles to the house that had been acting as their home—the house Josh had left with no intention of ever returning. He had been so hurt and angry that the suicide mission seemed like the right—the logical—thing to do. But now he was simply grateful. Grateful to see the house again, grateful to feel Sara’s breath on his neck as she leaned over his shoulder, grateful for Cam’s large hand on his thigh. Grateful they loved him. And he intended to show them just how grateful he was.
Chapter 23
Josh counted out several bills and handed them to the bored-looking delivery girl from the nearest Italian restaurant. She snapped her gum as she took the tip and said, “I can set this up for you, if you want.”
“No, I’ve got it, thank you.”
“Did you just move in or something?”
Josh looked around at the cluttered house. The only flat surface that wa
sn’t piled high with boxes was the table, and that was only because he took the time to clear it off.
“Yeah, we just moved in.”
“That’s cool. You sure you don’t need my help?”
“No. Thank you. Have a good night.”
Josh gently pushed her out of the house and shut the door. He heard Cam and Sara in the bedroom, moving around each other to get ready for the evening. They thought they were going out for a night on the town, but Josh had a different idea of how they should celebrate. Restaurants and clubs were nice, but what he really wanted was a quiet night to enjoy their company. Between the moving, the house hunting, the job search, and a million other little stresses, they hadn’t even had the chance to eat dinner together in over a month.
He set the table quickly, arranging the first course and storing the rest of the food in the kitchen. By the time they emerged from the bedroom calling his name, everything was waiting, from the wine to the candles.
“Why do I smell…?” Cam’s voice trailed off as he stopped at the mouth of the hallway, brows quirking when he saw the table laden with Josh’s arrangements. The suit he only dragged out for weddings hung elegantly on his muscled frame, but the long hair and beard that Sara had insisted he keep for a while longer softened the effect.
“Why did you stop?”
Sara’s confused voice came from behind Cam, and she ducked around him to enter the room without waiting for an answer. In the two months since they’d left Las Vegas and Delta behind, she’d gained enough weight to almost match her pre-Iocor measurements. The red sheath she’d chosen to wear for their date out accentuated her full breasts, while the long slit up the side of the calf-length skirt still managed to hide most of the fading scars. She glowed with health. Josh smiled simply at the sight of her.
“What happened to going out?” she asked with wide eyes.
Josh smiled a little self-consciously. “Well, going out sounded nice, but then I got to thinking about the last time we had dinner together, just the three of us, and it’s been a long time. And you two are beautiful, and I don’t want to share you.”
Though Sara eagerly approached the table for a closer inspection, Cam hung back. “It actually smells edible,” he commented. His mouth twitched into a smile. “You didn’t cook, did you?”
Josh frowned. “I can make edible food. I can. But I chose to have some food from Rosario’s delivered, because I know how much Sara enjoys it.” He pulled out a chair and bowed. “My lady.”
She stepped forward and sat down, but not before skimming her palm over Josh’s cheek. “Well, I think it’s wonderful,” she announced. She unfolded her napkin into her lap. “If Cam wants to be a grump about it, then I’ll just eat his share.”
“I’m not a grump.” He sat in the chair opposite. “I’m merely protecting my palate.”
Josh took his seat as well, relieved they weren’t disappointed about his last-minute change of plans. Especially since they both spent over an hour getting ready.
“Your snobby palate is going to be fine,” Josh assured him. “I wouldn’t dream of serving you anything less than the very best.”
“Did you get the cheesecake?” Sara asked.
Cam snorted. “We haven’t even had our salad yet, and here she is, wondering about dessert. Ow!” The tablecloth shifted as he bent down and rubbed his shin, but Josh knew it was more about show than actually being hurt. “No kicking in high heels, remember?”
“Big baby,” she teased.
“To be fair, we do have a no-kicking-in-high-heels rule,” Josh said, passing Sara the breadbasket. “And of course I have cheesecake. I even bought some of that expensive Ghirardelli cocoa you like so much. This is a celebration, after all.”
She plucked out a soft roll and handed the basket to Cam. “But we already had the buying-the-house celebration.”
“Yes, we did. But we have something else to celebrate today. John Dexter from Washington Elementary called this afternoon while you were out.”
Sara stopped in mid-chew. “He said they weren’t going to be making a decision until next week.”
Josh frowned with mock confusion. “Really? Because today he told me they had made their final decision, and he’d like you to meet him in his office tomorrow morning at seven thirty.”
It took a moment for his implication to sink in. When it did, Sara burst from her seat, her napkin falling forgotten to the floor as she threw her arms around Josh’s neck. Laughter bubbled from her throat, and her excited kisses rained along his cheeks.
“I don’t know why you’re so surprised,” Cam said behind her. “We told you all along they were going to love you.”
“She’s just happy because now she has an excuse to avoid unpacking,” Josh said, between kisses. He caught her chin and kissed her squarely on the mouth. When she pulled back, her eyes were still sparkling. “I am going to miss having you around and underfoot, though.”
She squirmed in his lap. The thin fabric of her dress left little to the imagination, her heat seeping through it into his groin. “You just like having me under you period,” she taunted.
He gripped her hips. “If you keep that up, I’m going to forget about dinner and get you under me right now.”
A slow tilt of her head was followed by her arms snaking back around his neck. “Something tells me that might’ve been your real reason to have this dinner at home.”
Josh looked over her shoulder to Cam. “Am I that obvious?”
Cam shrugged. “Subtlety has never been your strong suit,” he said, rising from his seat. He stood behind Sara, his hand skimming over the fine lines of her back, exposed above her dress. “How much do we spoil dinner if we don’t eat it right away?”
“Oh, it’ll keep,” Josh declared, though he didn’t really know. He didn’t care too much, either. “And if subtlety wasn’t my strong suit, I wouldn’t have bothered with food to begin with.”
“Maybe we just know you best.” She nuzzled his cheek with her own. “I thought it was wonderful.”
Josh linked his fingers through Cam’s and pulled him until he bent at the waist. He teased Cam’s lips until they parted, then ducked away and found Sara’s mouth for a similarly brief caress.
“That’s all that matters to me,” he said, toying with her zipper.
She sat back, leaning against Cam’s legs, trapping Josh’s hand between them. “I don’t want to spoil your dinner. If you tell me to behave, I will.” The corner of her mouth lifted. “But I’ll be thinking naughty thoughts while I eat.”
Josh looked up to Cam for his opinion, but he merely looked amused. “I think we should have at least one or two courses. You’ll need your energy later.”
Sara pretended to pout, but returned to her chair easily enough, picking up her bread before she’d even sat down. “I wonder if he called Mrs. Ehle.” It took a moment for Josh to realize she had gone back to the subject of her new job and flashed a smile at Cam. “I’ll have to call and thank her for whatever she said.”
“She probably said you were the best teacher in the school, and I was a right bastard for taking you away from Delta,” Cam said as he sat down. “She might not know language that strong. What’s another word for bastard?”
“Jerk?” Josh provided.
“Right, she probably called me a jerk.”
“Is it a mixed school, Sara? I’m assuming it might be, since it’s private.”
“It’s about sixty/forty, but I’ll be the first teacher who’s a shifter.” She grinned. “Maybe that’s why he was so eager to hire me. Maybe he’s got some equal opportunity quota he has to fill.”
Josh arched his brow. “Doubtful, since I’m not aware of any law about discriminating against shifters.”
“Let’s face it. You got the gig because you’re brilliant and they knew if they let you slip away, they’d regret it forever.”
Josh smirked. “They probably felt sorry for you because you live with a bastard, oh, excuse me, a jerk, like Cam.�
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Sara chattered on happily about her new job, her new boss, how she planned to decorate the classroom, how she only had two weeks until the beginning of the term, and though she knew what she was doing, it was always nerve-wracking right before a new group of kids. They took turns assuring her between bites that the children would love her, and she was going to be brilliant, but Josh could tell she wasn’t nervous. She was just excited. And beautiful. It wasn’t long before his food was forgotten, and he noticed out of the corner of his eye that Cam wasn’t eating either.
“I don’t know about you,” Josh declared after he finished his wine, “but I’m stuffed.”
That seemed to be the cue Cam was waiting for. He dropped his fork and set his napkin aside. “I definitely need some time before dessert.”
Josh rose and pulled Sara to her feet. “I had other plans for our celebration tonight.”
Her eyes sparkled, and she pressed closer. “You mean it wasn’t just dinner on your mind?”
“No. I’m hungry for other things,” Josh murmured, “And Cam looks famished.”
“It’s true,” Cam said, scooping her into his arms without warning. Before Josh said a word, he was carrying her down the hallway, her feet kicking helplessly over his arm. “You better hurry,” he threw over his shoulder.
Josh blew out the candles and grabbed the second bottle of wine before following them to the bedroom. Cam was still fully dressed, but he was concentrating very hard on Sara’s zipper as she sprawled across the large mattress.
“You’re tickling on purpose!” she squealed.
Her high-heeled foot shot out in retaliation, but Cam caught her ankle easily, holding it still as he looked to Josh.
“Wanna make her a little less dangerous and get these off?” he asked with a glint in his eye.
“Gladly,” Josh said, wrapping his fingers just above Cam’s. He held her firmly as he unstrapped the shoe and tossed it aside. “Did somebody say something about tickling?” He brushed his fingers from her toe to her ankle, her stocking smooth against his skin.