Forbidden: Part One – Chapter 32

“Look at his hand! He touched her bare hand, and he’s feeling things,” I shouted, pointing at Mr. Darcy from my perch on the den sectional.

“I thought he hated her,” Ben said, his arms wrapped around me and his chin resting on my head.

“Classic enemies to lovers,” Theo said, squeezing my hand.

Cam grunted from his spot next to Ben. “Don’t fucking get the appeal. If they like each other, they should just say it. Waste of time.”

Theo and I grinned at each other. We had convinced the guys to watch Pride and Prejudice. It was a rainy Saturday and we’d spent most of the day curled up together, watching movies and letting Ben ply us with snacks.

Just then, Cam’s phone rang. He fished it out of his pocket and swore.

I tensed. “Who is it?” After our encounter with the OBS, I was feeling more on edge. Would my mother say anything to my fathers? Would the DC or Pack Madden do something to try to separate us?

“Sorry, sweetheart, nothing to do with you, just a fucking annoying client. I’ll be right back.” Cam kissed my forehead before leaving the room.

Theo paused the movie.

“What’s going on with the client?” I asked.

Ben groaned. “They’ve been obnoxious from start to finish. We did a complete overhaul of their cybersecurity, but they keep coming up with new things for us to check. Their headquarters are about two hours away, and we’ve sent several teams to address their issues, but they keep complaining.”

Cam stormed back into the room. “Fucking obnoxious motherfuckers. I’m going to murder them.”

“What did they say?” Theo asked.

“They’re being paranoid. They said we missed things with their building security and the cybersecurity of their servers,” Cam said with disdain.

“I’ve hired so many people to try to hack into those servers,” Ben said, rubbing his eyes. “They’re solid. No one can get in. This is such bullshit.”

I curled up against Theo. I knew none of them were mad at me, but the tension in the room set me on edge. My body still wasn’t convinced I wouldn’t be harmed.

Cam sat on the ottoman in front of me and put his hand on my thigh. “Not frustrated with you, sweetheart.”

“But you haven’t been working much since I’ve been here and it’s making things harder for you,” I said.

“Our team is completely capable of running the day-to-day,” Theo said.

“This company, in particular, wants to feel important by having us there. They don’t want to settle for any of our staff,” Cam said, rolling his eyes.

I felt obnoxious for needing their constant reassurance, but I loved that they were willing to give it to me.

“We have to follow up with them in person,” Cam said, capturing one of my hands and rubbing it tenderly.

“What?” Ben whined. “Just tell them to get over themselves.”

Cam sighed. “I said we would do one more in-person eval and then we’re done. If they want more after this, they can hire someone else. I wouldn’t even agree to this, except they’re one of the biggest companies in the province, and I don’t want to burn bridges if we don’t have to.”

“So you all have to go?” I asked, trying to hide how anxious I felt about being left on my own.

“I’ll stay,” Theo said, kissing my temple.

“Why do you get to stay?” Ben asked, snuggling closer to me and trying to pull me out of Theo’s grasp.

“Because you need to look at their servers, and I have to evaluate their building security,” Cam said unhappily. “We’ll leave soon and be back tomorrow by midmorning.”

“Okay,” I said quietly. Don’t go, I’ll miss you.

“Are you sure you want to go to class tonight?” Cam asked.

Luc had texted our group chat earlier and asked if we wanted a quick class tonight. A guest trainer was coming to lead classes in the gym for the next week and it would be too risky for us to go in, so it would be our last opportunity to meet for a while. I had hesitated to ask the guys if I could go, but they all agreed without argument. I knew Cam still wasn’t comfortable with it, though, and a part of me wanted to succumb to his hopeful expression and tell him I would stay home.

I bit my lip and exhaled slowly. “Yeah. Is that okay?”

Cam’s jaw clenched almost imperceptibly. “Of course, sweetheart.” He kissed me on the forehead before he and Ben went upstairs to pack.

“Want to finish the movie?” Theo asked.

“Sure,” I said without enthusiasm.

“They’ll be back before you know it, love,” Theo said, tucking me into his chest.

“I’m being silly.”

“Not at all. Being separated from your mates is always hard, especially at the beginning. If it makes you feel better, those two will be miserable the whole time.”

I scowled at him. “I don’t want them to be miserable.” But my omega preened at the thought of them missing us.

“You’re sweet,” he said, pulling me in for a kiss. My stomach fluttered when I realized this meant I would get alone time with Theo. The other two often overshadowed his more reserved personality, and I wanted to get to know him better.

I heard Cam and Ben coming down the stairs, and I pushed myself off the cozy spot on the couch to say goodbye.

Ben picked me up and twirled me. “I’ll miss you, precious. Don’t have too much fun with Theo without me,” he said with a wink.

He cupped my face with one hand and pulled me in for a kiss, backing me up until I was pressed against the kitchen wall. I wrapped my hands in his loose curls, trying to hold him tight enough so he would stay. I whimpered as his hips rolled into mine.

“Can’t wait to be inside you, to feel that sweet pussy coming on my cock, hear more of those breathy little moans you make when you’re close.”

I swear I almost came just from his words. The guys had been careful not to pressure me to do anything sexual, but hearing Ben didn’t make me anxious. It made me want to strip and have him fuck me right here, against the wall.

Ben was ripped away, Cam standing in his place.

“Fuck, Ben, you can’t get her worked up like that before we leave,” he grumbled.

“I’ve got to be sure you don’t forget me,” Ben said cheekily, giving me a tender kiss before heading out to the garage.

My body felt like it was on fire. I whined, wanting Ben to come back, wanting someone to make me orgasm.

“Come here, sweetheart,” Cam said. “Got to help you calm down a little.”

He pulled me in close and ran his hands soothingly over my back and arms. His pace was slow and he kept a steady pressure until my muscles felt like jelly. I sighed and relaxed fully against his chest.

“I’ll miss you,” Cam said.

“I’ll miss you, too. Come back quickly.”

“Be safe in class tonight. No risks. No injuries.” Cam tilted my chin up so I met his gaze.

“Are you upset that I’m going to class again?”

He hesitated, running his thumb across my cheek. “I’m not going to say I’m comfortable with it, especially since I’ll be out of town. It’s not because I don’t want you to do the things you enjoy. It’s just because I feel like I should be protecting you, and it makes me uncomfortable to have you away from me.”

“Thanks for caring about me and for letting me make my own choices,” I said.

Cam rubbed his head against mine, scent marking me. I hid my smile against his chest. My possessive alpha wanted me to smell like him before he left.

“I have a gift for you.”

I pulled away, my omega perking up at the promise of presents. “What is it?” I tried to reign in my eagerness, but Cam’s grin told me I had failed.

He pulled a pink gift bag out of his duffel bag and handed it to me. I reached into the bag and pulled out the softest, nicest workout set I’d ever held. The leggings were butter smooth and made from special performance fabric. The tank top was made of similar material and there was a fleece-lined black pullover, perfect for the cooler temperatures. At the bottom of the bag was a pair of brand-new sneakers. They were black with glitter.

“I wanted to get you some colorful clothes but thought I should stick with black since it will be less noticeable when you’re going in and out of the gym.” Cam rubbed his neck and I could swear there was a slight blush on his cheeks. Was he nervous about my reaction?

I threw my arms around him, and he picked me up. There were tears in my eyes.

“Thank you,” I said, pressing kisses up and down his neck. That he wanted to support me in going to class because it was important to me, even though he wasn’t comfortable with it, filled me with warmth.

“It’s nothing,” Cam said, looking shy again. He was wrong. It was everything.

He gave me a light kiss on the lips and a final squeeze before setting me down and heading out to the garage. Theo pressed behind me, making me shiver as his lips skimmed my neck.

“Let’s get you some dinner before heading to class.”