Everyone on the team’s been informed as well and is on the lookout.”
“Thank you so much, Jason,” J.D. said.
“I’m afraid there’s not much else we can do,” Christina said. “We don’t have cameras set up here, and there’s just so many people around. It would be like finding a needle in a haystack at this point.”
“But rest assured, we’ll do our best to find out where these guys are and prevent them from doing this again.” Jason, however, was looking straight at Cam.
“That sounds great, thank you both.” J.D. sank back into the plush couch.
“We should get going, I’m exhausted.” Christina stood up slowly, Jason helping her. “The team will update us back home.”
“I told you we shouldn’t have come,” Jason said. “You’re supposed to be on maternity leave.”
“You were driving me mad with your hovering,” Christina shot back. “And I can’t just stay in bed for two whole weeks. J.D, Cam, please stay here and enjoy the lounge.”
“Food and drinks are free, and you know Lennox Corp. always serves the good stuff,” he said with a chuckle. “Call us if you need anything, and J.D.?”
“Yes?”
“Welcome to the family, I guess?”
“Welcome to the—”
Cam cleared his throat. “Thank you. Both of you. We’ll be in touch.”
The couple strode away, leaving them alone. She was ready to do battle, but Cam surprised her by speaking first.
“I’m sorry, J.D.,” he said. “When I couldn’t find you, I went crazy. I didn’t mean to insinuate that you and Roy were doing anything wrong.”
His apology had somehow knocked her defenses down. “I was lucky he was there at the right time and the right place. I fell, and so of course, he helped me up. I was shocked and scared and he—”
“I know.” His jaw clenched. “And that’s what angered me. That I wasn’t there to prevent those bastards from hurting you.”
Oh, Cam. She scooted closer to him. “You can’t be with me twenty-four seven. Sometimes, things just happen. And I’m tough, okay? Been taking care of myself for a long time, I could have shifted and escaped. Besides, if those guys had succeeded, I’m pretty sure you would have done anything you could to get me back.”
“Nothing would have stopped me.” His chest rumbled, and a growl from his bear rattled in his throat.
Her cat, the silly thing, swooned with giddiness. Arms came around her, then Cam pulled her onto his lap.
“We’re not alone in here, you know,” she said, eyes darting to the other people in the lounge.
“I don’t care.” He pulled her head down to meet his mouth in a rough, possessive kiss that stoked a fire in her. “J.D., I need you so bad. Need to be with you.” The brush of his erection against her made her gasp. “Need to be inside you.”
“Then what are we waiting for? Take me home, champ.”
Chapter Ten
Driving back to his penthouse took every ounce of concentration he had left. With J.D. right next to him, it was difficult not to just pull over to the side of the road and haul her onto his lap and have his way with her.
Perhaps the roller coaster of emotions from tonight had something to do with it, but he didn’t care why. He wanted J.D. to be his, irrevocably. To bond with her and make her his forever.
Things at the carnival had been going marvelously at first. He still couldn’t believe that despite everything he did and what she knew, J.D. still wanted to work things out.
And that’s why he went into a panic when he saw Jason and Christina Lennox. They would recognize him, of course, and J.D. would have more questions. Coward that he was, he didn’t want to think about the consequences of another lie of omission, so he escaped.
He was about halfway toward the game booths when he realized he owed her the truth. Not only about Natalia and his family obligations, but his connections to the Lennoxes that she would undoubtedly uncover anyway.
He sought out Jason and Christina, but they hadn’t seen her at all. He didn’t know why, but he started to panic. Then she showed up from out of nowhere, and when he saw she’d been hurt, his polar bear had gone crazy. And it didn’t help that the other male had his scent all over her.
His bear chuffed, still miffed at him. That man did save her, he tried to reason, but his animal wouldn’t hear any of it. No one touched their mate.