CAM

WORK WAS HELL , but at least it was almost over. For today, anyway. Still, the impending end of my shift couldn't save me from the customer currently harassing me. But an occasional harassment was kind of a given in a place like this.

My second job was the one I only worked once a week, but made more money than I made in nearly the whole week of shifts at the restaurant. That was probably because people came into a strip club already planning to drop plenty of cash on the dancers.

I was just a waiter, serving drinks, but the only waiters and waitresses that got hired here were young omegas. The customers were already horny watching the bodies on the stage, so hitting on us when we came around to serve them was common.

I always worked there on Friday evenings, because I had Ty signed up for a daycare thing during my whole shift. It was expensive, but I always made enough in tips to cover it. Plus, he loved it, and I would have felt awful pulling him out of the program. He got to eat snacks and watch a movie and make crafts with other kids. Getting hit on by creeps wasn't that bad when I remembered it was for him.

"Is there anything else I can get you?" I asked. It was a dreaded question, because for most of them the answer was a definite yes, but what they wanted wasn't something I was actually willing to serve to them.

"Maybe so," the customer said, flashing his pearly whites at me as his hand snaked around me to pat my ass. Very common occurrence. It bugged the crap out of me, but I'd gotten pretty good at hiding my annoyance. I was shy with guys I actually liked, but these interactions didn't feel real to me, so I didn't feel embarrassed. Just repulsed.

"Another drink maybe?" I offered.

"Maybe next time," he said, sitting up in his seat. "You can bring my check, cutie."

Relieved he was just going to leave and didn't want to chat with me anymore, I waited at the till for his check to print. As I waited, a text from Karter came through on my phone.

I'm in the parking lot, so just come out to my car when you're done.

Fuck. Shit. Damn it. He was at the parking lot of the restaurant I worked at. If he'd told me in advance he'd wanted to pick me up or see me, I would have talked him out of it.

I'm working somewhere else today, so I won't be there. Sorry. I put my phone away briefly to bring the customer his check, giving him a fake smile as I did so. I needed him to give me a good tip. And not the tip he wanted to give me, either. The second I left him, I pulled my phone back out to see Karter's response.

Where are you working today? I'll pick you up.

Frowning, I pursed my lips as I typed. I was just going to take the bus home like I always do.

But his response had my heart kind of melting. I want to see you before my flight tonight. I need to see you.

Squeezing my eyes closed for a second, I exhaled a deep sigh before sending him the address of the strip club. I wasn't going to tell him what it was. I'd deal with that when he arrived.

I'll be there soon, baby boy.

Just great. I didn't think he would be mad, it seemed like he didn't have the capacity to be mad at me over anything. But I was pretty sure he wouldn't like it too much.

We'd only been talking for a week, but already he was what I looked forward to the most. I wanted to live in a bubble with only Karter and Ty. It was probably just some silly honeymoon phase, the bubbly beginnings of a relationship. Would my infatuation with him fade over time? I couldn't be sure. All I knew was that for now, he occupied my mind more than any man ever had and maybe ever would.

The urge to introduce him to Ty was strong. They were the most important people in my life, and I wanted them together, too. I should have been more nervous about it, I knew, but it was hard to be nervous when Karter was so sweet, always asking about Ty and listening with genuine interest when I talked about him.

Even though I wasn't entirely sure what his reaction would be to my second job, and that made me nervous, I was excited to see him. We hadn't been able to make any time for each other since the morning of my heat. It was mostly my fault, because of work shifts. But I knew he was going to be gone for the whole weekend to some important work thing, so he was forcing me to make time. Even if it was only a few minutes.

When his car pulled up to where I was waiting at the curb in front of the club, I watched his window roll down. He tilted his head as he stared up at the sign, a very obvious sign that screamed the fact that people danced naked in there.

Trying not to blush, I cleared my throat and made my way around the car. My stomach pitched a little as I realized I wanted to kiss him, but I didn't know if I should. We weren't really a couple or anything. We'd kissed a lot at my apartment, but had it been because of my heat? Would he find it weird if I went for it now?

As I slipped into the passenger seat, Karter's eyes were intense and locked directly onto my face. My heart knocked up into my ribs, but it was obvious my worries about kissing had been totally unfounded. I leaned toward him, and he met me halfway, his lips covering mine. Again, everything around us ceased to exist as his tongue slipped into my mouth, sliding across mine. When my fingers curled into the collar of his shirt, pulling him in even closer to me, he slid a hand into my hair and nipped into my lower lip. It wasn't hard enough to hurt, just firm enough to make me gasp. When I did, he pressed a soft kiss to the bite spot, almost apologetically.

"It's good to see you, Cameron." His voice washed over me like the warm ocean. Soothing and calming and perfect.

"I'm really happy to see you too, Karter."

"You know," he started, as I was fastening my seatbelt. "I would never judge you, but I have a hard time imagining you as a stripper."

"I'm not a dancer," I corrected him. "I just serve drinks."

"Ah." He sounded relieved. "That's good to hear. It feels too early to tell you what to do, but…"

"It's okay," I assured him. It kind of seemed like he was saying that if I was a dancer, he'd have ordered me not to do it anymore. I should have been offended, but it only gave me a shivery feeling in my spine. "I get what you mean. Anyway, I'm pretty sure I'm not qualified for any of that. I'm lucky they even hired me on as a waiter. I barely fill out this uniform," I said, zipping open the duffel bag I'd dragged along with me and tilting it to show him the somewhat revealing outfit inside. The shorts were tiny, not something I would have ever worn outside the club, held up by slim black suspenders over a tiny white collared shirt.

"Fill it out?" He repeated, sounding confused.

"I mean, I don't have anything going on up here, obviously," I said, pointing to my flat chest. The girls were kind of lucky in that way. They had something to show off when they leaned forward. "And I'm not exactly caked up, if you know what I mean. I just feel like I'd make more tips if I had a little more going on in the body department."

"Your body is perfect to me," he said. I'd been half joking, but he sounded so serious I couldn't help but smile.

"Thank you."

I'd already made my feelings about his body clear in a text where I'd described him as ‘crazy hot' which he had appreciated. He'd responded by telling me that he didn't think another omega could ever tempt him again, now that he'd been inside me. And I'd needed to jerk off after that. I hadn't told him about that part, but it was pretty much implied on both our ends.

Were we moving too fast, saying that kind of stuff to each other already? Definitely, yeah. But there was no way he was going to back off or slow down and I didn't want him to.

"This isn't the best neighborhood, is it?" He asked.

"Uh, no, not really," I admitted. "The best neighborhoods don't have strip clubs in them at all, I think."

He chuckled a little at my response, but I could see his brow was furrowed, like he was concerned for me.

"Is it safe for you to be working here? For you to stand at the bus stop here?"

I wasn't really sure how to answer. "Well, nothing's happened yet. I've worked here for, like, eight or nine months."

"You wouldn't consider trying to work somewhere else?"

I felt uncomfortable turning him down, especially when it was obvious that he was just worried about me, but my life just wasn't as simple and easy as that.

"Well, the thing is there aren't many places that can be flexible with my schedule. Ty's only in daycare on Friday nights, so this is the only time I can work here. And the money is too good for me to try to find something else that fits the window."

He nodded slowly, keeping his eyes forward on the road. After a little stretch of silence, he spoke.

"Would you compromise by letting me pick you up on Friday nights, then? I don't want you standing around, especially when it gets dark earlier in the winter."

"You want to pick me up every Friday night?"

"Yes. I'll worry too much otherwise."

"Isn't that going to be kind of a pain in the ass?" I asked, but his offer was actually perfect. I hated riding the bus, and I loved being near him. It was definitely a win-win.

"No." And that was that.

"Um, okay, if you say so. I really appreciate it. And picking me up today, too."

"It's no problem at all, Cameron. I've really wanted to see you."

"Yeah, sorry about that. I know I've been turning you down a lot, but it's not because I don't want to see you or anything."

"I know that. And you were open in the beginning about not having a lot of time, so I understand. I told you I'll take whatever you can give me."

I wished I could give him a hell of a lot more. It would be easier once Ty knew about him and he could come over sometimes in the evenings. Yet another reason for me to introduce them.

On the way home, we chatted about our jobs. Karter described his career to me, and the degrees he'd gotten at his mother's insistence. Apparently she hadn't wanted to give him access to his trust fund without them. So he'd gotten them, and he'd ended up with a cushy executive position at the company because of them.

It was really impressive to me that he'd worked so hard, but my own education story was radically different.

"Um, I didn't go to college or anything. Actually, I dropped out of high school to take care of Ty, so…" I trailed off, peeking over at him to try and gauge his reaction. He glanced over, briefly meeting my eyes.

"I'm sure that was a very difficult decision for you. I really admire how much you've sacrificed to make sure that Ty has everything he needs. Your drive is incredible."

"You seriously mean that?" I asked. "I mean, you don't think I'm a loser for not having a degree?"

"Of course I don't. Do you think I could be so inconsiderate? No, don't answer that," he quickly added, shaking his head as he stared at the road ahead. "Do you believe I could ever think so lowly of you?" He reworded the question.

"I… Hope you wouldn't."

"I wouldn't. Everything I learn about you only amazes me more and more."

It was nice, hearing someone praise me. Especially when that someone was a person I thought so highly of, and liked so much. But it made me afraid for the time when I would inevitably disappoint him.

When we arrived at my apartment, he looked at me questioningly.

"Well, riding home with you saved some time, and Ty won't be getting dropped off for another half hour or so," I said. His face instantly lit up, which in turn had my chest fluttering. "So you can come in for a little bit if you want."

Once we were inside, he headed right to the couch to sit, patting the space next to him in invitation. At times he seemed so sophisticated and mature, and sometimes he was just a complete goofball. Both sides of him appealed to me so much I didn't know what to do about it.

"I know I'm kind of a sucky host for not offering you a drink or anything but all I have is Kool-Aid and chocolate milk."

He chuckled, shaking his head. "I don't need a drink. All I need is you."

When I sat next to him, he put his arm around me, gently nudging me into the position we'd sat in before. I didn't mind. For having such a firm, hard body, he was supremely snuggly.

"Sorry we don't really have enough time for… You know," I said. I wasn't just apologizing to him. I was really, really sorry. Now that I'd done it again after so long, I didn't want to go another half decade or more.

"I don't have a clue what you could possibly mean, Cameron," he said, his tone obviously mocking me. I couldn't help but giggle.

"You definitely know what I mean. You're telling me you haven't thought about doing anything with me since the other day?"

"I've barely thought of anything else," he admitted, grinning down at me. "But there's no point in complaining about the time we don't have together."

"You're so high-minded," I scoffed, sighing. "If I didn't think that the girls who run the daycare would drop Ty off the second my pants were down, I'd be in your lap."

"Are you trying to torture me?" He asked, and I bit my lower lip to try and hold in my laugh.

"No! I just… I like that you want me. It makes me feel good."

"Then I'll be sure to remind you as often as I can," he said.

"I wouldn't mind that."

When he got up from our comfy entanglement to go to the bathroom, I tried not to mourn the loss of his warm presence next to me. But my silly little complaint was instantly forgotten when his phone, which he'd left on my coffee table, lit up with a message from someone else.

Normally I wouldn't have read it. I wouldn't have even picked it up. It was incredibly rude, and I had no reason not to trust him. But the message had a link to an article in it. And the link preview showed a photo of Karter with some other guy. Some guy who was way better looking than me.

My stomach dropped down into my guts, and my head was buzzing as I picked it up off the table.

Omg so embarrassing right?

The contact name above the message field was Lucas Caldwell. Apparently he found the whole thing embarrassing.

I clicked the link to the article, nearly sweating as it loaded. My eyes darted between the web page and the bathroom door, praying Karter wouldn't come out and catch me snooping.

The headline for the article was in large font. ‘Heir to the Morrison Beauty fortune on date with social media superstar?'

My eyes scrolled down past the photo. There wasn't much to say about it. He was very obviously on a date, as the title stated. They were sitting across from each other, but their hands were linked at the center of the table. Very romantic. Wherever they were looked fancy and expensive, with candles and fresh flowers.

The article went on to mention Lucas, the guy in the picture, as a model who often did ad campaigns for Morrison Beauty, and speculated whether they'd met through that channel. Unable to read anymore, I hit the back button to close out of the page and put his phone back on the table.

Tears were welling up in my eyes, so I quickly rubbed them away. It was stupid to be upset anyway. I'd never even asked him if he was seeing anyone. I'd stupidly assumed he wouldn't, since he'd claimed to like me so much. But maybe the rules were different for the billionaire socialite crowd. That should have been obvious from the start.

The bathroom door opened less than ten seconds later.

"I didn't notice before how incredibly small your shower is," Karter commented as he sat next to me. "I was obviously very preoccupied when we used it before. I'm not sure how we both even fit."

It was the worst kind of situation. If I didn't say anything, he'd know I was upset. But I was afraid if I tried to talk, my voice would crack and I'd look like a complete moron. Part of me wanted to ignore what I'd seen. Even if he was seeing other people, wasn't it better to have him with me sometimes than to break it off? And then I realized that was maybe the most pathetic thought I'd ever had in all my life.

"Um, Karter? I think… I think that we have a different idea of what all of this is, and as much as I like you, I don't know if we should be wasting each other's time anymore."

He stared at me for a few moments before answering. "What are you talking about? Whose time is being wasted?"

I focused every cell in my body toward the effort of not bursting into tears. It sort of worked, but my involuntary sniffle gave me away anyway.

"Cameron, tell me what's wrong." It wasn't a request. It was an order.

"I didn't know you were talking to other people. I thought you just wanted to be with me, so…"

"Talking to other people?" He repeated. He looked totally confused. "I'm not talking to anyone but you."

I would have believed him. He sounded so completely shocked at my statement, but… I'd seen it myself.

"Talking, dating, whatever you want to call it. I just had a different idea of what this was, and that's my fault."

It was totally, utterly, and completely my fault. I was an idiot for not questioning things more. I knew better than to believe some fantasy, that some perfectly doting alpha would come rescue me from my pitiful and sad life. The ache in my chest that I felt now was my punishment for forgetting all of that.

At least I hadn't told Ty about him yet. And I'd downplayed everything between us to Hana, even though she'd been hounding me about him. I guess I had known, on some level, that whatever I was feeling wasn't some fated connection. As if someone like me would ever be the perfect mate for someone like Karter Morrison. I was so stupid.

"Since the day I met you, I haven't looked at another person that way. I don't know what's led you to believe anything differently, but I swear to you it's the truth. Why would I want anyone else?"

There were so many good answers I could have given in response to that question, but they wouldn't make me feel any better. My eyes flickered from his face to the phone on the table. I couldn't help it. It seemed to alert him, because he instantly picked it up and turned it on, his eyes raking over the screen.

His body language and expression morphed into something I'd never witnessed from him before. His hand clenched into a fist, digging into the fabric of my couch. I watched as he inhaled a long breath through his nose, slowly letting it out through his teeth, like it was a technique he'd learned in anger management or something.

"Cameron." My name in his voice usually sent pleasant shivers up my spine, or had my pulse skipping. But he sounded livid now, like his rage was just barely being held in. "This message is not what you seem to think. As cliché as it sounds, this is not what it looks like."

"Did you go out with him or not?"

Again, he took a few moments to compose his voice before answering me. I suddenly remembered my initial impression of him at the café, how I'd thought if I had a boss like that who yelled at me I would have been scared shitless.

"No, I did not go out with him or anyone else." He said between clenched teeth, his chest still rising and falling with the effort of his deep breaths. "I don't know what I need to say or do to prove that to you, but I'm willing to do whatever you require."

"If you didn't go out with him, and you aren't interested in him, then why are you holding his hand?" I was afraid. Afraid of the answer he would give me, afraid of his anger. But no matter what I'd discovered about him, I didn't think he would take it out on me. I just hated being the source of his fury.

"I am not holding his hand. I would never hold Lucas Caldwell's hand." He loaded up the article like I had, and clicked the photo so he could zoom in. Pinching the screen over and over until only their hands were in view, he handed the phone back to me.

With the extreme close-up, I could suddenly see that they weren't really holding hands. More like the model guy was holding his hand. More like his wrist, really.

I didn't know what to say. Embarrassment throbbed through me, bathing my skin in burning heat. I wanted to die. But the weight in my chest, the one that felt like it had cracked through my ribs to pulverize my heart, was lifting. It was a heady, dizzying feeling. Then the anticipation that Karter would react badly to my assumption joined in, and I was pretty close to just passing out from overstimulation.

"I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have accused you." My words stuck in my throat, like I could barely force them out.

"No, I'm sorry that you had to see that. I can understand why you reacted how you did, but…" He moved closer to me, erasing the space I'd created when I'd pulled back from him. When he reached around me, pulling me to his chest, I didn't struggle against it. Things should have been more weird between us, but maybe he felt the same way I did. He didn't want to be the source of my unhappiness. "Next time something leads you to believe that I would betray you or do anything to hurt you, please come to me first. I promise there will be an explanation."

"I swear I will. I feel stupid, but…" I trailed off, unsure if I should even even express my next thought.

"But?" He prompted me.

"It's just that… Are you sure there's a point to really starting something with me?"

"What makes you doubtful?" His teeth were no longer clenched together, and he didn't sound as angry. Because I didn't want to see his face while I said my next words, I curled into his body more, pressing my face into his shoulder.

"Well, you're 33, right?"

"And?"

"If you wanted kids, you'd have them by now, right?"

"Not necessarily," he corrected me. "I wouldn't consider having children without meeting the right person. That's always been my mindset on it."

"I just don't want to force you into something you don't really want."

"There's nothing about you I don't want, Cameron." He pulled me back, forcing me to stare into his eyes. "Don't make assumptions that keep you from getting closer to me. Give this a fair chance."

The intensity of his gaze sent a shiver creeping through me, from the top of my head down to the tips of my toes. It was like everything about him, from his voice to his eyes to the way he held me tightly but without using force, had been created just for me. So that he was exactly everything that I wanted. How could I have been so willing to throw all of that away over one stupid picture, without even talking to him about it first?

"Okay. Let's just forget about all of this. Please," I begged. I didn't want to remember the despair I'd felt, anyway. And I didn't want him to suddenly decide that someone so flighty and indecisive wasn't worth pursuing.

"We'll forget it," he assured me. "You don't need to worry about the person in this picture. I'm going to make sure you never have to see or hear about anything like this ever again. Trust me."

"I do. I trust you. I'm sorry for doubting you. You've been way too good to me for me to just accuse you of anything."

"You saw a very convincing picture of me with someone else, Cameron. I think anyone would have reacted the way you did. There's no need for guilt. I won't hold it against you."

"Okay. Forgetting it. Never bringing it up again," I said, holding up three fingers like a boy scout. His smile took forever to spread across his face, like waiting for a sunset.

"I have to go now, because Ty's going to be here any minute. I'm getting on a plane, and by the time I land you'll already be asleep. But once I'm finished with everything they need me for tomorrow, I'll make sure we have a chance to talk on the phone. I don't want you to have any insecurities in regards to how I feel."

"Okay. That sounds really good." I didn't usually like talking on the phone, but if it was to Karter I'd take anything I could get. "Um, can we still kiss?"

He chuckled lowly, pulling me in to appease me.

By the time his car pulled out, the daycare directors pulled up to the spot he'd been in less than a minute later. Wonderful timing.

Ty scrambled out of the backseat as I walked up to their car, waving around a decorated piece of construction paper. The woman in the driver's seat gave me a friendly wave as I approached.

"He was great as always!" She said before telling Ty bye and that they'd see him next week.

"Were you crying, Daddy?" He asked as he approached me, his little eyebrows drawn together to show his unhappiness with the idea.

"No." I drew him in so he could hug my waist. He was probably going to end up being way taller than me. Then again, pretty much everyone was. 5'4 was not exactly a tough mark to surpass. "Just allergies."

"Okay, good! Look what I made for you!" Autumn leaves decorated the border, with a big ‘Fall is here!' message in the center. Fall-themed stickers like apples and turkeys were scattered around, as well as Ty's own little doodles. Two people, one tall and one small held hands at the bottom. "That's us," he informed me.

"You made this just for me?" I asked as we made our way into the house, closing and locking the door behind us.

"Just for you!" He reiterated. "Do you like it?"

"I love it," I said honestly. I had to do some rearranging on the refrigerator, but I was able to stick it on front and center. "Are you excited for fall?"

"Yeah! I want to bob for apples!"

That was an easy enough request to meet. Once the leaves started falling, there would be tons of cheap and local kid-friendly festivals and events.

For the rest of the night, he had lots to tell me about the movie he'd watched with the other kids, and what games they had played.

Though my mood had taken a definite dip at one point in the evening, Karter's understanding and Ty's pep were all I needed to feel like everything would be okay. I'd been unlucky in so many ways in my life, but in a lot of ways I was lucky too.

We ended up falling asleep on the couch together watching movies, a lovely little reminder that I never had to be alone if I didn't want to.