Page 35 of Tentacles for Christmas

“As long as you want me,” I promised, realizing how true the statement was.

Pulling the covers back with a tentacle, I settled into their bed with Cam draped over my body. I thought Cam was already asleep until they whispered, “I want you forever.”

Chapter twenty-three

Cam

Whistlingmywaythroughmy shift at work, everyone was commenting on my happy mood. Pam was sipping her tea in the corner with her knitting out, chatting to Riley’s mom. I caught snippets of gossip that included “Red” and “so cute together,” so I assumed some of it was about me and Rowen.

Considering the amazing sex I was having with the man I was falling for, I didn’t mind one bit. If they had nothing better to gossip about than a happy new couple, then things weren’t so bad.

Of course, I’d also heard a word here and there about the McTaryns, who the women saw as a menace, corrupting the vulnerable and spreading poison with their drugs. They apparently threatened Riley last summer, and the ladies wanted them to stay on their side of the lake. I had to agree, though I kept that to myself.

Rowen had dropped me off with a kiss a little after sunrise, and I’d been giddy at his casual affection. He came back shortly after Pam arrived for his salted caramel latte, bringing me my scarf that I’d left athis place the weekend before, because he said I looked cold. I’d received another kiss over the counter before he headed back to his shop, and I knew I’d be going to his place after work.

The man was a treasure I wanted to hoard and never give up.

On cloud nine all morning, I almost forgot that Rowen’s dad was also a regular customer. Clark Finley had seen us together for the ride and at the park the night before, but I didn’t know what he thought of me with his son.

For one, I wasn’t a shifter, and now I knew about their big secret. Also, I was the first person Rowen had ever dated.

“Cameron, how has your morning been going?” He greeted me with a smile over an open leather jacket, handing me his insulated thermos to fill. “It’s not as cold today.”

“Good morning, Mr. Finley. You can call me Cam,” I added, willing myself not to think about what I’d done with his son last night, or the way Rowen grunted my name when he came that morning in the shower. I started brewing his dark roast espresso without having to be told how he liked it to give myself a distraction. “It’s going well, and I’m enjoying the sun. How about yours?”

“Please, call me Fin. It’s what my friends call me,” he insisted before his face went dark with some unspoken emotion. I knew some of his generation in town had passed, like King and Ricky’s fathers. I had to wonder if he had many friends left outside of the pack, which was primarily shifters around his son’s age.

“Not Superman?” I teased and made Fin laugh. His normally serious face lit up, looking ten years younger with the change in expression.

“Well, since that’s what my son calls me, and he’s clearly planning on keeping you, have at it.”

The insinuation I could call Fin the equivalent of ‘Dad’ according to his son paled at the first thing he said. “You think so?”

“I do.” Fin nodded and pulled out cash as I slipped a lid on his cup. “My son doesn’t make decisions without planning to follow through. I happen to think dating you is a good decision.”

Feeling my cheeks warm at the assurance, I saw the two women in the corner were listening in. I decided to change the subject. “Any plans this weekend?”

“Well, I was thinking about inviting you and Rowen over for dinner on his birthday,” Fin stated, pausing to take a sip of the hot coffee as if it wasn’t scalding. “But I wanted to ask if you have plans for him?”

Blinking, I took a moment to process what he said. “Rowen’s birthday is this weekend?”

“It is! Didn’t he tell you?” Fin frowned and went on, “Only a few days before Christmas, so I always try to make sure he gets to celebrate both separately.”

“No, he didn’t tell me! So he’s a Capricorn? How did I not know this?” I whined, banging my head against the counter and tugging at my curly hair. “What am I supposed to do with only a day and a half to plan? Do you think he’d want a birthday party?”

“I mean, twenty-seven isn’t a milestone,” Fin hedged, patting my shoulder until I lifted my head to look at him. “He also hates being the center of attention. I learned that lesson a few times over when he was a kid.”

“Maybe I could plan a trip?” I suggested, scrambling for a plan. “He loves the ocean…we could take a ride to the coast?”

“True, he does love the ocean, mostly to go for a swim. Would be super cold for you, though,” Fin added and I realized I couldn’t follow Rowen if he went for a dip in mid-December. I didn’t have tentacles.

“Any other ideas? He’s special to me. I want to make his birthday special.”

Fin considered me for a moment then held out his phone. “Give me your phone number. I’ll send you a location where you could have a picnic.”

“Okay,” I agreed, eager for anything to help. “That sounds perfect, thank you!”

“Anytime,” Fin smiled and I felt my pocket buzz. I pulled my phone out to find a pin just up the hill in Blue Lake.