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her way back out into the dining room.
    Fifteen minutes later, Cameron emerged with both dinners, setting the tray down expertly before moving to place their plates. He glanced between them to wait for their attention.
    Julian watched him as he worked, his eyes following unerringly as his dinner mate looked out the window and rambled about how much she hated Chicago winters. As Cameron arranged the china, he noticed Julian watching him closely and raised an eyebrow in question.
    “Thank you,” Julian said to him, the soft words and intent look in his eyes making Cameron feel like the only person Julian saw at that moment was him.
    Cameron straightened, smiled nervously, and nodded as he tried to tell himself that he was imagining these things and to calm down.
    “You’re welcome,” he murmured.
    “Are you always this pleasant?” the woman asked Julian dryly.
    “Not often,” Julian answered without taking his eyes off Cameron.
    Cameron stepped back with the tray, glancing to the woman before looking back at Julian. “Enjoy your meal,” he said solely to the dark man, feeling a jump in his pulse at his own boldness. Then he edged back from the table.
    Julian’s black, unreadable eyes followed his movements, and Cameron paused for a moment, feeling that odd flutter strengthen; then the woman’s chattering voice broke the moment, and he turned to leave.
    “If you’ll bring the check back with you,” Julian requested softly.
    Cameron looked back at Julian, nodded obediently, and departed; he didn’t even realize he was smiling until he got into the back and one of his fellow waiters gave him a strange look. “What?” he asked suspiciously.

    Warrior’s Cross 27

    Charles shook his head and grinned impishly. “You’re so completely screwed,” he said with a laugh before moving on with his own tray of food.
    Cameron sighed and rolled his eyes. Miri had obviously been talking. He got the check together as requested, despite several of the others chattering around him as they took advantage of a lull in the Saturday night crowd. He wasn’t flustered, just… fascinated, right?
    Yes.
    He sighed, forcing himself to be honest, at least with himself. He was infatuated. Maybe it was the voice; it was always low and husky, sometimes practically not there. And that one laugh he’d heard…
    His mind wandered back to the thought that this Julian might be the “escort”—a crazy thought, for sure. But with looks like that, Cameron could imagine the man would command whatever money he wanted. It would explain why he was so well off but had to jump up and run at the ring of a cell phone.
    Nose wrinkling, Cameron told himself to quit being silly. He put the check in the folder and headed back out, stopping at several tables along the way before heading toward the window table.
    Both Julian and the woman were standing; he was helping her into her coat. She placed her scarf around her neck and gave him an improperly long farewell kiss, then whispered something into his ear as she slid her hand into the pocket of his suit coat and placed something inside it. She practically looked through Cameron as she turned away and walked toward the door. The heads of several men in the restaurant turned to watch her go.
    The display didn’t do too much for dispelling Cameron’s little theory, even though he supposed if the woman were paying for sex, Julian would probably have left with her.
    Julian waited until she left the restaurant before he returned to his seat, discreetly wiping her lipstick off his lips and cheek with his napkin. He reached into his pocket and extracted a piece of paper. He tilted his head as he read it, shook his head, and tossed it carelessly onto the table.

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    Madeleine Urban & Abigail Roux

    Cameron waited until he was done to approach with the check. He set the folder at Julian’s elbow before silently picking up the woman’s plate. He resisted the urge—only barely—to make eye contact again.
    Or