“I’d still rather not.”
His confusion deepens. “But, what would it hurt to drop by for a little while?”
I make the mistake of meeting his eyes. The disappointment I see there weakens me. “Is it really that big of a deal if I don’t show up?”
“Well, I mean, the world won’t explode or anything,” he says. “But if you don’t make any effort to meet everyone, people are going to think you’re unfriendly.”
“Then let them.” I clench my jaw, steeling myself against his wounded expression. “Look… I don’t mean to be rude, but I’m not here to make friends. I’m just here to work.”
His eyes flicker. “Is there some reason you can’t do both?”
The question is sincere and I’m not sure how to respond. How do I explain that no amount of socializing will make any of them like me? The truth is, they could throw me a hundred parties and I’m never going to fit in. It doesn’t matter if it’s wolves or humans. There’s something about me that seems to put others off. Atlanta forced me to accept that. I’d never tried as hard as I did there to fit in, and it still hadn’t worked.
“Listen,” he says quickly into the silence. “Just come and haveonedrink.”
I scowl. “It’s a waste of time.”
“No it’s not. If you don’t bother to come, Sally’s feelings will be hurt. Other people will be offended that you didn’t show up.They’ll think you’re a snob. That’s just how it is. I’m sure you don’t want to hurt people’s feelings, right?”
“Of course not. I’m… I’m just not good at small talk or crowds.”
He nods as if he understands. “Okay, I get that. I’ll stick to you like glue, okay? If you get tongue tied or overwhelmed, I’ll pick up the slack. It’ll be good. I promise. Then, once you’ve had your drink and met everyone, you can take off.”
I want to say no so badly. I want to go home to my quiet apartment and decompress from the day. But something in his expression gets to me. He’s so fucking sexy andnice. I don’t want him disappointed in me. The thought of that makes me uneasy. And the truth is, I enjoy being aroundhim. I feel good inhispresence. If he’d invited me out for a drink, just the two of us, I’d probably have said yes. It’s the party thing making me anxious.
“Okay.” I exhale roughly. “One drink only, then I’m out.”
He brightens. “Yes. Fair enough.”
We get out of the SUV, and he comes around the vehicle. He looks so happy, it’s hard not to feel okay about my decision. I feel even better about it when he slings his arm loosely around my shoulders. The press of his hip against mine makes my dick hard. I know I’m playing with fire by allowing my attraction toward him to grow, but it feels impossible to ignore. From the moment I set eyes on him, I’ve felt the strangest sense that he’s mine. I know that’s insanity, but I can’t shake the possessive emotions.
When we enter The Fox & The Kettle it’s busier than it was last night. I recognize a few faces from the station sitting at the bar. Diane from the front desk, Sally, and Detective Wong in civilian clothes looking relaxed and maybe a little buzzed.
“You made it,” Sally says cheerfully.
“Of course he did.” Liam’s arm tightens around my shoulders.
“Sit, sit.” Sally gestures to the empty stools beside them. “What are you drinking?”
“Just a beer,” I mumble.
Wong catches the bartender Jim’s attention and before long I have an ice cold mug of beer in front of me. Liam takes the stool next to me, and his leg presses mine. I’m positive he’s not even aware our legs are touching, but I’m achingly aware of the contact. Last night he was kissing a woman, so I’m pretty sure he’s straight. Unfortunately, my dick didn’t get the memo. The touch of his leg and the scent of his woodsy cologne has me hard. I just pray Liam doesn’t notice.
More people from the station enter the bar. They come over and slap me on the back, saying nice things. My face hurts from fake smiling so much. There are a lot of questions about Atlanta and about my first day. I try to keep up, try to seem engaged, but my shoulders are tight and I’m uncomfortable being the center of attention. After a while, I start to feel a little claustrophobic and jittery. I do my best to hide how anxious I feel, but I’m sweating like the last donut at a cop convention.
At one point, Liam shifts toward me and our eyes meet. “You good?” he asks.
“Yeah,” I lie.
He narrows his eyes and studies me, then he turns to address a guy sitting a few seats down at the bar. “Hey, Tucker, didn’t you have to arrest a naked guy dressed like Santa yesterday?”
Tucker looks up and laughs. “I sure as hell did. The guy was nutso.”
Sally giggles. “Oh, I remember that call. Wasn’t he a pastor or something?”
People start asking Tucker questions, and he launches into a story about the drunk, naked Santa. Liam turns back toward me, only this time he shifts his body so that he’s between me and the others, blocking their view of me.
He winks. “There. Now everyone has forgotten about you because of naked Santa.”
