I removed my head from its perch. “Liam—”
“Let me finish.” His tone was gentle but tremulous, as though severing the connection between his finger and my chin had shaken hisconfidence.
I’d been about to say that I didn’t think he was a bastard. At least, not anymore. Not since he’d taken a bullet forme.
“And the second thing that entered my mind”—he combed an unruly lock of hair behind my ear, and I shivered—“was that I didn’t want to die before getting to kissyou.”
I blinked. “You want to kiss me?” If I’d heard him wrong, and he’d saidkill me, then…well, that would be so many shades ofembarrassing.
“Yes, Ness Clark. I’d like to kissyou.”
It struck me then that Liam didn’t think I murdered his father. I closed my eyes. “Don’t, Liam. Don’t like me. I’m no good. For you…I’m nogood.”
My eyelashes dampened.No, no, no…I couldn’t cry. Not in front of Liam. Oh, God, I was such amess.
“Why shouldn’t I likeyou?”
“Because…you shouldn’t.” The tears snakedout.
Perfidioustears.
I felt his thumbs swipe over my cheeks, felt his fingers close around the sides of my face, tilt it back towardhis.
“You’re going to have to give me a betterreason.”
I looked at him then, and my heart beat so wildly it almost tripped right out of my chest. A better reason was thetruth.
“Tamara.” I blurted out the redhead’s name, not knowing what else tosay.
“Tamara?”
“She likes you, Liam. I couldn’t do that to her.” My excuse was pathetic, eye-roll-worthypathetic.
“Let me make something very clear, I don’t give a crap aboutTamara.”
“But—”
“Go out on a date withme.”
“Liam—”
“One date. And I promise to wear clothes.” One side of Liam’s mouth quirkedup.
Of course,thatmade me acutely aware that he was naked. “Lucas said there was no dating within thepack.”
“Lucas is a dumbass, and it’s a bogus rule. I know for a fact that two of the wolves in our pack aretogether.”
For the briefest of moments, I wondered who, but then I focused back on the matter at hand. “We’re opponents. Opponents can’tdate.”
A nerve jumped in his jaw. “Sayswho?”
“It wouldn’t beethical.”
“Really?” His face loomed overmine.
I licked my lips that felt as dry as my throat. “Yes.Really.”
“Drop outthen.”
