LiamfreakingKolane.
I grimaced. “I apologize for jumping to conclusions.”
“No offense taken, Nicole.” He walked over to me and stuck out his hand.
“Nikki. Nicole’s only when I’m in trouble. And when I’m ina lotof trouble, the middle name and last name come out, too.”
A smile beat down the harsh line of his mouth.
I slipped my hand into his and shook it. His grip was strong, his palm warm, and his fingers calloused to perfection. Yes, there was such a thing. Before I started fondling them, I snatched my hand back.
“Nikki?”
Oh crap. Had he said something while I pictured petting his fingers? “Huh? What?”
“I was enquiring after your leg.”
“My . . . ? Um. You know about my leg?”
“Your family told me you were in a bad motorcycle accident.”
“Are there good ones?”
“Excuse me?”
“You saidbadaccident. As opposed to a good one?”
His eyebrows writhed as though he couldn’t decide how to take my remark.
Well, now I’d made things awkward. “Never mind.” I stuck my hands in the back pockets of my skinny jeans. “My leg’s great. Thank you.”
He stared down at it, which made me shift on my black, shearling-lined boots.
“So, you have a baby boy.”Great segue, Nikki.“How old is he?”
“Nine months.”
“He’s very cute.” When Liam didn’t respond, not that I’d asked him a question, I said, “So what brings you to BC?”
“I was planning a trip out here to check on the construction, but the crime precipitated my visit.” He rubbed the side of his neck. Guilt for not having traveled to BC more often?
“The cabins are sprouting like mushrooms. The Watts are very efficient.”
The two hundred or so Boulders in Boulder were all moving to the compound as soon as new houses were erected. I’d heard many weren’t too pleased and had demandedwerelocate to Boulder, but Liam had decided uprooting two hundred was easier than a thousand.
Nate strolled back out of the living room. “Sorry, Liam. The last two Freemonts are on their way. Can I get you a beer? Wine?” He gestured to the kitchen doorway.
“I’ll take a beer.” Liam turned and followed Nate but paused in the doorway and glanced over his shoulder.
“I’ll be right in.”
As soon as he vanished from sight, I tilted my head back and squeezed the bridge of my nose.
The man, my Alpha, had courteously picked up my tampon while I’d discourteously accused him of murder. As far as first impressions went, I didn’t think I’d made a very good one.
Playing with the ends of my hair, I pep-talked myself into going into the kitchen and pretending I wasn’t a total whack job. I mean,usuallyI was a pretty level-headed person. I didn’t jump to absurd conclusions that hot guys wearing baby carriers wore them as decoys so they could assault unsuspecting women.
Pasting a smile on my lips, I strode into the kitchen.Take two.I could do this.
