“No. I was trying to decide if you were worth leaving Adalyn’s party for. Shoot! Adalyn.” I whipped my head to where she’d been standing.
“She went back to the table when you started to moan.”
Cheeks heating, I smacked Liam’s chest. “I did no such thing.”
“Oh . . . you did.” He raised a grin so wicked it made my wolf paw at my skin to break out and rub up against his legs.And I can assure you,I’m worth leaving the party for.
“Careful, youralphaholenessis showing.”
“Yeah?” His nostrils flared as he inhaled long and slow.Your scent tells me you appreciate my alphaholeness.
I tentatively sniffed the air but all I could smell was him and a neighboring guy’s deodorant-free armpits, but mostly Liam.
“Ready to go, or do you want to hang out with the girls a while longer?”
I pushed back a lock of hair, looking in the direction of our table. Everyone, including Dexter and Lucas, was gaping at us.
I ducked behind Liam. “Shit, they all saw us.”
He frowned.And?
“And I would’ve rather no one witness . . . us. Now I’ll be known as one of your Alpha groupies.”
“One of my Alpha groupies?” He sounded genuinely staggered.
“Don’t tell me you weren’t aware you had a fan club? You could pick up any girl at this bar, and they’d go home with you. Well, besides Adalyn.”
I wasn’t aware. And I pick you.
“Tonight. Tomorrow you might pick someone else, thus me having preferred to keep our hookup on the down-low.” Just saying it out loud made me wonder if I was cut out for one-night stands. Maybe it was a gene, and although Niall had definitely inherited it, it had passed me over. “Why don’t you leave first, and I’ll meet you back at the compound in twenty?”
I’ll get the car and idle in front.He started to turn.You have five minutes.
I perched a hand on my hip. “Oh really? And what if I’m not out in five minutes?”
He slanted me a look that was all at once terrifying and alluring. Terrifyingly alluring.Then I’ll come back inside to get you, and everyone will know that you and I are going home to fuck.
Holy Lycaon.“I see you no longer care about my brothers’ input.”
Did you want me to ask for their consent or does only yours matter?
“I definitely don’t want any of them knowing we’re going home to do . . . that.”
“Fuck.”
“Yes,that.”
Grinning a tad savagely, he backed up.Your five minutes have started, Nicole.And with those parting words, he pivoted on his tawny Timberlands and pounded to the door while I used up one of my precious minutes to stare in trepidation at the beast I was about to bed.
Chapter 25
When I went to say goodbye to Adalyn, she pulled me aside, worry contorting her heart-shaped face. “Are you sure about this?”
“Yes. No.” I hefted my bag onto my shoulder and eyed the door, expecting Liam to storm back inside any minute because I’d definitely exceeded the time limit he’d given me. “I don’t know.”
“Sweetie, if you don’t feel—”
“I need to get him out of my system.”
