Page 46 of Tied in Knots
“Oh wow!” I exclaim when I take in the room, or more to the point, the enormous TV on the wall. It must be a hundred inches at least. There’s every kind of games console you could think of, a pool table and dart board, plus a bar in the corner opposite the door. “I see why this is your favourite room.”
He grins. “Do you want something to drink?”
I shake my head, so he leads me over to the huge couch and sits down. I sit and curl my legs up, facing him. I rest my arm on the back of the couch and lean my head on my hand. The best place to start is the same with Benjamin.
“So, how did you become a member of the St. James pack?”
“My grandfather on my mum’s side was a member way back when,” he replies.
“So that means your dad’s side is Scottish?”
“Yep. They are an old family of landed gentry.”
My eyes widen. “Oh, fancy.”
He chuckles. “Used to be. Doesn’t mean as much these days.”
I nod knowingly, even though I don’t have a clue. I’m so naïve next to these older, way more sophisticated alphas.
“And what do you do for a living?” Okay, so my repertoire is limited, but it worked with Benjamin, so I’m sticking with it.
“I don’t work,” he says cagily.
I raise an eyebrow at his tone. He is defensive. “Trust fund brat?” I ask, making a joke out of it and it works. He laughs loudly. It’s infectious.
“You could say that,” he chuckles.
“Well, you’d never know.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment, petal.”
“It is.”
“Can I ask you what you do?”
My face falls. “Nothing. I wasn’t allowed to work.”
His eyes narrow. “Oh?”
“My stepdad wanted me at home to play maid.”
“Ah,” he says, “I see. He sounds like a real wanker.”
I snort. “That’s putting it mildly. He beats my mum, hit me once or twice, but realised if he hurt me, I couldn’t do the chores, so he left me alone after that. Physically, anyway.”
“Oh, Faith,” he says with a sigh. “I’m sorry.”
I shrug, trying not to cry in front of him.
He takes my hand and draws me closer. I take the opportunity to crawl onto his lap. He cups my face. “You are so special. I hope you know that we all worship you and you will never be treated with disrespect in this house.”
“You are all very sweet,” I murmur.
“Not really, we just know a treasure when we have one.”
I blush furiously. “I don’t get why you all think I’m so amazing.”
“Because you are.”
