Page 42 of Perfectly Naïve
My heart bangs around inside my chest. I breathe in slowly, forcing myself to read over my notes. An ROI on afake-dating situation was hard to quantify. Sex was the obvious one. There’s cooking and cleaning as well, but the pack seems to have that under control. Here’s hoping intercourse is enough to entice them into teaching me all I need to know.
The pack breaks apart, returning to their seats, and I stand, clearing my throat. “Ready?” I hold up the clicker, prepared to launch into the presentation.
“We have a proposal,” Sawyer begins.
“Oh. Well, um, I’d really like to do the slides before I hear that.” Before I lose my nerve. There are only so many times I can be interrupted on this topic before I get too embarrassed.
“Forget the slides,” Hayes gruffs.
Wilder sends him a warning look.
“What?” he asks his twin before pinning me with his penetrating gaze. “Come sit down, Liv.”
Lines crease my forehead. Slowly, I set the clicker down, fighting a frown, and move to the couch. Does this mean they don’t want to help Sawyer? Probably because I’m too awkward. I pinch my eyes shut as I sit beside Hayes. God, maybe my mother is right. I don’t know anything about being an omega.
Hayes huffs and tugs me into his lap, wrapping me in his arms. His scent instantly coils around me.
“What are you doing?”
“You’re thinking too loud,” Hayes mutters, tugging me against his back and nuzzling his face into my neck. Shivers shoot down my spine and my pulse thrums. He inhales and groans. “Just listen to Sawyer,” he murmurs against my skin.
My gaze strays to the alpha. “Okay,” I whisper.
Sawyer looks exasperated by Hayes, but he shakes his head, focusing on me. “We talked things over, and we’d like to officially court you.”
I blink. “Likefake-dating court me?”
His features soften. “No, baby. Like court you, court you.”
My pulse jumps. “But the presentation?—”
“Liv, stop talking about the presentation,” Liam whispers.
“I worked hard on it,” I murmur back.
“I know you did,” he says with a smile. “But you don’t need to convince us to fake date you when we’re all dead set on actually dating you.”
“I don’t know the first thing about being a good omega,” I counter. Why I choose to raise this point is beyond me, but it feels necessary to inform them.
Hayes kisses my hammering pulse, arms tightening around me. “You are a good omega.”
“My mother?—”
“Frankly, fuck your mom,” Wilder says, cutting me off. He holds up his hand. “Sorry, but if she makes you feel less than, she sucks. Liv, you don’t need to act a certain way. The right pack will want you for who you are now.”
“Which is why,” Sawyer says, wrangling control of the conversation, “we’re asking you if you’ll allow us to court you.”
I bite my cheek, studying each of the men in front of me, then glancing at Hayes, who's still rubbing himself against my neck.What an alpha. “I don’t want to disappoint you.” There it is. The fear that settles against my chest like a weight. That, despite their assurances, there will come a point when they realize they don’t want me. They’ll want the ideal omega my mother always talks about.
“Trust me, you won’t.” Sawyer spreads his hands. “What do you say, Liv? Do you want my pack to court you?”
Yes. What’s more than yes? “Absolutely.”
Hayes exhales against my neck. “Good omega.” His lips brush against my throat.
Those words caress my skin, and my lips part in surprise. I had no idea I needed that praise. The rest of the pack noticesmy shock, and determination flits across their faces. Why do I get the feeling they’ve all made it their personal mission to praise me as much as they can?
My heart races and my stomach flutters. “So, what now?” I rasp the question.
