Page 50 of Perfectly Naïve
“Hi,” I squeak, giving the man who gave me my first non-self-induced orgasm an awkward finger wave. It makes Sawyer’s lips twitch as he fights to keep his face neutral.
“Oh, yeah, I didn’t tell you Liv was home, did I?” Henry winces. “Liv’s home.”
Sawyer chuckles at that, far more adept at subterfuge than I am, because he’s already regained his footing and looks as if all of this is totally normal. Nothing to see here.
I highly doubt I’m pulling this off even half as well.
“I, uh, actually ran into Liv the other day.”
My brother cocks his head to the side. “You did? When?”
“Mother Dearest forced me to go on a blind date with some pack she wanted to set me up with,” I answered for him. “Sawyer happened to be at the same restaurant and had the misfortune of witnessing the train wreck in action.”
“When did Mom have time to set you up? You’ve barely been home a month,” he mutters, irritation clearly written across his face.
Sawyer scoffs. “It was the day she flew in.”
Henry curses at that, no stranger to our mother’s machinations where I’m concerned, and no stranger to how much I dislike it.
“Sawyer, we were just about to have dessert,” Verity says. “Why don’t you sit down and join us?”
Oh, she definitely suspects something because she gives me a little wink.
“I don’t want to intrude,” Sawyer hedges, rubbing the back of his neck.
“Don’t be ridiculous.” Aiden rolls his eyes as he stands. “Sit your ass down, Sawyer. You know you’re always welcome here.”
Sawyer takes the seat beside Henry as Aiden and Will startgathering the dirty dishes. They bring them to the kitchen and quickly return with a stack of plates and dessert. Warm caramel apple pie and vanilla ice cream. My favorite. It reminds me of Wilder’s scent, and I squirm in my seat.
“So,” Verity says in a singsong voice as her mates place a portion of dessert in front of her. “The date was a train wreck, huh? Who did Marnie set you up with?”
I grimace, poking at my pie with a fork. “Pack Johnson.”
“Those dickheads?” Trace sounds offended on my behalf. “They’re not even close to good enough for you. What the hell was Marnie thinking?”
I may not know Henry’s pack as well as I could, but the fact that they’re all obviously offended on my behalf makes me feel warm and accepted. I’ll have to spend more time with them. I really like the idea of having four more older brothers and an older sister. Especially if they’re on my side, not Marnie’s.
“She wasn’t, obviously,” Sawyer says, his chest rumbling. “Those little pricks spent the entire time talking down to Liv. As if they’re even worthy to breathe the same air as her.”
“Oh, babe, you are in so much trouble,” Verity whispers in my ear with a giggle.
Thankfully, Henry doesn’t seem to be suspicious of his best friend’s protective indignation on my behalf. Sawyer’s always been protective of me. It’s just, the way Sawyer is protective of me has changed.
“Get this, and then they ditched her and left her with the bill.”
The whole table erupts in growly, alpha displeasure as Henry’s pack and Sawyer discuss all the ways they’d like to make Pack Johnson pay.
“We aredefinitelygetting together to talk about this,” Verity whispers. “And soon.”
My heart rate increases. “You’re not going to tell Henry,are you?” I should be the one to tell him. Or Sawyer. God, this is all so complicated.
Verity smiles at me. It’s one of those secret smiles I’ve seen girlfriends exchange but have never received myself. Could Verity be my friend? “Your secret’s safe with me,” she murmurs.
Sawyer laughs at something, and my heart skips, gaze shooting to him. God, he’s so gorgeous. I’m unsure how or when I’ll tell Henry what’s going on, but I know one thing for certain—my body is full of oxytocin and endorphins whenever my pack is around, which can mean only one thing. I’m falling fast and hard.
It’s been a few days since dinner with Henry, and falling fast and hard isn’t as painful as one might think. The truth is, the gradual descent into infatuation is blanketed in quiet moments and warm embraces.
The streetlamps have been on for hours by the time Wilder gets home. I’ve stayed over a few times and I’ve noticed a few things. Wilder usually works later than Hayes, Liam, and Sawyer do, unless Sawyer has papers to grade.
