Page 53 of Perfectly Naïve
Chapter Eighteen
OLIVIA
These men. Some of them don’t know when to call it quits. Wilder, Liam, and Sawyer watch me, amusement gleaming in their gazes as I pack up a reusable grocery bag with food, water, and hydrating sports drinks.
“What am I missing? Oh! Dessert. Of course, how could I forget?”
Wilder pops open a cabinet. “Don’t tell Hayes I know where his secret stash is.” He retrieves a few items before pulling out a well-hidden box of snack cakes. “These are his favorite.” Wilder’s tattoo shop is closed tonight, and normally his brother is home by now, but he’s not. Which means he’s working hard and probably starving.
Exhaling in relief, I nod. “Perfect. Give me two.” Hayes needs fuel.
“Two? What if I want one?”
I give him a look. “You had dinner and pie already. Your brother, on the other hand, hasn’t.” Which is exactly why I’m going to feed him.
“She makes a good point,” Sawyer says. “Besides, those are Hayes’s. You shouldn’t be eating them.”
Liam agrees. “You know how he gets when you eat them.”
Wilder sighs. “Fine, but I’m buying my own box the next time we go to the store.”
The bag I’m loading is almost bursting. I check to make sure I have everything I need, utensils included, and then nod. “Okay. I’ll be back later with Hayes.” I’m not sure how I’ll convince him, but I’ll think of something.
The guys each give me a kiss, Liam catching my lips last. “Thank you for taking care of him.”
“I can’t believe he’s still working.” The sun set hours ago.
“Go easy on him,” Wilder says. “He’s working on a big project, and sometimes he gets in the zone. He may not even realize what time it is.”
Wilder is off today, but typically it’s him I’m worrying about. Hayes is usually pretty good about coming home in time for dinner. All the more reason to go make sure he’s taking care of himself.
“Text us when you get there,” Sawyer says as they walk me outside.
Since I knew I was staying the night, I brought my car. I half expected the guys to demand they drive me. Luckily, they’re not that overbearing. I don’t think I’d like it if they refused to let me drive. I’m perfectly capable. The only reason I let Nigel drive me is because he’s been doing it for so long and he’d be personally offended if I refused to let him be my chauffeur.
They watch me get in the car and stand at the curb as I pull away with a wave, so overprotective it makes my chest warm. It’s nice to have a pack that cares about me. At ten o’clock, the streets are mostly empty. The shop is only a fifteen-minute drive, and soon enough, I park next to the open bay and climb out with the bag in tow.
Hayes didn’t even notice my arrival. I frown. I hope he’s okay. We’re not in a bad part of town, but there are still plenty of people who would see the open bay as an opportunity. He should be more careful. Rock music escorts me inside the shop. Grease and the sting of citrusy hand sanitizer hang heavy in the air, but I catch my alpha’s chocolatey scent underneath those.
The sound of a ratchet carries from beneath an old Porsche on jacks. The body of the car is suffering from a bad paint job, but otherwise, it’s in good shape. I stop at the tall toolbox, set the food down, and pause the music coming from his phone.
Hayes grumbles and rolls out from under the car. “What the fu—Liv?”
I plant my hands on my hips. “Did you eat?”
Standing in one swift movement, Hayes towers over me and wipes his grease-covered hands on a red rag. “I was coming home for dinner soon.” He glances at the clock on the wall. “Oh, shit.”
“Uh-huh. It’s late.” My alpha is perspiring, and there’s a grease stain on his cheek. He’s been working hard. “But I brought you food.” I grab a clean rag from the stack on the toolbox. There’s a handwashing station to the left, and I use it to dampen the rag.
Hayes watches me but doesn’t say a word as I wring out the water and turn, approaching him with my gaze set on that dark stain on his cheek. His breath catches when I rise on my toes and hold his chin with one hand.
My eyes meet his. “Are you okay?”
“Fine,” he rasps.
Nodding, I clean the grease off, careful not to be too abrasive on the delicate skin. “There.” Before I can lower to my heels, Hayes dives in for a quick kiss, making me gasp in surprise. “What was that for?” I ask when he pulls back.
“Because I wanted to,” he says, his focus sliding to the bag of food. “What did you bring?”
