Page 72 of Perfectly Naïve
“Shall we stop by the bathrooms to freshen up?” he asks, reading my mind.
“Good idea,” I say with a nod. “I’m not ready to show my face.”
He wrinkles his nose. “How about we dance instead of socialize? They can’t criticize us if we’re dancing.”
I tip my head. “You don’t know my mother very well.”
“I know I don’t like her,” he says with a huff.
The same could be said for his dad, George. “You can’t pick your parents.” I shrug. “Shall we brave the wild?”
He tucks his shirt in, smirking at me.
“What?”
“Your hair.”
I reach up, and sure enough, it’s a bit of a mess where he gripped it, but I run my fingers through it, fixing it as best I can.
“Those lips,” he says.
I touch them. “My lipstick?—”
“Is a fucking thing of beauty right now, and as much as I’d like every single person out there to know how naughty you are, you should fix that before we leave the room.” He glances around, spotting a drink cart. He grabs a napkin and wets it using the tumbler of water that’s likely there for the scotch drinker. “May I?” he asks as he approaches me.
“Please.”
He smooths the wet cloth around my mouth, a smug smile tugging at the corners of his lips.
“You’re enjoying this.”
“Why wouldn’t I be?” he counters.
I sigh and study his features as he cleans me. Liam grew into a handsome man, and he’s so close to really being mine.
“You keep looking at me like that, and I might be forced to fuck you on this desk.”
I suck in a breath. “Liam.”
Chuckling, he draws back and nods. “That’s good enough for now.” The white cloth in his hand is a mess of plum lipstick, and my cheeks burn with embarrassment. I must have looked crazy. Hetsks, reading my thoughts. “I love seeing the mess you make of yourself when you’re on your knees.”
“Promise?”
“Always.” He kisses me quickly, wipes his own mouth,because his lips are a little purple, and winks at me. “Ready to waltz?”
I scoff. “Of course. I’m always ready to waltz.”
He grins, like he expected that response, and takes my hand. We emerge into the hallway, and luckily, a broken vase has everyone's attention. Liam leads me into the fray, and as his fingers tighten around mine, I realize that I might let this beta lead me into the depths of hell and be happy about it.
Maybe this is what love really feels like. Unrelenting trust. A silent vow to go through the worst experiences together and come out on the other side as one. If thisisreal love, I’m desperate to discover if the pack feels the same.
Unfortunately I can’t stay wrapped in Liam’s arms all night. We both take turns dancing with other people, putting on a good show for all the onlookers, only coming together often enough to take a break from the mindless conversations with others. Liam is by far the best dancer.
At some point, my mother starts sending alphas and betas over rapid fire, until I go nine whole songs without seeing Liam. The alpha that’s currently leading me is clumsy, more interested in telling me how much money his recent investments have made than dancing.
“And if everything goes to plan, I’ll clear three million by next year. My pack has plenty of money for an omega to be content.”
I give a noncommittal hum and smile, feeling my mother’s beady gaze on my back like a laser.
