Page 59 of Same Difference
“No. Only when someone says announcements. I learned that song in summer camp. Oh, I said announcements.” He drew a deep breath and sang, “Announcements, announcements—ack!” Tabian smacked him in the back of the head.
A giggle escaped Delta. Liam started talking, but his words sounded like they were being spoken underwater. Nathan removed his beanie, and mussed his hair, and she noticed the haircut. It was long and messy on top still, but the backs and sides were cut very short and blended perfectly into the top. Even his beard had been blended from almost nothing at his sideburns to thick and full on his jaw.
Holy hell. He had gotten even hotter.
Nathan settled into the chair directly to the right of Liam, across the table from her. Delta’s nipples tingled with the hungry way he looked at her, and now she was trapped here, unable to move, unable to look away.
“Delta,” Liam said.
“Huh? Yeah?” she blurted, ripping her gaze from Nathan.
“Pay attention please.”
Nory was pursing her lips against a smile and focusing really hard on twirling pasta onto her fork from where she sat on Liam’s other side. And now Delta was trying not to laugh, because good Lord she was useless right now. Every cell in her body was reaching for Nathan, and she gave zero care for anything that was being said in this Pack meeting.
Nathan relaxed back into his chair and watched her with those golden eyes. Her cheeks were catching fire with an embarrassing blush, but she couldn’t do anything about it. If she excused herself in the middle of announcements, Liam would scold her in front of everyone, and he would be right to. She needed to lock in.
“Some of your homes are underway,” Liam said. “Tabian, you have a two-month build time on yours, right?”
Tabian nodded. “I’ll be out digging septic before then and preparing the concrete pad though.”
Liam gestured to Dodger. “Yours is about ready?”
“It’s being delivered on Thursday.” Dodger cast a grin at Nathan, and a wave of heaviness came off both of them. “It’ll be nice living up here, near the cabin. What about you, Nate? Any plans to move up here anytime soon.”
“Nate is still shopping homes and hasn’t settled on anything.” Liam stood and locked his arms against the table. “Dodger, if you keep baiting him, I’m going to lift the no fighting order and let him have you. You’re pissing me off. Quit.”
“I also vote you lift the no fighting rule,” Vic said, lifting his hand.
“I second it,” Tabian said around a bite of food. “Dodger’s getting on everyone’s nerves.”
“What did I do to you?” Dodger asked.
“Breathed,” Tabian said. “You existing is fucking annoying.”
“Hey!” Liam barked. “Let me get through announcements before you bleed each other.”
“Announcements, announcements—”
“Shut uuuuuup,” Bridger drawled from where he stood leaning against the opening to the hallway.
“Why don’t you come over and sit down?” Liam asked him.
“Because you are all safer from me stabbing you when I’m over here.”
Mouth full of food, Vic said, “I vote we leave him over there.”
Delta was trying not to laugh, but Nory gave her a look, and she couldn’t help it. She liked the boys’ banter. Truth be told, she’d missed it this week.
“Nate hasn’t pulled the trigger on a home yet because he’s had an offer from another Pack,” Liam said.
The room went still and silent.
“What do you mean?” Bridger asked after a few loaded seconds.
“The Heritage Place Pack has offered him a spot as Alpha.”
Delta jerked her attention to Nathan in shock, but he was looking down at a saltshaker he spun slowly on the table.
