“It’s not always about numbers. They have many children and fe-” He stopped talking so suddenly that I sucked in a breath.
“I hope you weren’t about to say females.”
His pupils shrank before spreading back out.
I shook my head.”Physically, Ness, we aren’t the same, just like a child isn’t built like an adult.”
I fastened my gaze to the floorboards, glaring hard at the spaces between the planks.
I felt a finger crook my face up. I twisted free of Liam and stepped back. “Remind me how the Creek Alpha rose to power? Because the story I heard was that she defeated the Aspen Alpha in a duel.”
“She was already an Alpha. Alphas are stronger. If she hadn’t been-”
“Please just stop talking. It’s making me unhappy.”
“Look, I’m all for empowering females, but I’m not going to spout lies about corporeal equality when the hard facts are that we aren’t built alike. How many firemen are women? They’re even called firemen.”
“No, they’re called firefighters.”
He let out a molar-grinding growl and tossed his hands in the air. “Ugh. I can’t win with you. I can never win!”
I crossed my arms. “Funny how illogical that is when you keep saying I have no chance of beating you.”
His nostrils pulsed, and his fingers wrapped into fists. “Ness Clark, you fucking drive me crazy.” And then he all but lunged toward me and cupped the back of my head, tilting my face up. “I must be one hell of a masochist for being turned on right now.” His murmur skated over my lips, heightening the frantic pulse of my heart. “And just so we’re clear, I don’t find you inferior. You’re too smart, persistent, and distractingly beautiful to be inferior. But that’s how you’d win a battle. You might punch hard and at the right place, but your fists have nothing on”-his gaze fused to mine-“you.”
When I felt the brush of his lips against mine, I backed away, put the desk between us. “I have work to do, Liam.” I watched the door, hoping he’d take the hint and leave. I also watched it because I was afraid of looking at him.
Afraid he’d see how deeply he rattled me.
Damn Liam Kolane. The man was such a hot-tempered beast, everything I disliked about men, and yet, he got under my skin too. He slapped and then soothed the slaps with such care and tenderness.
Without uttering another word, he crossed the office toward the door and left. Unfortunately, his retreat did little to calm my nerves.
And then it got worse when I got an email from August that read: Please keep your personal life out of the work place.
I would’ve punched the monitor, but it would break, and the replacement cost would be taken out of my salary, whatever amount that was. Since I hadn’t discussed specifics, I expected minimum wage.
Liam was wrong about me being smart. Smart people didn’t find themselves saddled with debt, working for men whom they were physically linked to and infatuated with others who weren’t especially kind.
It was time Ness Clark sharpened up and found a way out of her pit of misery. Which led me to send Sarah a message: Can I come with you to The Den tonight?
Clubbing wouldn’t fix anything, but it would temporarily take my mind off the hole that needed plugging.
Sarah’s answer came in the afternoon. Ness Clark wants to par-tay?
ME: Yes.
SARAH: Should I be worried?
ME: About what?
SARAH: About you wanting to go out. You haven’t been in the mood to have fun since, well, since the funeral.
ME: I’ll tell you later.
SARAH: Counting on it. I’ll be at your place at 8 with a hot dress.
ME: What’s wrong with my dresses?
SARAH: Nothing. I just have the perfect one for you. Ciao.
I was going clubbing, or at the very least I was going to sit in a DJ booth and watch people have fun and hope it would rub off on me.
When was the last time I’d had fun?
The music festival? Nah. Everest had ditched me for this Megan chick, and then Justin Summix had all but called me a whore.
The night I’d run with the pack after the trials? Actually, that night had been more meaningful than fun.
Swimming in the lake with August? His earlier message about not mixing business with pleasure nixed that afternoon, though.
What did he think I was doing in the office anyway? And had he been there, or had one of his employees ratted me out?
I sighed, realizing I hadn’t had fun in a very long time.
“You want me to wear that? But it’s… angled the scrap of white fabric in front of me.
“Sexy.”
“I was going to say slutty.”
“Slutty is sexy.” Like an impatient child, Sarah was bouncing on my bed, wearing a dress that wasn’t much longer or looser than the one she’d brought me. “Besides, I was all out of denim overalls.” She stopped bouncing. “Hey, you put me in charge of tonight, so put the damn dress on, Ness Clark.”
Sigh-growling, I vanished into my bathroom to change into the white bandage. At least the material was opaque. I fluffed up my hair and twisted from side-to-side, checking my reflection. Okay. The dress was sexy and more covering than what I’d initially thought. Not that I would confess this to Sarah.
Sarah whistled when I came out. “Damn, girl. Maybe I should’ve dug up a pair of overalls. You’re going to steal my limelight.”
“No one can steal DJ Wolverine’s limelight.”
She leaped off the bed with the grace of a pole vaulter. “Now shoes-”
“Are we dancing?”
“Yes.””Then flats. Heels kill me.”
Sarah’s lips hiked up in protest, but I slid my feet into my white sneakers before she could give me grief about it.
“I’m wearing the dress.” I said this as though it were a great concession. Thank goodness I hadn’t told her I liked it. I grabbed my bag, making sure I had my phone, keys, and wallet. But then I thought about my ID. “I don’t have a fake ID!”