Page 72 of Curvy Dirty Omega

He settled on both before proudly placing the plate in front of me. The look on his face made me think he wanted some kind of praise for choosing well, and I really wanted to give it to him.

It was overwhelming how badly I wanted to make him smile.

“I don’t like red grapes.” I had to look away when his smile faltered, hating myself for doing that to him, but I couldn’t let this feel any more real than it already did.

Liam sat in the chair right next to mine and then pulled me closer. Resting his arm over the back of my chair, he popped one of the red grapes in his mouth as he inspected his brother’s home.

My statement and lack of thanks hadn’t bothered him at all. He’d even used it as an excuse to get closer to me.

It was difficult to look at him when he was like this, honestly.

A legacy alpha was a lot more secure and confident than anyone I’ve ever met. Liam had the same trait, but he was on a completely different level. He was positive things would go his way no matter what, which fucking terrified me because I had no idea what it was he wanted.

The sound of footsteps made me stiffen and Liam stood with the kind of grace and speed I’d only ever seen on TV or in Frankie’s childhood home.

“Melinda.” He came around to greet his sister-in-law, hugging her tight like they were close.

They stood like that for almost a full minute as he silently comforted her and I suddenly felt sick to my stomach.

Liam was an alpha without a bond, and Melinda was once a very sought-after omega who no longer had a bond or the mark of an alpha’s scent on her. She was still gorgeous and the way she clung to Liam made that sour feeling in my gut even worse.

I stood slowly, not sure what the fuck I thought I was doing, but I couldn’t sit here and watch this.

She was touching him like he belonged to her and it didn’t exactly look platonic.

Before I could move toward them, I froze as the full weight of all these emotions hit me.

Was I feeling…territorial?

Jesus, what the hell was going on with me?

Liam finally took a step back and led Melinda to the table just like he had for me. Every action down to selecting her food was identical to what he’d done for me except she smiled up at him when he set the plate before her.

“You always take such good care of me,” Melinda told him in a sweet voice that had Liam smiling again.

What the fuck was going on right now? Why was I so angry I was shaking?

I needed to get my shit together. Alphas took care of omegas even if they weren’t their bonded. She was his brother’s widow and Liam would end up as her pack alpha one day. He didn’t belong to me.

“This is Lucy Parker,” Liam told her. He turned that smile on me then and I wanted to do something reckless like throw my plate at him for giving it to her first. “She’s my girlfriend as well as one of the private detectives who will help us find Gideon’s killer.”

Gorgeous blue eyes turned on me and the warmth in them evaporated. “An omega working as a detective? Liam, Mother will never approve.”

I flinched when Liam straightened, feeling the shift in his mood instantly. He came around the table and I watched him warily, wondering what he was going to say now when he looked like he wanted to kill someone.

Then he smiled when he reached my side, his fingers caressing the big black bow holding up half of my hair. That cruel glint in his eyes didn’t disappear but the weight of his anger eased.

“Lucy is allowed to do whatever she wants,” Liam told Melinda. “As long as she stays by my side, I don’t care what she does and no one can make her do anything she doesn’t want to do without having to answer to me.”

I shivered, feeling the bottomless pit of violence laced into that quiet threat. Even though this was all for show, I didn’t doubt him for even a second. If someone was causing me problems, I could always call him and he would take care of whatever it was.

Fuck me, I was going to fall for him if he kept this up.

“Even my mother will have to answer to me.” Liam took my face in his hands and kissed my cheek, making the sickness in my stomach ease. Such a small thing and yet all those horrible feelings that watching him hug another omega had given me disappeared like they’d never existed. “What would you like to drink, Lucy?”

I blinked, trying to catch my breath after all his mood swings. “Orange juice, please.”

“Of course.” He gently kissed my other cheek before leaving me alone with Melinda.

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