Page 55 of Knot My Only Fan

I nod lightly. I told him that one day it would bite him on his ass. “I’m going to have a walk around, and then I’ll come back.” I don’t want to take Raine, but she’s holding onto my arm and not letting go. “You can stay here and chat with them if you want to.”

“No. This is our date.”

I sigh. “Okay.”

We walk down the corridor toward the ballroom, where the dinner will take place. Hundreds of guests are mulling around the area chatting, some laughing and drinking as we walk past.

I wave at my coach, who is talking with his wife, Aiden Ramsay, and his wife, Holly, and I should stop and say hello, but I can’t. I need to follow the scent that is filling my lungs.

After maneuvering through more people, I push on the double doors to the ballroom and stare around the room. It’s filled with at least twenty-five, ten-seater round tables all prepared with white linen cloth edged in gold with matching gold cutlery on the tables and a centerpiece of white lilies and roses.

“What are you looking for?” Raine asks.

I shake my head as I look around the empty room once more. “Nothing. Let’s get a drink.”

“Thank you. I need one.”

I open the door, and we stroll back to the bar. I’m grateful for the noise as we walk back to the bar, because it means I don’t need to make small talk with my date.

I open the door and say, “Champagne? We’ve got ten minutes before the auction takes place and dinner will be in around an hour.”

“Thanks. I’m going to the restrooms before my father gets here.”

“Your father?”

She smiles. “Didn’t your dad tell you? He’s coming too. They’re supporting the charity tonight.”

“No.” It comes out as a deep grunt. My father goes to plenty of charity events, but I know why he is coming to this one.

She smiles. “I won’t be long.”

“Take as long as you need,” I say and return her smile.

Forever.

Chapter 18

Grace

“Are you glad you came?” Harlow stares at me in the mirror. She’s standing next to me at the sink with her hand hovering under the automatic soap dispenser. “You must be. I mean, your date is the gorgeous Stanton Adams.” She grins. “Do you like him?”

Shaking my wet hands as I stroll to the dryer, I think about my date. “He’s nice enough.”

“Nice.” She laughs. “He’ll be wounded if he hears that. The man is the captain of the team and you brush him off like he’s nobody.”

I shrug my shoulders. “He’s nobody to me.”

“I can tell that he likes you.” Her eyes catch mine in the mirror. “What’s his scent?”

“Oh God, stop being an alpha and just be a sister. I don’t believe in scent matching.” It’s a little lie, but I got it so wrong before.

“You’re just jaded after what happened to you. Just be nice tonight.”

I slap my hand on my chest. “I’m being the perfect date. I smile at him. I let him put his arm around my shoulder when he talks to someone, and I lean on him like he’s mine.”

Harlow sighs. “He could be good for you. Getting to know an alpha... Letting someone in your life. You know...”

“Spit it out, Harlow,” I whisper-yell.

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