Page 53 of In Control

A waitress interrupts us and Liam orders some nibbles.

“Have you been here before?” I ask Sophia. It’s not somewhere betas usually come.

“Yes.” She takes another sip of her wine. Tension returns momentarily to her shoulders and I think there is more to this woman than I first imagined. She’s certainly has some guts if she’s prepared to go against Esra. I bet that’s half the appeal for him, part of the reason she’s driving him mad.

He can tell her to go away all he likes. Doesn’t mean she will.

I like her even more.

“Not good experiences? Bit of over indulgence perhaps? Food poisoning maybe?”

She laughs. “No … it was the company.”

“See I knew there was shit involved.”

“Oh yeah, he was a shithead all right.”

“Shame, though,” I say, “I like a challenge but the bar’s been set pretty low.”

“Quite the contrary. My bar is high.”

I glance at my packmate. He’s undone his cuffs and rolled up his sleeves. Veins crisscross his strong forearms. Yes, her standards are pretty high.

“So am I going to have to do something dramatic to meet this bar, then?” I ask. “Let me think, want me to steal back your underwear, my lady?”

“Do you have any idea where he will have put it?”

“I can have a little snoop.”

She grins. “Then, yes, please.” She pauses. “Perhaps you could steal a pair of his underwear in retaliation.”

I chuckle, sweeping my hair back from my face. “I like the way you think.”

“Oh, I’m not very good at taking the high ground. I’m more than happy to partake in some petty revenge.”

“This is useful to know. Next time I’m planning a spot of my own, I’ll enlist your help.”

“You’re often plotting revenge?”

“I’m a dancer, darling,” I say with an exaggerated flourish of my hand. “It’s dog eat dog. You know an up-and-coming dancer once tied the laces of my shoes together. I suppose they were hoping I’d trip and fall and would be so badly injured they’d take my spot.”

“Oh my god,” she says, those red nails hovering in front of those red lips. Plump red lips that would look stunning wrapped around my cock.

“Don’t be fooled,” Liam says, sitting back with a glass of water resting in his hands, listening to the two of us talk. His scent is relaxed and interested. “Gabe pulled stunts like that himself to climb to the top.”

“No, sweetie. It was all down to my talent,” I turn to Sophia and wink, “and some clever manoeuvring.” I grin. “Have I shocked you?”

“No, sometimes you’ve got to do what you have to if you want to succeed in this life.”

“Hmmm, intriguing.” I shuffle my chair around towards her. “You do like your air of mystery, don’t you? I love it.”

She smiles at me, not divulging anything further.

I lay my hand on her thigh. Soft.

“Tell me,” I whisper.

“I need to maintain the air of mystery,” she protests, “otherwise how else am I going to keep the interest of an alpha and an omega?”

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