Page 7 of Believe it or Knot

“So soft,” Liam agrees, pressing closer to my back, his Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake scent rippling out, soaking into my bedroom, blending perfectly with my light lavender. Rafe’s scent is more muted than his omega’s, crisp pine and cedar, cold frosty snow.

I love that after they’re gone, their scents will linger, even if it’s only for a short amount of time. I already know that I won’t wash my sheets for as long as I can smell them on them.

The thought of them leaving makes me unreasonably sad, spurred on by my PMS hormones no doubt, and I have to blink away the stinging in my eyes and nose.

Rafe frowns and reaches up to cup my face, thumb stoking over my skin. “What’s wrong Sorrel?”

I shake my head. “Nothing. Nothing’s wrong.”

They both hum, like they don’t believe me, but I’m not about to tell them I hate the idea of them leaving tomorrow and never coming back, which is what’s going to happen. There is no world in which I see either of them after they leave. And I’ll smile through it like I always do.

I do it now too, forcing my lips into a curve that I know they won’t be able to tell is fake. I’ve had too much experience with this expression. Used it over and over again to hide my true emotions. I know it’s nearly impenetrable. Even my own mother couldn’t tell it was fake.

“It’s just…” I say because I do want to give them some kind of truth, but not the one that makes me seem like a crazy clinger. “It’s really nice to feel taken care of for a change.”

Rafe’s face goes soft, his brown eyes like pools of chocolate ganache, smooth and glossy. He bends and presses a kiss to my bare knee before reaching for the shorts on the bed my Liam’s knee.

“I think it’s something you’re going to have to get used to, lovely,” Liam murmurs, taking the tank top from his alpha. I bite my bottom lip to keep from telling them they shouldn’t say such nice things to me, not when we all know their visit to Lake Kilrose is temporary.

The truth is, I want to hear them. I want to memorize the sweet words so when I’m feeling raw or tired or vulnerable, I can pull them out and hold them close to my chest. Remember the time when America’s sweetheart treated me like I was the most precious thing in the world to him.

They dress me in silence, then Liam nudges me until I slide into the center of the bed, tucking myself under the covers, as they stand and strip down to their boxer briefs. Rafe leaves his white undershirt on, while Liam happily discards his on the floor, revealing his smooth pale chest.

I’ve seen it before, in movies. In his concerts, where he comes out with his shirt mostly unbuttoned. But nothing compares to seeing it like this, up close and in person. Awe-inspiring. I’m going to sleep next to that chest. Have it pressed up against me because my bed isn’t very big. I mean, it’s big for just me, but for three of us… One of which is an alpha twice my size? It’s going to be a tight squeeze.

My mouth goes dry as all the moisture in my body floods between my legs and I squeeze my thighs together to keep from embarrassing myself by doing something stupid, like spreading them wide and saying, “come and get it, boys.”

Liam smirks like he saw the movement under the blanket and knows exactly what it means, just before he all but belly flops eagerly onto the bed, scrambling under the blanket and snuggling down with a happy sigh. He turns on his side, facing me as Rafe moves to the other side of the bed much more sedately, and slips under the covers, also facing toward me.

There’s a moment where I have no clue what to do, lying there stiffly between them, surrounded by their heat, scent and bodies. I fidget while staring at the ceiling, even when Liam twists to turn the light off.

“Relax, conejita,” Rafe grumbles, sliding his big hand onto my stomach. “We don’t bite.”

“Well, not unless you ask us to,” Liam jokes, moving closer, until that bare chest of his brushes the outside of my arm.

I roll my eyes, even as my cheeks flush. “Could you get anymore cliche, Liam?”

He chuckles. “It got you to relax a little, so I call it a win.”

He’s not wrong. Almost as soon as he made the ridiculous comment, some of the tension in my body released. Rafe huffs and shifts closer too, his hands rolling me onto my side so I’m facing Liam before he curls his body around mine. Liam moves closer, squishing me between them.

“Sleep, lovely,” he murmurs, running his fingers down the side of my face, over my shoulder.

I take a deep breath, glorying in the blending of all our scents together, and letting my eyes drift closed.

“Sorrel,” Liam whispers into the crown of my head.

My eyelids are heavy, and I’m already half asleep, so all I can manage is a sleepy hum. Rafe moves closer, pressing into my back, his arm draping over my waist.

Liam doesn’t say anything for the longest time, and then, right as I’m drifting off, I swear I hear him ask in the softest, quietest whisper. “Can I keep you?”

Track 4: First Time

It’s been a long time since I’ve woken up next to the softness of a woman. A couple of years, at least. Once Gray and I formed a pack with Liam, we’ve dated women. Fucked them. Spent time with them, but rarely did we have them stay the night, sleep next to them. We haven’t found anyone we really wanted to spend more time with.

I’m only now realizing I’ve missed it.

Don’t get me wrong, I love waking up next to Liam. He’s my omega and owns a part of my soul that I never want back. But he’s all muscles and hard angles. Even though he’s an omega, he isn’t soft. It’s part of what he does for a living, maintaining a lean body with something like ten percent body fat. Sometimes cuddling with him feels like cuddling with myself. Hard angles meeting hard angles.

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