Page 66 of Knight With Benefits

I couldn’t help huffing as I stood and reached for his plate, but he pulled it away before I could snag it.

“We both know you threatened them to stay outside all day. They were pretending to still be cleaning the paint sprayer when I decided to leave, even though they’d finished painting at least two hours before.”

His cheeks went pink again, but he didn’t deny anything, simply lifting one shoulder as if it was no big deal to make the guys spend a whole day outside.

“Your safety is important. They were there to do more than paint.”

While I’d already known they were meant to be guards, hearing him admit to it instead of trying to make excuses helped ease the lingering tightness I’d felt over it. Having them there had helped me feel safer than I would have alone, and the fact that he wasn’t trying to hide anything made me trust him more.

“Well, I appreciate the help. They did a good job. But, they wouldn’t let me pay them.”

I gave Carl a glare from the side of my eye as I washed my plate. I caught his grin before he managed to school his features into something more diplomatic as he cleaned up the containers.

“Don’t worry about it.”

I sighed but I wasn’t really upset. I didn’t want the guys not to be reimbursed for their time, but I had a feeling Carl had taken care of it and just didn’t want to tell me. It would be easy enough to pay him extra so he wouldn’t lose anything if he’d paid them himself.

We finished cleaning up the kitchen, Carl insisting on washing his own dishes before he made both of us another drink. The way he sipped it made me think it wasn’t really something he liked, but I wasn’t going to say anything if he wanted to torture himself with it. It was amusing to watch him fight the urge to grimace from the pickle juice.

Once everything was cleaned up and put away, enough leftovers stored in my fridge to feed me for two or three days, I couldn’t put off asking the question any longer. Setting my glass on the counter, I sucked in a deep breath and looked up into the emerald eyes I was so jealous of.

Chapter Thirty-Two

Carl

“Will you help me through my heat?”

A kick in the nuts would have stunned me less than the sudden question Gwyn threw at me. I stood there blinking at her, my brain refusing to process the words despite the way my cock surged in answer.

Hell yes!

“Are you sure? I mean, I know we’ve… And I want to! But you’re…”

I was so flustered I couldn’t speak. Her fingers coming to rest on my forearm stopped the flow of words I couldn’t piece together into a coherent response. My cheeks had to be bright red by the way they were burning, and the little smile that quirked her lips didn’t help any, but I couldn’t fault her if she was silently laughing at me.

“I’m sure, Carl. I trust you. I’d rather spend my heat with you than alone.”

Some might have taken that the wrong way, but I knew what she meant. What had been done to her was the fear of many omegas, and with the new threat looming over her, it had to have taken a lot of courage to trust me enough to even ask.

I had her wrapped in my arms before I could think any further, a purr vibrating from my chest to hers as I dipped my nose to the top of her head to suck in her sweet, minty scent.

“I will absolutely help you. Thank you so much for trusting me. You’re so brave.”

I didn’t know if it was the purr or the praise that had her melting in my arms, but I felt the tension drain out of her as I murmured into her hair. Her fingers dug into my back, holding me closer as her own soft purr rose to join mine.

“It’s going to be soon. Within a week.”

She could have given me no notice at all, and I’d have found a way to make it work. Sebastian would forgive me for ditching the shop to tend an omega in heat, but at least I had enough time to let him know he’d have to work himself or find someone else for next week. Even if Gwyn’s heat came and was over before then, I wasn’t sure I’d be able to peel myself away from her for two whole days that soon after her cycle.

“That’s fine. Don’t worry about a thing. I’m pretty sure my current boss will give me the time off.”

She snorted, loosening her hold enough to let me know she wanted to pull away. As much as I wanted to keep her curvy body against mine, I gave her the space she wanted.

“And what if she doesn’t? Maybe she’s got a schedule to keep and needs you to help.”

I loved it when the sassy side of her came out, showing the personality that had been stifled for so long. I didn’t think she knew how strong she was, but I had a feeling it would embarrass her for me to point it out. I hoped she would come to see herself the way I did.

“Then I guess I’ll just have to beg her forgiveness afterward and work twice as hard to get everything done on time.”

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