Page 26 of Hard Knot

Carter Giovanni.

No matter how hard I try to shut it out, his scent, his voice, his presence—they’re everywhere. The moment he left the room, it felt as though something vital went with him.

And yet, he hasn’t really left.

He’s still here, haunting me, invading every thought, every breath.

I press my forehead to the tile, my fingers curling into fists. My chest rises and falls unevenly, my breathing labored as though I’ve just sprinted a mile. This isn’t normal. I’m notnormal—not when my body responds to the memory of him with an ache so sharp it steals my breath.

He has to be playing with me…

I keep thinking this while sinking my teeth into the bottom of my lip. I need some sort of pain stimulus to tame my wild thoughts.

There’s no way it’s this easy. No way you meet an Alpha, and suddenly, everything—your walls, your morals, your sanity—just crumbles.

But even as I think it, a small, treacherous part of me hopes otherwise.

What if it’s not a game? What if this unbearable pull between us is real?

No…this could be a prank. Coordinated by all those Omegas waiting for my ultimate failure. Submission by using this new guy to plan my demise…

I’m trying to find any way to convince myself that this isn’t real…

But my heart doesn’t want to.

Can’t I have something good like this happen to me for once?

A soft groan slips from my lips, frustration and need battling inside me.

My hands slide down the tiles as I lean forward, the water rushing over my back, hot and relentless. My imagination isn’t helping—it tempts and lures me into dangerous territory.

I can almost see him, stepping into the shower, his hands gripping my hips, his voice low and commanding as he whispers sinful things that make my knees weak.

A shiver runs through me, and I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to block out the vivid images.But they won’t stop.My body betrays me, my breath hitching as my fingers brush over my stomach, then lower.

Between my slightly trembling thighs, glazing across my slick covered folds that feel chilled compared to my insides that are burning hot.

A soft gasp escapes my lips as my fingertips graze the place that aches the most. I’m desperately building up the need to slip my fingers within, to feel the warmth of my own pulsing walls. The water mingles with the heat coursing through me, and I let out a shaky breath, my hips shifting instinctively.

My mind spirals deeper, conjuring the sensation of his hands on me, his lips against my neck, and his growl vibrating through my skin.

And then I feel it—warmth that isn’t the water.

Lips, soft and deliberate, press against the curve of my neck making me arch at his touch.

“Don’t stop.”

My eyes snap open, my breath catching in my throat. For a split second, I freeze every nerve in my body on high alert. Then his voice registers.

Carter.

He’s here, right behind me, his heat seeping into my skin, making the air feel even thicker.

My voice comes out in a shaky whisper.

“Carter…”

A low growl rumbles in his chest, the sound resonating through me as his lips move against my neck. He doesn’t stop, doesn’t hesitate, his teeth grazing my skin in a way that makes my toes curl. His hands slide to my waist, pulling me back against him until I feel every inch of him, bare and drenched just like me.

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