Page 116 of Cost of Courting

“I’m fine-”

I straddle his lap and perch there, glaring at him. His big hands rest on my hips, streaking awareness through me. I follow the path of his tattoos down under his singlet.

“Have you taken a knot yet?”

Bailey coughs hard. “What?”

“Have you taken a knot yet, like, not in a heat knot?”

Those blue-green eyes stare at me, wide eyes framed by black lashes and filled with panic and desire.

“Why not?”

He glances sideways at Kingston, but the alpha is pretending to be deaf. The slight grin on his lips as he lifts his mug to his mouth gives him away, though.

“Don’t you want a knot?”

Bailey scowls and opens his mouth, but nothing comes out. Again, he shifts his gaze to the alphas and then looks back at me.

“Oh, I see. You want it, but you’re scared it will change things. Shall we find out together?”

Hot chocolate sprays across the room.

I regard Kingston as he wipes his mouth and chokes.

I have the attention of the entire room now. “If you want this knot, I will stay and make sure they do it right. They will listen to me or I will stab them.”

Edric snorts. “I’m offended you think for a second we wouldn’t listen to you, crazy girl.”

I ignore Edric and focus on Bailey. “Tell me what you want, Raines.”

“I want that knot, but you’re staying and helping.”

My lips tilt up. “I’m afraid I lack that bit of anatomy, but-”

His fingers bite into my hips and silence me, and I realise how nervous he is.

“You’ve had them before. What’s the big deal?”

“I don’t really remember.”

“Oh.”

His gaze flickers to Mael, so full of apology. “I remember begging. I remember it felt good, but I don’t know the specifics about how it happened.”

“Let’s do it, then. We can learn together.”

“What? You want to be knotted, too?” Bailey growls and possessively drags me closer.

“Yes. Sure. Why not?” Do I sound as breathless as I feel?

He closes his eyes as if praying for strength. He’s going to need it.

“I need to feel something good right now. I need a distraction.” Is that selfish? I look down at where my fingers are resting on his chest.

“Okay.”

The alpha growl comes from Kingston, but he holds his hands up and backs off. “I’m sitting this one out. I don’t have the control to knot virgins.”

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