Page 71 of Knot Our Reality

Wednesday night brings my date with Ian.

Once again, I don’t have anything big or elaborate planned—which I’m grateful for since I’m exhausted.

We’re out by the hot springs, which I can’t go into. Damn pregnancy.

Bree and Tessa did an amazing job setting up the area with fairy lights and LED candles to set the mood. There’s a table for two sitting beside the water, but we’ve already abandoned it after finishing our dinner—steak, baked potatoes, and creamed spinach. It was divine.

Now, we’re lying on the blow-up mattress that’s been made into a mini nest with tons of blankets and pillows. I had to arrange it just so before we climbed on, but now it’s perfect.

We’re both propped up enough that we’re half-sitting up, which allows me to be on my back as we stare up at the stars.

It doesn’t look anything like this back in Los Angeles. There’s too much light pollution. There’s just no way to get around that when so many people live in one area, which is unfortunate because stargazing has always been one of my favorite pastimes.

I can feel Ian’s eyes on me, and I try not to squirm beneath his attention. The air around us feels heavy but still comfortable.

“What?” I finally ask, turning my head to meet his gaze.

He smiles. “Can I not just watch a beautiful woman?”

I shrug. “Of course you can, but it feels like you want to ask me something.”

“You’re entirely too observant,” he says softly, reaching over to push a strand of hair behind my ear. “Can I kiss you?”

“Is that all?” I ask, lifting my eyebrows. “You didn’t need to ask to do that.”

He chuckles softly as he rolls onto his side and moves closer to me. “Well, that’s good to know.”

Then his lips are on mine.

His kiss is softer than Maverick’s and Dalton’s were. Even Sasha’s—who made me feel like I was the most desired woman in the world.

I wrap my arms around his neck, tugging him down to lie on top of me and relishing in his heat.

All he does is kiss me, not attempting to go any further, which shouldn’t frustrate me as much as it does.

I smile into the kiss as I recall Camden’s words to make sure to properly thank Ian. And that’s exactly what I plan on doing.

I might not be ready to sleep with him, but that doesn’t mean I can’t make both of us feel good.

It’s easy for me to get enough leverage to flip our positions, pressing him back into the pile of pillows.

Ian grins as his hands go to my hips. “Well, hello there, omega. Was I doing something you didn’t approve of?”

Instead of answering him, I claw at his shirt until he helps me pull it off him. It’s still early enough in the evening that the colder desert temperatures haven’t kicked in, so I don’t think twice about pulling off my dress and tossing it to the side. I unsnap my bra and drop it beside us, smiling as his eyes narrow in on my tits as I sit there in nothing but a pair of lacy black panties.

I’ve always been curvy, but nothing compares to how big they get when I’m pregnant.

He blinks, eyes flashing up to me. “Are you sure?”

“We’re not going to have sex tonight, Ian, but that’s about my only hard line right now.”

I’m not used to being this forward. I’ve never had to be. My mates were the ones who pursued me in college, but I kind of like this. I feel powerful as I perch atop him.

“Okay, Emilia. You’re the boss.”

Yeah, I am.

It takes more effort than it should to not snort at the directions my thoughts go.

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