Page 117 of Knot All is Crystal
My heart drops. “You know we can’t do anything. Kieran is having me watched.”
“Well, call Puck. See if he’s the one assigned to you today or not.”
Things are still so weird between me and Puck. Being around him when he’s medicated against being an Alpha isn’t easy. My body seems to reject that I can’t smell his pheromones. It feels like I’m wearing a sweater that’s a little too small, and I’ve got that base level of anxiety that I’m going to get stuck in it when I take it off—just a feeling of wrongness.
He picks up on the first ring.
“Queenie.”
“Hey, Puck, uh, how are you doing?” Gage chuckles and nudges me out of the way with his hip, taking over washing the dishes.
“Fine. What do you want?”
It hurts my heart that his words are so short. I don’t know why I expected anything else, though. It was too much to hope he’d change into that sensitive man who talked to me about his art just because we scent matched.
Even if I was the one who told him that I could never forgive him, maybe he’s just protecting his heart from me.
“I just wanted to see if you were watching me today. Gage and I wanted to…”
“No, Queenie, you can’t have tomorrow off. Whatever you need to do can be done during the day. You know the rules.”I wince at his sharp tone, even if the words don’t make sense.
“What? I don’t understand what you’re saying.” Gage raises an eyebrow and mouths, ‘You okay?’ while I try to make sense of what Puck said. It hits me, then. “Are you with Kieran?”
“Yes. I’ll pick you up for your shift tomorrow, then.”
He hangs up before I can respond, leaving me blinking at my phone in confusion.
“What was that about?” Gage asks as he dries his hands on a rag. “I’m assuming he’s not your detail today?”
I clear my throat and slide my phone into my back pocket. “I don’t think so. He made it sound like maybe he will be tomorrow. So, I guess we’re stuck inside today. At least until I have to go to the club.”
He smiles, his crooked teeth on display, and throws the dish rag over his shoulder. “Then what would you like to do?”
I drag my eyes up his body, admiring how he fills out his black shirt. Memories of last night overwhelm me, and I can feel phantom hands on my body. It has me growing slick between my thighs, and I’m weak with need. “I have an idea.”
* * *
“Oh, that’s not fair!”Gage whines, throwing his head back on the couch. “You cheated.”
I collect my loot and add it to the stack of plastic coins in front of me. “Sorry, Gage, but it is not my fault I defeated the wraith.”
“After I damaged it within an inch of its life!”
“That’s the game, baby.” I lean over the board and kiss him softly. “You can’t be salty just because I’m going to get the talisman first.”
“You’re only winning because this is my first time playing. Next time, you’re going down, Crys.” He crosses his tattooed arms over his chest in mock defiance.
“Don’t be such a sore loser, or I’ll have to spank you in the gameandreal life.”
He inhales sharply at my words, and a predatory smile stretches across his face.
Gage isn’t classically handsome. He’s got a rough look that hints at a hard life. His crooked teeth are too big for his mouth, and he’s got poor posture from slumping over all day tattooing.
But from the moment I laid eyes on him, I felt safe with him, as if nothing bad could happen to me if I were beside him.
And I’m wildly attracted to him, especially when he looks at me like he wants to eat me.
“Be honest with yourself, Crys. If either of us is doing the spanking, it’s not you.”
