Page 45 of Knot All is Crystal
He takes my hands gently in his and gives me a broad smile. I’m looking at him differently now, seeing the age in his smile lines and the small amount of gray at his temples. He’s incredibly handsome, and with his soft, sleepy smile, he looks almost vulnerable. “Not at all. It’s a little weird because I’m sure we’ll find differences since we’re basically different generations, but I have no doubt we’ll figure it out.” He gulps, and I watch his Adam’s apple bob. His voice comes out strangled. “You’re my Omega, Crystal. Nothing is going to keep us apart.”
If only that were true.
* * *
After dinner,I pull out the ramekins of custard and sprinkle the tops with sugar. “Emmanuel, can you grab the torch?” I point at the top shelf in the far cabinet. “It’s up there.”
“You can call me Manny if you want. I know Emmanuel is a mouthful.”
“I will sometimes, I’m sure, but I like Emmanuel. It’s not a name I hear often.”
“Me neither. My parents are a little old school.” He doesn’t have to rise on his toes to grab the culinary torch from the cabinet for me. He’s not super tall by any means, but he’s got a few inches on me. “You have a blow torch in your house. An Omega with a blow torch.”
“Culinary torch,” I correct, clicking it on.
“That feels like a potaytoe, potahtoe situation.” He leans on the wall beside me. “It’s still blowing out straight fire. What does it run on?”
“…butane.” I duck my head as he bursts into laughter. “Okay, fine, it’s a blow torch, alright? Now, let me concentrate. You don’t want your sugar to go bitter.”
He watches as I pass the torch over the sugar sprinkled on top of the custard. When they’re done, I hand them to him as I grab spoons. We settle at the table, and I watch as he lifts his dish to his nose and takes a sniff.
“This is what I smell like?”
My face warms, and I busy myself by cracking the sugar and scooping up some of the custard of my portion. “Yeah, like a sweet, caramelized sugar and then the buttery, creamy custard.” I shove a bite in my mouth to keep me from rambling.
Emmanuel hums to himself as he carefully cracks the sugar and scoops a spoonful. I find myself tracking the spoon on the way to his mouth, zeroing in on the way his lips wrap around it as he sucks it into his mouth.
I don’t think it’s supposed to be this erotic.
I become acutely aware of how close he is to my nest. To where I go into heat.
He looks like a giving, sensual lover. Like he’d hold me as our bodies writhed together, talking me through it as he leaves me panting and slick. Will he want to help me through my next heat? I throb between my legs at the idea of it.
His eyes snap to mine, and his nostrils flare. This close to one another, he may have smelled an increase in my pheromones from the way my mind just ran wild. He’s kind enough not to mention it.
“This is delicious,” he says in a cracked voice. “If this is what I smell like, I’m flattered.”
“Do you want to see my nest?”
The question is out before I can acknowledge his compliment for my cooking. Despite how rude my interruption is, he stands up slowly.
“I would love that.”
Well, now I’m committed.
I become acutely aware of how sad my nest is when I watch the Alpha fold himself into the room. It’s basically a large walk-in closet. It could fit four people. Maybe. If we’re on top of each other. But still, he coos, “Omega, it’s a lovely nest.”
I preen and duck my head. “Yeah?”
“Yeah.” I feel his hand on my lower back before I register that he’s pulled me close to him. “Best I’ve ever seen.”
“You don’t mean that.”
His hand tangles in the hair at the base of my neck, dangerously close to the blighted bond that rules my life, as he tilts me up to look into his eyes. “I do mean that. It’s the best because it’s yours. It smells like you. It’s got your personality in every corner. What could possibly be better?”
“Thank you, Alpha,” I breathe out.
“I’m going to kiss you now, Omega.” His dark eyes sparkle as his hand moves from my nape to cup my cheek. I give a weak nod, my knees wobbly at his proximity.
