Page 82 of Knot Their Safe Haven
He laughs, moving to the fireplace to add another log.
The mundane action should break the spell, but watching him move—controlled power in an expensive suit—only makes the ache worse.
"More wine?" he offers.
"Trying to get me drunk?"
"Trying to keep my hands busy before I do something we'll both enjoy too much."
I’m giggling before I can stop myself.
"Coward."
"Strategic retreat. Very different."
I pull his jacket tighter around me, drowning in fabric that smells like him.
"Tell me about tomorrow."
"Alexis will arrive around noon. She'll want to assess you immediately—not medically, just to see if you're worthy of me."
"Worthy of you?"
"Her words. She's very protective."
"A female Alpha protective of a male Alpha. That's backwards."
"Everything about Alexis is backwards. It's what makes her perfect."
"And the twins?"
"Day after tomorrow. They're handling some... logistics in the city."
"Logistics sounds ominous."
"Only if you're one of the people who tried to break into your Haven."
"Alessandro."
"They're fine. Mostly. Probably."
"That's not reassuring."
"Wasn't meant to be." He returns to me, maintaining just enough distance to prevent immediate combustion. "The pointis, you're safe. The Haven is safe. You have time to decide what you want without pressure or threats."
"Except the biological imperative of being scent matched."
"Except that."
We stand there, firelight painting us gold, jazz whispering from speakers, sexual tension a third party in our conversation.
"I should go to bed," I say, not moving.
"You should."
"Alone."
"Definitely."
