Page 66 of Knot So Sweet
The group starts filing out, excited chatter filling the air as they coordinate. I grab my purse from behind the counter, avoiding Garrick's gaze.
"See you later," I say quietly as I head for the door, not waiting for a response.
The morning air hits my face, crisp and clean, and I take a deep breath. The group follows me toward the diner, their enthusiasm undiminished, and something settles in my chest. This is fine. I can help them somewhere else. Somewhere I'm not in the way.
Acouple of hours later, I'm set up in Sally's corner booth with my laptop open and Mrs. Henderson's newsletter ideas spread across the table. Sally had welcomed us with open arms and fresh coffee, and I'm finally starting to relax when the bell above the door chimes.
Liam walks in.
He scans the room before his eyes land on me. The moment he catches sight of my expression, his entire posture shifts, alpha protective instincts kicking in so powerfully I can feel it from across the room. His scent reaches me a second later: cedar and vanilla, edged with something warmer, more soothing. It wraps around me like a physical touch, making my skin prickle with awareness.
Despite everything, my traitorous body wants to lean into it. Wants to close the distance between us and breathe him in. My omega side purrs with interest, and I have to grip my coffee mug tighter to keep myself rooted in place.
He crosses the diner in long strides, weaving between tables with easy confidence. "Violet." He stops beside the booth. His amber eyes are serious, searching. "Can we talk? Just for a minute?"
I glance at Mrs. Henderson, who sits across from me at the booth. She's watching with poorly concealed interest, her manila folder forgotten on the table between us. "Give me five minutes?"
She nods eagerly, gathering her papers and sliding out of the booth. "I'll go chat with Bob and Mrs. Yang about that cross-promotion idea you mentioned." She heads toward the corner table where the others have congregated, leaving me alone.
Liam slides into the space she vacated, the vinyl seat creaking under his weight. His large frame makes the booth feel smaller, intimate. His scent wraps around me, and I realize there's no escape from it now. No buffer. Just him and me and the table between us.
He leans forward slightly, resting his forearms on the table. The movement brings him closer, and I can see the tension in his shoulders, the concern etched in the lines around his eyes. The way he looks at me makes my pulse quicken. There's concern in those amber eyes, yes, but there's something else too. Something heated that makes my skin flush and my breath come a little faster.
I wrap both hands around my coffee mug, needing something to hold onto. Something to ground me.
"Garrick didn't send you, did he?" I ask quietly. "To smooth things over?"
"No." He shakes his head. "Garrick knows he could have handled that better. He's not angry with you."
I trace the rim of my mug with one finger, watching the dark liquid ripple. "Then why are you here?"
He's quiet for a moment. Sally appears with the coffee pot, filling the mug she'd placed in front of him without asking. He nods his thanks, then wraps both hands around it. Large hands that dwarf the ceramic. Hands that I can't help but notice, can't help but imagine...
I force my gaze back to his face.
"We're worried you're going to leave," he says finally, his voice low.
I blink, my finger stilling on the mug. "Leave?"
He shifts in his seat, leaning even closer. "The town. Pack up and drive away like you drove here." His amber eyes meet mine, and there's genuine concern there. Vulnerability. "You've made it pretty clear you're not interested in complications. And afterthis morning, I thought maybe you'd decide it wasn't worth the hassle."
My chest tightens. The way he's looking at me, like he's bracing for a blow, makes something twist inside me.
"I..." I start, then stop. My fingers trace the rim of my coffee mug again, a nervous gesture I can't seem to control. "I don't know."
His scent shifts, becomes tinged with something sharp. Worry, maybe. Or fear. His hands tighten around his mug.
I look down at my laptop, at the newsletter draft taking shape on the screen. My hands are trembling slightly, so I press my palms flat against the table. "I was supposed to go to Texas," I admit quietly, my gaze fixed on the screen rather than his face. "To live with my cousin. That was the original plan when I left Mark. I could help her the same way I've been helping people here. Building her business, writing copy, managing her social media. She needs me."
"And here?" His voice is careful. Controlled. "Do you feel needed here?"
I look up at him then, and the intensity in his gaze makes my breath catch. Makes heat pool low in my belly. "That's not the point."
I push the laptop aside slightly, needing the distraction gone. "I need you to understand something, Liam." I lean back against the booth, creating a bit more distance even as every cell in my body wants to lean in. "For the first time in my life, I'm free. Actually free. I make my own decisions, set my own schedule, help who I want to help. I don't have someone breathing down my neck, telling me I'm doing it wrong, that I need to be smaller, quieter, more convenient."
"No one wants you to be..."
"I know." I meet his eyes again, and the heat in his gaze makes my stomach flip. Makes my omega side want to present,to submit, to give him everything he's not asking for. "But I also need you to know that I'm not sure I want to be in a relationship again. Maybe we’ve all been getting carried away with things, with Garrick and Xaden late nights in the kitchen.”
