Page 11 of Knot Their Boo
“Has he?” I grin, turning to the omega in question and lifting my brow.
“Plum mentioned you.” Rhian shrugs, shooting eye daggers at his brother. “Shouldn’t you be elsewhere? I thought Nick was covering the pie booth tonight.”
“He bailed. Very unlike our big brother. Something about‘her scent is going to suffocate me…’I think.” Benson turns to Plum as he says this, tilting his head curiously. “Wonder what he meant.” The smirk he sends her tells me he knows exactly what it’s about.
“Plum?” I ask, lifting a brow, and tugging her away from the guys while Rhian scolds his brother under his breath.
“What? I’ve never claimed to be a good omega. Maybe I spray myself with scent enhancers when I know I’m going to see him. So what?” Plum flips her hair over her shoulder dramatically as she looks around at the people passing us.
“You’re a diabolical omega, is what you are.” I laugh, shaking my head at her in mock disapproval.
“Yeah well. He’s the one that started it.” Plum huffs, turning back to the guys. “I’ll tell you about it someday.”
“Alright then, keep your secrets.” I grin as we join the brothers, and chat for a little while.
A little bit later Rhian offers to drive me home so Plum can leave since I'm not ready for tonight to end.
Maybe I'm scared I won't get this moment back once he walks away. Or maybe it just feels good to be with him like this again. Or maybe it's Rhian. Maybe he's a missing piece I didn’t realize I needed back.Oh, who am I kidding, I’ve always known he was a missing piece.He’s an empty space in my heart that never healed once he was gone.
It’s easy with him. Comfortable and soothing.
“I could drive you around the entire town five times over and tonight would still end too soon,” Rhian says as he pulls his truck into the shop's parking lot once we leave the pumpkin patch.
“I know what you mean. I was so nervous to see you again, but you've always had a way of making me feel at ease. I'm glad we got to reconnect,” I say, turning to face him fully. The glow of the street lanterns reflect off the angles of his face, and I can’t help but stare. Fuck, he’s so handsome, and his scent is so strong in his truck. Apple cider and cinnamon bark heaven with hints of warm honeyed hay.
“I really have missed you, Sable. I would love to spend more time with you,” I track the way he licks his lips, as he reaches up to brush a hair away from my face. He looks like he wants to say more, but holds himself back.
“I would like that too, Rhian.” There's this moment when it seems like he's going to lean in and kiss me. Our eyes lock, and I feel like a magnet drawn to him. “Goodnight!” I yelp like a fool.This time I’m the one running from him, fleeing his car like it’s about to explode.
When I'm safely up in my room, chest heaving, I regret not kissing him. I didn’t return to Gravewood to fall in love, but how am I supposed to resist Rhian when he looks at me that way? When he touches me so reverently.
What the hell am I getting myself into? And why don’t I want it to stop?
SABLE
“The heck?” I grumble, sitting up in bed to see the time when loud banging startles me. That's what woke me up from a dead sleep, but what the fuck is it? “It’s five in the morning!?” I grumble when I see the time. “What is that noise?” And why am I talking to myself?
I grab my black silk robe, pulling it on over my matching sleep set of a crop top cami and booty shorts. I head downstairs toward the source of the sound, and pause at the foot of the stairs, glancing around the back workspace. I don’t see anything out of place… When another bang vibrates through the room, my head snaps toward the back door. Is it coming from outside? Oh shit, is it trash day or something? And why are they so noisy?
This time, the loud bang bang bang sounds more like a hammer on wood, and I pick up the pace. Maybe I should be worried about someone trying to break in, but my instincts aren't telling me to run away, so I carry on with my investigation.
I push the back door open with a hard shove, and someone grunts on the other side. The thud lets me know I just hit someone, and as it opens fully, I see Colter. We stare at each other with wide eyes for a long moment until his eyes trail down my body. His gaze sharpens as he takes in my robe and barefeet. His pupils dilate on his next indrawn breath before focusing back on my face.
“Rude,” he grumbles, rubbing his head where the door must have hit him. Oopsies.
“My bad… I wasn’t expecting, well, you.” I tilt my head at him, taking in the sight of the tools and work clothes. “Why are you out here before the sun, Colter?” I prop my hand on my hip, trying to make sense of what’s happening. At least now I know why my instincts weren't driving me to flee. Colter isn’t a threat to me, but it appears he is a threat to my porch, seeing as it’s currently half ripped up.
The heat traveling up my neck and turning my cheeks pink tingles as I take in the sight of the alpha bent down on one knee, looking up at me. Black work shirt with cut-off sleeves, and torn up dark blue jeans. The backwards baseball cap shouldn’t be this attractive. But sweet hell, he looks so good.
He’s sweating already too, and I admire the way it glistens in the dim light of the rising sun. How long has he been out here? His scent hits me, strong and full of musk and sweat and proof of his hard work, and fuck, am I drooling?
“Fixing the porch,” he mumbles, frowning and still rubbing his head. I wince, since I wasn't trying to hurt the poor alpha. Just investigate the ruckus that woke me up from a dead sleep.
“Why didn’t you say something? You scared me. You could have warned me, you know?” I huff, shaking my head, and leaning against the door frame, hand still propped on my other side.I could have told you to stay far away because my hormonal inner omega cannot handle this at five in the morning. Or ever.
“I don’t have your current phone number, and I tried knocking for ten minutes. I even called the shop phone, but that’s set to voicemail. You never responded, so I gave up and got to work. Now I know that if I want to get your attention, I need adamn hammer though,” Colter huffs, lifting his ball cap, shaking his hair out, and placing it back on his head.
“Oh.” I stare at him for a long moment, not sure what else to do, or even say. Does he really need to be so attractive? “Well…do you want some coffee?” I eventually offer.
