Page 56 of Knot My Band: Part One
I hold her close, shifting my position so I can wrap an arm around her waist, pulling her body tight against mine.
My lips find the soft skin of her neck, whispering words of praise.
“Beautiful Oli, you’re incredible,” I murmur, each word punctuated by a kiss on her flushed skin. “You mean so much to me.” My voice is rough with emotion, the words spilling forth unbidden but with all the certainty of truth.
I can feel every breath she takes, every sigh that escapes her lips.
“Wow…” Oli murmurs, her voice laced with wonder and exhaustion. Her fingers lazily trace patterns on my bare chest, sending little jolts of pleasure through me.
As the silence stretches, comfortable yet charged, I find myself grappling with a confession that claws at the edges of my mind. My gaze is locked on the ceiling, but I’m seeing past it, wrestling with a vulnerability I’ve never allowed myself to feel before.
“Can I tell you something?” My voice cracks slightly.
“Of course.” She lifts her head, green eyes meeting mine.
I take a deep breath, her scent still surrounding me, emboldening me. “I’ve never… knotted someone before.”
“Really?” There’s no judgment in her tone, just genuine curiosity and something that might be tenderness.
“Yeah.” I let out a shaky laugh, tracing a finger down her arm. “You’re the first person I’ve ever trusted enough to even think about it. With you, everything feels different… real.”
She smiles, that radiant, sunshine grin that could outshine the stage lights we perform under. “Chase, that means more to me than you know.” Oli shifts, propping herself up on one elbow as she leans closer, her hair cascading around us like a curtain. “I want that first with you.”
“Then we will have it when you are ready,” I say, closing the distance between us with a slow, deliberate kiss that seals my silent promise.
“We are crazy late to sound check, so we should go,” she says reluctantly.
A laugh escapes me, light and free, as I help her stand. We’re a mess of tangled limbs and shared warmth.
Oli stretches like a cat, and I can’t look away. She’s mesmerizing.
We wash off our scents before leaving the bus.
I lead Oli through the throng of backstage chaos, my hand firm on her lower back. The air is thick with descenter.
“You better grab something to eat since we were distracted,” I tease, nudging her toward the craft services table laden with an assortment of treats. The twinkle in her green eyes tells me she’s up to something, probably plotting only to grab a cookie.
Jack would have a fit, but I can’t deny her.
Oli grins, reaching for a bottle of water.
“You need food, too.” I make a plate for her with a sandwich and some vegetables.
“Soundcheck first,” Oli pulls me along to the edge of the stage where everyone is on stage.
“I can hold the food,” that stage hand who brought Oli a coffee earlier says from the edges.
He saunters over, all casual confidence, holding his hand out. A low growl starts up in the back of my throat as I glare at the hand.
“That’s so nice, Tommy,” Oli says with her usual kindness.
I wrap an arm around Oli and scent mark the top of her head. “We are all set.”
“Alright.” Tommy winks and finally backs off.
My jaw tightens as I watch him go. The urge to mark my territory is almost overwhelming.
“Chase?” Oli’s gentle touch brings me back, her fingers curling around mine. “You’re growling. What’s up?”
