The humming of my body becomes an overall throb, like my muscles are protesting all at once. It rolls through me in waves as Knox whisks me through the back door of the bakery.
Tansy goes back to calling out in that cheery voice of hers over the growing crowd, and I get a smidge of a look at the outside of the bakery just before Knox slides me into his truck.
There’s a line out the door.
The edges of my vision blur as Knox gets me buckled in. The click ricochets through my skull, the world pitching sideways as my stomach rebels again.
Did I eat breakfast? I can’t remember if I ate breakfast.
Crap, did I drink my tea this morning?
A whimper slips out as Knox slips behind the wheel of his truck.
“Yeah, I’ll head there now,” Knox says, but I don’t know who he’s talking to. “Yep. Call Walker, let him know what’s going on. I’m going to get her tucked in at your place. You sure that’s all right? Sweet. Yeah, yeah, I’ll make sure. Thanks, bye.”
“Knox,” I groan.
“I gotcha, Sunshine, just hold on.”
His voice sounds like it’s coming at me through water, and there’s no denying it. My heat is close. I’ve got maybe a few more days before I’ll be a whining, slicked-up mess.
The thought brings tears to my eyes.
“I hate my heat,” I whisper softly.
“I know,” Knox murmurs. “I know.”
My limbs feel heavy, but my core feels anything but. Knox’s hand settles on my knee, his large grip squeezing softly. His skin feels so cool against mine, and it makes me moan.
“You’re burning up. We should get you into a cool bath at Eli’s. Is it okay to take you there? He’s got the day off work. President’s Day, and all that.”
Eli’s.
The idea of his place wraps around me like a blanket.
“But Amber,” I whisper out as my head lobs to the side. “Don’t wanna scare her.”
“According to Eli, she’s with her grandparents right now. Won’t be back until tonight.”
I don’t know if I could endure the long ride back to my place. “’Kay.”
We come to a stop and he drops a kiss to the top of my head. “Almost there. We’ll figure this out.”
My eyes flutter as another deep wave rolls through me, only this time, it pushes something wet and slick into my panties.
Fuck. This isn’t good. I’m not wearing my pre-heat panties, so I’ve got nothing to soak it up with. I feel it trickling onto the seat of his truck and I grimace.
“I’m sorry,” I whine.
“None of that,” he says as he squeezes my knee again. “Almost there. Pulling into his driveway now.”
“She okay?” I hear Eli ask.
His voice sounds so far away.
“Get her out of the car,” Knox says as I hear his door shoving open. “I’ll run her a bath. She’s burning up.”
“Is it time?”
