Page 30 of Knot Now Knot Ever

“You’re going to need a fresh pair,” Eli explained, showing the soaked garment.

Then he took his time wiping me, randomly dropping soft kisses as he worked. Once he was satisfied, he scooped me up, carried me to my bedroom, and sat me on the edge of my bed. Confused about what he was doing now, I watched as he entered my closet and returned a moment later with clean underwear. Embarrassed, my cheeks flamed as he kneeled, holding them open for me to step into.

“Eli, I can do that,” I argued.

“I know you can, but you’re going to let me take care of you like the good Omega you are,” Eli countered.

Damn him. Letting out a sigh, I stood and rested my hands on his shoulders while I let him pull the underwear up my legs. He held my gaze the entire time, making the moment far more intimate than it had any right to be. There was nothing sexual in his touch. In fact, it turned rather possessive and had my pulse speeding up all the same. Breaking his hold on me, Eli adjusted my skirt, ensuring nothing was bunched or tucked awkwardly before standing. He took my face in his hands and kissed me, stealing away what little breath I still had.

“Remember, just because you can do something doesn’t mean you always have to. It brings me immense joy and fulfillment to know I can provide for you, my sweet, perfect petal. So if it helps, consider situations like this me being selfish as I dote on you,” Eli murmured, kissing me once more before releasing me. “Do you feel better now?”

Confused, I just blinked at him. “What?”

He smiled and took my hand, leading me out of the bedroom. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

When I saw him pick up the Scent Matchers’ summons from the counter, I connected the dots. God, why am I such an idiot sometimes? Of course, that’s what he was referring to and why he was up here in the first place. I let out a frustrated grunt as I gathered my purse and jacket before heading out into the hall.

“Oh shit,” I swore, dashing back in to grab my phone I’d dropped on the floor once the fun started.

“Sorry, I seem to be a little scatterbrained today,” I apologized, rejoining Eli.

“You’re fine. I’m sure your boss will understand if you’re a little late,” Eli teased.

My jaw dropped. “Did you just make a joke?”

He looked down at me with a raised eyebrow as the elevator doors closed. “Why do you make that sound so surprising?”

Instantly, my mouth snapped shut, and I started to panic a little. Had I just offended him?

“Ah… well…” I stammered.

Eli slid a hand around the back of my neck and pulled me close, tugging on my hair to look up at him. “Lyra, you’re safe with me. I’m not going to get upset or punish you for speaking your mind. Besides, you were right to comment. I don’t tend to make jokes, at least not ones people find funny.”

“Sorry,” I blurted, then cringed, knowing he didn’t like it when I apologized for no reason.

Not saying a word, he rested his forehead against mine for a moment, breathing in my scent until the elevator dinged. He didn’t let me go until he pressed a kiss to my forehead, laced our hands together, and stepped out into the lobby.

I did not deserve this man, but I was one damn lucky Omega that he didn’t agree.

Work was a good distraction, and time flew by as I was buried in a project that had to get done before the weekend. Absorbed in what I was doing, I didn’t even notice someone else was there until an enticing scent drew my attention. Pausing, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath of the spicy, sweet aroma of a freshly baked apple pie. An undertone of smoky vanilla added that dash of masculine energy, telling me one of my other Alphas was close by.

Opening my eyes, I looked up to find Tanner leaning in the doorway, watching me with a grin on his handsome face. He was dressed in dark wash jeans, a white T-shirt, and a jean jacket lined with sherpa. Everything about him looked effortless down to the backward baseball hat hiding his red-brown hair. Unlike last time, he was sporting a short beard that only added to his charm.

Seeing he had my attention, Tanner entered and sat in one of the chairs in front of my desk. “Hey there, beautiful,” he greeted, his chestnut brown eyes shining with happiness.

His voice pulled me out of the scent haze I’d fallen into, and I realized I’d just been gawking at him this whole time. “Hi,” I answered, my cheeks heating. “How long have you been standing there?”

“Oh, just a minute or two. Your door was open, so I didn’t knock,” Tanner explained, reassuring me. Then his face took on a more serious expression. “Eli reached out about the summons you got this morning. The thing is, Fawn got one as well, scheduled for the same time, so Eli and I thought it would be best to head over together.”

“Fawn’s here too?” I asked, excitement clear in my question.

Tanner chuckled. “Yeah, he’s next door getting a much-needed dose of snuggles with Eli. We honestly didn’t think the separation would be that bad since he’s bonded with us, but from his reaction today, we’re gonna need to rethink a few things.”

I nodded, thinking about how being alone last night had been pretty rough. It had me wondering if Fawn and I were scent-matched, did our separation hurt us both? According to what I’d been reading, the backlash for not being with your matches worsened the more time you spent with them. Of my matches, Eli and Fawn were the two I’d had the most contact with, so it would make sense things got worse when I couldn’t be around Fawn.

“Lyra?” Tanner called, and by how he said my name, I had the feeling it wasn’t the first time he tried to get my attention.

“Hmm?” I answered, returning my attention to the man now kneeling beside my chair. “I’m so sorry I got a little lost in thought. I didn’t mean to ignore you.”