Page 65 of Knot Their Starlet

“Do we have time for me to put them somewhere?”

“Of course we do.”

“What time is our reservation?”

Beck leans against my island counter, his hands tucked into his pockets. “Not to sound ridiculously egotistical, but I really don’t think they’d turn away our business.”

“You mean your business, Mr. Pop Star,” I say, letting out a huff of laughter.

The one decorative vase worthy of these flowers is set high on the shelf I can’t quite reach. Before I have a chance to drag one of my barstools over, Beck is stepping up behind me, one of his hands resting against my lower back.

The touch sends a shiver straight down my spine. His hand is warm. So warm it almost feels like it’s burning through the satin of my dress.

“Let me get that for you,” he murmurs, his voice a low timbre that vibrates through me.

His burnt caramel scent is thick in the air around us. It’s sweet as it coats the back of my throat, despite my shallow breaths.

His scent is fucking magical. There have been companies that’ve been trying to replicate omega perfumes artificially to sell to betas. If they tried to replicate Beck’s scent? Well, they’d never succeed, but even a modest attempt would go flying off the shelves. Guy or not, he has the perfect scent.

He reaches up and plucks the vase off my shelf for me.

“You didn’t have to do that, you know,” I say, my voice far more delicate and breathy than I intend.

“Come on, let a guy be helpful for once,” he pouts. The motion just draws attention to how kissable his lips are. I’m objectifying the fuck out of him, wow. I’m no better than a man.

“I never get to do cool, manly things like that,” he continues. “If Eli’s around, he doesn’t let me lift a finger.”

“You live with him?” I ask, reaching for the flowers and using that as my opportunity for escape. Close proximity to the Beckham Knight is dangerous. Sometimes, I’m swiftly reminded of how dangerously attractive, both in personality and physicality, he is.

“Yeah, Leo, Eli, and I moved into our apartment downtown together.”

“That must be nice, having roommates like that,” I say, placing the beautiful flowers in the vase before pushing it to the center of my island countertop.

“It definitely is, I think...” he trails off, glancing out the window.

“You think… what?” I rest my hands on my hips as I let out a huff of laughter. “You’ve got to say it now! You can’t leave me hanging. Now that we’re getting to know each other, you should know that I hate that. If you have something to say, just say it.”

“I’m learning your pet peeves. That’s progress,” he says, flashing me a smile. But it’s a different smile than his usual. It’s a bit sad. His eyes aren’t nearly as bright as they normally are. “I was just saying I think I’d be a lot less happy if I lived alone.”

His words stab me right through the heart.

“Yeah,” I say, my throat tight.

If I had the option of living with my friends, I probably would.

The thing is, I don’t have very many of those.

“We should get going.” I nod.

Beck, thankfully, doesn’t push any further.

A blacked-out SUV is waiting for us in my apartment complex’s roundabout.

“After you,” Beck says, opening my car door with a flourish.

“You’re so overdramatic,” I scoff, biting back my laughter.

“He really is,” a teasing voice from inside the car calls. My gaze jerks up as I climb in to see Leo in the passenger seat and Elijah next to him, in the driver’s seat. “You ready for tonight?”