Page 8 of Knot So Social

The omega smiles faintly. “Well, I didn’t mean you have to do it. I do have someone that comes around for the lawns—”

Panic blinds me.

“I’m very good with my hands. I think I’ll do a better job.” The words come out of nowhere, but nothing in the world would make me take them back. I don’t care how stupid I sound; I need a reason to see her again.

Her lips twitch with a smile. “Well, since you sound so confident.”

I draw up to my full height. “Sì. I’ll need to measure up your yard, though.” I pull a business card from my pocket and slide it over to her. “That’s my number. I have insurance”

The omega nods and pulls the card closer. Her hands are so elegant and pretty, I can’t help wondering what it would be like to hold them.

“Great.” She swivels to look at her dog. “I have to keep him safe.”

Her scent, her eyes, the mysterious sadness in her gaze; everything draws me in. I lean closer, trying to catch a hint of her Jasmine palate. Willow turns and flinches.

I jerk back, my arm slamming into a ceramic cannister holding a handful of cooking utensils. In slow motion, it skids across the bench, gyrating before leaning over the edge, toying with doom. I launch toward it, hoping to catch the pot before it falls, but my fingers close around a wooden spoon while the holder slips free and smashes to a thousand pieces on the floor.

Merda!

The crash ricochets through the air and the omega screams, covering her head and throwing herself under the overhanging breakfast bar.

“No! No! No!” she wails, rocking into the cabinetry underneath. “I’m sorry! It was an accident!”

Her shoulder slams into the carved wood below the breakfast bar and the golden retriever barks. He runs over, sticking his wet nose into her throat as he climbs up onto her chest.

The omega freezes. Silence descends, eerily poignant after the outburst, as she clutches her dog’s shaggy neck.

What have I done? And more importantly, what did I just witness? “I’m so sor—”

Willow coughs and untangles herself, cheeks pink and tears pooling in her eyes. “I think you better leave.”

The ice in her voice would make the Arctic jealous.

“But the mess,” I protest, pointing to the broken shards. “I’ll clean it up.”

“No.” Her rejection stabs through me like a knife. “Just go.”

She wants me to walk away, to spare her dignity. Sucking in a breath, I turn and flee. I’m halfway down the driveway before I realize I don’t know if she wants me to come back for the fencing.

That shame in her eyes probably means she never wants to see me again, because I’ve glimpsed something she doesn’t want anyone to know about.

I hesitate halfway down the drive, turning back. Is it really okay to leave her in that state?

Chapter three

Jeremy

I slam my brakes hard to avoid the cat dashing across the street and grab at my hat on the dash to stop it flying out the window. The black feline disappears under the wheels of my truck as I screech to a halt.

Shit!

Bracing my hand on the headrest of the passenger seat, I pull up on the curb at an angle and crane over my shoulder. One crazy, suicidal cat darts up the embankment and vanishes between the shrubs in a nearby front yard. My pulse runs at the same speed the animal disappeared at.

A car honks, telling me to get my vehicle’s big ass off the road properly.

“Chill out,” I mutter, driving all the way off to let him pass. “Don’t die for a deadline.”

Once a break in the traffic forms, I pull back onto the road. Can’t be late for work, not with my boss having a stick up his ass about being on time.