Page 36 of Knot A Chance

“Yep,” I said, popping the P. “Probably should have asked sooner.”

“Son of a bitch,” he muttered, giving me another quick kiss. “I will not fuck that up again.” He kissed me again, longer this time. “Are you ready to go?”

“Yes,” I said, walking him backward and out the front door as I continued to kiss him, swiping my tongue into his mouth and moaning in pleasure.

Bennett chuckled against my lips. “If I wasn’t so intent on making you fall in love with me, I’d suggest we just stay in.”

“I could easily fall in love with your dick, alpha,” I said, deflecting from the way Bennett made me feel. The truth was, I wasn’t sure what I’d do if I fell in love. I thought I’d loved Ryder once, and I’d been wrong about that—at least about the type of love we’d experienced. It was more like an addicts’ codependence than anything real.

Will I ever really be able to trust myself to know what love is?

Bennett seemed like the kind of guy who would be sure of himself and his feelings. He didn’t need my complicated self-doubt, and we’d never be able to bond as long as I was still attached to Ryder. An alpha like Bennett deserved a bond with his omega, one where he could sense them and their needs and take care of them the way he clearly wanted to.

Fuck, he would be such a good alpha. Especially during my heat.

A waft of pine filled the air, pulling me from my musings about the future, and I looked up to see Bennett gazing down at me. He stroked my cheek. “I can feel when you start worrying. It’s like the air around you becomes cloudy and your scent changes. I can feel your anxiety.”

I lifted an eyebrow. “Is that normal for you?”

He chuckled and stepped to my right side, intertwining our fingers. “No. It seems to be unique to you.”

“Interesting,” I said, mulling that over as we walked to his truck.

I thought alphas could only feel that strongly when they were bonded. Maybe they can feel more than I realized.

Bennett opened the passenger side door and offered me a hand to help me climb in.

“I’m only two inches shorter than you,” I said, glowering at his almost six-foot frame.

“You’re my date and I’m being chivalrous. Just shut up and enjoy being taken care of.” He leaned in and kissed me softly, nibbling on my bottom lip. “You’re a terrible omega, aren’t you?”

“No, I’m very whiney and needy in heat. Just wait until you see me begging for your knot and you’ll forget all about my moments of independence,” I said, schooling my face as it dawned on me that I’d just implied he would be around for such an intimate experience.

He smiled softly at me and closed the door without saying anything.

Way to go. Now you’re going to scare off a man who already seems obsessed with you. That’s not easy to do, Felix. Good work.

He got in and started the truck, driving toward our date location without a word. The silence was like a black hole that was deeper than the dark of the night surrounding us. I tapped my fingers on my thighs.

Should I say something? Take it back? Tell him we can revisit the matter during my next heat, which is still months away. Just ignore it? I mean, I’m also pretty needy for love and affection in general since my mother was a total narcissist who rarely bestowed any. I could start with that.

Bennett’s hand covered my knee and he squeezed. “Come here.”

He lifted his arm for me, and I slid across the bench seat. He shrugged his shoulder, urging my face toward the scent gland at his neck. I breathed him in, the deep, rich smell of pine trees bringing back memories of Christmas morning, and I relaxed into him.

“I’m afraid I scared you off by talking about my heat,” I mumbled against his skin.

“Not at all.” Bennett kissed the top of my head. “I’m hoping you’ll invite me to join you when it’s time because the brief flash I had in my head of someone else helping you through your heat made me want to punch the side of my truck.”

I looked up at him. “That’s why you’ve been so quiet?”

“I was getting my head on straight so that I didn’t demand that you invite me to take care of you during your heat when we’re literally on our way to our first date.”

I laughed and sat up away from him. “That would have been such a possessive fucker move.”

“Why do you think I’m trying so hard to keep it together?”

I nuzzled into his neck again, scent marking him.