Page 57 of Knot Only For One Night

“Can we talk?” Reed’s voice is closer now, and Neven’s hands give my waist a comforting squeeze. I nod and push my hair from my face as I turn to face my scent match.

“Yeah.” My voice trembles despite trying to sound as cool as a cucumber. Reed grabs my hand to guide me away from the bar, and my face can’t decide on whether to flush beet red or drain of all color entirely.

This is just him being polite. Nothing more. Nothing less.

His tattooed hands under the red lighting are so alluring. I home in on them, staring at the dark ink as we wind through the bar.

The omega guides me toward the back and up a claustrophobic staircase. Soon, the music and the voices dissipate and his pancake scent intensifies, buttery crisp batter tinged with an about-to-burn edge. I stop myself from drooling. Harder is trying to keep my omega from reading into that delicious scent. From trying to soothe his worries.

That’s not my job, despite how much I may want it to be.

We stop in an upstairs hallway away from the noise, though the constant thumping is distracting enough for me to hold my shit together.

“Oh, Princess.” His voice is soothing as one hand reaches up to my face but stops right before he makes contact.

Heart dropping, I turn my face away. “You don’t have to do that,” I mutter. He hasn’t let go of my hand yet. His large hand swallows mine, warmth I crave shooting up my wrist.

“Do what?”

Anger flashes through my vision. “Just because we’re scent matches⁠—”

“I—I shouldn’t have…” His eyes are downcast. The object in my purse burns. My omega convinced me that giving it to him would make him feel better, but I know it won’t.

“It’s fine, I don’t expect anything of you,” I say, swallowing my nerves. They taste rancid going down my throat, but I refuse to be manipulative in any way. “Especially not for my… you know.”

“That’s not why I asked you to talk.”

“It is what it is.” My words prod at the persistent ache in my chest, but I keep my face impassive by some miracle. His brown eyes and blond hair glow under the single light in the hallway. The smell of pancakes and humid air in the hallway fill my senses. It’s becoming much harder to remian… cool.

“It’s not.”

“Then what do you want to do? The last thing I’ll ever do is force someone to be with me. I can’t do it⁠—”

His lips on mine silence my rant. His scent explodes, growing stronger as he presses his body against mine and backs me against the wall.

He fits so perfectly against me. My hands find his hair, and he cradles the sides of my face. He presses closer like he can’t get close enough and for the life of me, I wish my strength in pushing him away was stronger.

I folded. Completely folded the moment his lips met mine. My knees get weak as my chest fills with warmth only a scent match could give me. His lips are exploring, a force and confidence that only Reed could have. His tongue slips past my lips. I let him lead. More so because I don’t know what I’m doing but I feel like…. I feel like he might need this as much as I do.

A chance to lead something. Lead me.

CHAPTER 19

REED

She’s mine. She is absolutely mine, and nothing I tell myself or try to force myself to do could keep me away from her.

Not even if I wanted to.

Her bright brown eyes looked up at mine, and I lost all sense. I wasn’t supposed to… I wasn’t going to kiss her.

I just couldn’t stop myself.

She was rambling and rambling about dis-inviting me to her heat, and I couldn’t bear the thought of not being there. Of not being with her.

Of not seeing her blush, or smile, or hell glare.

Esper Malent is mine.