Page 53 of Trick Knot Treat

I step back, but his hand lashes out, grabbing the back of my neck, and then he’s kissing me with a skill that leaves me adrift. He doesn’t take possession of my mouth; he coaxes me into giving it up to him. I cling to him, kissing him back as if air is a secondary need. The heat of him, that scent that’s everywhere. Candied apples and spices. It reminds me of my dad’s home-cooked pies. The ones he makes in the middle of winter and dumps with half a ton of ice cream. The ones that remind me of home.

“You are all in so much trouble when I get free.”

“Then you’ll never be free!” Clint cackles wildly.

I reluctantly pull away from Felix, but it is hard and almost impossible to do.

I reach out and cup his cheek; he turns his face into my palm and kisses it. I can still taste him, I can still feel myself drowning in the need to have him.

Bad move, Khione. You should never have taken that patch off.

My heat that I’ve had suppressed for a year or so is coming on with a vengeance. If I have a heat with this pack, I won’t be able to leave them.

“You cook; I will go and see if we can find common ground.”

Felix clicks his tongue and lets his hand drop, freeing me when I don’t want to be. I make myself walk away from him.

“You know what they will say. What she will say!” Jace hisses.

“Who cares what she thinks, Jace. You are an adult. It’s your life.”

“I have disappointed her enough, don’t you think?”

Clint recoils as if he’s been struck. Okay, so the joke has disappeared, and it’s now ripped open a whole history of anger and hurt.

“Oh, come on, you know I didn’t mean you.”

“Didn’t you, though? Because it wasn’t until there was an us that suddenly you were a problem to her.”

“There was never an us,” Jace says sadly. “We didn’t have time.”

Clint scowls. “And whose fault is that?” He turns and kicks a chair, then snatches up his phone and disappears.

“He’s gone to call Holly to calm down,” Jace explains softly without looking at me.

I nod absently, too busy watching the way Jace is not watching the door where Clint disappeared.

“So, who is she? This omega you are meeting?” I ask in a whisper that holds pure menace.

He jerks hard and focuses on me. “No one.”

“Liar, liar, Mr Pants On Fire. If I have to call in my Zaire Bear, you are going to be in trouble.” I crawl up onto his lap, straddling him and reaching behind him to unpick the rope that has his wrists bound. The time for his date has come and gone; he can’t get back there now.

“Stay for dinner?” I purr and lean in so our cheeks brush.

He shakes his head. “I need to ring and apologise-”

“Do it here, then stay for dinner.”

“No, I-”

“Jace, Alpha,” I murmur and look up through my lashes. “Please?”

He sucks in a breath, his body trembling. Fighting biology. It’s not fun. I shift my weight so my breasts are pressed against his chest.

“Almost there,” I whisper in his ear. “Alpha,” I whine and curl my arms around his neck.

“Okay,” he says tightly. “Okay.”