Page 73 of Trick Knot Treat

He reaches around me and guides my hands into the right spot. I try to breathe evenly, but I think he can probably feel my racing heart. It’s got to be impossible to miss.

“There, that’s better. Just like that. See how the colours work together and the lead lines will hold them in place. It’s beautiful.”

“Yes, you are.”

SHIT. Did I say that out loud?

Clint presses closer, and I feel his face press against my shoulder.

“Holly thought you were hot.”

I scowl. “Holly?”

“She’s my best friend. She has muff friends.”

“What the fuck is a muff?”

I can feel him laughing, and I’m torn between being embarrassed, annoyed, and amused.

“It’s okay. She’s not interested in me, and I’m not interested in her, but she pointed you out to me and said on your first day in town, ‘that one.’ I said to her, ‘him? Really?’ And she just smiled and said, ‘that alpha is hot, and he’s the opposite of everything you are. He’s the one you need.’ And then we forgot about that conversation, well, I did, until right now, in this moment, when all I can think about is how badly I want to kiss you and ask you to stay the night.”

“You’re cooking, then.”

Clint is silent for a long moment. “Okay.”

“You can kiss me after dessert.”

His arms encircle my waist, and I feel less alone than I have in years.

“Okay, Zaire. You can count on it.”

He moves away and resumes the lesson like nothing has happened, even though my mind is tripping, he is focused and his usual self.

I barely taste dinner or dessert, and then we’re sitting on the couch with a beer each, and I am so nervous I could puke, his thigh pressed to mine. All I can think about is that he promised to kiss me, and suddenly, he’s there, and I can see clear grey-blue of his eyes, the long dark eyelashes. He’s got a tiny, white star-shaped scar on his cheekbone, and he’s just really, really pretty.

“Do you want me to stop?” Clint asks.

I grab his neck, holding him still, stopping him from backing away. He slides down onto my lap, his weight foreign; the way he feels is strange but right. And when he dips, his mouth hovering just over mine, I tilt my face up, closing the distance.

Hours later, he pulls his kiss-swollen lips from me and throws himself sideways on the couch.

“Okay, I agree.”

“Okay?” I ask, confused.

“Okay. We’re pack. I’m afraid you’re stuck with me.”

“Just like that?” I ask, amused that I’ve already come to the same conclusion.

“Oh, yeah. When you know, you know, and I could kiss you until the day I died. Nothing that feels so good could be so wrong.”

I roll over, crushing his body into the couch, returning to that kiss that has set my blood on fire.

Chapter 18

Jace

Idon’t go to the station, it will only result in me being chewed out by my boss for not having a life outside of work. But if you were in love with the one person you couldn’t have, you, too, would focus all your time and energy on anything else that gets you through the day.