Page 59 of Knot Your Business

I push against his hold, sitting up and palming his neck, kissing him with everything that I can’t manage to put into words yet. He still tastes like whiskey. His scent bleeds out from him, the grapefruit not as controlled as it normally is.

Did he lower his suppressor dosage? Fuck, that would explain why he’s so volatile right now.

“Why wouldn’t you be enough?” I ask, pulling away just far enough to see his eyes. “Ti amo.”

“Good,” he growls. He runs his hand up my chest until it settles at the base of my throat again. “You need her.”

I nod and grab his other hand, lacing our fingers together. “But I need you, too. Just like I need Rylan. Some people aren’t built for monogamy. It took me a long time to become comfortable in the reality that I’m one of them.”

He stares at me, fear and nerves in his eyes. I force myself to stay relaxed under his gaze. When he doesn’t say something, I lean forward and kiss him again. I let my lips track over his jaw and throat, biting the sensitive spot just behind his ear. His scent grows stronger, the grapefruit distinct from his cologne that’s left over from last night.

“I need to make you breakfast,” he murmurs as I trace the line of his collarbone.

“Shower first.”

He grunts and tightens his hold on my throat. “You’re coming with me.”

I pull away, cocking an eyebrow as I smirk. “I’d hope so. Otherwise it would be a boring ass shower.”

His lips curl into an almost-there smile, and that band around my chest loosens.

“Tesoro,” Dominic growls.

I flip the pancakes, playing innocent, and he laughs low in his throat. He steps up behind me, his chest pressed to my back, his arms bracketing me in. His lips are soft where they trace my ear.

“You’re going to regret that,” he whispers.

Goosebumps race down my throat, but I ignore them. Just like I ignore how my dick jumps at the unspoken promise. He marks the skin just below my ear, forcing my head to the side, a purr rumbling through him. I relax into his body, letting him mark me, trying to ease away his fears over the whole match.

Tension slowly eases away from him, his hold on the counter lessening until his knuckles are no longer white.

“Ti amo,” he whispers.

I turn and kiss his cheek. “Love you, too.”

Footsteps echo down the hall, but I ignore them, focusing on Dominic behind me.

“I’ll grab it as soon as we get you dropped off,” Rylan’s voice is low and soothing. “You won’t be late, and you won’t be missing your robes. I promise.”

I glance over my shoulder—and Dom’s. Rylan holds Violet’s hand, keeping her from grabbing a set of keys thrown on the kitchen island. Anxiety is written all over her face, her lips turned down and her hands trembling.

“What’s wrong?” I ask, flipping the last pancake onto the plate beside the stove.

Dominic tenses behind me, the small intimacy from a moment ago nowhere to be found. He pulls away, his hands dropping to his sides.

“I forgot my robes at the dorm,” Violet says after an extended silence.

Rylan guides her into one of the chairs on the other side of the island, tucking her hair behind her ear. She’s already done it into waves and pinned part of it back, and her makeup is flawless, black mascara and copper eyeshadow making the hazel of her eyes pop.

“The ceremony’s on campus, right?” I ask.

Dominic pulls away from me, plating a few of the pancakes and leaning against the counter. He’s left as much room as possible between him and Violet. She glances at him before nodding, picking at the gold necklace she wears.

“I’ll drop you both and then swing by her dorm and grab them,” Rylan says.

I set the pancakes on the island before grabbing some fruit from the fridge. I pick out a few strawberries and put them on the same plate Rylan’s making for Violet. Her eyes flick to me, surprise flashing across them. I add another one just to make my point clear. Her cheeks darken. I palm her cheek, leaning across the island until I can just press my lips to hers.

A growl boils out from Dominic, and she ducks her head, suddenly focused on her food.

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