Page 158 of Knot All is Forgiven

"Yeah, yeah," I say, rolling my eyes. We tell the guys at the shop goodbye, and I drag her outside.

Outside, I push her against my bike, brushing my hands down her face. "You are so beautiful," I say, staring into her pale green eyes. "How did I get so lucky?"

A pretty pink flush colors her cheeks. "I'm the lucky one. I'm so glad you never gave up on me, Simon."

"Ah, peaches, if there is one thing I'm not, it's a quitter."

I fit her with her helmet before settling her behind me on the bike. We fly through the city, her hands wrapped tightly around my waist, and I luxuriate in the feel of her pressed against my back.

Sooner than I would like, we pull up outside the house. Jordan pulls her helmet off, her face red from the adrenaline, and throws herself into my arms, kissing me heartily.

She's always riled up after a bike ride, and I'm not above taking advantage of it.

I pick her up, wrapping her legs around my waist, and we stumble through the house, lips clashing and tongues tangling. Footsteps behind me let me know Rafe is following us, and I groan against Jordan's mouth.

I throw her onto the ivory sheets in the nest, admiring how she sinks into the plush surface. Rafe grabs me around the waist and spins me to face him, slamming his mouth down on mine.

When he kisses me, it's a battle for dominance. We both love to win just as much as we love to lose. He wraps his hand lightly around my throat, and my body goes slack at the hold.

"Are we going to have some fun, then?" he mutters against my lips.

Jordan whines from the nest, and I wrench out of Rafe's grip, stripping her out of her boots and clothes.

An hour later, I lay, sticky and panting, with Rafe on one side of me and Jordan on the other. Jordan has drifted off to sleep locked on my knot, and Rafe nuzzles into my neck.

"I'm so fucking happy, Rafe," I say quietly. "I didn't think I'd ever feel like this."

The truth is, I never thought I would deserve it.

But time and time again, Rafe and Jordan have shown me I'm more than I thought I was. When I'm with them, I feel strong and cherished. Jordan trusts me with her heart and body despite everything that happened.

Jordan stirs, wiggling deeper in my arms. "You're my everything, Simon," she says quietly.

I can feel Rafe's smile against my neck as he says, "You're the heart of this pack, Simon. I'm just glad yours was big enough to hold me, too."

Jordan

I drop my paintbrushinto the dirty water cup, stepping back to admire the giant canvas.

Lately, I have found a reprieve in art. It's given me a place to focus my nervous energy and helped us decorate our home. It's not that I'm a great artist, but I could drop a tube of paint on the canvas, and the guys would say it was my best yet.

But this one? This one probably is my best yet.

"Sunshine, you almost ready?" Icarus asks through the door. He knows better than to come in here while I'm painting.

"Yeah, I just had to fix one line. It's good now."

"Does that mean we can see it?" Simon's words are muffled, so he must be pressed against the door.

I pull open the door, and sure enough, he stumbles before craning his neck to try to see around me. "Not yet. We have to wait for the other two. Dinner first."

I rush to get dressed, choosing wide-legged pants and a slinky pink top, straightening my hair, and putting on a thin layer ofmakeup. It's the fourth anniversary of the day I met Icarus. The unofficial day Pack Knight came to be.

It may have taken another nine months or so to cement it, but we were always meant to be together.

We meet Cyrus and Rafe at the restaurant, a new fine dining place owned by my friend Nora's pack. It's gorgeous, with crisp black tablecloths, gold accents, and a unique menu based solely on colors. You choose a color per course, and the chef provides you with a meal that captures the 'essence' of that shade.

After dinner, I drag them all to a little diner I recently discovered. Inside, the hard plastic booths conjure a feeling of nostalgia that is hard to deny.

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