Page 123 of Knot Made to Break: Part One

Seeing her like this, witnessing her distress, had my chest tightening all over again.

Without a word, I stripped and stepped into the shower, joining her in the steamy heat. My hands went gently to her shoulders, and my mate leaned back, pressing into my warmth and strength.

At least she wasn’t pushing me away.

For a long, quiet stretch of time, neither of us spoke. Instead, I grabbed the soap and began washing her body. Each stroke was slow and deliberate, focused solely on caring for my woman and not on the lust I always felt when she was near. Kit remained tense at first, but relaxed almost instantly as I massaged the muscles in her shoulders and back. My thumbs made broad sweeps, increasing the pressure with each pass, kneading all the tender spots.

Her groan of relief was fucking music to my ears.

Reaching for the shampoo, I massaged it into her scalp, keeping my fingers gentle but firm. A soft sigh escaped herlips, and the remnants of tension bled away. I helped her rinse, condition, and rinse again before wrapping my arms around her waist, resting my chin on the crown of her head.

“We’re going to be fine, Dolcezza,” I whispered. “We’ll do whatever it takes to keep you safe. To keep you with us. For-fucking-ever.”

Slowly, my Omega turned toward me, water dripping down her cheeks, mixing with her emotions. Her dark hair clung to the curves of her face and the slope of her neck, cascading down her back like an onyx waterfall.

She peered up at me, her voice soft but resolute, her confession utterly raw. “I love you, Giovanni. I can’t lose you.Anyof you.”

Her declaration struck me as intensely as a bolt of lightning. I swear my heart fucking stopped before jolting back to life, somehow soaring and free-falling all at once. How long had I waited to hear those words from her pretty little mouth? They sank into my bones, grounding me. She was ours.Mine. And I’d die before I let anything happen to her.

I swallowed hard, my throat bobbing. “I love you too, sweetness. So damn much it hurts.”

Overwhelmed with emotion, I leaned down and kissed her softly, cradling her face in my hands, pulling her flush.

“Goddamn, that feels good to say,” I murmured against her lips. “I love you more than you’ll ever know.”

“Gio,” she gasped, but I was already stealing another kiss, deeper and more intense, as though I could freeze time, hold her here in this moment, shield her from the world and the hard shit that was to come.

Right then, nothing else existed but the two of us. Not the heartbreak of the past or the stress about what tomorrow might hold.

We broke apart slowly, reluctantly.

“Please be careful tomorrow,” she whispered, barely audible over the shower’s steady stream.

I hugged her closer, kissing her forehead, then the tip of her nose. “We’re going to be fine. This isn’t our first battle, and it won’t be the last, but I have extra incentive to fight like hell to come home each and every time.”

“I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to how dangerous your life can be. I can’t… I can’t live without you, Gio.”

“Dolcezza,” I rasped hoarsely. “Don’t you know? There’s nothing in this world that could keep us apart. I’d raise hell or lower heaven to be with you, sweetness.”

Tears leaked from her eyes, leaving wet trails down the apples of her cheeks. I kissed each one away, murmuring sweet nothings in between, trying to soothe the raw ache I could practically feel.

Turning off the water and reaching for a towel, I dried her off gently, starting with her hair, then her arms, working my way thoroughly down her body. Kit’s gaze was soft and full of love as she watched me, allowing me and my Alpha instincts this moment to take care of her, to make things right.

I was sure my brothers were pacing beyond the door, but like the greedy bastard I was, I didn’t rush, savoring this quiet intimacy that was just for us.

Once she was dry, I quickly toweled off while she took time to gather her damp hair into a messy bun on top of her head. I watched in amusement as she stole my shirt and pulled it on. The fabric swam on her. Hitting mid thigh, it fit more like a dress. But I loved it. Loved that she was surrounded by my scent. There was something hot and primal about knowing my signature was on her skin.

I tugged on a pair of boxers, and when we were done, I swept Kit into my arms, carrying her bridal-style out of the bathroom like the precious fucking bundle she was.

My brothers all jumped to attention from where they were impatiently waiting: Dimitri by the window, arm propped on the wall as he stared into the night, Marco lounging on the bed, his fingers tapping his thigh, betraying his restless anxiety, and Tommy flicking one of his many knives open and closed while he sat on the plush accent chair, elbows planted on his knees while he leaned forward, absently studying the floor.

But the moment we stepped back into the room, they bolted to attention, their combined gazes roving over the Omega nestled in my arms.

Her skin was warm and rosy, her eyes sparkling from the tears she’d shed, and there were a few strands of damp hair curling free from her updo to frame her beautiful face.

“You ready for bed, Angel?” Marco asked, patting the spot next to him on the massive mattress.

Silently contemplative, Kit bit her lip. “Can we... Can we spend the night in my nest?”

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