Page 37 of Hard Knot

I force a laugh that sounds hollow even to my own ears.

"I just motivate them to not become me. I'm doing a good deed in this world."

The movement is sudden – Carter rises from his position at my feet, his hands coming up to grip my cheeks. The touch is firm but gentle, forcing me to meet his gaze.

"Carter?" His name comes out uncertain, questioning.

He says nothing at first, his expression stern and intense.

Then he leans in, brushing his lips against mine with devastating gentleness. The kiss is light, teasing – his teeth grazing my bottom lip in a way that makes my breath catch.

"You're no one's form of entertainment," he says against my mouth, each word precise and heated. "That's not your role here. Get that shit out of your mind."

Confusion swirls through me at his sudden intensity, but before I can respond, his thumb is tracing my bottom lip, followed by another firm kiss that makes my toes curl.

"You know why they say all that shit?" His voice is low, dangerous. "They fear the day you'll tap into the real you. The empowered you that knows no one can fucking touch you." His thumb continues its maddening path across my lip as he speaks. "They're not afraid of you remaining here. No. They're frightened you'll finally find those puzzle pieces you need to be complete.Whole.A value in this society that has done everything to shun you away."

His eyes search mine, intense and burning.

"You know why?"

I shake my head, mesmerized by the darkness in his gaze, the way it makes my stomach flip with anticipation.

"Because you're the one who won't hesitate to fight back." His voice drops lower, taking on a predatory edge that should frighten me but only makes heat pool between my legs. "The one who will use every resource to ruin all those who enjoyed closing doors in your face and making you belittle your worth."

I swallow hard, my throat suddenly dry as he leans in close.

His breath fans across my ear as he whispers, "No one at Knot Academy is ready for you, Abbie, and trust me. All we need is a semester at this shithole and they'll see what it's like to try and belittle what's tainted with sin.Our sin."

A shiver runs through me as his lips find my neck, teeth grazing that sensitive spot just below my ear that sends electricity down my spine. His scent surrounds me – that intoxicating mix of vanilla and whiskey now threaded through with something darker, more primal.

When he pulls back, I feel almost bereft, but then he's reaching for his blazer. The gesture when he drapes it over my shoulders is oddly intimate, his hands lingering longer than necessary to adjust the collar.

"Let's go," he says, extending his hand to me.

I stare at his offered palm – large, strong, capable of both destruction and the gentlest touch. It's a crossroads, I realize. A choice between maintaining my carefully constructed walls and taking a leap into something that could either save or destroy me completely.

Time seems to stretch as I consider his hand, my mind racing with possibilities.

Five years of isolation, protecting myself…of being the ‘Forgotten One’ – all of it could change with this simple gesture.

Or it could all come crashing down.

But as I look up into those hazel eyes, dark with promise and something that looks dangerously like understanding, I realize I'm tired of playing it safe.

Tired of being a form of entertainment, being forgotten, and…being alone in this big frightening world.

I don’t want to be stuck here forever…

Slowly, deliberately, I place my hand in his.

His fingers close around mine instantly, warm and prominent, and something clicks into place – like finding the first piece of a puzzle you didn't even know you were trying to solve.

I feel safe, which is crazy to say or admit when we’ve barely known each other for an hour, but would it hurt to trust him long enough to see where this leads?

Maybe it's time to stop being the broken swan and fight to be free.

Dangerous Territory

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