Page 61 of Hard Knot

My fingers move to his collar next, undoing the top buttons to reveal his neck. I turn back to Victoria, gesturing pointedly at the unmarked skin.

"No claiming marks," I observe. "Interesting."

Victoria's face flushes. "Holmes is a gentleman," she stammers. "He's waiting for my Heat to initiate all of that."

A laugh escapes me, sharp and mocking.

"How boring," I say, turning back to Holmes. "Isn't it,Holmesovich?" I let his full name roll off my tongue with a hint of Russian inflection, taking the chance to assume his background, though I remember Carter mentioning it.

From somewhere behind me, I hear Felix whisper to Carter.

"Fuck, she's Russian?"

"I had no fucking clue," Carter responds, sounding delighted. "But if she is, even better. Russian Omegas have that bold confidence, and I think anyone who's going to survive Holmes's madness needs to be just as insane."

"I can hear you," I call over my shoulder, before pressing closer to Holmes. I can feel the tension in his muscles, the way he's fighting to maintain his composure.

"Aren't you going to push me away?" I whisper, letting my lips brush against his ear. "Don't want to give your pretty perfect Omega over there the wrong idea."

I trace my tongue along the side of his neck, feeling him take a sharp breath. His body reacts instantly, muscles tensing beneath me. Fighting my own response to his reaction, I pressmy lips to his skin, sucking hard enough to leave a mark that won't fade anytime soon.

Holmes flinches slightly at the sensation, but his hands remain firmly on my hips, neither pushing me away nor pulling me closer.

"You—you didn't get his consent to do that!" Victoria sputters, her perfectly maintained composure completely shattered.

"You're right," I agree cheerfully, admiring the darkening mark on Holmes's neck. "So he should probably push me off his lap if he doesn't like it." I tap my fingers against his chest thoughtfully. "Or better yet, use those lovely words of his. Because I'll be damned if I have to guess, but I'm pretty sure he can definitely speak."

The tension in the room ratchets up another notch as everyone waits for Holmes's response. His jaw is clenched tight, the muscles working beneath his stubble, but still, he remains silent.

Your move, Alpha.

The atmosphere feels oppressive, thick with tension and unspoken challenges I’ve invoked.

Oops? I guess.

Victoria’s gaze cuts into me, her eyes burning with annoyance and jealousy as I perch confidently on Holmes’ lap. Felix and Carter linger just inside the doorway, their faces wearing expressions ranging from bemused curiosity to thinly veiled amusement.

Either way, I’m exactly where I want to be, playing games I know this cunt bitch can’t win when I’m in the lead.

I meet Holmes’ steady silence with a soft smirk, knowing he can sense every shift in my breathing, every tremor of my pulse. His grip on my hips tightens slightly, and while his expression doesn’t waver, his body betrays him.

He’s holding me in place—not to push me away, but to keep me exactly where I am.

The bulge in his pants is further pressing against the thin lining between his erection and my dripping pussy.

“Hmmm,” I hum, tilting my head as my fingers begin tracing idle patterns across the fabric of his pristine white shirt. “Looks like I’m not troubling him enough for him to speak up.”

Victoria’s sharp intake of breath is almost comical, and I can feel her outrage radiating across the room.

I don’t even glance her way as I lean forward, brushing my front side provocatively against Holmes. I toy with the top buttons of his shirt, unfastening them one by one, revealing the taut muscle beneath.

My movements are deliberate, slow enough to make him—and everyone else in the room— wait. When I catch sight of the intricate tattoos etched across his skin, I pause, my fingers stilling for just a fraction of a second.

I tug the fabric back up slightly, covering the markings as if to shield them from Victoria’s prying eyes.

A silent offering of respect.

“I’d love to give you a show,” I murmur, my voice smooth and laced with mock sweetness, “but I respect Victoria’s dignity enough not to stoop that low. Unless,” I pause, leaning in until my lips almost brush Holmes’, “that’s what my Alpha wants from me.”

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