Page 61 of Seen Knot Heard

He searches my face before placing a tender kiss on my fingertip. Relief eases the tension from his shoulders. “I swear I didn’t snoop more than necessary. It was especially hard not to peek in the folder labeledSmut Files. Very covert of you with the labeling.”

“That’s to warn Grady away. He always pokes around my files. Thank you for respecting my privacy.” I drop a kiss onto his lips. “Play your cards right, bribe me with some cake, and maybe I’ll give you access to all the smut.”

Hands slide down my waist as his eyes heat. “Do you have any specific requests?”

“Mmm.” I rock my hips. “Sausage sounds good.”

He snorts. “You did not just say that.”

“Wrapped up in warm pancakes.” I kiss him again. “Dripping with syrup.”

His hands move to my ass. “That can be arranged?—”

The squeak of the door startles us apart, and Holden surges up, moving to place me behind him and shield me with his body as an enormous, furry shape comes bounding into the room.

With an undignified yelp, I duck under the covers behind him as the massive Newfoundland plants his paws on the mattress and licks Holden’s face.

“Sprinkles!” Holden splutters, attempting to fend off the exuberant greeting. “Down, boy!”

My heart pounds as I peek out from beneath the quilts. Sprinkles’s tail wags with so much force his whole body shakes, his tongue lolling out in a doggy grin. Despite his size, there’s nothing threatening about him. Still, I haven’t overcome my fear of dogs, no matter how nice Sprinkles appears.

“Uncle Holden!” a high-pitched voice calls from the doorway.

Blake’s exasperated shout follows close behind. “Quinn, I told you to leave Uncle Holden alone this morning!”

A little girl, no more than six or seven, marches into the room with her hands on her hips. Her dark hair is pulled up in one pigtail, the other half still loose, and she wears a pink nightgown. “But Uncle Holden always makes the pancakes!”

Blake appears in the doorway, his expression harried as he reaches for his niece, a pink hair band around his wrist. “Quinn, we talked about this. Uncle Holden might be tired. I’ll do the pancakes this morning.”

“No!” Quinn darts forward, scrambling up on the bed. “You don’t make them right!”

Then Quinn spots me behind Holden’s back, and she freezes in surprise.

Embarrassed heat burns my cheeks as I give her a little wave. “Hello there.”

She crawls closer. “You look like the princess in my storybook.”

Blake rushes forward to scoop her off the bed. “Sweetie, remember we met Chloe at the book signing? She’s the author who writes Uncle Holden’s favorite series.”

Quinn scrunches her nose skeptically. “No way! The pretty lady at the signing had yellow hair, like sunshine.”

Self-conscious under her scrutiny, I run a hand through my hair, aware of how different I appear from my author photo, where I disguise myself as a Beta. “That’s a costume I wear.”

A little gasp escapes her. “Because you’re in hiding?”

“Something like that. Authors sometimes have different names and appearances in private.” Blake gives me an apologetic look. “This is Chloe, and she’s very special to your uncles.”

“Oh my gosh!” Quinn wiggles her way out of Blake’s hold. “Stay right here, okay? Promise you won’t leave!”

Before I can respond, she zooms out of the room, her little feet pattering down the hallway.

Blake shakes his head fondly and turns to us, rubbing the back of his neck. “Sorry I didn’t stop her faster.”

“It’s fine, really.” I crawl out of the bed on the far side of the room from Sprinkles. “It’s adorable how excited she is.”

A smile tugs at my lips despite the lingering awkwardness of the situation. There’s something undeniably charming about Quinn’s unbridled enthusiasm.

“I guess this is our cue to get up.” Holden throws back the covers, revealing his pajama bottoms.

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