Page 14 of Knot Beneath the Mistletoe

I flick on the dim lights, revealing rows of kegs and stored supplies. I busy myself checking keg labels, checking them all, trying to ignore how his presence fills the space.

"Most Alphas don't like that about me." I peek at him from behind a shelf. "The whole ‘not knowing my place' thing."

"Most Alphas are idiots." He moves closer, helping me shift some boxes. The muscles in his arms flex beneath his shirt, and my mouth goes dry. "My sisters would love you, you know. They're both fighters, too, always getting into trouble, standing their ground."

I pause, studying him in the dim light. The way his eyes shine when he mentions family, the gentle pride in his voice. There's something so careful about his strength, so controlled.

"So, you see me as a sister?" I aim for banter, but my voice comes out husky. "Interesting."

The change is instant. His scent darkens and fills with want. He moves closer, backing me against the shelf, and suddenly, the basement feels too small, too hot.

"Trust me, Ruby," his voice drops lower, sending shivers down my spine. "What I feel for you..." His hands cage me in, and my breath catches as he leans close. "What I want to do to you... it's nothing like what I feel for my sisters."

My heart pounds so hard, I'm sure he can hear it. "And what exactly do you feel?"

"Been keeping me up at night." His fingers trace my cheek, feather-light. "Thinking about your laugh. Your fire. The way you light up talking about brewing. How you taste..."

His closeness makes me feel drunk on desire and need. Every Omega instinct screams to submit, to let this Alpha claim me. That thought should terrify me. Instead, it has heat pooling low in my belly, drenching my underwear.

"I'm not going to rush you," he continues, thumb brushing my lower lip. "But I need you to know… I like you. More than I should. More than makes sense after just a few days."

"Garrett..." His name comes out like a prayer.

"Tell me to stop." His forehead rests against mine. "Tell me this isn't affecting you too."

I should. Everything I've built, everything I've fought for, screams at me to push him away. To run. To hide.

"Kiss me," I whisper. "Please, I'll die if you don't?—"

His mouth claims mine, and this kiss obliterates our first. It's heat and hunger and desperation. I soften into him as he presses me against the shelves, one hand tangling in my hair while the other grips my hip. A sound escapes me, something between a whimper and a purr that should embarrass me but only makes him growl.

"God, your scent," he groans against my lips. "It's driving me crazy."

"I feel so hot." My skin's on fire wherever he touches, my body moving against him. "Is this normal? To feel like I'm burning up?"

"Let me take care of you." His kisses trail down my neck, and I tilt my head instinctively, baring my throat. "Let me show you how good it can be."

I've never felt like this—like my body's not my own, like I'll combust if he stops touching me. My hands clutch his shoulders as he leaves open-mouthed kisses along my throat, each one sending sparks of electricity straight to between my thighs.

"You taste like heaven," he whispers against my skin. "Like everything I've ever craved."

His thigh slides between mine, and I gasp at the pressure. My hips rock without my permission, seeking more. Heat builds between us, desperate and wild.

"Garrett, I—" I can't finish the thought. Can't think at all with his hands roaming my sides, his scent filling my lungs.

He's kneeling in front of me suddenly, one hand pushing my skirt up to my stomach, the other hand curling around the elastic of my panties.

He glances up at me, and I hold my breath.

"Do you want this?"

I nod, unable to find my words, more sure of this than anything else in my life. In seconds, he tucks my dress into my belt and pushes my underwear down my legs. I step out of them, still unable to believe I'm doing this.

My inhales are coming too fast, and he's smirking, lowering his gaze to my offering, studying me unapologetically.

"So beautiful and shaved for me, too."

There was primal darkness in his voice.

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