Page 45 of Knot Beneath the Mistletoe

He sits, and suddenly, the small space feels even smaller. His knees spread naturally to accommodate his height, and I have to step between them to reach his face. My hands tremble slightly as I dampen a cotton pad.

“This might sting,” I warn, but he doesn’t flinch when I start cleaning away the blood. The split is small, just catching the edge of his lower lip, but it’s still bleeding sluggishly.

I’m acutely aware of every point of almost-contact between us—the heat radiating from his body, the way his breath ghosts across my wrist as I work, the intoxicating blend of his scent mixed with antiseptic. He watches me with those dark eyes, trying not to smile as I carefully dab at the cut.

“You really are a beautiful person, you know that, Ruby?”

The words catch me off guard. “Not really. You came here for a party and ended up in a fight.”

He chuckles, the sound vibrating through me. “That’s my job, remember? Security’s what I do.”

I’m so close now, I can see the gold flecks in his eyes and could count his eyelashes if I wanted to. My body hums with awareness, every nerve ending alive to his presence. He hasn’t touched me once, but I feel branded by his gaze alone.

“You should learn some self-defense,” he says softly. “I have a studio I go to where I train. I could show you some moves.”

“I can handle myself.” But the image of him teaching me, his hands positioning my body, has heat pool between my thighs in seconds. “Besides, Ash usually takes care of any trouble.”

“Ash isn’t always going to be around.” His voice drops lower, sending shivers down my spine. “And I could teach you a few moves that would have guys like that jerk in the bar on the ground before they knew what hit them.”

I dab at his lip again as a fresh drop of blood wells up. “You make it sound so easy.”

“It is when you know what you’re doing.” His eyes never leave my face as I work. “The human body has so many vulnerable points. Size doesn’t matter nearly as much as people think.”

“Says the man built like a brick wall.”

He chuckles, the sound dark and sexy as fuck. “All the more reason to trust me on this. I’ve trained people half your size who can take down men bigger than me.”

The bleeding’s almost stopped now. No point trying to put a Band-Aid on a lip. “Why do I get the feeling you’re not going to let this go?”

“Because I’m not.” That dangerous smile, again, has my stomach flipping. “Come to my studio. One lesson. If you hate it, I’ll never bring it up again.”

“And if I don’t hate it?”

His eyes darken. “Then we’ll see where it goes.”

Something in his tone makes me feel bold. “You must have dozens of women throwing themselves at you for private lessons. Your girlfriend?—”

“No girlfriend.” His eyes lock with mine. “No wife. No one who’s caught my eye.” The unspoken ‘until now’ hangs between us, and I tell myself I’m imagining the way his scent deepens, his gaze turns hungry.

“Well, you’re all done.” I step back, suddenly needing space to breathe. “You’ll survive to fight another day.”

His hand catches mine, and suddenly, I’m in his arms, pressed against the solid wall of his chest. His heat surrounds me, and I can’t help the small sound that escapes my throat.

“I’m trying so hard to keep my distance.” His voice is rough, desperate. “But your scent... it calls to me. It’s so rare to find someone who captivates me like this.” His free hand hovers near my face, not quite touching. “I don’t mean to come on so fast, but I need to know if it’s just me feeling this.”

I can barely breathe. Every inch of my skin prickles with awareness, my insides screaming to press closer, to let this powerful Alpha do what he wants with me. His chest rises and falls against mine, his heartbeat as wild as my own. We’re sharing the same air, and I’m drowning in cedar and smoke and burning fire.

Three Alphas in my life, and this one—this dangerous, beautiful man—makes me want to throw away every warning, every defense I’ve built. The energy between us crackles like lightning, and I know with bone-deep certainty that if he kisses me now, I’ll be lost.

Maybe I already am.

“Ruby.” He breathes my name like a prayer, his lips so close to mine, I can feel the warmth of his breath. “Talk to me. Tell me what you want?”

I should.God, I should. But the words stick in my throat as his scent wraps around me, making my world tilt. His hand slides up my arm, leaving a trail of goosebumps in its wake until his fingers brush my neck. Just that slight touch sends tingles racing down my spine.

“I...” My voice comes out hoarse. “I can’t think when you’re this close.”

“Good.” That dangerous smile again, but there’s something vulnerable in his eyes. “Because I’ve been thinking too much since the moment I walked in and saw you. Trying to be professional, trying to keep my distance...”

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