Page 46 of Knot Beneath the Mistletoe

His thumb traces my jaw, and my knees nearly buckle.

“Why?” The question slips past my lips.

“Because….” His other hand settles on my hip, steady and warm. “I don’t want to rush this, don’t want to scare you away, but...” He inhales sharply. “Your sweet scent is driving me crazy.”

I’m trembling now, caught between wanting to run and wanting to climb him like a tree. His fingers thread through my hair, and I’m lost in the sensation, in his scent, in the magnetic pull between us. He leans in, and I can feel the inferno of his lips just a breath away from mine.

My heart pounds so hard I’m sure he can hear it. This is it. This is?—

“Ruby!” Ash’s voice echoes down the hallway. “Got a situation out here!”

I jerk back like I’ve been shocked, nearly stumbling in my haste.

“I-I better go.” My voice comes out breathless.

Dominic hasn’t moved, one hand still raised where it had been in my hair. His eyes are dark, savage, fixed on me like I’m the only thing in his world. He doesn’t look frustrated or worried—if anything, he looks like a predator who knows his prey can’t escape for long.

“I, um...” I smooth down my dress with trembling hands, trying to find my usual snark. “Duty calls. Places to be, fires to put out. You know how it is.” I’m babbling, but I can’t seem to stop. “Running a bar. Always something catching fire. Not literally. Usually.”

“Go.” His lips curve into that brutally sexy smile. “But Ruby?”

I pause at the door, my hand on the knob, glancing back. “Yes?”

“Come to the studio sometime this week. Let me teach you how to defend yourself.”

It’s not just about self-defense. We both know that. I find myself nodding.

The promise in his voice follows me all the way back to the bar, along with the lingering sensation of his almost-kiss.

I wonder if this is how Mom felt at first—this intoxicating blend of desire and danger—but something feels different about Dominic. Something feels... right.

And that’s exactly what scares me the most.

14

RUBY

The last glass is finally polished and every surface is gleaming. At 2:17 a.m., I drag myself up the back stairs to my apartment, my feet aching from hours in heels. The Christmas party tonight was a success, another event perfectly executed, but God, I’m exhausted.

My apartment is dark and cold. I crank up the heater and strip off my clothes, leaving them in a trail to the bathroom. The hot water hits my shoulders, and I groan in relief, letting it soak into my tired muscles.

That’s when his face floods my mind again.

Dominic.

Sitting in that seat, legs spread wide, watching me with those dark eyes that seem to see straight through me. The way he drew me closer, barely touching, until I was standing between his thighs, my heart hammering hard.

“Stop it,” I whisper to myself, but my hands are already moving over my skin, imagining they’re his. Down my breasts, pausing, then rolling my fingers over my erect nipples. A moan spills past my throat. Those huge hands could probably span my entire waist.

I drop my arms because I shouldn’t tease myself.

So, I reach up and pump body wash into my palm, the steamy air filling with vanilla and honey, yet all I can smell is him—that intoxicating scent of cedar and masculine sex.

His voice plays in my head, a low rumble that vibrates straight down between my thighs.

“I’m trying so hard to keep my distance.”

He didn’t even have to use Alpha command to put me under his spell. I would have done anything he wanted at that moment.

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