Page 26 of Knot Beneath the Mistletoe

"I have my sources." I watch her take a cookie, fighting back a grin at her expression of pure bliss.

"Mm-hmm." She eyes me over the rim of her mug. "So, what other secrets are you hiding up here in your mountain fortress?"

"I can't give away all my secrets." I lean back on my hands as she curls to stare at me, her hand collecting a second cookie.

"You're not what I expected."

"No? What did you expect?"

"I don't know. Some macho Alpha guide who'd try to mansplain hiking to me. Or treat me like I'm made of glass because I'm an Omega." She shrugs. "Not... you."

"Sorry to disappoint."

Her gaze lifts instantly. "I didn't say it was disappointing." Her eyes meet mine, and fuck, there's heat there that has nothing to do with the morning sun streaming through the window.

I force myself to stay still as she studies me, her head tilted slightly.

"So what am I like then?" I ask.

"You're..." She pauses, worrying her bottom lip in a way that's fucking distracting. "Approachable, but not soft. Strong without being domineering. And you tell terrible jokes."

"My jokes are amazing."

Ruby shifts closer, maybe without realizing it. Her knee brushes mine, and the contact sends a buzz right to my balls.

"Thank you," she says quietly. "For last night. For not... taking advantage."

A growl builds in my chest at the implication she thought I might. "I would never?—"

"I know." She cuts me off, laying her small hand over mine. "That's what I mean. You didn't have to be so careful with me. But you were."

Her touch is like a brand on my skin. I turn my hand over slowly, letting our palms press together. Her fingers are tiny compared to mine, but they fit perfectly between the spaces.

"You deservecareful," I tell her, meaning it more than I've meant anything in a long time.

Something vulnerable flashes across her face. "Even after I proved how helpless I am? Getting locked out, needing rescue..."

"Hey." I catch her chin with my free hand, tilting her face up to mine. "You're not helpless. You survived hypothermia-inducing conditions until I found you. You kept your head, kept moving, kept fighting. That's not weakness, Ruby. That's strength."

She blinks rapidly, but I keep hold of her chin, thumb brushing along her jaw.

She's smiling, too, not pulling her hand from mine.

The morning sun catches her hair again, turning it into a living fire. That stubborn curl taunts me, and before I can think better of it, I reach up to tuck it behind her ear. Her breath catches at the touch, pupils dilating slightly.

"Knox..." My name is barely a whisper on her lips.

A door slams somewhere downstairs, breaking the moment. Ruby freezes, quickly getting off the bed and putting her cup down. I have to bite back a growl of frustration.Right. The rest of the world exists. Including two soon-to-be ex-clients I need to deal with.

"I should go handle that," I say reluctantly, standing. "You can stay up here as long as you want. No one else comes to this part of the cabin."

She nods, already drawing back into herself slightly, but then she catches my hand as I turn to leave. "Knox?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you. For... everything."

There's so much I want to say. Want to tell her about Garrett, about her friends asking for us to date her, about how I've been looking for her my whole life without knowing it. Want to pull her into my arms and never let go. Want to track down everyone who ever hurt her and make them pay.

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