Page 44 of Knot in Their Wildest Dreams: Part 1

We entered the grand hall, hand in hand, the air thick with wealth and whispered negotiations. I had dressed for the occasion, but Celeste, well, she was made for this world. She wore a sleek black dress, off-the-shoulder and tailored to perfection, stopping just above her knees in a way that was both elegant and devastatingly tempting. She moved with the confidence of someone who knew she belonged here.

I needed to focus on making the most of this date, not being distracted by the way Celeste’s bright eyes scanned the room, her lashes framing the blue-green that had become my favorite color.

Celeste moved through the auction hall like she was born to rule it. With a smile, she shook hands with a venture capitalist she clearly knew well, seamlessly recalling details about his latest real estate investment. "I heard your project is ahead of schedule. That’s impressive in this market," she said, her voice carrying the perfect warmth to put an alpha at her mercy.

The man blinked in surprise before his expression turned appreciative. "Not many keep up with that level of detail, Miss Harringday. And you must be…?” His eyes flicked to me, assessing.

"Vigo," Celeste answered smoothly before I could. "One of the founders of Manticore Tech. I’m sure you’ve heard of them."

The shift was immediate. His posture straightened, the cautious wariness in his eyes giving way to genuine interest. "Ah, yes. Manticore. Impressive work you’ve done. It’s a pleasure to meet you."

I was pleased that his reaction was more mature, and not the usual wide-eyed shock and hushed whispers like we usually got in public.

He took a slow glance around the room, his gaze skimming over the curated displays before returning to us. "So, tell me, anything in particular you have your eye on?" He gestured subtly to the collection around us.

Before Celeste could respond, I flashed a grin. "Well, between the priceless art and the exquisite company, I think I've already placed my highest bid on the latter." I wrapped my arm around Celeste’s waist. Celeste seemed surprised at my compliment, looking at me in a way that made me feel like a kid with a crush.

The gentleman chuckled, then clapped me on the shoulder.

“You’re a good one, I can tell.” He winked and walked off, leaving me with Celeste. I watched her, caught in the dissonance between the woman I had believed her to be and the one standing beside me now.

“You really are quite the charmer. I can’t imagine how you’d be if we were on a real date.” She said with a grin, and I couldn’t stop myself from letting my mind wander to a place where we were just regular people, not in a contract, not business adversaries, just a man and a woman on a date. Everything felt perfect - if I just denied the reality of who she was for a moment.

“You know, although your company is my competition, you really are good people for the most part. Why are you so incredibly resentful of me?” She asked, and I stepped back at her abrupt question.

“It’s not resentment.” I said with absolute truth.

“Then what? You should know by now that I don’t want to tear down your company. We can both exist in the same space. So why are you all still so…” she paused, her delicate brow forming a frown as she looked down, gathering her thoughts. “So against me?” She finished.

“Celeste, you know why. Don’t pretend that Harringday welcomes competition like Manticore. There was more going on than just coincidence.” I answered, thinking back to all the times we’d been sabotaged. I knew there were explanations for some of it, but not everything. Especially the biggest thing. I wondered how close she was to the truth. If she suspected we knew more than we were letting on.

She stared at me for a moment, then dropped my hand as she wandered off to look at the auction items. I watched her, marveling at her grace, the way she focused intently on each item as she observed it. Despite knowing she was keeping her own secrets, I couldn’t stop myself from wanting more of her. Trailing a few steps behind, I wondered why it had to be her - why my body, my very being, seemed bound to her alone. After a while, she paused before a painting, her gaze lingering as she took in the art.

I stood behind her, unable to stop myself from getting closer to her. She’d avoided wearing her perfume replica tonight. I secretly wished she would have worn it. The sweet jasmine, bergamot and cashmere scent was the only thing I’d been craving, and she hadn’t let herself perfume or even wear the replica around me since the party where we found out she was our match.

I was only a few feet behind her, but I stepped in closer until I was only inches away, leaning down without thinking. I wanted a scent of her, any whiff, as I smelled her hair. I closed my eyes and was so caught up in my need that I didn’t notice her move. My nose grazed the back of her neck, and my eye snapped open as he looked at me in surprise.

Her pupils were large like saucers as she set her gaze on me. It ignited something in me - knowing she was just as turned on by me as I was by her. Her cheeks turned pink, then she stammered as another guest approached us to greet her. We had a small conversation, but I couldn’t be bothered to even remember the guest’s name. I could now only think of Celeste, her big eyes, and her flushed cheeks as she worked to keep herself in control.

When we were alone again, we walked toward another item and she shot me a glance.

“Were you craving something?” She asked, and slowly tilted her head to show me more of her neck in a diabolical move.

Internally, I was dying. My body demanded I bite her, bond her to me, and I struggled to fight my alpha instincts. And she knew just how to play with me. This little tease.

“Oh, Celeste - you are flirting with danger.” I replied in a low voice. She laughed, the sound of her voice my new favorite music, then slowly grazed her neck with her fingers, as if she was only absentmindedly touching herself and not stoking the fires of an alpha who hadn’t been laid in over a year.

“You don’t look so dangerous to me.” She said, leaning in playfully. Jesus. This woman was reckless, and I loved it.

“Unlike Liam, I’m not one to hold back just because we’re in public.” I replied, my heart beating faster at the way she bit her lip, the way her eyes flitted down quickly to look at my mouth, then lower, then coming back up to meet my eyes.

“What do you think of this piece?” She said, moving next to me as she suddenly looked at the oil painting. “Does it move you?”

I looked at the painting, tilting my head and frowning. I was trying to figure out why she was so interested in the painting so suddenly when I felt her fingers trailing up the front of my thigh. She was angled in a way that no one would tell what she was doing - her touch starting out low and moving upwards, sending shockwaves through me as she moved higher and higher over my trousers.

I groaned at her touch. She knew how much this was affecting me, a scent match teasing her alpha in a room full of people. I knew I would get hard in a moment if she kept it up.

“Celeste.” I warned through gritted teeth. “What do you think you’re doing?”

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