Page 52 of Knot So Fast
Without hesitation, Lachlan walks over and picks it up, glancing at the screen.
"It's Wren. Speaking of no filter."
"Oh god," I mutter. "Just answer it and put it on speaker. Maybe she has updates on the parent situation."
He does as requested, setting the phone on the side of the tub where I can hear but not accidentally knock it into the water. Wren's voice fills the bathroom immediately.
"Crisis averted, or do I need to start working on that AI simulation?"
"Crisis averted for now," I confirm, trying to ignore how intimate it feels to have Lachlan casually handling my phone while I'm naked in his bathtub. "I told them I'd be back for brunch tomorrow and reminded them that your bike is at their place since you came to pick me up and we drove using my car."
"I figured that would be the excuse," Wren says smugly. "So I already texted them about how I was worried about you too and was so glad they're such caring parents. Really laid it on thick. They're now convinced you have such amazing girlfriends looking out for you, so you owe us drinks. Top shelf stuff, not that bottom-barrel shit you tried to pass off last time."
I sigh in relief, feeling some of the tension drain from my shoulders.
"I certainly do owe you. Thank you for covering. I don't know what I'd do without you and Rory."
"Probably die in a ditch somewhere," Wren says cheerfully. "Or end up married to some boring Alpha who thinks Pilates is a personality trait. Speaking of which, remember—no fucking the shining four-consecutive-wins champion. I don't care how good he looks in racing suits or how his ass probably looks fantastic in?—"
"WREN!" I shriek, my entire face bursting into flames. "You're on speaker! Again! What is wrong with you?"
Her laugh is entirely unrepentant.
"I know. I'm talking to both of you. So you heard me, Lachlan—tame your cock. I know exactly what you Formula One types are like. All that adrenaline and competition makes you think every interaction is a race to the finish line."
Lachlan huffs, crossing his arms over his chest in a way that makes his biceps flex distractingly.
"Whatever," he mutters, but there's a slight flush on his cheeks that suggests Wren's words hit closer to home than he wants to admit.
"See?" Wren continues, clearly enjoying herself. "Stubborn Alphas. They get all mad when you cockblock them, like their dicks are gonna fall off if they don't get laid every five minutes."
"We can still hear you," I remind her weakly, though I'm fighting not to laugh at Lachlan's increasingly grumpy expression.
"I know," she says brightly. "That's the whole point. Someone needs to be the voice of reason here, and clearly, it's not going to be either of you. Not when you're in his house, in his bathtub, probably wearing nothing but bubbles and sexual tension."
"I'm hanging up on you now," I announce.
"Fine, fine. But remember what I said. Your parents will literally murder him if they find out where you really are. And then they'll bring you back to life just so they can murder you too. Don't test them."
She hangs up before I can respond, leaving Lachlan and me in a silence that feels heavy with all the things we're not saying. We stare at each other for a long moment, me mostly hidden by bubbles and him standing there looking like every bad decision I've ever wanted to make.
"I'll be in the kitchen," he says finally, his voice rougher than before. "Are you hungry?"
I open my mouth to say no, to claim that I'm fine and don't need anything from him except maybe answers to the thousand questions spinning through my head.
But my stomach chooses that exact moment to let out a growl so loud it echoes off the bathroom walls.
I groan, sinking lower into the water as heat floods my face.
"Traitor," I mutter to my midsection.
His lips twitch, fighting a smile.
"I'll take that as a yes. I'll cook something."
"Wait," I say before he can leave, something desperate in my voice making him pause. "Come here for a second."
He hesitates, clearly warring with himself, before walking back to the tub. Instead of standing over me, he surprises me by crouching down, balancing on one knee so we're at eye level.
