Page 61 of Hot Knot Summer
“I did a research project on fear responses during my engineering master’s,” I explain. “Panic reactions to fire alarms versus actual fires. I had to study phobic responses as a comparison point.”
“Of course you did,” she says.
We sit in silence for a moment, the earlier awkwardness gradually dissolving into something more comfortable. Then, she clears her throat.
“So,” she begins, not quite meeting my eyes. “About... what happened...”
“The spider assassination has been classified as a top-secret operation,” I say solemnly. “All details are strictly need-to-know.”
Relief floods her expression. “Thank you. I’d rather not have the whole naked, screaming Omega story become pack dinner conversation.”
“Your dignity is safe with me,” I assure her. Then, because I can’t quite help myself, I add, “Though the image itself... that might be permanently etched into my memory.”
Her blush returns full force. “Levi!”
I raise my hands in mock surrender. “I’m just being honest! I’m a visual person with an eidetic memory. It’s both a blessing and a curse.”
“Right now, it sounds like a curse for me,” she mutters.
I can’t help myself. Standing, I move closer to her, watching as her eyes widen slightly, pupils dilating as I approach. When I’m standing directly in front of her, close enough that she has to tilt her head back to maintain eye contact, I lean down slightly.
“I can make it up to you, you know,” I say, my voice dropping lower.
“Make... what up to me?” she asks, her own voice barely above a whisper.
“The embarrassment,” I clarify. “I can even the playing field.”
Her eyebrows furrow in confusion. “How?”
I lean even closer, close enough to catch the subtle vanilla-and-old-books scent that clings to her skin even after her shower.
“I’ll strip for you,” I murmur. “Let you see me naked. Only fair, right? Because now I won’t ever be able to sleep without seeing you so beautifully displayed in front of me.”
For a moment, she just gapes at me, shock written across her features. Then, something shifts in her expression.
“Are you seriously offering to get naked as some kind of... consolation prize?” she asks, her voice caught between incredulity and something darker, hungrier.
“I’m offering to restore cosmic balance,” I say with exaggerated seriousness. “It’s simple mathematics.One naked Omega plus one naked Alpha equals equilibrium.”
A startled laugh escapes her. “I never thought I’d hear someone use math as a seduction technique.”
“Is it working?” I ask, genuinely curious.
She studies me for a long moment, her hazel eyes unreadable. “You’re different when we’re alone,” she finally says. “Less...”
“Reserved?” I suggest.
“I was going to say ‘buttoned-up’,” she admits. “When Atlas and River are around, you’re so careful. Precise. Now, you’re all...” She gestures vaguely at my current position, looming over her with clear intent.
“They know who I am,” I explain simply. “I don’t have to prove anything to them. But you...” I trail off, considering how to articulate the strange effect she has on me. “You make me want to show you more.”
Something vulnerable flashes across her face. “Yeah, right,” she scoffs, but there’s a breathless quality to her voice that betrays her affected nonchalance. “Consider yourself lucky for a one-time look. It’s not happening again.”
I cock an eyebrow. “Are you sure about that?”
The front door opens before she can answer, and the scent of pizza fills the cabin. River enters first, balancing three large boxes, followed by Atlas with a paper bag that smells like garlic bread.
“Honeys, we’re home!” River sings out, kicking the door shut behind him. “And we bring offerings of cheesy goodness for our—” He stops mid-sentence,eyes darting between Emma and me, taking in our proximity and the charged atmosphere. “Are we interrupting something?”
