Page 84 of Hot Knot Summer
The last command is futile. I’ve already had Levi’s cock in my mouth, had Atlas’s face between my thighs, and watched River’s muscles flex as he won carnival games. My mind has filled in the blanks quite vividly.
I gather my wet hair into a messy bun to keep it off my neck. Then I step back into the hallway, ready to return to my room and figure out what the hell I’m going to do if this really is an early heat. But as I turn toward my bedroom, a scent hits me, warm, rich, intoxicating.
Cinnamon, firewood, andbrown sugar.
Something primal stirs in response. My head turns, seeking the source of that delicious smell, nostrils drawing more into my lungs. My feet follow, one step, then another, drawn as if by an invisible thread.
It’s River. I know it with absolute certainty, though I can’t explain how. The sweet, spicy scent is unmistakably his, and right now, it’s the most delicious thing I’ve ever encountered. My body responds instantaneously, a fresh wave of slick soaking my clean pajama shorts as heat surges through me again.
A small, rational part of my brain screams warnings, telling me to return to my room, to lock the door, to put as much distance between myself and the Alphas as possible. But that voice is drowned out by the overwhelming need to be closer to that scent, to wrap myself in it, to taste it.
I find myself outside his door without any memory of deciding to go there. My hand trembles as it reaches for the doorknob, turning it with exquisite slowness to avoid making noise. The door swings open, revealing a bedroom bathed in silver moonlight.
Slipping inside, I carefully close the door behind me with a soft click that sounds deafening in the quiet room. River is sprawled across his bed, one arm flung above his head and the sheets tangled around his waist, exposing the sculpted planes of his chest and abdomen. The sight makes my mouth water.
I should leave. I should open the door and run back to my room. I should…
I’m already crossing the room, drawn by theintensifying scent that fills the space. It’s everywhere here, concentrated and pure, wrapping around me like an embrace. A small sound, half-purr, half-whimper, escapes me as I breathe it in.
The need to be closer overwhelms all rational thought. Before I know what I’m doing, I’m crawling onto the foot of his bed, sliding under the sheet, drinking in his scent with desperate gulps of air. Each breath makes the ache inside me worse and better simultaneously.
I can’t stop myself from moving higher, drawn to the source of that intoxicating smell. I slide along his body until I’m face to face with him, only then realizing his eyes are open, bright teal gleaming in the darkness.
“Well, hello there, sugar cube,” he murmurs, voice rough with sleep but amusement clear in his tone. “This is a pleasant surprise.”
Despite my state, embarrassment floods me. “I-I’m sorry, I don’t know what I’m?—”
“Shh,” he soothes, his arms coming around me as if it’s the most natural thing in the world to find an Omega in his bed in the middle of the night. “No need to explain.”
His skin against mine is electric, sending sparks dancing across my nerve endings. I shudder at the contact, unable to suppress the small moan that escapes me.
“Bad dream?” he asks, one hand gently stroking my back.
The simple touch shouldn’t feel so good, but in my sensitized state, it’s almost overwhelming.
“Yes,” I manage, struggling to form coherent thoughts with him so close, his scent filling my lungs, his warmth seeping into my overheated skin. “And I don’t feel right. I didn’t want to be alone.”
River shifts, pulling me closer until I’m tucked against his side. Only then do I register that he’s completely naked under the sheets, his arousal evident against my hip. The realization sends another flood of heat through me.
“Well, you picked the right Alpha to cuddle with,” he whispers. “I’m excellent at chasing away nightmares.”
I turn away from him, needing a moment to collect myself, to try to regain some control over my runaway body. But the movement only makes things worse because now we’re spooning, his chest pressed to my back, his arm wrapped around my waist, his breath warm against my neck.
“Mmm,” he hums appreciatively, nose tracing the line of my throat. “Fuck, you smell delicious. Why do you smell so good? And you’re so soft, like velvet.”
The praise sends a shiver down my spine, and I arch back against him. My ass presses against his erection, drawing a sharp intake of breath from him.
I do it again, a deliberate roll of my hips this time, feeling him harden further against me. The friction is delicious, a small relief to the building pressure inside me, but nowhere near enough.
“Be careful, sugar cube,” he warns, voice dropping to a growl that vibrates through me. “I’m not someone who can say no to someone like you.”
The heat in my veins makes me reckless. “Who says I want you to say no?”
“Are you sure you know what you’re asking for?” His hand tightens on my hip, fingers digging into my flesh in a way that’s just shy of painful. “Because right now, you smell like an Omega on the edge of heat.”
The words confirm my suspicion, sending a spike of panic through the haze of desire. “No, I’m not,” I protest automatically. “It’s just from being around you three so much... my body’s just adjusting. My heat isn’t due for another couple of weeks.” Even as I say it, I know it’s a lie, but admitting it makes it real, makes it something I have to deal with.
River’s hand slides up to cup my face, turning me slightly so he can see my eyes. “I’ve been around enough Omegas in heat to recognize the signs. Your scent has been changing for days.”
