Page 165 of Down Knot Out
He draws back and pushes forward again,setting a rhythm that starts slow and builds. Each thrust sends pleasure spiraling through me, tightening the coil in my belly. His mouth finds mine, kisses turning messy and desperate as our bodies move together.
His hand slips between us, thumb circling the bundle of nerves at my center, and the world fragments around the edges. I cry out, fingernails digging into his shoulders as the first wave crashes over me. He follows me over the edge with a groan, his rhythm faltering.
His knot swells, stretching me further, locking us together in the most primal way. The pressure of it sends another wave of pleasure washing through me as his release floods my womb, and his body trembles above mine.
Dominic collapses beside me, careful not to crush me, his arm wrapping around my waist to pull me close, while his knot throbs inside me, a reminder of our connection. We lie tangled together, breathing in sync, skin cooling.
His hand strokes my hair. “I love you. I think I’ve loved you since the first day in seventh-grade English, when you corrected Mr. Thomas about the difference between a metaphor and a simile.”
A laugh bubbles up from my chest. “You remember that?”
“I remember everything about you.” His fingers trace the curve of my hip and the dip of my waist. “The way you twirl your hair when you’re thinking. How you bite your lip when you’re nervous. The exact shade of pink you turn when you’re embarrassed.”
I rest my cheek on his chest, watching the ring glitter in the lamplight as my hand strokes his flushed skin. The blue stone catches the glow, transforming it into something magical. “We have time now to make new memories.”
His arm tightens around me even as his knot releases. “A lifetime.”
The peaceful moment wraps around us like a cocoon, warm and safe. The contentment of my other mates comes through the bond.
Our pack, our family, all under one roof.
I lift my head from Dominic’s chest, smelling wood smoke, like a log left in the fireplace, and my brow crinkles. I don’t remember anyone lighting a fire downstairs.
Dominic’s nose twitches, too, and his body tenses beneath mine. “Do you smell that?”
I inhale again, slower this time, picking up the burning, acidic scent of smoke. Not the fireplace.
Alarmed, we bolt upright at the same time.
Dominic reaches for his pants while I’m alreadymoving, grabbing his shirt to pull over my nakedness.
“Wake the others.” He yanks his slacks up. “I’ll check downstairs.”
I’m already at the door, heart hammering. Out in the hall, the scent of burning grows stronger as smoke creeps in through the vents.
Our home is on fire.
Chapter Forty-Four
Chloe
Smoke crawls through the living room toward us, and I freeze in the hallway, not sure what to do.
“Get Quinn!” Dominic starts pounding on doors. “Fire! The north side is burning! Everyone out!”
I stumble forward, while behind me, doors bang open. Holden emerges in boxer shorts, curls sticking up in every direction as he stares in shocked confusion at the smoke now in the hallway.
Quinn’s door is shut tight, and when I push inside, I’m relieved to find her room still clear of smoke, though the air carries a bitter tang.
“Quinn!” I rush to her bed. “Quinn, princess, wake up.”
She stirs, rubbing away sleep with tiny fists. “Aunt Chloe?”
“We need to go.” I strip back her blankets. “The house is on fire.”
Fear flashes across her face. “Fire?”
I scoop her into my arms, and she clings to me, arms wrapping around my neck and legs around my waist.
