Page 39 of Down Knot Out
Understanding flickers across her face.
“My mother didn’t take it well,” I continue, wanting to finish the story. “When we refused to meet any more of her candidates, she gave me an ultimatum. Either I return to the Sterling pack and take the path she’d laid out for me, or I was cut off, both financially and from the family.”
“And you chose your friends,” Chloe says, without a hint of resentment.
“I chose my real family.” I clutch her hand tighter, willing her to understand. “The people who accepted me as I was, not as they wanted me to be.”
Tears shimmer in Chloe’s eyes, reflecting the dim light of her apartment like twin pools of rose quartz. Her bottom lip trembles, and I hate myself for putting that expression on her face.
I didn’t tell my story to see her cry. I reach out, cupping her cheek in my palm, her skin warm and soft beneath my touch. “I’m sorry.” My thumb brushes away a tear that escapes down her cheek. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”
“It’s not—” She swallows, leaning into my touch. “I just wish you weren’t forced into that choice.”
“Me, too.” I wipe away another tear. “And I wish I’d been brave enough to stand up to my family sooner.”
Her hand lifts to cover mine. “We were children, Dom. Dependent on people who should have protected us instead of tearing us apart.”
“I know.” I lean closer, our foreheads almost touching. “But I wish I’d found my courage earlier.”
“I forgive you,” she whispers, the words goinga long way toward healing the hurt between us. “We can’t change the past.”
“No, but we’re here now.”
The space between us shrinks, her breath mingling with mine. Our lips meet in a soft kiss, her mouth warm, tasting faintly of the strawberry lip gloss. I restrain myself from deepening the contact, mindful of her warning to behave.
Chloe pulls back first, her hand pressed to my chest. “Your heart is racing.”
“You tend to have that effect on me.”
A hint of mischief quirks her lips. “You’re supposed to be behaving.”
“This is me behaving. Believe me, the alternative would have us already in the bedroom.”
Her cheeks flush, pink blooming beneath her skin.
The sight emboldens me. If not now, when? The small box has been burning a hole in my pocket all day.
“I have a gift for you.” I sit back, though I don’t go far. “I was waiting for the right moment, but I’m not sure that exists.”
Her expression shifts, curiosity taking hold. “What is it?”
My fingers dip into my pocket, retrieving the small velvet box. It fits in the palm of my hand,unassuming in its navy-blue casing. I hold it out to her, suddenly unsure. “It’s not the same as the one you lost, but I hope you like it.”
Chloe stares at the box, her lips parting in surprise. “Dom…”
“Just open it before I lose my nerve.”
Her fingers brush mine as she takes the box, and a spark jumps between us. She opens it slowly to reveal a platinum four-leaf clover nestled within black velvet. Five gemstones are set into its surface, one at the center and one in each leaf.
“It’s beautiful.” One finger hovers over the pendant without touching it.
“I remembered your astrology phase in middle school.” I watch her face. “Each gemstone represents one of us in the pack.”
“You’re opal, and I’m emerald, but…” She bites her lip before admitting, “I don’t know the others’ birthdays.”
I point to each stone in turn. “Holden is a March baby, so aquamarine for him. Peridot for Nathaniel, who was born in August. And turquoise for Blake, whose birthday is in December, right at the beginning, so he doesn’t have to share it with Christmas.”
Her lower lip catches between her teeth as she stares at the necklace again.
