Page 44 of Knot Your Sunshine
"We aim to please," he says, voice rougher than before.
"All the meeting details will be under your door when you get back tonight," Josh adds.
"Still keeping things mysterious I see." I let my smile turn a bit wicked. "I like it."
"We're like that," Keanu says, his voice dropping lower. "A little mystery makes everything more interesting."
The server clears our plates, pulling me out of my daze, and presents dessert: an architectural marvel of dark chocolate, filled with orange-scented ganache.
I take a bite and my eyes flutter closed involuntarily. Rich, dark chocolate melts on my tongue, the citrus notes creating a perfect contrast that draws out an involuntary moan.
Not without surprise, when I open my eyes, I find myself the center of three very focused stares that make my skin tingle.
"Good?" Noa asks, his voice decidedly huskier.
"In—incredible," I manage.
The way they're watching me, like I'm the actual dessert, makes the temperature seem to rise ten degrees.
As the candles burn lower and we linger over empty dessert plates, I realize how perfect this evening feels. The conversation, the food, these three amazing alphas, everything about tonight feels like the beginning of something extraordinary.
And tomorrow? Tomorrow, we start building an empire.
Chapter seventeen
Mia
I grab my blazer from the closet and slip it over my white cotton pajama top. The blazer is wrinkled from being stuffed in my suitcase, but at least from the shoulders up I'll look somewhat professional.
My laptop screen shows 1:59 AM. Most sensible people would be in bed by now, but Naomi Quinn's email had other plans for my evening. So here I am, up and about to video chat with a lawyer who's six hours ahead in New York.
The laptop chimes with an incoming call. I straighten my blazer, run my fingers through my hair, and click accept.
An omega appears on screen. She looks to be in her early thirties, with auburn hair styled in a sleek bob and sharp cheekbones that could cut glass. Designer glasses frame intelligent hazel eyes, and her charcoal suit screams expensive. I'm initially intimidating as hell, but when she smiles, her whole face transforms, suddenly becoming warm and approachable.
"Ms. Everly? I'm Naomi Quinn."
"Hi, yes. Thank you for taking this call so early." My voice comes out gravelly from sleep.
"Eight AM is hardly early for New York." She lifts a sleek black coffee mug to her lips. "Though I see you're sitting in darkness, so I'm guessing you're not on East Coast time?"
"Hawaii, actually."
"Ah." Her eyebrows rise slightly. "So it's 2 AM for you. You weren't kidding when you said this was urgent."
"Indeed." I tuck my legs under me in the desk chair, trying to find a comfortable position. "I have an important meeting this afternoon, and I need legal protection in place before then."
"Smart approach." The rapid click of her keyboard fills the brief silence. "Your email mentioned a unique situation involving a pack and business arrangement. Can you elaborate?"
"I wasn't sure how much detail to put in writing," I admit. "But yes, it's... complicated."
"I'm listening."
I take a breath, organizing my sleepy thoughts. "I'm working with a pack. Three alphas who want to invest in franchising my hair salon business. But we're also scent-matched."
Her fingers pause on the keyboard. "You're scent-matched with all three alphas and they'll be your business partners as well?"
"Yes."
