Page 56 of Knot in Bloom
“I’ll see you later,” he murmurs against my lips, and the promise makes my knees weak.
I watch him drive away, my lips still tingling and my heart racing. When I turn toward my apartment, Levi is waiting on the steps with a picnic basket and that gentle smile that makes my stomach flutter.
“Ready for adventure?” he asks.
Looking at him—this thoughtful man who writes me poetry and brings me perfect coffee—I realize I’ve never been more ready for anything in my life.
“Lead the way.”
Chapter 16
Sadie
The hike to the creek takes us through pine-scented trails that wind up into the foothills behind town. Levi carries the picnic basket easily, his free hand occasionally touching my elbow when the path gets rocky. Each brief contact sends little jolts of awareness across my skin.
After this morning with Reid and being surrounded by all three alphas last night. But even with the medication, my body’s hyperaware of the alpha walking beside me and how his cedar scent seems to wrap around me like a warm embrace. Three interested alphas are testing the limits of what suppressants can handle.
“I found this place when I was eight,” he tells me as we climb higher, his voice taking on that thoughtful quality I’ve come to love. “I was feeling overwhelmed. Then I heard water and followed the sound.”
“And?”
“Peace, I guess. A place where thoughts could settle instead of constantly racing.” He glances at me, and his scent wraps around me as I move into his space, warm cedar with somethingdeeper underneath that makes my pulse quicken. “I used to come here when I needed to think, but lately to think about you.”
My pulse skips. “About me?”
“About whether I was imagining the connection I felt. Whether those coffee visits meant something or if I was just projecting what I wanted to see.” He pauses on the trail, turning to face me fully. “Whether someone like you could ever want someone like me.”
The vulnerability in his voice makes my chest tight with affection. “Levi.”
“I know. It sounds ridiculous when I say it out loud.”
“It doesn’t sound ridiculous.” I step closer, drawn by the uncertainty in his expression. “It sounds honest.”
Before I can respond, he’s moving closer, his hand coming up to cup my cheek.
“Can I kiss you?” he asks softly.
“Yes.”
The kiss starts gentle, tentative, but deepens when I sigh against his mouth. His other hand finds my waist, pulling me closer until there’s no space between us. He tastes like something purely him that makes me dizzy with want.
When we finally break apart, we’re both breathing hard.
“I’ve been wanting to do that all morning,” he admits, his forehead resting against mine.
“All morning?” I tease, still breathless from the kiss.
“Since high school, if I’m being honest.” His thumb traces my cheekbone, and vulnerability flickers in his expression. “I had the biggest crush on you junior year, but you were a senior and a cheerleader, and I was just the nerdy kid who spent lunch periods in the library. I figured you’d never notice someone like me.”
My breath catches. All those months of coffee visits, and he’s been carrying this torch since we were teenagers? “You had a crush on me in high school?”
“Massive crush. I used to watch you at football games and dream about working up the courage to talk to you.” His smile turns self-deprecating. “But then you graduated and I figured I’d missed my chance forever.”
“Levi.” My chest feels tight with emotion. “I would have noticed you. I was always too intimidated by confident people. I would have loved talking to someone who understood books and stories.”
“When you walked into my bookstore that rainy Sunday three years ago, I couldn’t believe I was getting a second chance.” His voice grows more confident. “Seeing how happy Dean became with his pack made me realize I needed to be brave. I just had to finally work up the courage to try.”
I stare at him, processing this revelation. Years. He’s wanted me for years, and I had no idea. The patient coffee deliveries, the careful attention to what I needed—it all makes sense now.
