Page 38 of Knot Their Reality

"Thank you, Bree. It's clear that you and Tessa, while you are running a business, care more about the people on the show than making money. You've put a lot of thought and effort into making sure I don't feel alone, and I appreciate it more than you can know."

Bree nods. "Good. Now, dry up those tears before we have to call Allison to come fix your makeup."

That pulls a laugh from me. Blinking my eyes to clear away the tears, I'm grateful that none of them fell.

"You've got this," she says with one last smile before stepping away as Reginald approaches from the other direction.

"It's almost time," he tells me. "You're doing great, Sophia. You're strong enough to do this. Don't let anyone—not even yourself—convince you that you're not."

I run my tongue across my teeth to prevent myself from ruining my lipstick. "I'm going to try my damnedest."

It looks like Reginald wants to say more, but our heads jerk toward the circular driveway when we hear the limo approaching. Reginald moves away from me, speaking to the cameras as the limo comes to a stop in front of me.

The person inside doesn't make me wait for long. The door opens almost before the limo has stopped moving. My first thought is he’s a giant. He has to be at least six and a half feet tall. His skin is a deep, warm umber. His black hair is cut close on the sides and slightly longer on top, and a well-trimmed beard adds to his good looks. He doesn't appear to be overly comfortable in the tux he wears, but he looks phenomenal.

When his deep brown eyes meet mine, he grins and makes his way over to me. "Hello, beautiful. You must be Sophia, and this is my lucky day."

I flush, ducking my head for a moment before forcing myself to look up and meet his eyes once more. "That's me. And you are?"

"Dylan Whitlock." He holds out his hand for me to shake.

A smile lights up my face as I shake his hand, his scent hitting my nose. I immediately want nothing more than to cover myself in his cinnamon and coffee with just a dash of caramel scent. After all, coffee is life and one of my favorite scents. Add in the cinnamon and caramel and I’m a goner. "It's nice to meet you, Dylan. Why don't you tell me a bit about yourself?"

"Sure. I'm an alpha, and I'm forty-two—"

"Shut the front door!" My outburst pulls a confused look from the man I've just cut off. "Sorry, I'm trying to watch my language, being on network television and all that. There's no freaking way you're forty-two. You look like you're around my age—not almost a decade older."

Dylan laughs, amusement twinkling in his age. "I can assure you I'm most certainly forty-two. While I might not look it, trust me when I say that I feel every single year in my bones. That probably has to do with the fact that I'm a firefighter so my job is quite physical."

My eyebrows shoot up, and I'm already imagining him in a uniform, and hot damn, that makes a delicious picture in my mind. I struggle to keep from clamping my thighs together as heat builds between them, slick already dampening my panties.

The grin on Dylan's face only grows, and I turn what I'm sure is a lovely shade of red. I know he can't scent my arousal—not with the scent canceling panties and the suppressants we're all taking for these initial meetings. But it's like he's reading my mind and hearing all of my dirty thoughts.

“I get that reaction a lot. Don’t worry, I won’t hold it against you.” He runs a hand through his beard. “Where was I? Oh, right. Yes, I’m a firefighter. I transitioned into the job in my early twenties after I left the Alpha Guard. I’m currently a lieutenant at my station in Thousand Oaks, though I’m up for captain when our current one retires later this year. In my spare time, I enjoy hiking, camping—really anything that’s outdoors. I also have a great passion for cooking.”

Holy crap. No wonder his body is bulging against the seams of his tuxedo. This man doesn't do anything that isn't physical. And he was in the Alpha Guard? The Alpha Guard is the most elite military operatives here in America. They only take the best of the best. I wonder what made him leave the Guard and become a firefighter.

As much as I'd like to ask him just that, Reginald is already gesturing to me to wrap it up. I pout, not ready to end this conversation already.

"Don't pout, omega." Dylan's voice is deep as he reaches up to brush his thumb across my protruding bottom lip. "This is just the beginning. We'll be able to chat more later."

It should embarrass me, the way he calls me out on my pouting, but it doesn't. Instead, it turns me the fuck on. This man is a prime example of the best kind of alpha—at least for me, based upon the limited information I've learned thus far.

"You're right. Sometimes the omega in me comes out a bit stronger than I'd like." I laugh. "Thank you for the conversation, Dylan, and I really look forward to getting to know you better."

"Until later, precious." Dylan's lips brush against my cheek, catching the corner of my lips in the process. Before my mind can even begin to catch up, he's already walking away.

My chest rises and falls quickly as I try to catch my breath. How could one simple little brush of his lips leave me breathless? But watching him walk away, taking in the way his ass and thick thighs move beneath his pants, I can see why. Yum.

Reginald clears his throat, and when I turn around, I pin him with a glare. "I was busy."

"Oh, I'm well aware. But I thought you might want to be looking toward the driveway since the limo just pulled in."

I squeak, focusing my attention on the limo that has just come to a stop. How had ten minutes passed that quickly?

The limo door opens and out steps a viking of a man. Just as tall and just as built as Dylan, he's gorgeous. His white-blond hair is just long enough on the top to spike up, the sides cut close. Even from this distance, I can feel his piercing blue stare on me.

He doesn't move closer, and I'm curious why until a second man steps out. He's not nearly as tall or as built as the first man, probably closer to six feet, but he's just as yummy. Where the first man's skin is pale, this man's is tan. He's ruggedly handsome, with his black hair tousled and the beginnings of a beard on his face. His brown eyes also lock on me and having both of their attention on me is slightly unnerving.

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