Page 119 of Knot For A Moment

The way Sloane looked up at him, her face told him she did, and also that he was out of his mind that she would think anything else. “I love him.”

None of us thought she wasonlytalking about Mango.

“He’s got food and water downstairs, and a nice, fancy robot litter box in the storage closet. He already knows how to use it too.” Roman laughed. “He’ll probably have to learn his way around this place since he’s so small. But we’ll move things around if we have to.”

Now that Roman was comfortable with her reaction, his words came easier.

“The room?” Gabriel asked.

“Addison was worried she would do something I didn’t like,” Sloane said. “I said that was impossible, and she was right. This is more than I ever thought…”

Her eyes snagged on the review I’d seen earlier. The photos in it were stunning. Us together in act one, the moment her character died and I couldn’t stop myself from kissing her. And her alone in act two, the photograph catching her in a perfectly executed arabesque.

Walking over, she read it.

Tears glossed her eyes, and she went to sit on the bed, curling herself around Mango and not moving. A single tear slipped down her face and into the violet comforter. Roman was the one to walk around the bed and lie down next to her. “What’s wrong, firefly?”

“Nothing’s wrong,” she said. “I’m overwhelmed with how great everything is.”

The waver in her voice told me the words she wasn’t speaking. Years of knowing her before gave me a little insight, and that was how Sloane sounded when she felt like she didn’t deserve something. It was how she’d sounded when she got her first lead at conservatory. When she’d wonYoung Dancer of the Year. Even when she got perfect marks in our normal academic classes, blowing everyone else out of the water.

I hoped that when she got the news she would be a principal she had celebrated and felt like she deserved it.

Gabriel’s phone chimed in his pocket. He glanced at it and sat on the edge of the bed, touching Sloane’s ankle. Mango wiggled out of her grasp and started exploring her bed. Roman put an arm over her and dragged his fingers over the comforter for him to chase.

“That was Harrison. He hasn’t finished digging yet, but we now have a restraining order in place. Today was the last nail in that coffin.”

“Today?” she asked. “What the fuck did Craig do today?”

“He was here,” I said. “Outside. Just walking down the street. No more than that.”

Anger flashed hot in Sloane’s eyes before she pulled it back. Scooping up Mango, she turned on her back and lifted him into the air. His little arms flailed, but when she put him on her chest, he was sniffing and nuzzling in seconds. Roman picked a good one.

“We don’t care about him, do we, Mango?” She whispered with a smile. “We’re not leaving this perfect bedroom.”

His little meow made us all laugh.

The lightness in the room and the feeling of resonance between all of us together, it lifted the last of the weight from my shoulders. Stealing Mango from Sloane, I handed him to Roman and kissed her until she giggled. Then I kept going until she melted beneath me.

Where I always wanted her to be.

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

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SLOANE

The next two days were nothing but sweet luxury. Ash and I went to class and avoided any further incidents with Ian. When we got home and showered, I spent the days playing with Mango,—the most adorable, perfect kitten in existence—sleeping, getting absolutely ruined with pleasure by every one of my Alphas, and finding my feet living in a new place.

Gabriel kept his promise, bending me over surfaces whenever he could, tasting me and taking me, counting up the spankings I owed him later. I didn’t know how many there were, but a little thrill went through me whenever he pulled me close and whispered in my ear that I’d earned one more.

I may or may not have been extra sassy to him just to add to my count.

Last night they’d finally built me a fire on the patio, bundling me up in a blanket like a burrito while I sat in Roman’s lap. I was so comfortable, I barely realized I was asleep until I felt him carrying me all the way up to my room, tucking us both into my new,hugebed.

Consciousness came to me now, and everything feltgood. Lying on my stomach, curled around a pillow, snuggled perfectly. It felt like I was waking up already swimming in golden honey. Because Roman was once again between my legs, licking my clit like his life—or mine—depended on my orgasm.

I whined softly, not awake enough to move or speak, but thoroughly enjoying every bit of sensation.

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