Page 48 of Knot Forever

Marcus’s face is softened with sleep, his eyes closed and his lips open. Even as I watch, a crease forms between his eyebrows, and his arms tighten around me, pulling me back into him as he pushes his leg between both of mine.

O…kay. Briefly, I wonder how I got here. The last thing I remember, we were talking in the back of the car and then—

My cheeks flare. Iaskedhim to stay.

God, I pushed him into staying with me. How embarrassing. I’m blaming my post-heat-spike-hormones. That’s definitely a thing.

And just in case it’s not, it is now.

Mortified, I try to wriggle away, but his arms tighten even more as he buries his face into my shoulder.

“Nova,” he groans. “Stop wiggling.”

I pause, finally noticing the thick, hard rod pressed into my lower back. My breath catches, and I give just one more brief wiggle, testing to see if it’s exactly what I think it is—

I yelp as I’m rolled over, and a rumpled, tired-looking Marcus peers down at me.

“You,” he says sleepily, “are a fidgety sleeper, Nova.”

Mouth open, I blink back at him. “I’m sorry I kind of invaded your space.”

He frowns. “You didn’t. I wanted you to stay with me.”

Oh. Warmth fills my stomach as we watch each other. Marcus’s eyes move from mine, tracing down my body, and he swallows.

“You look very nice in my shirt,” he says softly. I have a brief flashback to what may have been a tug of war, and my lips twitch.

“Did I give you a choice?”

“No.”

I squeeze my eyes closed. I’ve heard of beer fear. This is hormone fear, and it’s areal thing.

He taps the side of my head gently. “I need you to tell me what’s happening in your head.”

Groaning, I cover my eyes with my hand. “I just… I had a heat spike last night. It’s made my hormones go wild, and…”

No. I can’t blame the heat spike. I mean, I can, but it’s not completely to blame.

“Actually,” I confess slowly, “I wanted to be with you. The heat spike just kind of… speeded things up a little.”

He nods thoughtfully. “That makes sense. You wanted to kiss me.”

Fucking hormone fear. I knew it.

“Did you?” I ask, and his eyes move to my lips.

“I thought about it. But you were nearly asleep, and it didn’t feel right.”

I think fast. “Well, I’m not asleep now.”

“No, you’re not.” He keeps staring at my lips. His blonde hair is everywhere, rumpled and wild in the early morning light. “We can kiss now, if you want to.”

I bite my lip. “Okay. What do you want me to do?”

“Close your eyes,” he says decisively. Obediently, my eyelids flutter closed, and my lips part as I feel Marcus’s warm breath against me.

“I’ve been thinking about this,” he murmurs. “And what you would taste like.”

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