Page 41 of Ready or Knot

“We met them the first time we did the hike,” I say, helping diffuse the tense moment between us.

Her craving for touch is getting more intense, and I want to make sure it isn’t influencing her desire to have sex with me. Or at least that it isn’t the driving factor. She licks her lips, and my cock notices, pressing against the zipper of my jeans.

I say something before my good intentions are thrown out the window and right over the balcony’s edge.

“That was twelve years ago.” My voice drops, rougher than I intend.

She nods, ducking her head and taking a deep breath. Her feet land on the parquet floor a moment later.

“What do you think?” I ask her, crossing the room to stand in front of her. She gazes at the room around me for a half second before focusing on me again—on my lips. Before I can prepare, she’s on her tiptoes, pressing her body into me as she kisses me.

Fuck it.

I cup her cheek and twist my fingers into her hair, guiding her head to the side until I have the perfect angle to delve into her mouth. Her hands slide up my sides, taking my shirt with them, and she whimpers into the kiss as she palms my chest. I grab her thighs and lift her back onto the dresser, pulling her legs open and stepping between them. Her hands tremble against my skin even as she presses her hips into me, the scrape of her pussy against my jeans making me groan.

She pushes my shirt up as far as it can go, and I pull it off with one hand, tossing it on the floor behind me. When I try to kiss her again, she unbuttons the front of her tank top, the sides falling open and exposing the nude colored lace of her bra. Her scent wraps around us, intoxicating me, and I finally let go of my control, letting my own pine scent mix with hers as I trace the edge of one cup with my tongue. She shudders against me, a near silent whine coasting across my ear.

The moment I run my hands up her thighs and trace the outline of her panties, she tenses and pulls away from me, her chest heaving. Her cheeks are a deep red, and her eyes are shy as she bites her lip. When I pull my hands back to her knees, tracing circles around them, she blows out a breath and ducks her head.

Yeah, that’s not going to work for me.

“You alright?” I ask, tucking my finger under her chin and making her look at me.

“Um, yeah,” she says, her blush deepening. “I’m just…” She groans. “I’m still on my period even though it’s been forever.”

I squeeze her knees, reassuring her with my touch as much as possible. Period sex doesn’t bother me. It’s just a little extra clean up, but it clearly worries her.

“You want to stop?”

She nods, and I cup her face, offering a soft kiss to assuage her embarrassment. I help her down from the dresser and pick up my shirt.

“Do you still want to go get the rest of the furniture for your room?” I ask, and she smiles, murmuring an affirmative. I run my hand through my hair. “Let me grab a shower, and we’ll see if Jude is able to go, too.”

“Sounds great,” she says, opening the door before grabbing both photo boxes.

Jude doesn’t make a comment as our combined scents follow us out of the room, though his eyebrow raises and his lips thin. I don’t offer an explanation, hell bent on getting to the shower. Once I’m under the spray, I finally give in and rub one out, groaning her name the entire time.

Sixteen

FAEDRA

The computer screen flashes, the small dialogue box indicating the application was successfully submitted. I breathe out a sigh of relief, stretching my neck and pulling my hair down from where it’s clipped. Seven applications filled out and submitted. Seven portfolios curated to each school’s requirements. I glance at the small clock on the dresser across from where I lay on my bed.

Quarter to midnight. My eyes burn, and my head feels like mush, but there’s an antsy energy in my limbs. Closing the laptop, I set it on the nightstand and cross the room to the bathroom, brushing my teeth and washing my face, going through my normal night routine in the hopes of it calming me down enough to actually fall asleep. I stare at the bed as I finish switching into a satin slip, my eyes aching but my limbs still full of twitchy energy. I blow out a breath, running my hand through my hair as I collect it over one shoulder.

Before I realize what I’m even doing, I’m standing in front of Logan’s room, my hand falling against the door in a soft, hesitant knock. There’s a pause and the sound of some shuffling behind the door before it opens in one quick swing.

Logan’s hair is disheveled, his blue eyes full of sleep, but he quickly focuses when he realizes it’s me standing on the threshold.

“You alright, Red?” he asks, taking a half step into me. I tilt my head back to keep eye contact, my body relaxing at his touch. When I nod, he breathes out a sigh. “What’s up?”

“I just finished all my applications and can’t manage to fall asleep,” I say, keeping my voice soft, unsure if the others are light sleepers. He palms my waist, his fingers brushing along my ribs and hip bone. Heat rushes through me, and my cheeks flush. His gaze darkens as he hums, a low vibration in his chest. God damn it, I swore I wouldn’t be the blushing virgin. Clearing my throat, I ask, “Can I stay with you tonight?”

He pulls me into him, my chest crushing against his, and brushes his lips against mine. The kiss is soft and quick, but my heart races all the same. I swallow my groan as he pulls away and guides me into his room.

I do my best not to gawk, but my eyes catch on the simple oak dresser and large canvas hung above it, the scene a gorgeous panorama of a canyon with walls that are nearly black. In front of me, a small lamp illuminates a nightstand beside the largest bed I’ve ever seen fitted with white linens.

Logan settles in the bed without missing a beat, pulling the comforter back enough that I can slide in next to him. His bed smells like his cologne—sandalwood and cedar—and the faint musk of his sweat. The restless sensation in my chest calms as I breathe deeply, and Logan chuckles under his breath, his eyes bright with amusement while wrapping an arm around my waist and pulling me flush with him. The warmth of his body seeps into me, and I close my eyes. Goosebumps ghost across my skin as he rests his lips in the crook of my shoulder.

---