Page 74 of Ready or Knot

Fuck, she’s beautiful.

Her face is flushed, her lips swollen, her breasts pressed against me, begging for more attention. How have I managed to have her in my bed nearly every night and not fuck her? It’s certainly never happening again.

“Shit, Red,” I grunt, and she clenches around me, making me groan. “Tell me I get you tonight, too. I’m selfish to start with, and this is the best fucking knotting of my life.”

She manages a breathless giggle, tracing shapes along my shoulders.

“I promised Carter,” she whispers, and I curse. Her hand twists into my hair as my knot releases, my cum and her slick dripping down her thighs and onto the counter. She blushes, fierce and fast, and I kiss her.

“At least let me clean you up in the shower,” I say against her lips.

Her smile is bright, and she tightens her knees around my hips.

“Sounds like a plan,” she says.

I have her up the stairs and pressed against the wall of my shower before she can protest, the water fogging up the room as I sink into her again.

“Red,” I groan against her lips. “I think I’m addicted.”

Her laugh is music to my ears.

Twenty-Nine

FAEDRA

“Shit, Fae. It all just stopped?” Violet asks, and I hum an affirmative.

“We were all pretty sure it was going to happen this last weekend. But here we are on Wednesday, and honestly I feel kind of normal. Like, new normal. Not suppressed normal.” The train stops in front of the campus, and I get off with a large group of people, stepping over to one of the benches so I’m out of the way while I get my bearings.

Violet clicks her tongue. “That’s strange. I don’t think I’ve heard of that happening.”

My laugh is more brittle than I’d like as I spot the sign I need and adjust my bag.

“Let me know if we need to adjust us going out there,” she says after a minute.

I shake my head even though she can’t see me, making a low noise in the back of my throat. “I don’t want you to have to adjust everything. I’m sure it’ll work out.”

She sighs. “You could always get a stimulant if you’re worried.”

I don’t mention the one I have in my bag already. It feels like one of those things I should discuss with the guys instead of my best friend even though just thinking about it has me biting my lip. I’ve always told Violet everything, and it feels strange to have this distance between us. It’s normal, I know. But I still feel emotional about it.

We end the call a moment later, and I tuck my phone into my bag before following the signs across campus. The building is incredibly modern, and the receptionist at the main desk is all smiles as he directs me to the right floor and section.

The door to Jude’s office is closed. A flash of uncertainty runs through me, but I breathe through it, reminding myself that he promised his encounter with Melanie didn’t mean anything and that it wouldn’t happen again. My knock is light, and there’s shuffling behind the door almost immediately. Jude’s scowl drops the moment he sees me, a small smile replacing it as he kisses my temple.

“Hi,” I breathe, and he chuckles, taking my hand and guiding me into his office.

It’s messier than last time I was here, the bookcases lining every open piece of wall crammed full of books, several sitting in front of others, waiting to be put back in their proper place. He has two large textbooks open on his desk, sticky notes littering the pages, a printed essay laid next to them, red pen in the margins in his messy, heavy scrawl.

A woman about his age sits in one of the chairs in front of his desk, a small bag resting in her lap. Her chin length blonde hair leans silver, but I’m pretty sure it’s her natural gray and not from a salon. Her gray eyes assess me so thoroughly I have the odd sensation of being stripped bare. She stands before I can offer a greeting, smoothing her charcoal pant suit and extending a hand to me.

“I’m Chris,” she says when I shake her hand. “I’m Jude’s boss.”

Tension bleeds from my body—though I’m a bit ashamed I was anxious at all over there being a woman in his office. I’m not one to be jealous. But being back here has me just nervous enough for small seeds of it to bite at me.

“Nice to meet you,” I say. She gives a half smile.

“I’ll let you get to lunch,” she says. “I just wanted to give him an update about what happened last week.”

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