Page 110 of Knot Her Beta

Now, it’s my turn to blush, and I clear my throat. “I meant to explain it before we were in that situation again. We could have…with your fingers…to give you an idea…” I’ve never felt so flustered about sex talk in my entire life, so I skip ahead. “But the Rut came when I wasn’t expecting it to, and I ran out of time.”

Grady’s face crumples. “I’m so sorry for what that meant for you. It was obvious how much you wanted the baby.”

Renewed pain and disappointment flood my system, and my vision blurs, but I push it down. “I knew it was a long shot. Jared did, too.”

“Em, that doesn’t ease the hurt. You don’t have to pretend with me.”

“It hurts, but it will get better.” I swipe a hand over my eyes. “But now you’ve felt firsthand what it means to be with an Alpha, even if it wasn’t the way I planned. My body has demands that don’t always align with what my brain wants to give you.”

I force out the next words. “If you want to back out, I’ll understand. Being with another Beta would be simpler.”

He doesn’t answer right away, and the quiet stretches between us, measured in heartbeats. Emotion flickers across his face, consideration first, followed by resolve settling into the lines around his mouth.

“There’s something I should have told you before I left for Connecticut.”

I stiffen, but stay quiet, willing to listen to whatever he has to say, even if it means losing him.

“There was a female Beta in Connecticut. Caroline Bennett.” His lips thin at the memory. “Our parents arranged a merger of their companies, which included a marriage.” His hand curls around the edge of the desk. “She was lovely. Well trained. Competent. The arrangement would have been… manageable. Comfortable.”

I exhale through my nose. One long, controlled breath.

“But I didn’t want a safe Beta,” Grady continues. “I wanted a pack. And I still do. When I left, it ruined a lot for both of our families. For Caroline. But she wished me luck on my way out the door.”

“And nothing happened between you two,” I say, a question that isn’t a question.

“Nothing happened.” Grady reaches out to hook a finger in my belt and tugs me closer. “How could it, when I had a pack waiting back here for me, and an Alpha who wants to take care of me?”

My hands find the desk on either side of his hips. “Good.”

He peeks up at me. “I haven’t showered in days, and my knee is killing me. I don’t think I can manage on my own.”

A purr rumbles to life in my chest. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.” He leans in close. “And I’d like to find out what you planned to show me with my fingers.”

The purr turns to a growl, and I bend, scooping him up bridal style.

He wraps his arms around my neck. “Thank you, Alpha.”

“After we shower, I’m going to cook you some food,” I inform him as I carry him toward the master bedroom. “Afterward, you’re going to ice your knee before you sleep. Writing is no excuse to let your health decline.”

His head drops to my shoulder. “I won’t argue.”

“Good.” I step into his bedroom. “Because I wasn’t asking.”

He laughs, quiet and worn around the edges, and I know we’re going to be okay.

Chapter Thirty

Emily

Iset Grady down on the teak bench in the downstairs bathroom and turn the shower on full, adjusting the knob until the water runs hot enough that steam begins to rise in thick curls before I turn back to him.

His shirt buttons are mismatched, the top one through the second hole, and ink stains his fingertips. Three days of writing will do that. I work the buttons open one by one. The fabric parts, and I push the shirt off his shoulders to uncover the faint flush riding his collarbones.

When I drop to my knees, the tile is cold through my jeans. I hook my fingers into his belt, and he lifts his hips without being asked. The jeans slide down his thighs, past the knee that’s swollen and stiff, and I ease them over his ankles.

His underwear follows. He’s already semi-hard, and my breath catches. Drool floods my mouth, and I grip his thighs as I lean forward to wrap my lips around him, salt and heat flooding my senses.