Page 11 of Knot Letting Go (Knotty Streak Omegaverse #4)

I’d been avoiding coming to the third floor, even when Quill was gone on his business trip.

I had no use for the workout room since keeping up with Lillianna all day was exhausting enough, and I’d never been big on video games to explore the game room.

As for his bedroom, I tried not to imagine it, but it was luxurious and modern in my dreams.

I nipped my lower lip as I rounded the corner of the stairs and stood in the hallway.

The workout room was on the left and the game room on the right.

Each room had three large paneled glass walls.

Lots of windows lined each exterior wall and the glow of the setting sun cast a golden sheen over everything.

Both rooms were done in a minimalist style.

While the workout room had white walls with black accents and a dozen machines, the game room was more colorful with various shades of blue accented with yellow and orange.

There were three flat screens on one wall with a shelf of several consoles and cartridges lined on it.

A projector and screen graced the opposite wall with cozy recliners in front of it.

The chairs looked like they could swivel to face either the movie screen or the gaming ones.

“You can use any of these rooms any time you want.” Quill slowed so I could admire them.

“Sometimes I bring Lilli up here and we play old games like Mario Kart. She also really likes VR and pretending to be a cat. There’s educational stuff on the VR too.

Like going into space or deep sea diving.

With her so into being a mermaid, that might be something you two could do on a rainy day. ”

Nervous as I was to be alone with him, this made me smile. Lillianna would love pretending to explore the ocean. Callista had never really told me much about her brothers, but Quill was an excellent uncle. It was sexy.

I bit the side of my tongue. Stop thinking stuff like that!

Quill’s grin grew broader as if he knew precisely what I was thinking. “We’re almost there.”

Where? To his bedroom? Oh God.

Yet instead of taking me to the door at the end of the corridor, he went into the game room and led me to where there was a small coiled stairway hidden in a corner. It led up to a hatch. “This goes up to the roof. You don’t have a fear of heights, do you?”

I shook my head. The roof? He had said something about inspiration for my mermaid tail. Why would anything like that be on the roof?

“Good. You’re going to love this.” Quill wound his way up the metal stairs and unlocked the hatch before pushing it open.

Warm sea air was vacuumed inside and washed over my skin.

I carefully followed him up, exiting the cool air conditioning into the warm breeze.

He offered his hand to help me up, and I reached for it without thinking.

The second our hands clasped, the rest of the world disappeared.

There was only this gorgeous Alpha staring down at me with dilated eyes.

A wave of electricity went through me and every nerve seemed more alive than it had been before.

The firmness of his grip, his masculine scent filling my nose, and his heavy breaths making his chest rise and fall.

I wanted to press my body against his, to be wrapped in his strong arms, and snuggle against his chest listening to his heart beat. Did it pound as loudly as mine?

“Oh, Aubrielle.” His tone was low and growly as he urged me up onto the roof, tugging me toward him.

A gust of wind blew over us and his black hair danced across his forehead. He was more than just handsome. He was like the god of love come to life. Slick suddenly soaked my panties, and I was keenly aware of what was happening.

We were compatible.

It was no gentle poke telling me this Alpha could be my mate. It was like being thrust into a volcano and you were stuck in that moment of sizzling heat before you hit the lava, struck by the intensity of it. Scared yet mesmerized. I wanted to flee and melt into his arms at the same time.

With both feet on the roof, I reclaimed my hand and hid it behind my back as if not seeing it would make this situation any less real. I took five steps away from him, and each one nearly broke me with how hard it was to do.

My friends told me how powerful it was when they met their mates. Yet by the time I heard the stories, they were all happily in love. It was pure romance.

This, Quill and I, it couldn’t happen. If I had wings, I’d jump off the roof and fly away into the sea.

“Aubrielle.” Quill stepped toward me and I backed away again.

Swallowing a whimper, I shook my head to whatever he was going to say.

I scanned the roof for something, anything to put between us.

There were a half dozen Adirondack chairs with pillows and blankets folded underneath.

There were small tables positioned around them.

The chairs faced the west where the sun was setting over the Pacific.

Golds and pinks played over the rippling water.

To the east, the full moon was starting to rise over the Cascade range of mountains.

“Why did you bring me up here?” The words were breathy and choppy, but I managed to get them out.

Quill took another step closer, and I held up a hand to stop him.

God, he looked at me like a panther ready to pounce on their prey.

His whole body was tense, each move was smooth and measured.

“I was going to show you the Strawberry Moon. It’s not very pink right now, but around midnight, the moon will be almost as beautifully flushed as you are now. ”

My thighs squeezed together, and I swallowed a whimper. His words alone could make me come.

I glanced at the moon and could see a faint tinge of pink. Midnight was hours away yet. Had he been planning for us to stay up there for that long? I had to meet with Konstantin soon, and he sounded very serious.

Would he be able to tell Quill and I were compatible? My stomach twisted and an ache throbbed between my legs.

Oh no. Fuck. Was this more than just a realization I was compatible with an Alpha? Did Quill trigger my heat?

This could not be happening.

I backed away from him toward the stairs with tears blurring my vision.

“Don’t go. We need to talk about this.” Quill followed me step for step and reached out his hand toward me.

It shook as if he was trying very hard not to just grab me.

“I don’t want you to be afraid. I’ll never take advantage of you or hurt you.

But fuck, I never knew it would feel this way.

You can feel it, right? We were made for one another. ”

No, no, no. Tears ran down my cheeks. My hand bumped against the railing for the stairs and I took a hold of it. The metal was cool against my too hot skin.

“Your scent…” Quill breathed in deeply. “I thought it was strong before, but now I’m fully wrapped up in it. You smell sweet and feminine, and fuck, I want to eat you up.” His mouth curled up as he continued to offer his hand to me. “In every possible way.”

“No. We can’t. I need to go.” I jerked myself onto that first step and nearly fell. My iron grip on the railing was the only thing that kept me on my feet.

“Please, come and sit. I’ll give you the space you need, for now, but—”

“No!” The word tore at me.

“You can’t ignore it.” Quill stopped moving forward, but his intense gaze held me more strongly than shackles.

“We have to.” There was no choice. This job was too perfect. I didn’t want to lose it, and the only way to make certain of that was to run away from him and never be near him again. I clamored down the stairs. They rattled with my desperate escape.

Quill didn’t chase me. He didn’t need to. It was as if there were an invisible rope tying us together and it grew tighter and more painful the farther we were from one another.

I ran down the third floor hall and bolted down the stairs to the second floor. My thighs were slippery from slick by the time I made it to my room and shut the door. I leaned back against it, panting, and slid down to the floor.

The laws were created for a reason. I was alone with an Alpha, and now look at the mess I was in. I was such an idiot to think nothing would happen.

If Quill had truly triggered my heat, I would be in no condition to take care of Lillianna. If Konstantin wasn’t going to fire me tonight, then he would have to get rid of me for this. I pressed my forehead against my arms and sobbed.

I’d been so happy. My first job with a lovable ward, a step closer to my dream of being a teacher, and living near one of my best friends. Then I messed it all up.

All because I didn’t think before I took the hand of a hot Alpha.