Page 15 of Knot The Only Onee

CHAPTER8

Bridget

Itried desperately to keep the tears from falling as I took in all the items Lucas laid out on the bed from me. But I failed. The tears streamed down my face as I blinked rapidly.

Slowly, I made my way over to the bed. This was all so much more than I was used to. It was overwhelming. No one had ever shown me such kindness.

For years, I only had the Russo’s and Simon. While Simon had been halfway across the country, there wasn’t much he could do for me. And the Russo’s were barely getting by, so they couldn’t afford such lavish gifts. Although they always made me feel loved, it was nothing compared to this.

I could tell the thought Lucas had put into the spread. He must have worked with Simon while we were all out, the little stinker.

The first thing I grabbed was the giant penguin Squishmallow that doubled as a pillow. It was so soft, so fluffy, and I wanted to squeeze and pet it forever. My fingers drifted over the blanket, lounge pants, and shirts. It was all perfect.

I felt rather than saw Noah step into the room and move behind me. “Lucas did real good,” he whispered with the hint of a drawl. God, his voice was insanely sexy.

Now that I had taken the suppressants, I felt more at ease with Noah so close.

He still made me nervous as all get out and made my belly flutter with butterflies, but I wasn’t afraid I was going to jump on top of him at any moment. Granted, I felt like that with James and Lucas, too. Noah, just a little more so.

“He did,” I whispered as I turned and looked up at him.

Noah smiled softly, his eyes crinkled at the sides. He was so handsome, with a touch of gray in his beard. It made him even more distinguished. He reached for me, his large palm cupping my cheek.

His hands were rough and calloused; hardened from his years working on the ranch.

We stared into each other's eyes for a moment.

A moment that seemed to stretch on as my breath caught in my throat.

“Look how adorable!” Alena entered the room, her excitement evident in how she bounced around.

I took a swift step away from Noah and stared down at the floor. I was not going to fall for my boss.

Nope.

No way. Not going to happen.

Simon wrapped an arm around Alena’s waist and drew her close to his side. His smile was bright, and a hint of mischief lurked in his gaze.

“You told Lucas I loved penguins, didn’t you?” I crossed my arms over my chest, trying not to smile at Alena's excitement.

Shrugging, Simon did his best to look nonchalant, but he failed miserably.

Soon, the room burst into laughter, and even I found myself laughing so hard that fresh tears fell down my cheeks.

“You’re so beautiful,” Lucas smiled and wiped away the tears lingering on my face.

Heat spread across my cheeks, and I dropped my gaze. “Thanks,” I muttered, unsure of how to respond.

I felt the heat of Noah as he moved closer to my back. My breathing elevated as I fought to control my reaction.

“Bridget—“ Lucas began before he was cut off by a timer going off. “Shit, the oven is preheated. Why don’t you relax and maybe even change into something more comfortable? I’ll text you when dinner is ready.”

He gave me a soft smile and dropped his hand from my face before returning to the kitchen. I instantly missed his warm and soothing touch. I usually despised it when someone touched me, even unintentionally.

Until I met the owners of Second Chance Ranch.

Although I wasn’t sure what James’ problem was. Even if I barely knew them, I felt we kinda connected on our earlier ride. Now, he was just avoiding me.