Page 16 of Knot The Only Onee

Oh well. Why was I even worried about that? It’s not like I wantedmorefrom them.

Did I?

No. Bad Bridget. Bad line of thinking.

Noah cleared his throat. “I’m gonna go finish up some paperwork. See you downstairs in a bit.”

Alena gave me a knowing look as Noah left. I wrapped my arms around my middle and glanced longingly at the penguin stuffie.

“Simon and I are going to finish packing.” Alena squeezed me tightly before returning to Simon's side. “We’ll see you at dinner, then we’ll say our goodbyes.”

I nodded, nibbling on my bottom lip.

“You’ll be okay here, Kit.” Simon used his old nickname for me as a smile spread on his lips. “They’ll take good care of you.”

“Simon, goodbyes after dinner.” Alena narrowed her eyes at her mate as she grasped his hand. Their fingers twined, and the gesture made me remember the feeling when Lucas held my hand.

“Right you are, darling girl.” He kissed the top of Alena’s head before giving me one last friendly smile and leaving me to my room.

They shut the door behind them, and I let out a deep sigh. Sitting on the edge of the bed, I grabbed the penguin Squishmallow and drew it into my arms. It was so soft. My nerves instantly calmed as I rubbed my cheek on the fuzzy animal.

I couldn’t believe that Lucas had done this for me. It was the nicest thing I’d ever received. Simon always rescued me and made sure I was taken care of, but this? It was so sweet I just wanted to hug him.

Sinking into the bed, I held the stuffie close and took a few minutes to breathe. I reached into my pocket and withdrew my headphones. Popping the buds into my ears, I let the smooth strings of Lindsey Stirling calm me even more.

I worked on straightening out my bed, pilling the stuffies in the corner, and spreading the soft blankets out. Lucas had even gotten me a fuzzy weighted blanket. Now I really wanted to kiss him.

My heart rate and breathing settled as I put away the last of the clothes in the closet and dresser. I gazed around the room, my lips tilting up in a smile. This room was small, yet it was bigger than any room I’d had before.

It was as if it was made for me.

Absolutely and completely perfect.

A notification on my phone interrupted my music, and I looked down to see a text message.

Lucas:Dinner is almost ready. Come on down whenever Darlin’

Darlin’.

These men kept worming their way even deeper under my walls. The brick was about ready to crumble and fall around me.

And I wasn’t sure if that was entirely a bad thing.

CHAPTER9

Bridget

Iwent downstairs and groaned at the delicious smells lingering in the air. Lucas mentioned earlier that he would make a roast with his special mashed potatoes and signature cornbread.

At the mention of cornbread, Alena squealed with excitement. “Just wait until you try it, Bridget. It's absolutely to die for.”

As I walked through the archway into the kitchen, my stomach let out a loud gurgle of hunger, and heat instantly crept up my cheeks.

Lucas turned to look at me with a massive smile on his face. His apron was covered in various stains, and there was a smear of flour on his chin.

Quickly getting over the embarrassment of my growling stomach, I grabbed the towel he had dangling from his shoulder to wipe away the flour. “Are you always this messy in here?” I grinned, resisting a giggle.

Lucas returned my smile with a beaming grin. “Pretty much. I make Noah or James clean up and do the dishes since I cook. It brings a good balance to our relationship.”