Page 10 of Knot Your Sunshine (Snugverse Romcom #2)

Chapter nine

Noa

One kiss, and my world tilts off its axis.

The door to my suite clicks shut behind me, and I lean against it, chest still heaving like I've run a marathon.

The cool wood against my back does nothing to calm the fire racing through my veins.

I can still feel her, her petite, yet curved body pressed against mine, the silk of her hair tangled in my fingers, that soft gasp she made when I found that spot below her ear.

My hands clench and unclench at my sides, fingers still tingling from where they touched her skin. I push off from the door and pace to the window, then back.

The image burns behind my eyelids, Mia pulling herself away, her eyes wide and conflicted, backing away from me. Every muscle in my body locked in place, and it took every ounce of my self-control not to pull her back into my arms where she belongs.

Instead, I managed to just nod while my alpha clawed at my ribs from the inside.

Mine. Mine.

Staying frozen on that log while she walked away was the hardest thing I've ever done. But I have to respect her boundaries, that's the least our scent match deserves. Respect, boundaries, choice, everything. Besides, spooked omegas run. Push too hard, and they disappear forever.

I stride to the minibar and pull out another one of the small amber bottles we've been obsessing over for days. My fingers shake as I unscrew the cap. Just one hit. Just enough to—

Mango and lavender floods my senses, and my knees buckle. I catch myself on the bar's edge, breathing hard. The oil that started this whole insane journey smells divine, but after having the real thing? After drowning in her actual scent?

It's like comparing a photograph of the ocean to standing in front of it.

Still, my pants grow painfully tight, body responding to even this pale echo of her. I shift, trying to adjust, but the friction only makes it worse. Every cell in my body knows what it wants. Who it wants.

But does she want me back? Us? Why did she pull away?

I start pacing again, back and forth across the suite's living room. The Persian rug muffles my footsteps as I wear a path between the windows.

Was it the scent blockers? The thought makes me want to punch something. What if I hadn't taken that half dose? Would she have recognized what we are to each other? Would she have melted into me instead of running?

My reflection catches in the dark window: my hair is wild, my eyes slightly bloodshot… I look unhinged. Like I've been in a fight. Or maybe like I'm about to start one.

But what if she's just not interested? What if the kiss was curiosity, nothing more?

The thought sits like lead in my stomach. Not just for me, but for Josh who came back from the airport practically floating. For Keanu, who couldn't hide the wonder in his eyes after his surfing session.

We're already gone for her. Completely, irrevocably lost.

If she walks away...

"Stop." I press my palms against the cool glass, grounding myself. The ocean churns below, black and restless as my thoughts, the bioluminescence now dormant.

She kissed me back. That wasn't politeness or curiosity. She'd climbed into my lap, her hands fisted in my shirt. An omega doesn't kiss an alpha like that unless she feels the pull.

I grab my phone and open our pack group chat, typing quickly:

My suite. Now.

Time to move this forward officially. Together.

* * *

Keanu strolls in first, wearing pajama shorts with cartoon pineapples on them. "Bro, you interrupted a very important oil-smelling session. I was achieving new levels of zen." He flops onto my couch, making himself at home. "This better be good."

Josh follows seconds later, fumbling with his glasses while clutching his tablet. "I was devising an algorithm to predict optimal coffee bar encounter timing for tomorrow morning. 8:23 AM shows the highest probability of—"

"I already met her."

Josh's tablet slips from his fingers. He lunges forward, catching it inches from the marble floor in a move that's surprisingly athletic. "What?" His voice cracks.

Keanu sits bolt upright, suddenly wide awake. "Tonight? When?"

"About an hour ago." I lean against the window, arms crossed, trying to look calmer than I feel. "Saw the bioluminescent plankton from my balcony. Figured she'd be drawn to it too."

"So you what, just went there?" Keanu asks, eyes narrowed.

"Grabbed my ukulele, went to my usual spot, lit a fire." I shrug, fighting a smile. "Figured if she came down to see the lights, she'd be curious enough to investigate if she heard me."

Keanu's jaw drops. "You improvised? Mr. Strategic-Planning-For-Everything just... winged it?"

"Got inspired by your approach, actually." I nod to him. "Have a plan, but trust your instincts when opportunity strikes."

"And?" They both lean forward like kids waiting for the end of a bedtime story.

"She appeared at the edge of the firelight like a water sprite. Bare feet, white cover-up floating around her legs, glowing water literally dripping from her hands."

"Holy shit," Keanu breathes.

Josh bounces on his toes, tablet forgotten. "And then? What happened then?"

"We talked. I played for her." The memory makes my chest tight in the best way. "And then..." A grin breaks free despite everything. "We kissed."

The room explodes.

"You KISSED her?" Josh's voice hits a pitch I didn't know he could reach.

Keanu launches himself off the couch and grabs my shoulders, shaking me. "Was it incredible? Tell me everything. Every. Single. Detail."

"She tastes like sunshine and sin." The words come out reverent, awed. "Sweet with an edge. And guys..." I meet their eyes. "I have absolutely no doubt. She's our scent match."

Josh lets out a whoop and collapses onto the couch, laughing in celebration like when we sold our company. Keanu does this ridiculous celebratory jump, clicking his heels together mid-air like a leprechaun who's found gold.

Watching my pack brothers celebrate makes warmth spread through my chest, which is why what I have to say next feels like swallowing glass.

"But there might be a complication."

Keanu freezes mid-celebration, one foot still off the ground. "What kind of complication?"

I drag both hands through my hair, probably making it look worse than it already does. "She pulled away. Right in the middle of it, when things were getting... intense."

The joy drains from their faces.

"She said she was here on business and had to focus, but that sounds like a weird excuse to me." I start pacing again. "Maybe there's someone back home? Someone she's involved with?"

"Impossible." Josh shakes his head so hard his glasses nearly fly off. "I researched her romantic life thoroughly. Social media, public records, even that article about her salon that mentioned she was single. She's unattached."

I spin to face him. "Are you absolutely sure? No chance you missed something?"

Josh pushes his glasses up with his middle finger, his 'I'm offended you'd question my research' gesture. "I may not know how to slide into DMs properly, but I'm thorough with my research. She's single."

"Like she said, she's probably focused on the business-side of her trip.

.. plus feeling completely out of her element," Keanu says.

"Think about it, mysterious invitation, tropical paradise, meeting three hot alphas she's clearly attracted to.

Even by our standards, this is moving at lightning speed. "

We fall silent, the weight of possibility and uncertainty filling the space between us.

Keanu clears his throat. "Don't overthink it, man. You know that's your weakness when the stakes get high. Remember the Hong Kong acquisition? You almost tanked it second-guessing yourself."

"This is different—"

"No, it's not." Josh interrupts. "The solution is the same as always. Gather data, make a plan, execute. We move forward."

Their certainty helps, even if doubt still gnaws at me.

Josh stands, tablet tucked under his arm. "I think the optimal approach is to proceed with phase two regardless. We've come this far."

"Right." I pull the folded paper from my pocket, slightly damp from my sweaty palms. "But first, let's 100% confirm we're not all deluding ourselves. You both wrote down her scent?"

Josh produces his from his wallet, handling it like a sacred document. "Wrote it the second I got back from the airport."

Keanu grins, pulling his from his board shorts. "Wrote it right after surfing."

My pulse hammers against my throat. Josh wipes his palms on his pants, leaving damp streaks. Keanu rolls his shoulders like he's preparing for a fight.

"On three. One... two... three."

We unfold simultaneously.

Three pieces of paper. Six words total.

All identical.

Mango and Lavender.

"Holy wave," Keanu whispers, staring at his paper like it might spontaneously combust.

Josh clutches his to his chest. "One hundred percent confirmation. The probability of three people independently identifying the same exact scent notes without being scent-matched is less than 0.00001%."

"She's ours." My voice comes out rough. "Our omega. Our scent match."

For a moment, we just stand there, three grown men staring at pieces of paper like they contain the secrets of the universe. Which, in a way, they do.

Then Keanu breaks. "WE HAVE A SCENT MATCH!"

He and Josh lock elbows and spin in a circle, whooping like kids who just found out Christmas came early.

I watch them celebrate, a smile tugging at my lips though a splinter of worry remains.

"Alright, alright." I move to the desk, pulling out the resort's heavy cream stationary. "Phase two."

My hand shakes slightly as I write, choosing each word carefully. When I'm done, I fold it precisely and hold it out to Josh.

"Could you make sure this gets under her door by early morning? I'd do it myself, but..." I run a hand over my face. "I need sleep. Tonight was... a lot."

Josh takes the note with the reverence of someone handling plutonium. "Absolutely."

The moment he secures the paper in his pocket, he and Keanu immediately launch into another celebration dance, Keanu lifting Josh and spinning him around while they both whoop with renewed enthusiasm.

God I really hope I'm wrong about what's holding her back…

Because if she rejects us, I don't know if my pack will ever recover from it.