Page 56 of Ready or Knot
Carter shakes his head. “He still doesn’t. It’s not something I want the world to know.”
“Is that why you never saw yourself having kids?” I ask, and he nods. I run my thumb over his hand, humming.
“When we met Logan during backpacking, it was like something clicked. There had always been a piece missing with just Jude and me, and Logan filled it so seamlessly, it was like he’d been part of our lives for years. He breathed new life into us, helped us realize that dreams we’d long since buried might still be possible.” He runs his thumb over my lips, and I nip at him. The smell of pine threads around us, and I smile. “When he brought up the idea to me of requesting to be recognized as a pack before the Council, I was all in. It was a no-brainer for me. But Jude was resistant. It was…a very stressful six months on our friendship.”
Six months.
It took six months for Jude to find that list in her belongings and realize that he really did want to become a pack.
“The worst part, honestly, is that she’s the one that won’t let go. She spent four years fucking anyone who so much as gave her the time of day, and yet five years later, she still finds ways to force me to notice her. She got the job at the company after I won the contract. She always demands to meet instead of sending the manager actually in charge of the account—and she always requires that I handle everything personally. It’s a large enough contract that I haven’t fought her.”
“Is she always so…” I search for the right word. “Forceful?”
Carter nods. “Always. It’s even worse if there’s someone she knows is important to me involved.”
I’m not really sure what to say in response to that. Most of me just wants to punch her for being so intentionally cruel. And maybe because I’m a bit smug, too, thinking about the black Amex he’d given me while I was still in L.A.
Carter blows out a breath.
“I had Amanda submit paperwork through the proper channels so that the team members who are supposed to handle the account actually do so from now on. I’ve given my team explicit instructions that she is not to be entertained if she shows up again.”
Happiness blooms in my belly, dissolving the worry and making me smile. Gratitude quickly follows, borne of my surprise that he would know something like that would be important to me.
“For what it’s worth,” I say, “if there were any previous partners, I would expect you to demand I cut off all ties with them, too.”
He nods, smirking. “I know. Removing her as much as I can is the least that you deserve.”
“Thank you,” I tell him. He kisses me, long and deep, and my core heats, my body awakening under his touch. “I’d like that bath now,” I murmur against his lips.
He grins as he carries me into his ensuite.
Twenty-Two
FAEDRA
“Everything still feel alright?” Logan asks, adjusting the straps I’ve learned are called load lifters. He’s been fussing with the fit of my pack since I got it pulled from his Jeep and put on twenty minutes ago.
It’s heavy, but not more than I think I can reasonably manage. When he doesn’t stop messing with everything after I give him a soft affirmative, I grab his hands and place them on my waist, kissing him before he can protest. He huffs a laugh, twisting his tongue with mine, exploring my mouth with a thoroughness that has me clenching my thighs, holding desperately onto my control and being moderately successful. Only a bare trace of my scent threads around us.
The hard crunching of footsteps on gravel has me pulling away from him, breathless and flushed. Carter has an eyebrow raised but is smiling when I look at him. He’s dressed in dark wash jeans and a flannel layered over a thin black tee, and the sight has me wishing I’d taken up his offer of knotting early this morning while the others were still asleep.
Jude walks by me, his hand outstretched towards the man with Carter. “Doug, it’s been a minute.”
The man shakes Jude’s hand, grinning. “You’ve made yourself scarce the last few weeks. Normally you guys are already showing off the newest pin from Black Canyon.” He glances at me. “Though I can understand. It was a whirlwind when we matched with Brianna, too.”
Jude nods.
“She joining this year?” Logan asks, his hand still splayed on my waist.
Doug shakes his head. “She didn’t want to leave Blake alone for so long. Hopefully we can bring him with us next year.” He extends a hand to me, and I shake it, giving him a smile. “I’m Doug. I’m the main coordinator of the event these days. My partner, Willa, did most of the work for the last decade, though.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” I say. I glance at Carter. “I thought we would see Gina and Ashlynn.”
He shakes his head, stepping around me and putting on his own gear.
Logan says, “We’ll probably run into them on the trail. Quads start first since they tend to move slowest. Trios will be allowed to start in another hour or so, and then duos and singles start about midday.”
Doug stands next to me while the guys get everything from the Jeep and finish situating their packs. When they’re finished, Jude hands me a strange looking straw with a murmured instruction to tuck it in the pocket on my waistband and then presses a kiss to the crown of my head.