Page 22 of Knot A Chance

I chuckled. “Not even going to pretend to have a problem with that. You can tell me all about it when I text you.”

“Don’t tempt me or I might start stroking myself now.”

“Oh, I’d really enjoy watching you do that. Maybe I want to tempt you.” I pressed my hips against his and he groaned as he pulled his hips back.

“Okay, Felix, that’s enough.” He kissed the tip of my nose. “I’m committed to taking you out on a proper date before I fuck you, and my control is starting to slip.”

I stuck out my lip in a pout. “What a boring alpha.”

He shook his head. “Nice try. Now let’s get you on your way before I change my mind.”

I completed the last of the closing checklist and frowned at Bennett as I cashed out his tab. “You tipped me nearly one hundred percent,” I said, shaking my head. “I was completely joking about that you know.”

He smiled with satisfaction as he spun his keys around his finger. “You had the chef make me a special meal. Anyone who doesn’t tip you one hundred percent for that is an asshole who is unworthy of your time.”

I preened again as he followed me to the break room so I could grab my things. “You know most people barely tip twenty percent, right?”

“Seriously? That’s the minimum standard,” he said.

“Perhaps, but in my experience, people round down. Or maybe I really am a terrible bartender.” I laughed as I closed my locker.

Bennett reached for my hand, and I let him take it as we walked together out the back door. “You’re a great bartender. I’d say I’ll distract you less, but that’s a promise I’m not willing to keep.”

I glanced at him, my heart racing as I took in his sharp features and the light stubble on his face. I wanted to run my fingers over it and feel the prick against my mouth. He opened my car door and gestured for me to climb in, resting one hand on the roof and bending down to make eye contact as he spoke, “You’ll text me when you get home or I’ll end up on your doorstep in less than an hour.”

“This is your idea of freedom?” I laughed. “Damn, you’re lucky that you come off as sexily protective and not red-flag possessive or I’d be completely uninterested in you.”

“I’ll never try to possess you, Felix.” He cupped my face and rubbed my cheek gently with his thumb. “I don’t want to own you. I want to cherish you.”

“You can’t say shit like that before our first date or I’ll fall in love with you before it even starts.”

He smiled smugly at me. “Please, we’ve had tons of almost dates at the bar. What makes you think you haven’t already fallen for me?”

I snorted. “All right, alpha. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight, Felix,” he said before closing the door. He took a few steps back and waited until I’d almost left the parking lot before turning toward his truck.

Fifteen minutes later, I pulled into the parking lot of my apartment complex and let myself inside, immediately pulling out my phone to text Bennett, only to realize that I’d given him my number, but he’d never given me his. The smile instantly fell from my face.

Shit.

I paced my living room. “What the fuck do I do?” I asked my cat, Marley, as she hoped onto the coffee table and rubbed against my thigh. I reached down to pet her orange fur. “I’m in trouble.”

She meowed and jumped down, headed for her food bowl. I followed her. “How can you think about food at a time like this? I have a genuinely perfect alpha interested in me and I’m going to piss him off right after agreeing to date him. Do you know how amazing he is, Marley? He’s kind and confident, hot and funny, and just the perfect amount of obsessed with me—”

My phone buzzed in my pocket and I jumped, quickly grabbing it as fear that it was Ryder flooded me.

Unknown Number: Do I need to come over there and make sure you’re tucked in, handsome?

I chuckled to myself and breathed a sharp sigh of relief as I added the number to my list of contacts.

Me: I gave you my phone number, but I didn’t realize that I never texted myself from your phone until I got home.

Bennett: So you made me a promise you were incapable of keeping?

Me: It would appear that way, yes. I’m sorry.

Bennett: No need to be sorry. I realized it after you drove away. Are you home safe?