Knot Her Omega (Pack Alphas of Pinecrest Harbor #2)

Chapter 1

Chapter One

Emily

Imove on bare feet through the kitchen, careful not to disturb Jared as I pull my bread dough from the refrigerator, setting it on the counter to warm while I wash my hands.

Mixie weaves between my ankles, her tail flicking my calf as she chirps her morning greeting.

“Shhh,” I whisper, once again thankful that Jared helped me rescue her from my evil ex-Omega, Auren. “Let’s not wake Jared yet.”

The dough remains cold beneath my palms when I turn it onto a floured surface.

I put my weight into it, the resistance yielding as I fold and turn, building tension in the gluten.

My shoulders loosen with each push and pull, finding comfort in the familiar rhythm.

Through the window, a gentle rain flattens the purple geraniums in the garden.

Mixie jumps onto the windowsill, her whiskers twitching as she tracks a raindrop sliding down the glass.

With September approaching, we’re nearing the end of our window for good weather in the Pacific Northwest, but we should still be able to pour the foundations for the staff cabins and the fitness center before the rain sets in.

I roll the dough into a taut ball, place it in a proofing basket, cover it, and slide it back into the fridge.

Mixie hops down to follow me, purring for attention.

I scoop her up, nuzzling her soft black fur before setting her down with a gentle pat. “Go on.”

I hum as I pull ingredients for tonight’s dinner, layering potatoes, carrots, and onions at the bottom of the crock pot. Mixie sits beside her empty food bowl, watching me with expectant green eyes.

“Yes, you’re next,” I tell her as I crush dried rosemary between my fingers.

The heat of Jared’s body announces him first, a wall of warmth blanketing my back, followed by a sleep-roughened growl in my ear. “This is criminal.”

His arms wrap around my waist, pulling me flush to him, and my pulse quickens as he nestles his hard length into the crease of my ass through the thin fabric of my robe.

His stubbled jaw scrapes my neck, sending a shiver through me. “Why didn’t you wake me?”

“You looked like you needed the extra sleep.” My fingers tremble slightly as I continue working, hyperaware of every inch where our bodies connect. “Besides, the bread kneaded me.”

“I needed you.” His hands part my robe, palms sliding over the curve of my waist, fingertips leaving trails of fire across my skin.

My breath catches. “Hey, now, we don’t have time for that.”

“The second taxi doesn’t leave until nine-thirty.” With a gentle tug, the knot at my waist comes undone, and his fingers dip beneath the elastic of my underwear, teasing. “We have time.”

His mouth finds the sensitive hollow beneath my ear, and the wet heat of his tongue draws an involuntary moan from me. The vibration of his answering purr travels through me like electricity.

“What do you say?” His teeth close on my earlobe, sending a shiver down to my core. “I’ll make it worth your while.”

I arch back, my head falling onto his shoulder, exposing more of my neck to his mouth. His hand splays across my stomach while the other slides higher, cupping my breast, thumb circling.

“I can’t.” The words emerge breathless, reluctant. “The final inspection for the Homestead is at eight. If I miss the first taxi, I’ll be late.”

His hands pause their exploration, but he doesn’t pull away. “The inspection that determines whether we open on schedule or push back three months?”

“That’s the one.”

“Maybe I should have led with breakfast instead of seduction.” His arms tighten around me before he reties my robe, then steps back, and I have to resist the urge to pull him close again. “Coffee?”

My body still tingles where his hands had been, and I struggle to focus past the lingering heat.

“Please.” The word slips out rougher than intended, betraying the thwarted desire coiling low in my belly.

As I fill Mixie’s food bowl with kibbles, Jared moves through my kitchen with familiar ease, gathering mugs and measuring beans, while I try to calm my racing pulse. Three months ago, I would have bristled at anyone treating my space like home.

Now, I find myself marveling at how Jared’s movements feel like he’s always belonged here, his presence filling spaces I never realized were empty. The presence of the second mug on the drying rack and the extra towel by the sink have become as natural as my own heartbeat.

Watching him go about his own morning routine while anticipating my needs leaves me with a strange completeness. As if some vital part of me had been waiting all along, and only now do I recognize it had ever been missing.

“You’re staring,” Jared says, not turning around as he pours water into the coffee maker.

Is he as affected as I am? Is he also fighting the urge to abandon responsibility for pleasure?

“Can’t I appreciate the view?” I tease, not sure when I learned to be so at ease with another person.

This pulls a laugh from him. “Save it for after the inspection, you temptress. I’ll still be pretty this afternoon.”

The coffee begins to drip, filling the air with its rich aroma. I return to the crock pot, adding the wine before covering it with the lid and setting it on low so it can spend all day breaking down the fats.

Jared opens the refrigerator. “Oatmeal or eggs?”

“Eggs, please.”

A warmth that has nothing to do with physical desire spreads through me. I prop my hip against the counter, watching him work.

“Stop looking so worried,” Jared says as he places a skillet on the stove. “The inspection will be fine.”

“It will,” I agree.

“So, why the furrow?”

I hadn’t realized I’d let my thoughts show. “Force of habit.”

He sets down the carton of eggs to gently massage between my eyebrows. “Save your worries for things worth worrying about. Like what tie I’m going to wear to the celebration party.”

“You don’t own a tie.”

“See? Now that’s worth furrowing over.”

The timer for the coffee beeps, and he returns to his task, pouring two mugs and doctoring mine with a splash of cream.

He places it in my hands, his fingers brushing mine. “Drink. Wake up. Then tell me why today won’t be a disaster.”

I wrap my hands around the warm ceramic, inhaling the steam before taking a sip.

“Today won’t be a disaster because we’ve done everything right,” I say, the coffee warming me from the inside out. “The work is solid, and the inspectors are fair.”

Jared raises his mug in a toast. “To solid work. May it save you from bureaucratic nightmares. Now, go put on some clothes so I can focus on finishing breakfast.”

“Yes, sir.” I give him a chaste kiss before I head back to the bedroom.

“I like the new title!” he calls after me.

“Don’t get used to it!” I yell back, shaking my head at myself.

When did I start yelling through the house without worrying about who I might be disturbing?

Since Jared moved in, my mind whispers, and I have to give myself a bracing sip of coffee to push back the rosy glow of happiness the thought brings.

Instead, I focus on the final checklist as I swap my warm robe for sturdy jeans and a flannel, each item ticked off with the same eye for detail that I apply to every construction project. Plumbing, electrical, and safety compliance. My crew didn’t cut corners, and neither did I.

The resort inspection will pass with flying colors.

By the time I return to the kitchen, my mug is empty, and Jared has breakfast ready at the small table pushed up against the wall.

My stomach rumbles with appreciation as I slide into my chair. “You didn’t have to make pancakes.”

He leans over to rub my cheek with his scruffy one, and then takes his seat at the table across from me. “Inspection day deserves extra effort.”

I cut into my eggs, the yolk spilling across my plate. “You’re spoiling me.”

“You deserve to be spoiled.” Jared shovels another bite of pancake into his mouth. “So, I know we were joking about a tie, but I don’t even have a suit.”

I wipe my mouth with a napkin. “We can find something off the rack, but I don’t think we have enough time to get it fitted.”

“Why’d they have to choose The Breakwater for the celebration?” he grumbles. “If it’s a dinner to thank everyone who helped complete Phase One, the Rusty Seagull would have been better.”

“Hey, construction workers like to dress up, too.” I tap his foot under the table. “And are you really complaining about an open bar and catered dinner at their expense?”

“No,” he sighs. “But why do I have to wear a tie?”

I lift my orange juice. “So it will match my dress.”

His eyebrows shoot up before his sea-glass green eyes glimmer with interest. “You’re going to wear a dress?”

I frown at him. “Did you expect me to also wear a suit?”

“You’d be sexy in a three-piece,” he rumbles. “Not sure I’ll be able to contain myself if you’re in a skirt.”

Blood rises to my cheeks. “Well, you’ll have to find a way.”

Jared taps his fork on his plate. “Don’t you think planning a celebration before the inspection passes is asking for something to go wrong?”

I fix him with a flat stare. “Don’t even start with that superstitious nonsense.”

“I’m serious! It’s like washing your car right before it rains or—”

“Shush.” I rise from my chair, rounding the table to where he sits. “Not another word about jinxes or bad luck.”

When he opens his mouth to protest, I silence him with a quick kiss, tasting maple syrup and orange juice on his lips. He grins against my mouth before I pull away.

“Fine,” he concedes, “but when the sprinkler system malfunctions for no reason during the inspection, remember I warned you.”

I swat his shoulder and carry our plates to the sink. “The sprinkler system is flawless. I tested it myself.”

“That’s what they all say.” Jared brings over his empty glass and kisses my shoulder before heading to the shower.