Knot a Good Idea (Bittersweet Omegas #4)

Chapter 10

10

APRIL

This was not a good idea.

I don’t belong here.

Even their foyer is massive, with a set of staircases on either side leading up to the second floor. My shoes clack on the marble floor, and I realize how out of my element I am surrounded by three unmated billionaires.

I thought Donovan smelled phenomenal, but Hunter is a spicier concoction of rich scents. He’s also just as handsome, with golden tan skin and close-cropped light brown hair. His eyes are amber, just a shade lighter than his hair. Dressed in a black long-sleeved shirt that’s almost too tight, he’s mouthwatering.

Liam is the sweetest Alpha I’ve ever met. He’s shy, thoughtful, and his tousled dirty-blonde hair looks silky enough to run my fingers through. He wears a forest green sweater that matches his eyes, and his scent is light and earthy.

He’s a mixture of eucalyptus and mint, calming and soothing.

But his grounding doesn’t stop me from freaking out on the inside.

I’m going to be with them for the next two days to see if we’re a good match.

A test run.

What the hell does a test run even entail?

What have I gotten myself into?

But then I remind myself of why I’m here.

Save the café and everyone’s jobs.

I can do this.

And with Liam’s eyes widening in excitement, it’s hard for me to say no to a tour of the home.

“I would love to see the rest of your place,” I say.

Donovan walks over to us and hands Liam my duffel bag, and I frown when I see the obnoxious white icing stain on it.

I don’t belong in this world.

But Liam doesn’t say anything. He just slings the bag over his shoulder and grins, showing off matching dimples.

“After you,” he says, motioning toward the staircase.

“Don’t let him hog you too long, April,” Hunter’s voice carries behind us as we head to the second floor. “We’ll be down here waiting.”

“Sorry about him,” Liam sighs as we reach the top of the stairs. “He can be a bit obnoxious. So can Donovan. But they’re good people underneath it all.”

“I believe it,” I tell him earnestly. “I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t.”

That may not be entirely true, but it’s good to have Liam’s reassurance about his packmates.

“Your bedroom is down here,” he says, leading me down a vast hallway. “And ours are on the opposite end, so if you need anything, we’re not far.”

“Oh.” I stop to admire a painting on the wall.

It’s a view of wooded hills illuminated in the sunset, intricate with detail. Little houses dot the scene with cream and white paints, and the sky is made of brilliant shades of pink and purple.

“This is gorgeous,” I say.

“Oh, thank you. I painted that,” Liam says, shrugging.

“You did ?” I turn to look at him, my mouth open. “You’re talented.”

He blushes, and my heart stutters.

“Thanks,” he swallows, his Adam’s apple bobbing. “I, uh…I love to paint,” he offers sheepishly. “You’ll see some of my artwork around here.”

“How long have you been painting?”

“Since I was a kid. It helps me sometimes,” he says. “I can get panicky about things. And when I do, I’ll start painting.”

I blink. “Oh.”

“Sorry, that’s probably too much information,” he laughs awkwardly, turning to head down the hallway. “Come on. Your room’s over here.”

I frown, following him. “It’s not too much information at all. It’s art. I do the same thing with baking. Whenever I start to freak out, I’ve found that baking helps me stay focused and rational.”

It hasn’t helped in a while, though. Nothing has.

We stop at an open door, and he turns back to me, a soft smile returning to his face. “You want to bake this weekend?”

I pause.

Do I?

I haven’t been excited about baking since...

“Have you ever made a macaron before?” I ask.

He furrows his brow in confusion. “What are those?”

I can’t help it. I giggle. It escapes me before I can stop it, a sound of delight I haven’t made in months.

“Yeah. Let’s bake this weekend,” I say, surprised at how relaxed I am around Liam.

Yes, he’s an Alpha, made of lean muscle and a towering frame.

But he’s also gentle, with soulful eyes and a genuine smile.

I already know I have a friend in him.

His eyes light up in a lovely rich green, and my chest constricts.

“Hell yes,” he grins, then he motions to the room. “This is all yours.”

I step inside and shake my head as he follows behind me.

“This is too much.”

“Which part?” Liam sounds genuinely confused.

“Uh…all of it?”

The space is the size of three of my bedrooms at home. A massive bed with a dark wood frame and cream sheets sits in the middle of the room, and a stone fireplace is to my left. The right leads to a bathroom accompanied by a walk-in closet.

I step into the bathroom and almost laugh.

Skylar would lose her mind if she were here. She’s always had luxurious taste.

The marble shower is big enough to fit at least four people, and the ivory claw-foot tub is inviting and elegant. Expensive beauty brands I recognize from Skylar’s bathroom line the vanity.

I need to text Skylar photos later.

“Do you not like it?” Liam asks. “I mean, we could always move you to another room. But I picked this one, because I thought?—”

“It’s wonderful,” I assure him.

“You said it was too much, though.” His brow furrows, and I notice his left hand tapping his thigh anxiously. “If there’s anything?—”

“I’m not used to it,” I tell him gently. “It’s a bit of a shock, but I’m excited to stay here. And I haven’t been excited about much in a long time.”

I let the last part slip out by accident and clear my throat awkwardly.

But Liam’s earthy scent fills the bathroom as he takes a step toward me. “Okay.” He smiles again, showing off his dimples.

He’s so handsome, it’s ridiculous.

I have a feeling it would be easy to fall for him if I wasn’t such a mess.

I would be lucky to have him in my pack.

“Hey,” he says softly, running a hand through his wavy hair. “I just wanted to say, I know that you’re here for?—”

“ What the fuck !” I hear voices boom from below us.

I jump, startled, as Liam rolls his eyes.

“Hunter,” he groans, shaking his head.

“What’s going on?” I ask, trepidation filling my gut.

I’m still jumpy, and I hate it.

“They’re probably just bickering—they do that a lot. And I’m not there to play peacemaker.”

“What do they bicker about?”

He shrugs. “Everything. They have a certain way of doing things, and both of them are…stubborn. Hunter’s a bit more expressive about it.”

“Expressive,” I repeat.

“Yeah. He’s one of the few people that will stand up to Donovan, so it’s interesting to watch.”

I quirk my lip. “I have a feeling Donovan rarely gets humbled.”

Liam chuckles. “It’s true. But when he does, it’s amazing to watch. I have a feeling that’s why he picked you.”

“What do you mean?”

“According to him, you barely gave him the time of day when you first met at your café.”

“Well, yeah,” I shrug. “He was arrogant and huffy. I didn’t have time for that. I used to be able to tolerate people’s bullshit. But now…I just don’t.”

Liam laughs. “That’s amazing. C’mon, let’s go see what Donovan’s done to piss Hunter off.”

When he presses his hand to the small of my back, I don’t jump. Instead, I embrace the warmth that blooms at my core.

As we leave the bedroom, I take one last longing look at the inviting bed.

I have the urge to burrow under the blankets and stay there for hours on end.

“There are more blankets and pillows in the closet, too,” Liam adds. “In case you…if you…”

“I understand,” I cut him off, delighted at the flush that colors his cheeks.

It’s not like I’m going into Heat anytime soon, but having the closet stocked with nesting materials is a considerate gesture.

But it doesn’t matter. My last Heat was before the… incident , and my suppressants have kept me in check.

Nope. Not happening. At all.

We head downstairs and Liam leads me into the kitchen, and my mouth falls open.

“A double oven,” I whisper as Hunter and Donovan turn to me. They’re sitting at the white marble island, Donovan with his lips pulled into a thin line while Hunter grins at me.

“April is going to show me how to make macarons,” Liam announces while I gape at their kitchen.

It’s a chef’s dream. The island is made of light brown wood topped in sleek white marble and includes a deep stainless steel sink. The generous number of cabinets match the wood of the island, and the kitchen counters have enough space that I could bake several different pastries at once. The chrome fridge is twice the size of the one I have at home.

I want to bake. I want the counters to overflow with cookies, pastries, and quiches.

My hands itch to do it.

In our time upstairs, Hunter and Donovan have managed to fill the island with different charcuterie plates.

I said I wasn’t hungry, but apparently, they didn’t care.

“Yeah, I doubt you’ll have time to bake this weekend,” Hunter mutters, then looks at me. “Sorry, sweetheart. Plans changed.”

I frown. “What do you mean?”

Donovan narrows his eyes. “Eat first, then we’ll talk.”

“You might as well just tell her now,” Hunter says. “It’s not going to change your fuckup.”

“It wasn’t a fuckup,” Donovan growls. “ I didn’t change the date of the event.”

I look between them. “What’s going on?” I ask.

“Eat,” Donovan says.

I scowl. “I’m not hungry.”

And no one tells me what to do anymore , I want to add.

A voice I never want to hear again fills my head.

“You have to eat. I need you alive, and if you don’t eat, you’ll die. So, eat.”

My hands clench and I stare at the plates of cheese and meat, filled with more expensive food than I would ever purchase for myself.

“I don’t care if you’re not hungry. Eat something.” Donovan’s tone leaves no room for argument.

I snap.

“Let me set one thing straight right now,” I say, fighting to keep the tremor out of my voice. I meet Donovan’s eyes that narrow with frustration. “If we’re going to move forward in a successful partnership, you can’t boss me around. You just can’t .” I hope I look furious and not paralyzed with terror.

I turn to Liam, whose face is etched with concern. “I make my own choices,” I say softly. “I need you all to understand that.”

Hunter nods, raising an eyebrow. “I wouldn’t expect anything less. If she doesn’t want to eat, you can’t make her eat, Donovan. What the fuck?”

Donovan drums his fingers on the marble countertop, looking like he wants to argue.

Like he’s used to getting what he wants, and no one bothers to tell him no.

Even his scent becomes spicier, thick and rich with his frustration.

But how could I begin to explain what being ordered what to do feels like? That it brings back horrific memories of a time when all my choices were taken from me?

Donovan, Hunter, and Liam don’t know what happened to me, and I plan to keep it that way.

“Fine.” Donovan says, his jaw clenching. “Then there’s something we need to discuss.”

I sigh with relief. “Sounds good.”

“There’s a gala this weekend. It was originally scheduled three weeks from now, but it was just moved,” he says. “And we’re expected to go.”

I swallow. “Including me?”

He nods. “Including you.”

While Donovan looks furious, Hunter smirks. “It’s going to be fine, gorgeous. You’ll fit right in with them,” he purrs, but his playful teasing does nothing for my anxiety.

Panic seizes my chest. A gala this weekend ?

Liam chews his lip. “And you just found out about this now?” he asks Donovan.

“Apparently, I was told earlier this week via email, but I never received one.”

Hunter rolls his eyes. “I don’t know how that’s possible, since you have a stick up your ass about anything business related?—”

“When is it?” I interrupt.

“Tomorrow night,” Donovan replies.

Holy shit .

I nod. “Okay. We can make that work. I’ll just need a crash course on what to know.”

Hunter grins. “I knew you’d be up for it.”

“That means going over the contract,” Donovan says. “Which I didn’t plan on doing until a week from now.”

“Well, plans change.” I shrug while Donovan scowls. “Not everything goes the way we want it to all the time.”

I’m going to have to make this work.

Hunter gives Donovan a look and tilts his head. “Imagine that,” he says to Donovan, who just glares at him. The grumpy Alpha leaves his seat at the kitchen island and heads in the opposite direction of the staircase.

I raise an eyebrow and look at both Hunter and Liam. “Is he always like this?”

“Huffy and stubborn? Yes.” Liam smiles, his eyes gentle. “But he’ll be back. I’m sure he’s just going into his office to get paperwork.”

“And in the meantime,” Hunter looks at me and smirks, “we get you all to ourselves. You want to join us on the couch?” He motions to the cream plush L-shaped sectional across from the kitchen that faces a flat screen television. “It’s the comfiest fucking thing I’ve ever sat on.”

I shrug. “Sure.”

And because Donovan isn’t here to tell me what to do, I fill a plate with crackers, cheese, and smoked salmon.

Hunter notices and grins. “You should tell him off more. It’s hot as fuck.”

I snicker and plop down on the couch, letting out a soft groan as the cushion slightly gives in to my weight.

“This is comfortable,” I mutter. “You weren’t kidding.”

“I’m telling you. Best purchase I ever made,” Hunter says, sitting next to me. Liam joins him on the other side, and I turn to face both of them. Their scents mix well together, Liam’s earthiness complimenting the spice of Hunter’s.

Goosebumps prick my arms as I inhale them.

I could imagine enjoying both of them at once. Hunter behind me, Liam in front of me as I?—

I quickly shake the horny thought away and clear my throat. “So, how long have you all lived here?”

“We bought this place as soon as Axton went public,” Liam explains. “Then we added some renovations as time went on.”

“Like a helicopter?” I ask, and Hunter makes a face.

“Fucking hate heights,” he mutters. “He can’t take a car like the rest of us. Dude has to fly in.”

I shrug. “I didn’t mind it.”

“Which is why you’re already a badass,” Hunter adds. “And why I can’t wait to get to know you better.”

But a sense of unease washes over me. I’m not sure how much I can share with them before they finally realize who I am.

And if they do find out, will that change things? If they know who I am, will they cancel the contract before it even begins?

A horrible thought enters my mind.

What if other people recognize me?

I didn’t even think of that.

Hopefully, the people in Donovan’s social circles are too engaged in their own lives and haven’t paid attention to the news.

After a few minutes, Donovan enters the room, a leather folder in his hand. He sits on the other side of the couch, frowning when he sees my plate of food.

“Well, at least you’re eating,” he murmurs, and I raise an eyebrow.

He really doesn’t like when people disobey him.

He keeps his gaze on me a bit too long until Liam clears his throat.

“My private investigator just got back to me,” he says slowly.

My stomach sinks.

This is where he tells me to leave. This is where he calls it all off, because he knows who I am.

“Oh my god, you overdramatic fuck,” Hunter groans. “Did you really have to go and get a private investigator? She’ll be fine.”

Liam looks at me, frowning. “Sorry, April. He has to do that, for practicality reasons?—”

“And everything came back fine, just like I suspected.” Donovan interrupts.

I hold my breath. “It did?” I finally ask, doing my best to sound normal. “That’s good.”

Donovan nods, but he continues to search my eyes.

And that’s when I know he knows.

He knows who I am. He’s seen the news articles.

I swallow.

This was such a stupid idea.

He’s going to tell the Liam and Hunter, and they’re going to ask questions?—

But the knowing look vanishes from his eyes, and he opens the folder. “So, before you sign the non-disclosure agreement, there are boundaries we need to discuss.”

I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding. “Alright. Let’s discuss.”

If he doesn’t want to treat my past like it’s a big deal, then I won’t, either.

He’s treating me like I’m normal .

“We’ve never done this before,” Liam says gently. “So, if we say something that makes you uncomfortable, please let us know.”

I turn to Liam and give him a smile, relaxing against the cushion. “I will.”

But I can already tell Liam wouldn’t do something like that. He leads with kindness, a quality that I cherish.

Donovan leads with power.

And Hunter leads with…something I can’t define just yet.

“Feel free to slap me in the face if I act up,” Hunter adds. “I won’t mind.”

He winks at me, and my face flushes.

Donovan rolls his eyes and sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Hunter. Liam. Please .”

“Okay. Boundaries. Shoot,” I say, nodding to Donovan.

He nods. “At these events, there needs to be some sort of physical contact. You’re ours, according to the public, and they’ll expect…normal signs.”

You’re ours. My inner Omega peeks her head out of the box I’ve shoved her in.

“Normal signs,” I repeat. “Such as hugging, kissing?”

A subtle pang hits my stomach, and I shift in my seat. The idea of kissing all of them sends a burst of arousal through my core, and I do my best to ignore it.

“Whatever you’re comfortable with,” Donovan adds. “It’s your call. Your rules.”

Hunter eyes me hungrily, his lips pulled into a playful smirk. “Whatever you want, gorgeous.”

I want a lot of things. A lot of things I’m not even sure I can have anymore, after what I’ve been through.

The April from before would know exactly what to say and how to handle this.

She would have thought about what was acceptable long before she stepped into the Axton packhouse.

But now, I just have to fucking wing it.

“I’m comfortable with cheek kisses, hugs, and light touches. Anything else I would have to initiate,” I say.

Liam keeps his expression neutral, but I catch a quick flash of disappointment on Hunter’s face.

Donovan simply nods. “Excellent. That’s all that is expected at those places, anyway. Most of the people there are too wrapped up in themselves to even pay attention to what others are doing.”

I nibble on a cracker, hoping to quell the anxiety in my stomach. I’ll be touching all three of them a lot more.

It’s exciting, but I don’t know how much physical touch I can handle without panicking.

I shouldn’t have agreed to this. I shouldn’t have--

“You’re playing a part,” Donovan adds. “We’ll have to give you a crash course on our business and the people there. But you’re smart, and I’m confident you’ll have it down before Sunday.”

I nod, flattered by his compliment. “I’m confident, too.”

“Anything we talk about here—our business, our arrangement—cannot be discussed with anyone else. To everyone , we are officially in a relationship and you’re our Omega. I’m assuming you may have told a friend already—but once you sign that NDA, no other details will be discussed except for the story we create. That includes us, too.” He looks at me pointedly. “We will not discuss anything about you to anyone else unless you’ve given us permission. Anything from your personal life, anything you might share, stays with us in confidence.”

There’s that look again.

I know exactly what Donovan is referring to, and I nod. “Absolutely.”

“I’m a great listener,” Liam pipes up. “And your secrets are safe with me.”

He’s so adorable it makes my heart hurt. “I believe it,” I tell him softly. “And I appreciate it.”

I can’t help it. I reach for his hand, which rests on the couch cushion, and squeeze it.

He grins, and I smile back.

Donovan clears his throat, and I catch him scowling at our hand holding. “So, if you’re amicable to what we’ve discussed, we can all sign the paperwork. The money will be deposited to you starting next week.”

“Sure.”

He passes the folder to me along with a pen, and I read through the agreement once before signing my name at the bottom.

Once I hand him the folder back, it’s like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders.

I’m all in, now.

There’s no backing out, and I’m going to fucking do this.

“Well,” Hunter says, “now that that’s out of the way, we’ve got all night. What do you want to do?”

I snort at the way he emphasizes all night.

He’s a shameless flirt, but I enjoy it.

What I really want to do is get to know these guys better before tomorrow evening. That includes being comfortable just hanging out with them.

I look at all three of them—Donovan, with the scowl still on his face, Liam beaming, and Hunter smirking.

And I think about what I do when I hang out with Skylar and her pack.

“I highly doubt this,” I sigh, shaking my head. “But it’s worth a shot.”

Donovan raises an eyebrow. “What?”

“Do you have any board games?”

“Holy shit!” Hunter yells, leaping from the couch. “Are you serious? Fuck yes, we do!”

Donovan groans and mutters under his breath.

Their backyard is spectacular.

There’s no other word for it.

A small greenhouse is near the back, past the manicured lawn that seems to sprawl forever, surrounded by the view of the hills.

To the right is a fire pit with cushioned seats, and past that is a white gazebo.

The four of us sit at a glass table illuminated by heat lamps. The winter air is chilly, and I sit in an oversized wicker chair draped in Liam’s sweatshirt, which he kindly handed to me when he saw me shivering. His scent is concentrated as the material drapes over my body, and my inner Omega purrs in secret delight as Hunter explains the rules of the game to us.

I smell like Liam and don’t want to give him his sweatshirt back.

I want to hide it under my pillow and inhale it as I burrow under blankets, drowning in his delicious scent of refreshing eucalyptus.

It turns out both Hunter and Liam love board games. So much so that they’ve become friends with the founder of an independent game company and ended up investing in a portion of it.

Donovan rarely plays with them, but tonight, he sits with us at the table scowling.

As we play the game, he feeds me information that I’ll need to know for Sunday.

“You can’t play a rune unless you’ve got enough materials to do it,” Hunter interrupts Donovan when he tries to place a card down. “And you don’t.”

Donovan closes his eyes and sighs, and I fight a smile. “Then when can I play this card?”

“When you have over five fire symbols,” Liam answers patiently. “Actually, you can’t do anything, so it’s Hunter’s turn.”

Donovan shakes his head. “Fine.” Then he looks at me, sitting opposite from him at the table. “Question. Who is hosting the gala?”

“The Academy of Future Artists.”

He nods. “And what are they raising money for?”

“Scholarships for tuition to private colleges.”

“What’s the minimum donation for the night?”

“A hundred thousand.” I grimace at the amount.

Donovan nods. “Good.”

We spend the rest of the evening like that, playing board games while the guys occasionally add pieces of information I need to know for tomorrow night.

I’m still nervous about the gala, but laughing with Hunter and Liam as they gang up on Donovan helps.

I genuinely like these men so far.

Simply playing board games without them walking on eggshells around me makes me feel normal again.

Maybe there’s a chance I’m not completely broken.

Maybe I can be a functioning human again, complete with having a social life.

Armed with knowledge for the gala, I yawn one too many times and fatigue washes over me.

“I can walk you to your room,” Liam says too quickly. “If you want. I mean, you already know where it is?—”

Hunter rolls his eyes. “Dude, you need to cool it.”

I can’t help but find Liam’s nerves adorable. “Sure.” I stand, and he follows, smiling. “Goodnight,” I say softly to Donovan and Hunter. “I’m looking forward to tomorrow.”

“Me too,” Hunter says. “You’re going to be great, gorgeous.”

I blush.

Donovan simply nods. “Sleep well,” he says softly. There’s a flicker of longing behind his eyes, but it disappears as quickly as I see it.

I tell myself I don’t need to dwell too much on it.

At best, these guys can be my friends.

But at the end of the day, I don’t belong in their world and can’t give them what they need.

I can pretend to be their Omega, but I can’t truly belong to them.

“Oh,” Liam says as we head back inside. “I actually have something for you, if you don’t mind.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah. It’s in my room. I’ll grab it once we get upstairs.”

In another life, I would be happy to be in Liam’s pack. He’s the perfect balance between Donovan and Hunter.

But I shake the thought away.

The key to my heart, or whatever is left of it, is somewhere hidden deep inside of me.

“Wait here,” Liam says, leaving me in the hallway. “I’ll be right back.”

He almost runs down the opposite end of the hall, and I have to hold back a laugh.

His excitement makes me excited.

It doesn’t hurt that his scent is all over me now, too.

Without Hunter and Donovan, being alone with Liam makes my spine tingle and delicious shocks of electricity flow through me.

I wonder if he feels the same way.

He hurries back to me as I lean against the doorway, his face flushing as he hands me a tiny white box. “It’s a small gift,” he stammers. “I mean, I don’t want you to read into it; I know you’re just pretending with us. But I want you to feel welcome here, and I thought this could be a token of friendship.”

I lift the lid, and my smile turns into a gasp.

A delicate crystal glass rose lies on the white tissue paper. It’s smaller than my palm and it shines brightly as I lift it from the box and turn it over in my hand. It has a tiny stand at the bottom attached to the sparkling stem, perfect to display.

“Do you like it? Real flowers wilt eventually,” Liam continues. “I just thought this would be nice for you to have?—”

It’s out of character for me to stand on my tiptoes and kiss him on the cheek. I don’t even think about it; my lips find his face quickly, and he freezes. He sucks in a breath but stays still as I lower my feet and look up at him.

“This is lovely,” I tell him honestly. “Thank you. I appreciate it.”

His green eyes darken as he stares at me. “You’re welcome,” he murmurs. “I, ah…sleep well, okay?”

I chuckle. “I will.”

“You’ll do great tomorrow,” he adds. “I just know it.”

I nod. “I’m starting to believe that.”

But it’s after I say goodnight to Liam and I start to get ready for bed that I notice it.

When I take off my underwear, I see a familiar wet spot in my panties.

“Oh, shit,” I mutter.

I’m wet with slick.

Wetter than I’ve been in months.