KNOT: A Wake Family Novel by M. Mabie Read Free Book Online

about my attraction to one.
    No.
    Sex was something else for me. I wasn’t there just to get off. I enjoyed the work that came with being a masterful lover. Masterful, in general, at anything I set my mind to. And when it came to a woman, the rush of victory pulsed through my veins only when they fell apart under me. It wasn’t ever about me.
    Still, as I stood there at the party, I could feel the muscles in my back tighten, and my breathing started to quicken.
    Was she even there alone?
    Fuck.
    Nine .
    Only one time did she catch me looking at her, and when she did she smiled brightly, just as she had to everyone else.
    I hated it.
    I was already familiar with that brand of smile from her. It was a work smile. A performance smile. A mask. I didn’t want that from her, so I didn’t smile back.
    I made my way around the room, shaking hands and making small talk with people I knew. I exchanged business cards with a handful of men and women who were also using the party as an opportunity to market themselves and their specialties.
    What was her specialty?
    Eight .
    The drinks went down at a responsible pace, and as the night began to quiet, and the band began to play music targeting couples to dance. I spent most of my time near the bar.
    Surprisingly—or not, as it turned out—most everyone was paired off.
    Seven.
    I thought about loosening my tie as I leaned against the bar waiting for another beer, but didn’t bother.
    Does she really know all these people? Why don’t I have a clue who she is?
    Six.
    “You’ve been staring at me all night,” a woman said from behind me. “So are you going to introduce yourself or not?”
    Her voice is better up close.
    Five .
    My shoulders shifted back, and I slowly turned to see her. The woman who I knew belonged to that timbre.
    Collect yourself. Stand up straight.
    Four.
    Three.
    Two.
    First impressions are everything. Hers told me, loud and clear, she wasn’t what I was after. Then again, I thrived when challenged.
    I took my time looking over my shoulder into her fiery, annoyed eyes and saw a glimpse of more than what she offered others.
    I need to know everything about her.
    I could have it all.
    One.
    Challenge accepted. “My name is Reagan Warren.”
    “Nice to meet you. I’m Nora.” She stood tall and proud, like a statue under my observant eye. She wore a slim, body-hugging skirt and a white, silk top that parted ever so slightly as she leaned against the bar beside me. It was tastefully transparent. Provocative, yet classy.
    Every dark brown, precisely shoulder length hair in place. Stormy, grey eyes. Her lipstick applied to perfection. Skin pure like fresh cream.
    Nora was pristine.
    I wanted to start back at ten, but at that point, I knew there was no going back.
    I offered her my hand, and she shook it—professionally. Firm. Deliberate. Intentional.
    Immediately, I took stock of how her skin felt against mine. Her temperature just slightly warmer than my own. Her long fingers holding her palm tightly against my introductive grip.
    Her presence made me stand straighter, despite the on-setting mild panic I was experiencing.
    Hell, maybe it wasn’t her causing it. I’d had a crazy week. Maybe it was all catching up to me. It picked a supremely shitty time to do it though.
    Regardless, she made me taller by inches, I’m sure.
    She made Reggie into Reagan, so much so, that I’d introduced myself to her that way. To everyone I knew, outside of the formal signature on my email, I was Reggie.
    Not to her though. To her, I wanted to be Reagan. More than just myself. The official me.
    Never had there been a moment where I felt more feeble and dominant at the same time. It took everything in me to steady my breathing and talk to her, learning that I was able to do so fueled me. All the while, my stomach knotted, and I fought the urge to excuse myself.
    No. Do this. You can do this.
    “What do you do, Nora?” I asked before I took another drink.
    It surprised me when