Page 65 of Knot Convenient

Sitting up, I growled to myself as I threw back the covers and swung my legs off the bed. Maybe a cup of tea would help me fall asleep?

Padding down the stairs, I kept my eyes open. There was no way I was going to get taken by surprise—and, sure enough, there was Marshall sitting at the kitchen table, pouring over paperwork, looking thoroughly confused.

I smiled, continuing into the room. “Taxes again?” I asked, moving over to where Marshall was sitting at the kitchen table, papers spread out in front of him.

“Unfortunately,” he grumbled. “Though I’m not organizing invoices and receipts this time. I’m doing all the horrible numbers bullshit.”

I cocked a brow. “Don’t you have accountants for that?”

“In theory.” He chuckled. “But the idiot keeps forgetting he works for me, apparently.”

With a light laugh and a grin, I held out my hand. “Give them here,” I said, pulling out a chair and sitting next to him.

“What are you doing?” Marshall asked, his brows up to his hairline.

“Helping. I was a year away from becoming an accountant, remember? This sort of thing is easy for me… That is, if you don’t mind me helping.”

Marshall threw me a warm smile. “You’re more than welcome to go through any paperwork you want. My brain hurts just looking at it.”

He slid over the papers, and I reshuffled the stack, putting things in order so that I could look at it all from the beginning.

I craned down to look at the paperwork, my body tensing as his hand came to rest on my lower back. I relaxed a moment later, however, the warmth of his palm melting into me. It felt so soothing, so comforting, and that restless feeling inside me ramped up.

Jeez, what’s gotten into me?

“Couldn’t sleep?” he asked softly.

“Nope, I thought a hot tea would maybe help.”

He moved back, standing. “I’ll make it for you. It's the least I can do while you’re looking at this mess,” he said, jerking his head in the direction of the papers.

I turned back to the paper, quickly getting lost in the numbers and grabbing a highlighter and underlining a few things I wanted to make note of.

A few minutes later, the tea was placed on the table and Marshall took his seat next to me, his body leaned toward me, close. We sat like that, him watching me work intently, for a few minutes.

I’d drifted closer and closer to him, too, and that alluring scent of tangy metal wrapped in a musk that was uniquely Marshall’s was going straight to my…

Well, head wasn’t the right word.

No, my late-night brain was heading into a much more… southern place.

In the dark of the night, being so close to my rugged alpha, let’s just say I was feeling things I hadn’t really felt before coming to Willow Grove.

I needed to abort this mission if Marshall wanted his deductions correct. With a sigh, I stacked up the papers, and he turned to me with his brows up.

“I need to help with the rest in the morning. I’m finally feeling…” My words took a bit too long to come out, and Marshall met my eyes in a heated gaze that scent my pulse skyrocketing. “…tired. So maybe…we’ll do this in the morning?”

Marshall nodded, but I saw his eyes travel down the length of my body as I stood up, and there was no mistaking the tiny growl that slipped free.

“Did you just…” My eyes were so wide now, but a moment later, Marshall’s stare hit me, and I couldn’t tell if he was looking at me with surprise or rage. His eyes were intense with an emotion I couldn’t put my finger on.

God, did I piss him off? Crap, I never should have said…Okay, how do I fix this?

“I’m sorry, I shouldn't have said anything. I’ll go—” My words were cut off by Marshall grabbing my hand, tugging me into his lap.

I landed clumsily, tripping over my own feet and collapsing in a pile on top of him.

His arm that wasn’t holding my wrist instinctively wrapped around my waist, pulling me close. “Summer…” His voice was rough, but somehow also soft and almost… reverent.