Epilougue
Harper
Two weeks later…
Knox's apartment smelled like him. A delicious mix of pine and ice, leather and something darker that made my brain purr with recognition. My duffel bag sat by the door, a temporary arrangement I'd insisted on three times during the drive over.
Temporary.
Just until things settled.
Until we figured out what this actually meant.
Knox had leaned against the door frame all casual like, his dark gaze tracking me, with his arms crossed against his chest."You can take the left side of the closet.”
He was still in his game-day suit, tie loosened, sleeves rolled to his elbows. The picture of control. He’d played extremely well tonight against the Carolina Reapers.
"I don't need closet space. I told you, this is just…"
"Temporary. Yeah, doc. I heard you the first dozen times." His mouth quirked, that infuriating half-smile that made me want to either kiss him or knee him in the stomach. "Doesn't mean your stuff lives in a duffel bag on my floor like some kind of hockey vagabond."
I felt the heat creep up my neck, that maddening flush that always gave me away. Three days since the heat had broken. Three days since he'd knotted me accidentally, desperately, in a tangle of need and instinct that had felt like falling and flying all at once. Three days of him being absolutely, meticulously careful not to touch me like that again.
It was driving me insane.
I crossed over to him quickly, noting my feet barely made a sound against the hardwood floors. "Knox."
I could smell the shift in his scent, the way it deepened, darkened as he tracked me with his eyes. "You don't have to treat me like I'm going to break."
"I'm not." But his jaw was tight, tendons standing out in his neck.
"You haven't kissed me since we got here."
"Harper…"
"You've barely touched me." I stopped in front of him, close enough that I had to tilt my head back to hold his gaze. "I can feel you holding back. It's practically vibrating off you."
His hands flexed at his sides. "You said you needed time. To process. To figure out what you wanted."
"I did figure it out." My heart was hammering now, my omega instincts singing with anticipation. "I want you. Not the careful version. Not the one who's terrified of losing control."
I reached up, my fingers curling into his tie. "I want the alpha who claimed me in that hotel room like I was the only thing in the world that mattered."
His chest vibrated against my knuckles, a low sound that made the hair on my arms stand up and my breath catch in my throat. His pupils dilated until only a thin ring of amber remained, and his fingers flexed at his sides, tendons standing out like cords. "You don't know what you're asking."
"Then show me."
For a heartbeat, he didn't move. Then his control shattered like glass.
His mouth crashed into mine, demanding and desperate, one hand fisting in my hair while the other gripped my hip hard enough to bruise. I gasped against his lips and he swallowed the sound, kissing me like he'd been starving for it, like the three days of careful distance had been physical torture.
"Bed," I managed between kisses. "Knox, bed…"
He lifted me like I weighed nothing, my legs wrapping around his waist as he carried me the few steps to his bed. The comforter was dark gray, expensive, and I had exactly two seconds to appreciate it before he had me on my back, his body covering mine.
"Last chance," he growled against my throat, teeth scraping over the spot where he’d claimed me, causing my pussy to vibrate. "Tell me to stop and I will. But if you don't…” His hips rolled against mine and I felt the hard length of him through too many layers of clothing. "I'm going to claim you properly this time. No accidents. No apologies after."
My hands were already working at his belt. "Good. Because I'm done with careful."
