I stared at him. “Really?”
“Really. It’s a way to feel close even when we’re apart. If you’re scared or lonely or just missing me, you touch the pendant and I’ll know. I’ll feel it. And I’ll touch mine back so you know I’m thinking of you too.”
My throat tightened. “Where did you get this idea?”
Knox looked almost sheepish. “Ryder, actually. He gave something similar to Jasmine. Said it helped them through some difficult times when they were separated. I asked him where he got them and...” He shrugged. “I wanted us to have that too.”
I couldn’t speak. Couldn’t find words for the emotion swelling in my chest. This wasn’t just jewelry, it was a lifeline, a connection. A promise that no matter how far apart we were, we would always be able to reach each other.
“Put it on me,” I managed.
Knox smiled and stepped behind me, his fingers brushing the back of my neck as he fastened the clasp. The pendant settled against my chest, cool at first, then warming with my body heat. I touched it instinctively, pressing my fingers against the tiny wolf.
A moment later, Knox’s hand flew to his own chest. His eyes met mine, warm and bright.
“I felt that,” he said softly.
“Good.” I smiled through the tears that were threatening to spill. “Now you’ll always know when I’m thinking about you.”
“I already know you’re always thinking about me.”
I laughed and threw my arms around his neck, pulling him into a tight hug. “You’re so cocky.”
He held me just as tightly, his face buried in my hair, his heart beating steady against mine. “I’m confident,” he answered, his voice muffled against my skin.
“Thank you,” I said against his shoulder. “For the panic room, for the necklace. For always thinking about us.”
“Always,” he agreed. “You’re my whole life, Lina. You and the kids. I would burn down the world to keep you safe.”
“That’s a bit dramatic.”
“I’m a dramatic person.”
“You really are.”
He was still holding me, still standing close enough that I could feel the heat of his body. His gray eyes locked on mine and they were soft, but there was something else there too. A spark of hunger that made my stomach flutter.
I stretched up on my toes and kissed him.
He kissed me back immediately. His lips were soft at first, then he kissed back hard, arms snaking around my waist, yanking me against him chest to chest. His tongue pushed in, sliding wet against mine, tasting like coffee and him. His hands slid down my back, fingers digging into my hips as the kiss turned messy, breaths mixing hot in our mouths.
I walked him back, one step at a time, hands on his chest feeling his heart thump under my palms. His calves hit the bed frame, and he dropped down heavy, butt sinking into the mattress. Now I stood between his spread knees, looking down at his face tilted up, that power flip making heat flood my pussy, wetness starting to seep between my thighs.
I wanted to thank him right.
My fingers grabbed his shirt hem, pulled it up and over his head in one tug. It hit the floor. His chest was bare, the matching necklace glinted against his collarbone and his skin warm under my hands as I ran palms over his shoulders, down the hard slabs of his pecs, tracing the ridges of his abs. Each muscle shifted under my touch, warm and solid, a light dusting of hair rough on my fingertips. I pressed harder, nails scraping light, feeling him breathe deeper.
He reached for my shirt, but I swatted his hands away.
“No,” I said. “This is for you.”
His eyebrows rose. “Lina...”
I dropped to my knees in front of him, between his legs. His breath hitched sharp, gray eyes going dark as pitch, pupils blown wide.
“What are you doing, love?” he whispered, voice already thick with need.
“Thanking you.”
