I step toward him until I’m so close that I hear the soft hitch in his breath as his hands fist at his sides.
“You never asked me what I want?” I whisper, tilting my head back and preparing myself for his next question. His blue eyes search mine, and I feel myself get pulled under from their hypnotic spell as they burn with everything I’ve always wanted but have been too afraid to have.
“What do you want?” His voice is low, and his jawline tense as he forces the question out.
“You. I want you, Knox. For however long I can have you and whatever you are able to give me.”
The words hang in the air, and I see how badly he’s fighting this, but I need him to know I’m not scared of him. I’ve never seen him as the monster he believes himself to be, and I want him to trust me enough to prove it.
“Things could get real messy, Savi,” he says sadly. “I come with a lot of baggage, and I can’t promise you anything more than what I can give right now, which isn’t a lot,” he says, shaking his head and laying it all out on the line for me. “I need you to make this decision for both of us because I don’t have the strength to stay away anymore. You may end up hating me after this, but I’ll hate myself more if I’m the one to choose and end up hurting you.”
“I’m stronger than you think,” I swallow, needing him to see my strength and not my weakness. “I don’t want to be treated like some fragile girl you are afraid to break. I survived the worst life threw at me and clawed my way out of it. This is my choice, and if in the end I’m left with a broken heart, then I’ll find my strength again to move forward.”
“I’m not sure it’s you I’m worried about having strength,” he admits quietly. “Even though we’ve fought and struggled all these years, at least you were in my life, and I still had your family. Losing you all might be the one thing that pulls me under for good.”
His vulnerability in this moment shakes me to the core, and I get another glimpse of the Knox I’m fighting for.
“I promise you that no matter what happens, you will still have me and my family,” I say, meaning every word of it. We’ve coexisted before when our emotions were too heavy and scary to acknowledge, and we can do it again if we have to. “I trusted youto take care of me that night—maybe it’s time you trusted me to take care of you for a bit.”
“You should have let me walk away.” He whispers the last warning as I feel him giving in to what he’s feeling—what we both are feeling. Reaching out and running his fingers gently down a strand of my hair, I lean into his touch, wanting more. “You have no idea what you are asking for because you are too stubborn to admit I’m not good for you.”
“I’m the stubborn one?” I arch my eyebrow at him, and his lips quirk. “I thought my brothers were stubborn until I met you,” I exclaim, poking him in the chest, only to be met with steel muscles. “You are the most stubborn, infuriating, and…”
“And you talk entirely too much,” he growls, cutting me off as his lips slam into mine. His tongue invades me like it’s starving for a taste as he goes all in. Every single thought in my mind vanishes as the feel of him takes over every piece of my existence.
He easily picks me up as I wrap my legs around him. When I feel him hard against my sex, my body becomes alive under his touch as memories of what he can make me feel resurface all over again.
Whether I can fully trust him with my heart or not is something that remains to be seen, but my body is screaming that he has my full trust and safety in every single touch he gives me.
That’s good enough for now as he walks us to the bedroom. This feeling of wanting more and not being afraid is unlocking a deep desire in me to step into the unknown with him and have him show me what my body’s capable of.
His hands on my thighs slide up to cup my ass under my skirt as he sinks his fingers into my flesh and presses me against him harder, only further igniting my flame.
“You’re sure?” He breaks away, panting hard as he studies me, looking for any sign I’m not ready.
“I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.” My heart is pounding against his as I let him see the truth in my eyes. “I want this Knox…with you.”
He must be satisfied with what he sees because the next thing I know, I’m on the bed straddling him as he lies underneath me.
“You’re in control of this one, sunshine. Go easy on me,” he smirks.
He’s giving me control because I didn’t have it the first time.
I let the words sink in as I quickly blink back the tears, not wanting to get too emotional and ruin the moment.
“Knox Stone is giving up control?” I shake my head and smile. “I never thought I’d see the day.”
“Don’t get used to it,” he grumbles. “In fact, I’m going to hold on to that control just a little bit longer until I know you’re good and ready.”
He fists my shirt and pulls me down until our lips touch again. His kisses make me forget everything I was going to say, as I dive my fingers into his soft hair, and eagerly mold my lips to his.
His hands run up my thighs and finger the side straps on my thong before pushing them down with my skirt as I lift up without breaking contact to slide them off my legs.
“Now to get you ready,” he murmurs against my lips before his hands grasp my waist and lift me until I’m straddling either side of his neck. “Fuck, I knew your pussy would be perfection,” he rasps out, kissing my inner thigh and sending bolts of sensations throughout my body. “I’ve been dying to taste you, sunshine. Are you good with that?” He’s right at my center—his warm breath fanning my skin as my insides clutch with anticipation.
“Yes,” I whisper, not knowing what to expect, but very curious to find out. Tristan tried in our relationship, but once it came down to removing my underwear, I couldn’t do it. We were young, and it was easy to distract him with just the excuse that I wasn’t ready. I would turn the tables and make sure he was satisfied, and he would forget all about the fact that I wasn’t able to get there with him.
With Knox, though, God, it’s so easy with him. Too easy, as the first swipe of his tongue has me completely at his mercy in the best way possible.
