“My cat.”
“Since when do you have a cat?”
“Since a few days ago. Now that I think about it, you haven’t met her,” I laugh softly. “She likes to hang out in my closet and sleep on one of my old sweatshirts. Be careful, though, when you see her, I’ve heard she doesn’t like people.”
“You brought a cat home that doesn’t like people? Sounds about right,” he muses. “You always were bringing home the strays nobody wanted.”
“Because they were the ones who needed me the most.” Our eyes meet, and something flashes in those blues that has me believing he’s not talking about the animals anymore. I clutch the towel tighter to my chest as I feel his gaze penetrate my soul.
My eyes take him in one last time as he stands there, too sinful for the human eye. An achingly tormented blend of chaos and mayhem, but with a soul more beautiful than he believes.
“Night, Knox,” I say softly, breaking the spell, and walking out the door before all of me gets lost in him.
“Night sunshine,” I hear quietly just as I’m shutting the door.
I quickly walk across the deck and back into the house before I succumb to the pull I feel behind me.
Making sure the door is locked, I head to my bedroom and dump my clothes in the hamper before running a comb through my damp hair and brushing my teeth.
Finding a comfortable tee, I slip it on before going in search of Freya. I find her in her usual spot in my closet as I scoop her up and rub her soft fur. Her loud purring fills the silence as I give her a treat and make sure she has plenty of water.
Turning off the lights, I climb into bed and curl on my side to look out the windows, which has become the norm for me latelyas my eyes go to the little blue guesthouse until I see Knox’s light go out. I lie here for what seems like hours, replaying the evening in my head over and over again.
He will never know how much tonight meant to me. I feel…whole again. It’s as if the piece of me that was taken was gifted back to me. I no longer feel the hands of a ghost on my body.
I feel…him.
The door opening to my bedroom should startle me, but I immediately feel his presence as I hear him cross the room before the bed dips and his warm body is pressed up against mine. His arm wraps around me, and I burrow deeper against him, wanting to get as close as I possibly can.
“Thought I could try this cuddle thing again,” he says quietly into my hair. I smile into the darkness and feel a little hope inside spring loose that he’s slowly letting me in.
“I’m glad you did,” I whisper.
The warm cocoon he has me in instantly makes me feel safe and protected as sleep begins to pull me under, and I finally give in.
I awaketo sunlight streaming in and my body wrapped around him. Lifting my head off his chest, I gaze upward and see Knox still sleeping beside me. He looks so peaceful right now, and I soak in this rare moment when I can fully study every detail on his beautiful face.
His lips are slightly parted, and memories of them on my body quickly send a rush of heat to my cheeks. The scruff on his face is more pronounced this morning, and I resist the urge to rub my palm over it and feel the roughness against my skin.
The sun touches his hair, and the dark and golden contrast is something women would pay a fortune for. It’s darker underneath, but sunlight has kissed streaks, causing a blend of beautifully woven-together colors. It’s long enough on top to fall in his eyes every so often and the perfect length in back to slightly curl against the nape of his neck.
Long dark eyelashes lie against his cheek, holding the ocean blues that I’ve never been able to resist.
My eyes scan the rest of him, and I wish I had the time to really study all the ink and black swirls. There’s a darkness to them that makes my heart ache for the man beside me. My brothers did an amazing job with the details and conveying the emotions that pull you in with their sadness and destruction.
Feeling brave, my hand on his stomach slips beneath the covers to explore what I really want to study. As soon as I make contact, a soft growl fills the air as he swells against my palm, awakening the beast inside.
His eyes flutter open, and my heart thuds against my chest as a fierce need to please him takes over. Wrapping my hand around him, I slowly go down the length of him and watch his blues turn to a storm.
Wanting more, I quickly move so I’m over him as I kiss his stomach and follow his rigid abs to the spot I really want to taste.
“Savi…” My name borders between a plea and a warning, instantly dying on his tongue as I taste the saltiness seeping out on his tip.
I don’t give him time to recover as I take him deep on my next breath.
“Fuck,” he moans, grabbing fistfuls of my hair before wrapping the strands around one hand and giving him a clear view of me as he disappears inside my mouth again.
There’s something so erotic about him watching me while I pleasure him that I can’t help the moan that escapes me as I begin to pulse between my legs.
