I remind myself this is just Knox being…Knox. He’s decisive. It’s one of the things that first drew me to him, that ability to take up space without forcing it, to make a statement feel like a certainty, not just a suggestion.
But the way he says it now, like my answer was never really in question, has me feeling things I probably shouldn’t. I find myself caught in a dizzying pull that a reluctant part of me wants to lean into. To let him lead. Ipromisedmyself I’d never let a man call the shots again after everything with James. Yet, with Knox, I want to believe I can trust again.
Besides, I really do want to go with him.
I glance over at Bree, and her expression is nothing short of triumphant. She shoots me a sly smile, one that makes me roll my eyes.
“Looks like you’ve got me all to yourself, Captain.”
His arms slide around my waist and his mouth finds the curve of my neck in a kiss pressed just below my ear. “Now that’s what I like to hear.”
My heart doesn’t just flutter. It goes rogue.
The low timbre of his voice sends a current through me, pooling low in my stomach. It’s maddening how easily he affects me, how a few words from him can leave me breathless. And the worst part…or maybe, thebestpart? I like it.
As we step out, his hand finds the small of my back. A subtle touch, but it sets off sparks below my skin. Overhead, the sky spills into a canvas of blush pinks and molten oranges, thekind of sunset that feels like a held breath before the stars take over.
I glance up at him, and for a heartbeat, the world around us slips away. It’s just the two of us, untouched by everything else, and I can’t help but wonder if I’ll ever be the same after him.
twenty-seven
KNOX
Iplanned to give Juliette some time with Bree while she’s here. As much as I want to keep her all to myself, I know it wouldn’t be fair. When Bree suggested I take her place with Juliette tonight, there was no way I was turning that down.
We’ve mostly spent our time around other people, and I’m craving another moment where it’s just the two of us. I’m not usually the type to get all sappy over a quiet night, but right now, that’s exactly what I need. No distractions. Nothing grand. Just her and me, and the chance to hear her laugh, to watch her eyes light up when she talks to me.
I glance over at her as we walk to the truck. “What do you feel like doing tonight?”
“Can we just grab some pizza and go to your house? That honestly sounds like heaven.”
The wave of relief that rolls through me is almost ridiculous. “That works for me. I know a great pizza joint not far from here. We can pick it up and bring it back to my place.”
She flashes that sweet smile at me, andfuck,it hits low. It’s not the fluttery kind of thing poets ramble on about,but the gut punch that makes you forget how to breathe. She has no idea what she does to me.
“Perfect,” she says, her voice light, though I catch the soft hitch in her breath as I lift her into the passenger seat. My hands settle on her waist, fingers brushing against her skin as I secure her seatbelt.
I lean in, just close enough to steal a taste, pressing a slow, lingering kiss to her lips. I let my tongue graze the edge of her lower lip, savoring the softness, the heat, the way she shivers beneath it.
When I pull back, her eyes are heavy, glazed with that perfect mix of want and need. Her lips part slightly, chasing the last of the kiss. I linger, watching her like I might change my mind and pull her back in. Then I turn, every fiber of my being screaming not to, and shut the door behind me.
“What kind of pizza do you like?” I ask as I slide into the driver’s seat, giving myself a second before I glance at her again. “I’ll call in a takeaway order so it’s ready by the time we get there.”
She blinks like it takes her a second to remember how to speak. Her brow furrows, still a little breathless. “Hm. I’ll eat anything, really. You pick. Oh, except for anything fishy. Fish has absolutely no place on a pizza.”
I chuckle. “Now that we can agree on.”
Thirty minutes later, we’re pulling up to my place with two pizzas in hand. One’s simple, something I know she’ll like, and the other’s a little bolder, a bit of a gamble. I’m curious to see if she’ll be up for it.
“Oh my gosh, did you buy Beastie acat castle?” she squeals when she spots the cat perched smugly in the top tier of a brand-new cat tree near the window.
“Aye, but he’s still a pain in the arse.” I mutter it under my breath, but I’m not as annoyed as I make out to be.
“Stop it,” she scolds, shooting me a playful glare. “He is precious and perfect and can do no wrong.”
“Hmph. Tell that to the armrest of my chair that has been shredded to smithereens.”
She just waves me off without even glancing up, completely absorbed in scratching behind the kitten’s ears.
