“Don’t tell Eugene, but I prefer your snuggles and morning kisses to his.”
I laughed as Eugene wriggled his way onto the floor, whining as he trotted to the door.
“That’s my cue,” Knox said, squeezing my waist.
As he slid out from under the covers, I couldn’t stop myself from admiring the way his powerful thighs flexed as he stood from the bed. The morning sunlight lit up his right arm, making the colors of the dragon tattooed across his shoulder come alive.
While Knox let Eugene out, I got up, brushed my teeth, went to the bathroom, and then brushed through the tangles that had appeared in my hair.
The smell of coffee filled the cottage and called to me like a siren song. I filled us both a mug and took Knox’s to where he stood by the back door.
“Here ya go.” I handed him the mug.
“Thank you.” He kissed the top of my head and I melted. For someone who made an austere first impression, he was a real softy when it was just the two of us. I looped my free arm through his, and we stood at the back door watching Eugene hop in and out of snow drifts.
“He really does love the snow, doesn’t he?” I giggled.
“Yes. He won’t come inside unless I make him.”
“Well, the temperature must be better than yesterday because it doesn’t seem to bother him at all.”
“Breakfast?” Knox asked me, changing the subject.
“I would love that.”
As he pulled cookware and food out of the cabinets, my phone chimed. I grabbed it from the counter and opened it to a picture of Sam standing in front of the welcome sign in the Wexstone airport.
Sam
Surprise! I’m here!
What?! You’re here early? You weren’t supposed to get here until next week!
GIRL. You didn’t think I would let you get engaged without me, did you?? I have to help you prepare! I’d have gotten here yesterday but we got rerouted like a bajillion times because of the storm, but who cares because I’M HERE NOW!
My stomach dropped into my ass at the thought of getting engaged to Oliver after everything that had happened in the last twenty-four hours. The thought of being with anyone else after sleeping with Knox brought a fresh wave of nausea over my body. I didn’t know if it was the guilt or my own feelings that had grown so much despite trying to push them down, but I couldn’t ignore the bile that rose in my throat.
I had to get out of there. My time in the fantasy bubble with Knox had to end. I couldn’t let things go on any further.
“Hey? Everything okay?” Knox brushed the hair away from my neck and leaned in to kiss behind my ear and down my neck.
“Yeah.” I stepped out of his touch, drawing a concerned look onto his face.
“Birdie?” he questioned.
“Sorry,” I said as I made my way to his bathroom to find my jeans. “Sam just texted me that she is here—in Wexstone—a week early.” I smiled. “I’ve got to get back to Vince’s place.”
I could see the realization that our time here was done wash over Knox’s face before disappointment replaced it. He went to the cooktop and turned off the burner.
“Okay. Let me get dressed and I’ll drive you.”
“Okay.” We held each other's gaze for a moment, neither of us knowing what to say or having the courage to address the elephant in the room:What does this mean?
The drive to Lexington Manor was the longest car ride of my life; you could have cut the tension with a knife. The onlyreprieve was Eugene whining from the backseat because Knox wouldn’t let him sit on my lap.
Knox kept his hand on the center console the entire drive, never moving it. Was he waiting for me to grab his hand and tell him everything was good between us? Because I couldn’t do that. Everything was, in fact, not good between us.
I was there to court Oliver, and instead I had screwed Knox. I was supposed to be falling in love with a prince, and I was growing big, unnamable, terrifying feelings for his best friend. I was going back to Vince’s house, who had brought me here to become his queen, and I had betrayed his trust.
