I nod. “It’s my hobby. I was about to go get my paints so I could work in here while the storm blew through.”
He looks confused, like he’s trying to put together a puzzle with missing pieces. “You sure know how to capture a storm.”
“I’ve had a lot of time to practice. I’ve been Caldwell’s daughter my whole life, which means I’ve never had many friends. Most people don’t see me as anything but my connection to him.”
The lights flicker again, and this time, they go out completely. The room drops into darkness, with the exception of the battery-operated emergency light above the stairwell.
My heart races, more because of my proximity to Knox than the semi-darkness. I exhale slowly and try to get myself under control.
I hear Knox take a couple of steps closer to me. After a moment, he reaches out, his hand resting on the curve of my waist, his thumb brushing over my rib. His touch ignites something immediate and unmistakable, and this all feels as unstoppable as the storm.
Here, in the dark, I’m not Caldwell’s daughter, and he isn’t the president of the Iron Outlaws. My father isn’t the man who killed his brother.
There’s a rumble from beneath us as the generator kicks in, and only the light above the kitchen and in the bathroom flicker back on.
“It’s a critical load panel for the generator.” My mouth is so dry, my voice cracks. “Only powers essential things.”
“I wish you’d stay out of it,” Knox says cryptically. I’m not sure if he means tracking down Jackal about the boat or talking to the two men. “I don’t want to have to worry about you.”
“I tried.”
He blows out a breath, like a man faced with two terrible choices, and the tension between us is so palpable, I swear I could touch it.
Knox moves first. Slowly and deliberately, like he’s giving me the time to stop him.
But I don’t. I want to see how far this could go with my whole heart.
I want to see who we could be, just for this one night with the storm howling in shame for us. I want to know what it feels like when he worries about me.
His hand slides up along my jaw, rough fingers against my skin as he tilts my face.
And then, Knox kisses me.
9
KNOX
Ishould be messaging my boys to tell them I’m safe from the storm. I should be checking the doors and making sure Maren and I are safe, and planning for defending this room should anybody attempt to follow us in.
I should be putting a call into my club to tell them about the two men and the truck they were driving and the first four numbers and letters of the license plate.
Instead, my lips are finally on Maren’s lush and pillowy ones, and I can’t bring myself to end it.
Because this kiss is like a lightning strike. Like one of those uber-unrealistic kisses you see in movies where we’re supposed to believe the kiss changed everything the hero knew about the cosmos.
Never believed in that shit, until now.
But as I dip my tongue past Maren’s lips and taste the sweet flavor of her, every single responsible thought melts into the concrete, taking my moral code with it. The taste and warmth of her, the way she responds with urgency and need to my kiss, hits me in a way I wasn’t prepared for.
I slide my hand into her hair, curling my fingers at the base of her skull, and hold her tight against me. But I know I could let go and Maren wouldn’t go anywhere.
There is no fear or protest. She’s not tentative or uncertain. It’s like she’s been waiting for this moment as long as I have. When a soft moan escapes her, I forget every single reason this is a terrible idea. Who she is. Who her father is. What he did. Her age. My goals in life.
Instead, I grip her hip with my other hand and tug her closer to my hardening cock. Angling my head, I deepen the kiss without thinking about what comes next, which, if we keep this up, will be me coming in my jeans where I stand just because of the feel of her body against mine.
Her fingers slide to the front of my T-shirt, gripping the fabric like she needs something to hold onto. The wet fabric drags and pulls over my skin.
But the shift causes her to move differently, just the smallest adjustment of her body against mine, and Maren hisses in pain.
