He gets a damp cloth and wipes between my legs before picking me up and carrying me into the bedroom. Depositing me on the bed, he climbs in and pulls the sheets over us. We’re on our sides, facing each other. As he brushes a loose hair out of my face, his eyes meet mine and I see something in them—something that looks a lot like awe. Like he cherishes me. Almost—not quite, but almost—like love. But it’s way too soon for that. I push the thought away, even though I know that if I really examined my feelings, I’d know I’m already heading down that path. It’s not going to be long before I’m completely head over heels.
“It’s never been like that for me,” he confesses, and without saying it, I know exactly what he means.
“It’s hasn’t for me either, Knox,” I admit, because it’s the truth. What we just experienced was so much more than fucking. It was a bond of trust, respect, and again, not saying the word love, but something that closely resembled it.
“I don’t know what I’m doing here, but I’m trying. All I can tell you is I’ve never felt this way about anyone before. I can’t get enough of you. I hate when you’re not around. I’m stifled when you’re gone. Like you’re the air I need to breathe, the air I’ve needed my entire life, because until you, I wasn’t whole. I shut everyone out, but you worked your way in, little by little, and now that I have you in my life, I feel like a new man.”
His words penetrate my heart, and I can feel myself barreling down that previously mentioned path.
“Knox, I’ve never felt this way this fast, but I wouldn’t change a minute of it. You’ve made me stronger, let me be myself, and I think all along I was just drifting until I found someone just as stubborn and headstrong as me. Someone who could see the real me and not ask for some compliant Stepford wannabe. I don’t know where this is going, but I know that I can’t imagine my life before this summer, before you.”
He places an arm around my waist and pulls me into him, pressing a kiss on my forehead. “All I know is that you’re in my home, in my bed, and most importantly, Charlie, you’re in my heart. I don’t know where this is going either, but I do know one thing. You aren’t going anywhere.”
My heart is doing backflips at his words, and as we settle into a comfortable silence, I can do nothing but think of the implications of his words. The thought of Knox Wellington in my life permanently is the last thing on my mind as I fall asleep with a huge grin on my face.
Chapter 26
Knox
THE ALARM goes off way too early, especially after someone decided she wanted a taste of me at two a.m. She’s been insatiable since that night in the tub, and not a day goes by that we don’t spend time together exploring each other’s bodies, getting to know what turns us on, both in and out of the bedroom. Groaning, Charlie leans over me to slap the snooze button on the clock and settles back down on the bed.
Placing my arm around her waist, I pull her in close, and she giggles when I press my hard-on against her ass.
“Wake up, sweetheart,” I whisper, my breath tickling her ear, causing her to shiver. “We’ve gotta get up so we can get ready.” It’s finally the day of the party, and while part of me is dreading it, I’m ready to get this show on the road.
She rubs her ass up and down my erection, and I’m three seconds away from pushing her on her back, sliding into her warmth, and having my way with her, party be damned. But I’m pretty sure Cohen will kill me if I don’t show up. He was fucking ecstatic when I told him I was coming. I can’t disappoint the only blood brother I still have.
My hands grip her hips, stilling them. Pushing her onto her back, I hover over her, and she grabs my tags. “Come on, Rugged. Just a quickie before we have to hit the road.”
As tempting as that sounds, the earlier we get to Belle Meade, the better. Leaning down to place a kiss on her lips, I push off the bed. “Rain check, baby, but I promise it’ll be worth it.” Her eyes light up when I give her a playful spank.
Ever since that night in the bathroom, she’s been craving it, but I’ve been saving it up until she begs for it. Something in our relationship shifted that night. I know spanking doesn’t seem like much, but the way she trusted me to be the first person to do it to her, hard enough to sting, awakened something in my heart, and I can feel myself starting to fall for her.
Two hours later, I’m pacing the living room floor, waiting for Charlie to come out of the bedroom. She tried to go back to her own room after that first weekend together, but there was no way I was spending my days filled with her only to spend my nights in separate rooms. Every night I picked her up and placed her in my bed. By day three she stopped fighting me, and we’ve been sharing my room ever since.
“Babe, are you almost ready?!” I yell down the hall, looking at my watch and knowing we need to leave.
“I don’t know what to freaking wear!” she screeches, a tone I’ve never heard from my cool, collected Charlie. Heading down the hall, I find her frantically throwing clothes out of the closet. She’s standing there in nothing but a thong and a strapless bra, and I swear, visions of spanking that tight, toned ass cross my mind.
“Charlie, it’s not that big of a deal. Just wear whatever.”
Her back is still to me when she freaks out. “Wear whatever?! Knox, I’m meeting my boyfriend’s family for the first time! I can’t ‘wear whatever!’”
Walking up behind her, I slide my hands down her arms, grabbing her hands. Leaning down, I kiss her neck. “Sweetheart, whatever you choose will be perfect. What you wear doesn’t matter. All that matters is that you’re with me.”
She turns around and loops her arms around my neck. “Three months ago, I’d be laughing at myself for thinking this, but you’re the sweetest man I know. You always know what to say,” she tells me, stretching up to place a kiss on my lips.
“Don’t tell anyone. I’d hate for my reputation to be ruined.” I grin at her, and when she steps back, her eyes widen as she takes in the sight of me.
“Oh my god. Are you freaking kidding me?” she says, staring at me.
Looking down, I’m not really sure what the big deal is. I’m wearing black dress slacks with a light green button-up tucked in at the waist. It’s going to be warm, so I’ve rolled the sleeves halfway up my forearm, but I did decide to complete the look with a matching green tie. I have to admit, it’s been a long damn time since I’ve dressed up in anything other than my dress greens, and I think I look pretty damn good.
“What?” I ask, not sure what her deal is.
Waving her arm up and down at me, I can’t help but watch the way her breasts move with each arm gesture. “This. You. All dressed up and sexy. I swear, I didn’t think I could get enough of you when you’re lounging around in nothing but basketball shorts, but then I saw in your uniform and I thought I was going to have to tear off your ACUs so I could push you down on the bed and ride you. Now you walk in all sweet and sexy, looking like a freaking GQ model? Is there anything you don’t look good in? It’s annoying. I mean, I love that my boyfriend is so freaking gorgeous, but still… Can’t you have a bad hair day or something?” she huffs, finally stopping to catch a breath.
Chuckling, I pull her back into me. “I’ll wear whatever you want me to if it turns you on. But, sweetheart, I promise you, I’m not into fashion. Anything you wear—or don’t wear for that matter—means nothing to me. When I wake up with you in the morning and you’re half drooling out the side of your mouth, you’re beautiful to me. When you get all done up for work and I want to rip the pencil skirt off you, you’re gorgeous. When you walk in the door and barely give me a kiss before you change into your pajamas, you’re astonishing, and it takes everything in me not to follow you to the bedroom to show you how much you mean to me.” I pause, brushing her bangs out of her face. “Charlie, it doesn’t matter what you look like, because when it all boils down to it, day after day you show me your heart, and it’s the most goddamn beautiful fucking thing I’ve ever seen. I pray to God that I’ll be worthy of having it for as long as you want me.” Holy fuck. I have no idea where this inner sap is coming from. All I know is that I mean every word.