12. Knox
Chapter twelve
Knox
So, one week ago, I fucked Nina.
I know, I know. It was probably the craziest thing I’d done, but damn if it wasn’t worth it.
After weeks of thirsting and lusting after her, I finally got to taste her. I really should be ashamed of myself. If only I could find the shame. It’d been seven days, and I still hadn’t had enough. How could I be ashamed when every morning—and night—I had her spread out before me like a feast fit for a king, and took everything she offered until she had nothing left to give? When her passions were so ripe that I could feel how strongly she experienced every tremor, how every orgasm threatened to consume her?
Truth be told, I was starting to see her differently. She wasn’t just Nina Burton, the na?ve rich girl with no sense of self- preservation. She was Nina Burton, my current obsession, and the woman whose body I couldn’t stay away from.
Of course, this was just a casual arrangement. The fact that I didn’t feel shame didn’t mean that I shouldn't. Nina was my little sister’s best friend, and I shouldn’t be messing around with her. If Lindsay found out, things might get ugly. No matter what she said, she was still getting over the jerk who was too dumb to see that Lindsay had actually done him a big favor by going out with him. I didn’t want to pile more things on her.
There was also the fact that I was almost a decade older than Nina.
I tried not to give that detail too much thought, especially at times like this, when I had Nina spread out under me. Her red hair sprawled around her head like a curtain, accentuating her oval face. Beautiful emerald eyes stared up at me and one arm gathered around her full breasts, pressing them together, causing them to jiggle with every thrust I made.
She looked every bit like my new nickname for her: a princess.
Nina’s eyes fluttered as her head threw back. “Knox… I’m close.”
“Don’t even think about it,” I told her with a grunt, taking my finger away from her clit. “You will not come until I say so.”
Her legs were already vibrating. “Knox.” Nina’s voice flew an octave higher, and I knew she couldn’t hold out for long. Digging my knees into the mattress, I rammed into her at an unrelenting tempo, feeling an intense build up in my abdomen.
“Knox!”
“Not yet,” I growled, circling my hips inside her, trying to drive her as crazy as possible. “Not fucking yet.”
Her walls clenched around me so tightly that all the air in my lungs expelled. A shot of pleasure zapped through my body, and I was grunting a deep, “Now, princess. Come now,” as I hurriedly pulled out of her and sprayed my cum all over her stomach. It occurred to me to get condoms, but the thought of fucking Nina with a barrier appealed little to me.
“Jesus,” I breathed, crawling off the bed to grab a shirt. With it, I wiped the mess I made on her body, tossed it in the heap of laundry I needed to do, and jumped back into bed, pulling Nina into my body.
How did the saying go again? The one about the forbidden fruit being the sweetest?
Nina was still spasming while I held her. This had become a routine for us; after sex at night, we’d cuddle a little just because Nina liked it. She didn’t explicitly say that, but that first night, I’d woken up to her curled up next to me. And when I wrapped one hand around her body, she melted into me.
Much like right now.
“Are you okay?” I asked her softly. “Did I go too hard? Are you sore?”
She nodded lethargically, her eyes closed, as if unable to speak.
“Shit. I’m sorry, princess. I got caught up in the moment. What can I do?”
Thick lashes fluttered open, revealing green eyes I’d come to love. They connected with mine, and it was at that moment I realized that this was more than lust. It was a sizzling attraction that was being fed every moment we were together. I wouldn't lie—it spooked me a little.
“No, I’m fine. I’m just tired. You wore me out,” she murmured, pulling even closer to me. A familiar, sweet lavender permeated the air. Since Nina had been sleeping in my bed every day for the past three days, my bed reeked of it. Hell, my entire room smelled like her. I shouldn’t like it half as much as I did.
“Then I guess it’s not a good time to bring up the company dinner that I have coming up.”
“Hmm,” she hummed, rubbing her palm around my stomach. “Why not?”
I’d thought long and hard about this, but save for hiring an escort for the night, I didn’t have any other option. “Because I was hoping you’d come with me.”
A pregnant pause, then her head snapped up to look at me and all traces of languor vanished from her face. “What? You mean like a date?”
I nodded. “I wouldn’t ask, but my original date canceled at the last minute, and I can't go alone. It's a crucial work event for a project my company is trying to get, and the rumor mill says Cornerstone Corp's CEO values personal relationships.
“Apparently, a stable relationship signals reliability—a quality he’s looking for in potential partners. Family values and all that shit. I don't quite get the logic, but I can't miss this opportunity.” I didn’t understand it because it made little sense. How would being in a relationship prove that I could handle a project? Either way, I couldn’t attend alone.
She made a sound at the back of her throat. “So, I'm the second choice, then?”
“Again, I would not ask if it wasn’t extremely important. This is work stuff.”
Nina shrugged, intertwining her hands and using them as a resting place for her jaw on my chest. “Fine. As long as I get to wear something pretty, I’m good. Is there a dress code?”
“It’s a formal event, so I’m guessing a decent evening gown might do the trick.”
“Decent? There’s no such thing in my wardrobe.”
I couldn’t have helped the laugh that rumbled inside me even if I'd tried. “Why do I find that easy to believe, princess?”
She giggled. “Let’s just say I like clothes that show a little skin. Or a lot.” She slapped my arm playfully when I gave her a knowing look. “Don’t judge me! I’ll have you know that your sister isn’t the saint you think she is. We’re partners in crime. You should see us at the club.”
I was still laughing. “I don’t doubt that, but I’ll have you know that she only became tainted the moment you walked into her life.”
Nina’s grin told me I was spot on. “She needed someone to spice things up, and I came through. I don’t regret it.”
My mind traveled back to nine years ago when our family was still trying to recover from the shitstorm that we’d been through after Dad’s tragic death. “I won’t lie and say that it hasn’t been a relief to me that Lindsay had someone there for her, especially when I couldn’t be. That period of our lives was the worst.”
Nina was silent for a few beats. She balanced her jaw back on my chest and her gaze, earnest and sympathetic, remained on me. “Lin never told me what really happened then. Do you want to talk about it?”
My shock was evident. I thought the girls shared everything with each other.
“Thank you,” I told her, cupping her cheek. “But no. I don’t really enjoy walking down memory lane, particularly when I’m in bed with a hot woman.”
Her cheeks colored a sharp red. Her eyes left mine, lingering on my stomach. “And does that happen very often?”
I interpreted her hoarse voice and averted gaze as sheepishness. “Are you asking if I fuck a lot of women?”
She huffed. “Jeez. When you put it like that, it sounds so cold.”
Fuck. We should have had this conversation before we started. I hoped she wasn’t thinking this was anything other than what it was.
“I’m a man, Nina. Of course I have sex. Sometimes, with one woman on some days, and sometimes with different women on others.”
Scowling, Nina climbed off me, her jaw set. Her naked body was too exquisite to ignore, and I found myself ogling her breasts before I mentally scolded my dick for losing focus. Now was not the time.
“Congratulations. Didn’t know you were the current Johnny Sins. Thank you for informing me. Next time I feel like being shoved into the ‘one woman on some days’ category, I’ll come spread my legs for you.”
She angrily bent down to gather her clothes, and I sat up, hopelessly rubbing a hand down my face.
“It’s my fault. We should have talked about this before I touched you.” I tried to reason with her, but she was too busy searching for her bra around the room. “Are you even listening to me?”
“You’re not saying anything worth listening to.”
“Nina, you’re being childish.”
She swung her head to look at me with such force that I feared it would fall off.
“Fuck you, Knox Coleman,” she spat out, her eyes blazing with fury. “Fuck you so fucking hard. Since you’re so mature, why have you been sleeping with me and calling me princess?”
Underneath the anger, I heard the dejection in her voice, and I swear to God, something twisted in my chest. The last thing I wanted to do was give her any kind of hope because the truth was that nothing could happen between us. She knew it as much as I did. We might make magic in bed, but outside of it, we were like water and oil; we just didn’t match.
Even if we did, she was twenty-three-years-old, way too young for me. I had nine years on her, and the knowledge that I’d known her for so long filled me with a certain kind of guilt that wouldn’t just disappear with great sex.
And then there was my sister, and how she would feel about this whole thing. There just couldn’t be more. This was all there was.
Nina’s eyes swirled with hurt, and I knew she’d heard everything my silence had spoken. Nodding, she seemed to make peace with her missing bra because she suddenly started for the door, naked as the day she was born.
“Let me know the date of the event. Goodnight.”
The slamming of my door, as well as hers, drew out a deep sigh from me. There went the warmth of my bed. Goddamnit. It was going well. Almost too well, in fact. Good things barely happened to me, just like that. Why did she have to ask that, anyway?
I fell back on the bed, staring at the ceiling and wondering if Nina was regretting the past week. I wouldn’t blame her. She was still very young and things like relationships and love appealed to people of her age.
Life hadn’t happened to her. She’d lived under the umbrella of her parent’s wealth. It wasn’t her fault that she knew nothing of the real world.
At least she hadn’t refused to be my date at the event. Thank God for small favors, I supposed.
***
The event came quickly the following Friday.
I was of half a mind that Nina wouldn’t show up, but true to her word, she appeared in the living room at exactly 7:30 p.m., looking fucking spectacular.
The smell of lavender announced her presence, and I lifted my eyes from where I stood, the breath knocked out of my lungs. She stepped into the living room draped in a deep, crimson dress that sparkled with small gemstones under the light. One shoulder was bare, while a single strap swept across her chest, meeting another that crossed over to form a small, circular cutout, perfectly framing her impressive cleavage. The fabric hugged her curves, and a daring slit traced up her thigh, revealing just enough with each step. She carried a small silver clutch. The only jewelry she wore was silver studded earrings and two rings. Her feet were adorned in diamond-colored strap high heels that were no doubt designer.
She’d curled her hair and styled it to perfection. It fell around her shoulders and down her back like a veil. Her makeup was natural, and her lips were a black cherry. I tell you, for as long as I live, I will never forget how beautiful Nina looked that night.
“You look….” I licked my lips, trying to find the words. “Beautiful does not do you justice.”
She looked refined and dangerous.
But Nina didn’t smile. Her eyes were like those of a woman going to war when she replied, “Thank you. Shall we?”
The car ride was tense for me, because I quickly realized that Nina hadn’t looked at me since we got in. Her eyes remained glued to the window, and I couldn’t even see her expression to gauge what she was thinking. In the four weeks that we’d been living together, this week was the most unbearable.
Ever since that night she stormed out of my room, Nina had been ignoring me. The crazy part was that I knew it was my fault, and I didn’t like it. Usually, I wouldn’t have cared, but since we had sex, I couldn’t stop thinking about her.
Maybe I should say something. Apologize for hurting her with my words. But doing that would make it seem like I hadn’t meant them, and I did. Maybe I should have worded it better, but it was still true. She had acted immaturely by not listening to what I had to say.
If she’d listened, then I would have explained to her that whatever expectations she had toward me were misguided. Sex didn’t have to mean anything—I would have taught her that.
We got to the venue sooner than I expected. The event was being held at one of the most prestigious hotels in Manhattan. Sean texted earlier to tell me he was inside. I was sure the rest of the team was too.
I stopped the car in front of the doors and a valet hurried to collect the key from me. Buttoning my jacket, I rounded the car to open the door for Nina. Despite her grievances, I couldn’t help feeling proud and thankful that she’d made the effort. She truly looked like a princess. And the best part was that I was the one whose arm she would hold all night.
It did a lot for my ego.
I offered said arm and Nina took it, linking her slender one through mine. I didn’t move, however, until she looked at me.
“Whatever you’re angry at me for, I’m sorry,” I said. “Tonight means a lot to me, and I would really appreciate it if you didn’t walk in there with that stone-cold face and let everyone know that you’re pissed off about something.”
It was equal parts weird and awful how apprehensive I felt as I held my breath and waited for her to speak. Something strange was happening with me and I wasn’t entirely sure I liked it, but I knew Nina was the cause.
After a few moments, Nina sighed audibly, breaking eye contact. “Fine, but just for tonight. Afterwards, I’ll still think you’re an asshole.”
I grinned widely, feeling much lighter. “I’ll hold you to that.”
Her smile was shy and full of warmth. “Let’s go.”
I led the way, walking us through the front doors.
Eloquence greeted us as the security guards directed us to the room where the event was being held. Polished marble floors stretched beneath my heels, each step echoing faintly in the high-ceilinged space, but I was too tense to appreciate the grandiose details of the luxurious lobby. The future of my company depends on tonight. Two other guards were standing outside the double doors to admit the attendees.
Just before the doors were opened for us, I leaned down to whisper into Nina’s ears. “Don’t be alarmed, but there are going to be some very important people here today. Just try to blend in.”