Chapter 7
Sierra
The scent of coffee pulls me from sleep.
Then I hear it — the low rumble of his voice on the phone, the quiet click of the coffee pot, and the creak of floorboards under footsteps that sound far too awake for this hour.
I sit up, the sheets sliding down my bare skin, and blink toward the soft light spilling in from the kitchen.
Knox is shirtless. Again.
So damn gorgeous.
He’s wearing a clean pair of jeans, slung low on his hips, and his hair is still damp from a quick shower.
A mug sits in one hand, the other braced on the counter like he owns the sunrise. When he turns and catches me watching him, something flickers in his eyes. Heat and something deeper.
“Mornin’, darlin’,” he drawls, voice low and rough from sleep. “You’re up late.”
I glance at the nearest clock. “It’s five a.m.”
He shrugs like that’s sleeping in. “Cowboys wake up at four-thirty.”
A disbelieving laugh slips out. “There’s only one cowboy bodyguard here, and it’s definitely not me.”
His brow arches, slow and amused. “You making fun of me?”
“A little,” I admit, tugging the sheets tighter around me. “What’s next, secret rodeo club meetings at dawn?”
He sets his coffee down with care. The look he gives me is pure heat chased with trouble.
“You really wanna tease me like that first thing in the morning?”
Before I can answer, he’s already moving.
My breath catches as he crosses the room.
He stops in front of the bed, gaze locked on mine, and tugs the sheets from my grip. It slips from my fingers and pools at my waist. His eyes drag down, taking in every inch of bare skin revealed.
“Keep looking at me like that, I’m not gonna stay gentle.”
I meet his gaze, unflinching. “Who said I want gentle?”
That does it.
In one smooth motion, he lifts me from the bed and carries me to the counter, setting me down on the cool surface. The contrast against my skin sends a shiver through me, but the heat rolling off him more than makes up for it.
He steps between my legs, hands sliding up my thighs, parting them with purpose. His mouth crashes into mine, hot and urgent, like he’s been starving for this since the second he woke up.
I moan against his lips as his hips press into mine, his cock hard and thick through the denim.
“You woke up feeling brave,” he growls, voice rough against my mouth. “Now I’m gonna show you what that gets you.”
One hand tangles in my hair, the other grips my thigh, pulling me to the edge of the counter. I wrap my legs around him instinctively, rocking my hips toward that pressure, aching for more.
“I haven’t even had coffee,” I whisper, breathless.
His grin is pure sin. “You won’t need caffeine when I’m done with you.”
Then he kisses me again. Deeper, dirtier, his tongue sliding against mine, teeth dragging across my bottom lip, like he’s tasting every inch of me before he devours the rest.
He pulls back just enough to shove his jeans and briefs down far enough to free himself. One hand wraps around the base, thick fingers stroking slow as he watches me. Pupils blown, jaw tight.
“You’re already wet for me, aren’t you, darlin’?” he murmurs, fingers sliding between my thighs to prove it. “Goddamn… this pussy’s perfect.”
I nod, breathless, legs spread wide on either side of him, heels digging into the edge of the counter.
“Please,” I whisper, every nerve ending lit and begging. “I need you.”
That’s all it takes.
He grips my hips and lines himself up. The thick head of his cock nudges at my entrance, and then he thrusts in, one smooth, devastating stroke that punches the breath from my lungs.
“Fuck,” he groans, low and guttural. “So tight. Still so fuckin’ tight.”
My head falls back, hands grabbing at his shoulders, holding on as he starts to move. Hard. Deep. The rhythm is fast and filthy, his hips snapping into mine with each thrust, the counter creaking beneath us.
“Knox—” I gasp, voice breaking.
He growls, grabbing my ass to pull me closer, grinding in deeper. “You love this. Being wide open for me. Letting me fuck you like this, right here.”
I nod wildly, too far gone for words. Every stroke hits just right. My clit grinds against the base of him with every thrust, and I can already feel the pleasure building again, sharp and scorching.
He leans in, chest brushing mine, and his mouth finds my neck. Biting, sucking, claiming. One hand slides between us, fingers finding my clit and rubbing tight, brutal circles.
“You’re gonna come for me again,” he pants. “Right here. On this fucking counter.”
“God—Knox—I’m gonna—”
“Do it, darlin’.”
I shatter. Loud and wild, clenching hard around him as the orgasm slams through me, stealing my breath, making my whole body quake.
He curses, thrusts faltering as he buries himself deep and spills inside me with a broken sound.
For a moment, the world goes quiet. Just the sound of our breathing. My skin slick with sweat. My thighs trembling where they’re still wrapped around him.
He presses his forehead to mine, still inside me, both of us wrecked.
“Worth getting up at five a.m.?” he murmurs, voice thick with satisfaction.
I laugh, dazed and breathless. “Best coffee substitute ever.”
He grins and kisses me again, this time soft, slow, almost sweet.
“You’re trouble, darlin’.”
I smile against his mouth. “You seem to like trouble.”
His grin deepens. “Damn right I do. Don’t forget you’re mine. Mine alone.”
“Yours,” I breathe.