Chapter 31
Chapter thirty-one
Knox
I’m still half in a daze when she finally settles against me, breath soft and warm on my neck, her bare shoulders flushed and perfect.
My heart’s still trying to figure out if we just time-traveled or blacked out for a few minutes, because I’m wrecked in the best goddamn way.
Her body, her laugh, the way she kissed me like I was the only man on Earth—it’s enough to make a guy believe in fate.
And Jesus, I just came in my pants like a teenager.
I don’t even care.
She’s on top of me, tangled and glowing and grinning like maybe she feels it too—that whatever this is between us, it never really died. It just went dormant. Waiting.
I run my hand up her back, brushing my fingers lightly over the dip at the base of her spine. “Just so we’re clear,” I murmur, still a little breathless, “I’m in love with you. Not just your hips. Or that dress. Or the way you grind like it’s a competitive sport.”
She laughs into my neck. “You say the most romantic things.”
“Don’t act like you don’t love it.”
Her breath hitches—just a tiny sound, but I catch it. She lifts her head and meets my eyes, and for a second, everything stills.
“I do,” she says softly. “I really do.”
Yeah. That’s it. That’s the moment I know I’m never letting her go again.
But the fact remains that I’m sticky, sweaty, and somewhere in the region of feral golden retriever levels of post-makeout disheveled. Also, my dog’s probably judging me from next door.
“I should…” I clear my throat and gesture vaguely. “Change. And grab Priscilla before she eats my couch cushions in protest.”
Brynn sits up, still in just her bra and panties and looking like sin wrapped in silk, and it takes everything I’ve got to not drag her right back down.
Instead, she grins. “Want some company?”
“Thought you’d never ask.” I respond. She squeals when I haul her against me for one more kiss, fast and playful, before letting her go.
“I’ll pack a bag,” she says, standing and scooping up her dress from the floor. “Are you good with me staying the night?”
I can’t help the stupid smile stretching across my face. “Only if you wear one of my shirts to bed.”
Her eyes sparkle. “Deal.”
She scurries up the stairs and I manage to sit upright, wincing when I feel the wet spot in my pants. Once she returns, I stand. “Don’t look at me until I’ve changed.”
She walks toward me. “Oh, Coach, I’ve seen your cum before and I’m pretty sure I’ll see it again. Wear those pants with pride, Champ.” She taps my chest with her hand and heads for the door.
“Jesus, woman,” I say under my breath as I follow behind.
We cross the driveway to my door. Priscilla must’ve heard us coming because I hear her barking the second I step onto the porch.
“She’s gonna tackle you,” I warn as I unlock the door. “She’s been deprived of belly rubs and emotionally available humans all day.”
Brynn snorts. “You mean she’s just like you?”
“Exactly. Which is why she’s the perfect dog.”
I barely get the door open before she’s there—my girl, all golden fur and soulful eyes and so much excitement she nearly spins in a circle.
Brynn kneels before I can say anything. “Well hello, beautiful!” she coos, and I swear Priscilla swoons. Full-on belly-up, tail-wagging, immediate betrayal.
“Traitor,” I mutter, watching my dog sell me out in real time.
Brynn looks over her shoulder, one hand buried in fur. “She loves me.”
“I see that. She’s already planning to leave me for you.”
“She has taste.”
I grin like an idiot. Because she’s here, in my space. Petting my dog. Looking like she belongs here.
Upstairs, I change, while Brynn explores my room with a wide-eyed curiosity. I grab her a new toothbrush and hand her one of my softest old Outlaws T-shirts.
She’s in just her underwear as she slips my T-shirt over her head, and my brain short-circuits for a solid ten seconds.
“I know that look,” she says, climbing into bed and patting the spot beside her. “But I think we both need to sleep more than we need to fool around again.”
“I disagree,” I mumble as I slide in beside her, flipping off the light. “But I’m a gentleman. Sometimes. Sort of.”
She curls into me like it’s second nature, her head on my chest, her fingers brushing over my ribs.
Our bodies fit together like they never forgot.
While it’s familiar, I can’t help but feel a newness with it.
I want to experience everything with her again.
The first sleepover, the first Sunday dinner with my parents. I want new memories with her.
“This bed’s too comfortable,” she says sleepily.
“Good. I want you to get used to it.”
Her breath catches for a second, then she exhales. “Me too.”
I press a kiss to her hair and close my eyes.
And for the first time in years, I feel like everything in my world is finally, finally in the right place.