28. Knox
Knox
Other than the faint slosh of water from the tub, the bathroom remains quiet. For a long moment, neither of us moves. Cheyenne is still half turned toward me, her lips swollen from the kiss, her eyes a little dazed, as if she’s not entirely sure where the line is anymore.
Which makes two of us.
All I know is the second I stepped into the bath with her, our relationship shifted. And it feels a hell of a lot more real than what we’ve been pretending to be up until now.
She draws in a shaky breath before turning and leaning back again, her spine aligning with my chest. The heat of her sinks into me, damp skin against mine.
When my mouth brushes her temple, she melts back against me with a soft sigh.
My arm tightens around her waist, keeping her tucked close because letting go is the last thing I want to do.
“You’re beautiful,” I murmur, the words slipping out before I can overthink them.
She stills. “What?”
“I said that you’re beautiful.” My thumb brushes over her skin as I keep her anchored against me. “I’ve always thought so.”
“Even before all this?”
“Yeah, even before all this.”
She turns just enough to meet my gaze, searching it for a long moment. “I want you.”
My body stills, wondering if I misheard her.
When I remain silent, she says, “I want you to make love to me, Knox.”
The words hit hard. Not because I don’t want it, but because I do. Too damn much.
“Chey…” I press my forehead briefly to the side of her head, trying to keep a tight grip on my self-control. “You’ve had a rough day.”
Her fingers curl around my forearm. “That’s not what this is about.”
“You’re upset. Stressed. Your ex just—” My jaw tightens. “I don’t want you doing something you’ll regret.”
I won’t be a decision she looks back on and wishes she could undo.
Her gaze lifts to mine again. “That isn’t going to happen.”
I search her face, looking for signs of hesitation. Instead, what I find is trust.
“I won’t regret it,” she murmurs. “Not with you.”
Fuck.
Whatever defenses I had left, she just blew a hole straight through them.
My grip tightens around her as I release a slow breath. I keep her close, one arm banded around her middle, holding her steady, while my other hand drifts down her belly to her pussy.
One touch and my cock stiffens even more than it already was.
As soon as my fingers graze her delicate flesh, her breath catches and her legs fall open.
Gently, I rub her clit before stroking her lips and circling her entrance.
It doesn’t take long before her head falls back against my shoulder and her fingers tighten around my arm, nails pressing into my skin.
“I’ve got you,” I murmur, my mouth brushing the sensitive spot just below her ear as my hand moves over her with slow, deliberate strokes.
She melts into me, her back flush against my chest, her head tipping to the side to give me better access as a soft sound slips from her lips. The water laps gently around us, but it does nothing to calm everything that rushes through my veins.
Her hips shift, continuing to search for more.
I’ve imagined this moment too many times to let it slip past in a blur. Every hitch of her breath, and every tremor that moves through her feeds into the careful, controlled way I touch her, allowing the tension to build instead of breaking too soon.
Her body grows more responsive, more restless, until her breathing turns uneven, her chest rising and falling against the water.
“Knox…” My name falls from her lips, and it’s enough to send a pulse of heat straight through me.
I press my mouth just below her ear. “Let go, baby,” I whisper, voice roughened with need. “I’ve got you.”
When she finally comes apart, she shudders as she clutches my arm, pressing into me as if she can’t get close enough.
I hold her through her orgasm, my fingers continuing to move with rhythmic strokes.
It’s only when she relaxes against me, the last of her tension draining from her muscles, that I wrap both arms around her and hold her tight.
For a long moment, neither of us moves. She stays tucked against me as her breathing gradually evens out. That’s when it hits me how right this feels.
Just when it seems like she’ll doze off, I press my lips to her temple. “Time to get out, baby. You need to sleep.”
She makes a few disgruntled noises as I carefully slip from behind her, rising to my feet and reaching for a towel.
I quickly dry myself off before helping her out of the tub and wrapping the thick cotton around her shoulders, my hands lingering as I do the same for her.
When I’m done, I hook an arm under her legs and lift her against me.
“Knox—” She lets out a soft laugh, her arms slipping around my neck.
“What?”
“I’m more than capable of walking.”
“Yup, you are. But that doesn’t mean I can’t carry you to bed.”
Without further protest, she rests her head against my shoulder as I stride into the other room.
The city lights cast the space in muted shadows as I set her down on the mattress and draw the covers back, easing her beneath them.
Then I do the same before gathering her into my arms. She curls against me, as if we’ve done this a hundred times before, her head settling against my chest. I tug the blankets over us and let my hand drift up and down her spine in a slow caress until her breathing evens out.
It doesn’t take long before she’s drifting off to sleep.
After that, I stare at the ceiling, one arm wrapped around her, my hand resting at the small of her back. That’s when the truth fully settles in. The second I stepped into that bath, I crossed a line I’ll never be able to come back from. Nothing about the way I feel for Cheyenne is fake.
If I’m being honest with myself, it never was.
I look down at her auburn hair spread across my chest, her face peaceful, as if she finally feels safe enough to let go, and the sight of it nearly undoes me.
Not with lust or even desire, but with something deeper and far heavier. An emotion that knots low in my gut before I’m finally able to put a name to it.
I’m falling for this woman.
And the crazy part?
I don’t bother trying to talk myself out of it.
Instead, I pull her closer and press my lips to the top of her head, my arm tightening around her like I can keep the world at bay if I hold on hard enough.
With a sigh, she curls even closer to me. All I can think about is being the place she feels safe.
The one she reaches for.
For the first time in my life, that thought doesn’t scare me.
If anything, it feels inevitable.