Chapter 6
Knox loved the way Laylee tried to charge through life—but he wouldn’t let her rush him, not with this. Not with her.
It seemed like a good idea to take all his slow, smoldering intentions to the bedroom behind a closed door, before the dogs decided to investigate the whispers. That thought made him frown slightly.
He took the lead, now knowing which room she used, and once he was inside, he saw that she still hadn’t tidied up.
Clothes were stacked and strewn over several surfaces.
A bra on a chair. Skinny jeans on the floor.
Two—no three—pairs of sandals kicked here and there.
A sheer sexy blouse half on, half off the dresser.
Lifting his brow, he started to tease her, but she beat him to it.
“I’m messier when I’m stressed.” She quietly closed and locked the door. “And I was stressed about that pregnancy test.”
He pulled her into his arms. “I’m glad you didn’t make the bed, since we’re just going to mess it up again.”
She grinned. “Unlike my sister, I rarely get around to it. I pick up the rest of the house because, you know, it used to be hers and she was so freaking tidy.” Putting on a mock frown, she said, “If you expect me to be the same, you’ll be disappointed.”
“Nothing about you disappoints me.” Still whispering, he asked, “Do the dogs bother you when you have men over?”
One slender shoulder lifted. “I don’t know. I’ve never had a guy over.”
Both of his brows lifted.
Laylee stammered, “I mean … I’ve been with guys. Get real, I’m twenty-five. But not here, not in this house. And I was never around pets much before.”
Knox looked around again. “Great. So I get to initiate the place.”
Taking it as the joke he meant it to be, she laughed. “Sure. Some other day, when Ford and Skye are back and the dogs are with them, you’re welcome to initiate the couch, too. Maybe the shower. Shoot, we can go for the kitchen table if you—”
Knox ended the teasing words with a kiss. Much more of her taunting him and he’d lose it. Actually, kissing her pushed him dangerously close to the edge, too. He’d been thinking about her for far too long. Liked her from the moment he saw her. Wanted her more each time they talked.
He held her face and devoured her mouth—and she let him, only making small, excited sounds and clinging to his biceps.
As he eased up, she slowly licked her swollen lips and gave him a smoky look of wonder. “You’re good at that,” she breathed. “Kissing, I mean. Completely blows me away.”
So far, so good. He peeled off his shirt and tossed it aside. He’d left his shoes by the front door, but he lifted each foot to tug off his socks.
Laylee said, “Go on.”
Grinning, he shook his head. “You need to catch up.”
She turned. “Unzip me.”
Yeah, progress. But once he touched her, he couldn’t stop.
He brushed her silky hair over her left shoulder and teased his mouth down the back of her neck.
She shivered. Using only his pinkies, he eased the straps of her dress down.
She wasn’t wearing a bra. Her skin was so smooth and soft, he couldn’t stop exploring with his fingertips, his lips.
He held her waist, his fingers lightly contracting, and stepped up against her.
Though Laylee was slim, she had a curvy little backside on her. He slid his hands down, framing her hips, caressing her ass, and then moving back up to her breasts—all the while he continued to kiss, nip, lick, and nibble on her neck and shoulder.
“Knox,” she groaned. “The zipper.”
“In a sec.” The top of her sundress came down with a tug, freeing her breasts. Damn, she had a nice body. He breathed deeper while he cupped her in his hands and let his thumbs brush over her nipples.
“Okay, never mind,” she said, wiggling away and reaching back for the zipper. She got it down before he could reach for her again, then she skinned off the dress and stood before him in nothing more than tiny beige panties.
Without even thinking about it, he reached for the snap on his jeans. Unable to pull his gaze from her, he fumbled a second. He’d known she was perfect, but now here she was, bare in front of him, and the sight of her was hot enough to incinerate him.
Laylee stepped up. “Let me.”
He dropped his hands to his sides and braced his feet apart. She proved to be a tease, opening the snap and lowering the zipper, while also dragging her nails over the denim that covered his erection. His eyelids grew heavy, but he didn’t close them. Pretty sure he didn’t even blink.
With her fair hair swinging to either side of her face, her beautiful breasts bare, Laylee stared down at him. Her slender fingers were on him. …
Yeah, he broke. As he stepped back, Knox shoved down his jeans and boxers and then kicked them away. Smiling, Laylee did this sexy little thing where she pushed her panties over her hips and gave a wiggle that sent them sliding down her long legs.
His brain emptied of words. All he could think was: mine, now, need, forever. Over and over again.
When he reached for her, she laughed, but when they landed crossways on her bed together, him mostly on top, his mouth feasting on hers, her humor died. She wrapped her arms around his neck, her legs around his hips, and encouraged him with those husky sounds of pleasure again.
Within ten minutes, they were both desperate. Knox said, “Damn.”
“What?” she asked, but brought his mouth back to hers so he couldn’t answer.
When he freed himself again, he said, “Protection.” She’d already gone through a pregnancy scare; he wasn’t about to put her through that again.
“Oh.”
“Don’t move.”
“Okay.” As he pushed off the bed and grabbed for his jeans to get his wallet, she said, “I’m on birth control, but yeah, one scare was enough, right? No need to take chances.”
Knox wasn’t thinking at all when he got out the condom and rolled it on. “I wasn’t scared.” He came back down over her but paused long enough to curve one hand over her cheek. “If you ever want a baby, I’m your guy.”
Her eyes flared wide, but he didn’t give her a chance to speak. He kissed her while he reached between their bodies, and seconds later neither of them was thinking of anything but pleasure.
Laylee barely stirred when Knox silently left the bed and headed to the bathroom. It sounded to her as if he was cleaning up.
The thought made her smile. If they were going to do this again—and they most definitely would—they’d need to make some arrangements.
She wouldn’t mind if he left a change of clothes at her house, along with some toiletries.
The idea of making long-term arrangements with him gave her a sense of contentment.
Now that she’d lost his body heat, her skin quickly cooled, but she was too lethargic, too sated, to move.
Knox Nial excelled at more than mere kissing.
Never had she experienced anything like their lovemaking.
Maybe it was that they were so perfectly in sync.
Or maybe he was just that good, that special.
“You’re smiling,” he murmured as he came back in, this time leaving the door partially open.
“I’m happy,” she replied as she lazily stretched. “And I feel amazing.”
Kissing a path up her thigh to her stomach to her left breast, he said, “Yes, you do.” His hands slid under her and then lifted her enough to readjust her in the bed.
When he finished, her head was on a pillow and her feet no longer hung over the side.
After freeing the lightweight quilt from beneath her, he spread it out, turned off the light, and snuggled in next to her.
It was the most natural thing in the world to get comfortable in his arms. Quietly, filled with emotion, she whispered, “It was a wild day, but I really like how it turned out.”
Knox kissed her forehead. “Yeah, but this, with you, was my favorite part.”
She smiled. “Thank you for staying with me.”
Several seconds passed without a reply, and she started to wonder if she’d pushed him too far. She’d never been very good at moderation, especially when it came to her own wants and needs and going after whatever made her happy.
Knox made her very happy.
Finally, he said, “I wanted to stay. Anytime you want company or someone to talk to, or sex, I’m here for it, okay?
Here for you. I mean that, Laylee. You don’t have to explain, and I won’t have automatic expectations.
” As he spoke, he trailed his fingers gently through her long hair.
“But you should probably know, I care about you. More than I’ve ever cared for any woman.
You’re funny and sincere. I love how close you are with your sister and how great you are with the dogs. ”
Stunned by his words, Laylee didn’t reply for a second. “I wasn’t always good with them.” Great job, Laylee. Way to skirt the real issue.
She wasn’t sure how to respond to his declaration, so talking about her weaknesses seemed easier. God knew, she had plenty of them.
“Remember, I used to be a dismal failure with the pets—my fault, not theirs.”
“You’re quick to learn.”
Wincing, she admitted, “I’m afraid I wasn’t always great with my sister, either.” It hurt her to admit it, but here in the dark and quiet, it was easy to make confessions to Knox. “I used to be jealous of her because she’s so smart and levelheaded.”
“So are you. Plus, you have to know Skye felt the same way. Somehow, she thought you were the pretty one, and she was just the smart one.”
Laylee could hear the smile in his voice. “That’s how our parents differentiated us. I was the pretty, carefree party girl and Skye was the smart, studious girl.”
“Do twins get that a lot?”
She shrugged. “My dad is a twin. He grew up being the smart twin, like Skye, and my uncle was the athletic twin. But they’re both smart and pretty athletic, if you ask me. I guess he just carried on with what he was taught.”
“So you heard that nonsense from your folks and also your grandparents?”