Chapter 27 #2
Knox shook his head. “I can’t hide. I need to secure all of you first. That’s my first and foremost priority. Getting you and the kids to safety. Once I know you’re protected, then I can deal with whatever threat is out there.”
“But what if something happens to you?”
He closed the distance between us and cupped my face in his hands. “Nothing is going to happen to me. I’m going to kill anyone who tries to hurt my family, and then I’m going to come back to you. That’s a promise.”
Tears pricked at my eyes. The emotion was overwhelming. The love I felt for this man, the gratitude, the fierce protectiveness that mirrored his own.
“I love you,” I whispered.
“I love you too.” He pressed his forehead against mine. “More than anything in this world.”
“Even more than this panic room?”
He laughed, the sound rumbling through his chest. “Even more than the panic room. Though it was a close call.”
I smacked his arm. He caught my hand and brought it to his lips, pressing a kiss to my knuckles.
We stood like that for a moment, just breathing each other in. Then Knox pulled back slightly, a new light entering his eyes.
“Actually, there’s one more thing.”
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small velvet box. My heart stuttered.
“Knox...”
“Relax, we’re already married,” he said with a crooked smile. “This is something else.”
He opened the box.
Inside, nestled on dark velvet, lay a delicate silver chain with a small pendant.
The pendant was shaped like a crescent moon, and in its curve sat a tiny wolf, carved with such detail I could make out the individual strands of fur.
At the center of the wolf’s chest was a small gemstone that caught the light and sparkled with an inner fire.
“It’s beautiful,” I breathed.
“It’s enchanted,” Knox said. “Well, sort of. The stone is connected to another one.” He reached under his shirt and pulled out a matching chain.
His pendant was different in shape, a full moon with a wolf howling at its center, but the gemstone was identical.
“When you touch yours, mine warms up. And when I touch mine, yours does the same. Don’t ask me how. ”
I stared at him. “Really?”
“Really. It’s a way to feel close even when we’re apart. If you’re scared or lonely or just missing me, you touch the pendant and I’ll know. I’ll feel it. And I’ll touch mine back so you know I’m thinking of you too.”
My throat tightened. “Where did you get this idea?”
Knox looked almost sheepish. “Ryder, actually. He gave something similar to Jasmine. Said it helped them through some difficult times when they were separated. I asked him where he got them and...” He shrugged. “I wanted us to have that too.”
I couldn’t speak. Couldn’t find words for the emotion swelling in my chest. This wasn’t just jewelry, it was a lifeline, a connection. A promise that no matter how far apart we were, we would always be able to reach each other.
“Put it on me,” I managed.
Knox smiled and stepped behind me, his fingers brushing the back of my neck as he fastened the clasp. The pendant settled against my chest, cool at first, then warming with my body heat. I touched it instinctively, pressing my fingers against the tiny wolf.
A moment later, Knox’s hand flew to his own chest. His eyes met mine, warm and bright.
“I felt that,” he said softly.
“Good.” I smiled through the tears that were threatening to spill. “Now you’ll always know when I’m thinking about you.”
“I already know you’re always thinking about me.”
I laughed and threw my arms around his neck, pulling him into a tight hug. “You’re so cocky.”
He held me just as tightly, his face buried in my hair, his heart beating steady against mine. “I’m confident,” he answered, his voice muffled against my skin.
“Thank you,” I said against his shoulder. “For the panic room, for the necklace. For always thinking about us.”
“Always,” he agreed. “You’re my whole life, Lina. You and the kids. I would burn down the world to keep you safe.”
“That’s a bit dramatic.”
“I’m a dramatic person.”
“You really are.”
He was still holding me, still standing close enough that I could feel the heat of his body. His gray eyes locked on mine and they were soft, but there was something else there too. A spark of hunger that made my stomach flutter.
I stretched up on my toes and kissed him.
He kissed me back immediately. His lips were soft at first, then he kissed back hard, arms snaking around my waist, yanking me against him chest to chest. His tongue pushed in, sliding wet against mine, tasting like coffee and him.
His hands slid down my back, fingers digging into my hips as the kiss turned messy, breaths mixing hot in our mouths.
I walked him back, one step at a time, hands on his chest feeling his heart thump under my palms. His calves hit the bed frame, and he dropped down heavy, butt sinking into the mattress.
Now I stood between his spread knees, looking down at his face tilted up, that power flip making heat flood my pussy, wetness starting to seep between my thighs.
I wanted to thank him right.
My fingers grabbed his shirt hem, pulled it up and over his head in one tug.
It hit the floor. His chest was bare, the matching necklace glinted against his collarbone and his skin warm under my hands as I ran palms over his shoulders, down the hard slabs of his pecs, tracing the ridges of his abs.
Each muscle shifted under my touch, warm and solid, a light dusting of hair rough on my fingertips.
I pressed harder, nails scraping light, feeling him breathe deeper.
He reached for my shirt, but I swatted his hands away.
“No,” I said. “This is for you.”
His eyebrows rose. “Lina...”
I dropped to my knees in front of him, between his legs. His breath hitched sharp, gray eyes going dark as pitch, pupils blown wide.
“What are you doing, love?” he whispered, voice already thick with need.
“Thanking you.”
My hand cupped his bulge through his pants, fabric stretched tight over the growing hardness underneath.
I squeezed gently and felt his cock twitch and thicken under my palm, heat radiating through the cloth.
He groaned low, head dropping back against the headboard with a thud, throat working as he swallowed.
I rubbed up and down slowly, palm pressing the length, thumb circling the head where a wet spot started forming. His hips jerked up once, breath turning ragged, chest rising fast.
I loved watching him lose control.
My fingers worked his zipper down, button popping open.
I tugged his pants and boxers down together, bunching them at his thighs.
His cock sprang free, slapping against his stomach, and I licked my lips.
His thick shaft was veined and straight, head was flushed dark red, and his slit was already leaking clear pre-cum. My mouth watered.
I wrapped fingers around the base, skin hot and velvet-smooth over steel hard, grip tight enough to feel his pulse throb.
He hissed through clenched teeth, abs tightening, a bead of sweat trickling down his temple as I stroked him slowly, my thumb smearing the pre-cum over the head, making it shine.
That’s when I leaned in, tongue flat against the underside, and licked long from balls to tip, tasting salt and skin, the vein pulsing under my tongue.
He groaned deep, his hands fisting the sheets, knuckles popping white.
I did it again, slower, dragging wet up the length, then swirled around the head, lapping at the slit to suck up more pre-cum.
“Fuck, Lina,” he groaned deep in his throat, and I smirked against him.
I took him deeper, sliding my lips down the shaft inch by inch, coating him in spit.
He made this raw groan from his gut that shot straight to my clit, making it throb.
I kept watching his face the whole time, I liked seeing him with his eyes squeezed shut, mouth open panting, jaw clenched when I licked him right.
Like a lollipop, I popped the head in, tongue circling fast inside my mouth, cheeks hollowing on the suck.
Saliva dripped down from my mouth as wet sounds filled the room, slurps and smacks mixing with his grunts.
His hand landed on the back of my head, fingers threading in my hair, not shoving, just resting heavy, feeling the rhythm.
Hips rocked up small, shallow thrusts he fought to keep small, cock bumping the back of my throat.
I relaxed, took more, gagging light once but pushing through.
“Ah, yes, baby, Fuck, yes. Just like that,” he moaned, “yes!”
I sucked harder, head bobbing faster, one hand pumping the slick base while the other cupped his balls.
“Baby,” he gasped, voice wrecked. “I’m going to... fuck, I’m close...”
I ignored him, and he shouted rough, body locking, cock swelling thicker in my mouth.
The first spurt hit my tongue hot and thick, salty-bitter, then pulse after pulse flooded my mouth, coating my throat as I swallowed around him, gulping it down, some leaking from the corner of my lips.
His thighs shook, his hand still tight in my hair, his groans turning to pants. I loved it.
I pulled off slow, my lips dragging, a last string of cum and spit connecting us before it snapped. His cock softened, twitching on his thigh, shiny wet. He stared at me as he panted heavily, eyes glazed and half-lidded with pleasure, his chest heaving with sweat sheen.
“I love you so fucking much, Lina,” he growled.
Then his hands grabbed my arms and he hauled me onto the bed.
I squeaked as I landed on my back, the mattress dipping under my weight.
His mouth crashed on mine immediately, kissing me deep and sloppy, his tongue thrusting in to taste himself on me.
His hands yanked at my shirt, ripping it over my head, bra next, his fingers fumbling the clasp, then peeling it off.
My pants were shoved down my legs, panties hooked and dragged away, leaving me bare.