Chapter 30
Taylor
The longer we spend with Knox’s friends, the more I relax. It could be the rum and Coke I’m drinking, but it’s also a fun group with an energy that matches my own. Everyone is laughing, and they lovingly give each other a hard time, even the women, who dish it right back.
The best part?
Knox never leaves my side.
I wasn’t sure how he was going to handle our interactions in front of his friends, but shame on me for doubting him. If he can accept me in front of his ex-wife, I should’ve known better than to freak out over this.
I couldn’t help but play through every scenario in my head where he denies anything is going on. I was afraid his friends would tease him relentlessly for being attracted to me because of my clothes or makeup, and he would push me away.
But not only have they not harassed me about all of that, Knox only ever pulls me closer.
Like right now, for example, I’m sitting on his lap around the fire pit.
Instead of sinking into one of those shitty camp chairs, we’re reclining in an Adirondack.
My legs are dangling on the outside of his, and his hands are resting on my thighs, my back to his chest. I could honestly down one more drink and pass out here for the night.
Just like this, with Knox at my back and his arms around my front.
Eventually, we’re forced to move to the picnic tables when the dinner spread is laid out.
I chat with Shannon and Cassie for a while, answering questions about my head symptoms, then the other stuff they want to know.
Mingling is easy with them. Knox eventually relaxes enough to strike up his own conversation with a couple of the guys after dinner, while I play cornhole with Dylan, Jake, and Walker.
When Walker and I win, he gives me a playful slap on the ass and a ‘Good game.’ Less than a second later, we hear Knox.
“Don’t you need that hand for riding?” he asks the rodeo champion.
“Eh, I’ve got two,” Walker says playfully with a shrug, sending a wink at me.
“I’m not above cutting them both off, DeVille.”
“Oooh, threats,” Walker whispers just to me. “He must really be in to you.”
Walker is only two years older than me, and Phoenix is only two years older than him. Perhaps because of their ages, Knox keeps a close eye on our interactions, not understanding that yes, they’re hot, but so not my type.
Everyone slowly makes their way back to the fire. It’s still hot in the evenings, but the fire keeps the bugs away, making it prime real estate as the sun goes down.
Knox takes the chair we started in and wastes no time pulling me back down onto his lap, nuzzling his face into the crook of my neck.
“Do you know how hard it is to be around you and not touch you?” he asks against my skin.
I laugh, turning to face him. “No, and neither do you.”
He bites the flesh where his face was just buried, causing me to jump. “That cornhole game lasted for an hour,” he pouts, making me laugh again.
“That entire best-of-five series took ten minutes at the most,” I scoff.
Knox tightens his arms around me. “Let’s go inside. I want to see what’s under here.” He discreetly brings his hands to the button on my jeans. “It’s all I’ve been able to think about since we left the house.”
“Taylor, help me carry this in, will you?” Phoenix asks as he stands, breaking through mine and Knox’s moment.
Knox’s forearm immediately snakes across my waist, holding me to him.
“No fucking way. Taylor’s a guest. Ask Walker,” Knox says to Phoenix.
“Damn.” Phoenix chuckles. “Down, Knox. I just want help carrying the leftovers inside.”
“I’ll help you then. Let Taylor relax.”
I turn to put my hand on Knox’s chest. “I’m not a child, remember? Let me help. I want to contribute something since he cooked me dinner.”
Knox eyes his best friend. “If he’s not back in my lap in five minutes, I’m coming to find him.”
Hudson laughs across the fire. “Shit, you sound like Jake.”
“Yeah, well, Jake’s reactions make more sense to me these days,” Knox replies.
I’m gathering that Jake must be possessive as hell, too. And honestly, he should be. I’ve stolen more than one glance at his husband tonight. The guy is total fire.
I lean forward and kiss Knox. I mean for it to be a quick peck, but I get lost in the man until Phoenix’s voice rings out right next to our faces.
“Any day now,” he says with his cheek damn near pressed against Knox’s.
Knox and I pull apart. I’m laughing my ass off, and Knox throws a hand back to smack Phoenix’s head.
“I will end you,” Knox threatens.
Although he’s been relaxed most of the night, I notice his tone is slowly becoming more somber, and I can’t help but wonder if that has something to do with my leaving on Monday.
Climbing off Knox’s lap, I take the casserole dish Phoenix hands me and begin making my way up the porch steps when I feel Phoenix’s hand land on my lower back, acting as a guide. Just like last time, Knox’s voice rings out in the night air.
“Goddamnit, Phoenix. You and your fiancé need to learn to keep your hands to yourselves.”
The man behind me chuckles and says in a low voice only I can hear, “Oh, having you around is going to be so fun.”
Once we’re inside, I scrape the small bits of food left in the dish into the trash can and move to the sink to begin washing when I feel Phoenix’s eyes boring into me.
“Can I talk to you for a second?” he asks, his tone the most serious it’s been all night.
I keep washing the dish as I answer. “I figured this wasn’t just about cleanup duty.”
Although he’s been jovial and a great host, Phoenix has kept an eye on me almost as much as Knox has tonight. Not in a creepy way, but in a he’s-protective-of-you-and-I’m-protective-of-him way.
“Yeah, I’m gonna make it fast because he’ll actually drag you out of here if we’re not back in five minutes, so I apologize for the bluntness, but Knox has had it rough for a long time. If this is just a game to you, please leave him alone and don’t look back.”
I turn to face Phoenix because this conversation deserves eye contact.
“It’s not a game to me,” I confirm. “But it’s also been a very short period of time, and it’s unfair to basically tell me I need to make my mind up about forever right now.”
His brows raise a small amount as he digests my words before nodding his head slightly. “That’s a valid point, but Knox doesn’t trust easily, and once he does, he’s all in.”
I chuckle. “So I’ve learned.”
“He seems to really like you, and I’ll admit, it’s nice to hear him laugh again.”
“But?” I prompt.
“But he’s my best friend, and I wouldn’t hesitate to kick your perfect ass if you hurt him.”
My immediate instinct is to deflect with humor. So, you noticed my ass, huh?
But I don’t.
He needs to know I’m serious.
Hell, I need to know I’m serious.
Taking a deep breath, I let out a slow exhale.
“Look, man. I’m not perfect. I’ll inevitably fuck something up because I’m human, and yeah, I’m young.
This started as a way to get your friend to explore a side of himself I could see as clear as day the night we met.
It’s morphed into something more. I wanted to help him heal in any way I could.
And now, I want to see where this goes for me.
For us. I can’t promise forever, but this isn’t a joke to me. ”
Phoenix pinches the bridge of his nose like a Taylor-shaped headache is forming behind his eyes.
“Just promise me if things change for you, you’ll talk to him. Tell him what’s going on, and for the love of God, please don’t just leave him with no warning or explanation. Give him the chance for closure he didn’t get before.”
His words suddenly take me aback.
“With Karen?” I ask, and Phoenix nods. “Didn’t he tell you?
She came by the house this morning. He got his closure while I was half naked in his kitchen.
” I snicker as I tell the rest of the story.
“I called him Daddy and then got her name wrong on purpose. You should’ve seen her face.
I just wish she’d seen the bite mark I left on his chest, though. ”
Phoenix’s eyes widen, and he unleashes a torrent of new question, the heaviest part of the moment now over.
“Holy fuck, Karen was there? He saw her? Wait, and you bit him? Why is that so hot? What’s he into? Is he kinky? I swear it’s always the quiet ones.”
I laugh and shake my head. “I’m not divulging all the details, but I can confidently agree that when he’s into something, he’s all in.”
I didn’t think it was possible for Phoenix’s eyes to get wider when he shrieks. “You guys fucked already?! Jesus!”
I shrug, letting him draw his own conclusions. The queer community is more fluid in their definition of sex. Blowjobs and frotting to orgasm count to me, so yeah, I guess we have.
“Does he top or bottom? Is his ass as hairy as his chest?”
“You’ll never fucking know, you nosy bastard.” Phoenix jumps at the sound of Knox’s voice. “It’s been seven minutes. Tay’s leaving with me now.”
Phoenix cracks up over being caught. I hadn’t realized my feet were moving, instinctively carrying me toward Knox, until Phoenix catches my wrist, halting my progress.
Phoenix may be Knox’s best friend, but Knox does not like him touching me, and he forcefully peels Phoenix’s fingers from my arm.
“Do not ever stop him from coming to me. Am I clear?” he growls at Phoenix.
“Crystal,” Phoenix replies with a combination of annoyance and worry on his face.
“Hey,” I say, rubbing a hand up Knox’s chest, trying to lighten the mood. “We’re all good. He just wanted help cleaning up.” I hope it earns me some points with Phoenix. I like the guy. And I can appreciate that he’s looking out for Knox.
“How come you didn’t tell us Karen came by this morning?” Phoenix asks, a look of hurt on his face.
Suddenly, more people are filing into the kitchen behind us, and Jake slaps Knox on the shoulder. “The fuck did he just say? Karen came by? Like to your house?”
Knox pokes me in the side, making me jerk because it tickles. “You’ve done it now,” he teases, the tension from a moment ago evaporating into the air. He pulls me in front of him and wraps his arms around me while telling a kitchen full of people about his reunion with his ex-wife.
Cheers go around, and I get several fist bumps when he tells the guys that I purposely called Karen by the wrong name.
“Too bad she didn’t see the bite mark,” Phoenix says, somehow managing a straight face. His comment earns me another poke in the side.
“Bite mark? Now we’re getting to the good stuff,” Hudson says, stepping around us to wash his dish in the sink.
Knox can’t hide his laughter as he says, “Oh, but she did. I was shirtless when I answered the door.”
I whip my head around to look at him.
Correctly reading the mortification on my features, he says, “I was glad to have your mark on me. It was the best reminder that someone wanted me while I was standing face-to-face with the woman who didn’t.”
Knox begins peppering my cheeks with kisses, his fingers sliding under my shirt until finally we hear, “Okay, okay, we get it. You’re gay now. Your guy’s hot. We approve. Go get naked somewhere else.”
I think Phoenix is my favorite.
By the time Knox and I leave, the mood is much lighter; the tension is completely gone, and everyone hugs me, making me feel like part of their group.
As soon as my truck door closes, Knox says, “I’ve been waiting all fucking night to see what you have on under those jeans. Take them off.”
“Now? We’ll be home in like twenty minutes.”
“Ten. We’re going to your place. Take them off,” he repeats.
Not wanting to keep him waiting any longer, I pop the button and begin sliding my jeans down my thighs. “Knox, you have to keep your eyes on the road or we’ll die before you get a chance to see everything,” I warn as his eyes affix themselves to my groin.
“Then move faster.”
I laugh as I continue working my pants down my legs.
I chose one of my favorite pieces: a teal satin thong that has straps that run down the front and back of my thighs and connect to another strap that runs around the circumference of my leg. The words Eat Me are spelled in rhinestones across the front.
“Fuuuuuck,” Knox groans, taking my semi and turning it into a fully blown, trapped erection.
He’s mesmerized as precum darkens the satin.
“Knox, the road,” I admonish breathlessly.
He leans his massive frame over the center console, and I’ve never been more thankful for his huge wingspan as he places his palm over my dick and starts rubbing.
I spread my legs wider, trying to give him better access, but I only have so much room before my knee is against the door and my hips are thrusting against Knox’s palm.
He’s alternating between pressure from the heel of his hand and featherlight brushes of his fingertips. Both feel fucking incredible over the now-wet fabric.
“Knox,” I groan, practically writhing in my seat.
“You’re so fucking pretty when you’re needy, baby. I can’t wait to get you naked and mark every inch of your flawless skin,” he answers. His hand continues torturing me while his words wreak just as much havoc on my system.
By the time we pull into the parking lot of my apartment building, I’m primed and ready to explode. My balls ache, and I’m on a hair trigger. I struggle to pull my jeans back up over my erection to get inside.
Thank God for the elevator because I have no idea how I’d manage stairs in my current state.
As soon as we’re inside the building, Knox stabs the button for my floor and slams me against the back wall, pinning me with his hips.
We’re a frenzy of teeth, tongues, and hands until the elevator doors ping, alerting us to the arrival on our floor.
We practically fall out of the elevator, and Knox refuses to let me go as we stumble down the hallway.
I’m quickly becoming addicted, and the more I want to be in Knox’s arms, the harder it’s going to be when Monday morning inevitably rolls around.