Chapter 7
SEVEN
Knox
I can see the hopefulness in Daisy’s golden eyes as I take a deep breath and tell her what we found out about Joe.
“I have a friend, Abe. He’s Roxie’s mate,” I explain, taking her hands in mine. “He used to work for the CIA and still has some contacts. With his skills, he was able to access some security cameras of the street behind the house Joe claimed was robbed.”
“Really?”
I nod. “It clearly shows Joe going into the place. He’s dressed in all black, looking sketchy. It showed him sneaking up to one of the windows and breaking in.”
Daisy leaps to her feet and wraps her arms around my neck. “We have to show that to the police. Then they can drop the charges.”
My hands go to her waist to steady her, and she surprises me by leaning in and pressing a kiss against my cheek. Her lips are warm and soft against my skin, and my whole body tightens as lust coils inside me.
Bite her! my bear orders.
Daisy drops back down to her feet, but I don’t release her. We stare at each other, both of us holding our breath. I wait, watching her to decipher how she’s feeling.
Slowly, Daisy leans closer, and my grip tightens on her hips as I wait to see what she’ll do next.
Her lips are a breath away from mine, and it takes everything in me not to close the distance between us.
I want to grab her, pin her beneath me on the couch, and lick every inch of her.
I want to map out every single one of her curves with my hands, my lips, my tongue.
My bear nods in agreement, and my restraint breaks.
Slowly, Daisy leans in, closing the distance between us, her lips brushing mine in a soft, tentative kiss. It’s gentle, testing, like she’s waiting to see how I’ll react, giving me the chance to pull away.
I don’t.
I can’t.
The second her lips touch mine, something in me snaps and unravels. My hands tighten on her hips, pulling her closer until there’s no space left between us.
“Daisy…” I breathe against her mouth.
She kisses me again, a little firmer this time.
That’s it.
That’s all it takes.
I surge forward, taking control of the kiss, my mouth moving against hers with a hunger I can’t even begin to hide. She gasps softly, her fingers curling into my shirt, holding on like she needs me as much as I need her.
Mine! my bear roars inside me, wild and possessive.
I tilt my head, deepening the kiss, my lips parting against hers as I pull her flush against me. Her body fits perfectly against mine, soft curves pressing into hard lines, and I groan at the feel of her.
She melts into me completely, as if she were made to be right here. My hand slides up her back, tangling in her hair, holding her steady as I kiss her again and again, slower now but deeper, more intentional. I want to taste her, memorize her, lose myself in her.
She makes a soft little sound in the back of her throat, and it nearly undoes me.
“Knox…” she whispers, my name breaking between us.
I kiss her again instead of answering, swallowing the rest of her words as my other hand drifts along her side, gripping her hip tighter. I need her closer, closer, always closer.
Her arms slide up around my neck as she rises onto her toes, and she presses against me. I groan, my forehead falling against hers for a second as I try to get a grip.
“Careful,” I murmur, my voice rough. “You keep doing that, and I’m not going to stop.”
She doesn’t pull away, doesn’t even hesitate. Instead, she kisses me again, giving me my answer.
I lift her without thinking, my hands sliding under her thighs as I pick her up and settle her against me. She lets out a soft laugh that turns into a breathless sound when I walk us backward, my mouth never leaving hers.
I press her gently against the wall, caging her in with my body as I kiss her deeper, slower, letting myself feel every second of it. Her fingers tug at my hair, her breath coming faster now, matching mine.
The world narrows to just us. Nothing else matters. Not the past, not Joe, not her arrest warrant. Nothing but this moment.
“My mate,” I murmur against her lips, unable to hold the words back.
She shivers in my arms, and I feel it all the way down to my bones. I never want this moment to end. I’m thinking about carrying her upstairs to our bed when a sharp knock echoes through the house.
I freeze, my entire body locking up as a low, frustrated growl rips from my chest. Daisy blinks, her lips still parted, her breathing uneven as she looks at me.
Another knock, louder this time.
I close my eyes for a second, dragging in a deep breath, forcing my bear back under control.
“Don’t move,” I murmur, pressing one last, lingering kiss to her mouth before setting her carefully back on her feet.
My hands linger on her hips for a second longer than necessary because I don’t want to let go.I don’t ever want to let go, but whoever is on the other side of that door isn’t going away.
I step back, dragging a hand through my hair as I head for the door, another growl slipping out under my breath. I swear, whoever it is better have a damn good reason for interrupting.
I rip the front door open, glaring at my friends. “Bad timing,” I mutter.
They give me sympathetic looks.
“Sorry,” Logan says, pushing past me.
“Hey,” Abe says as he walks in and spots Daisy.
“Hi,” she says shyly.
I rush to her side, wrapping my arm around her waist. “Why are you here?”
“To go over the plan,” Jameson explains. “We figured it might help to talk through your options.”
“Yeah, you don’t know how Joe will react,” Abe adds. “It might be best to include other people, maybe even the mayor. You should have contacts with the newspapers, too, in case things go sideways.”
I let out a deep sigh because I know they’re right, and I won’t be able to get rid of them anytime soon.
“All right. Let’s do this.” I turn, leading everyone into the kitchen.
Abe has his laptop, and we crowd around the kitchen table.
I drag Daisy onto my lap, making sure she’s comfortable. “Are you hungry? Need anything?”
“I could eat,” Logan says.
I glare at him.
“Why don’t I make us all some food while you guys do this?” Daisy suggests.
She moves to climb off my lap.
I growl, keeping her pinned in place. “They have food at their places.”
She smacks my chest. “They’re here to help me. Be nice.”
I groan, releasing her reluctantly.
She kisses my cheek before she stands and moves to the fridge. I watch her smile as she pulls out ingredients.
Logan clears his throat.
I look back at my friends. “All right, come on,” I grumble.
We spend the next hour going over a list of people who may be helpful, weighing different options about meeting locations, who should be there, and escape routes in case things don’t go our way.
Daisy sets down a lasagna as we finish, and my stomach growls at the sight.
“Damn, that looks good,” Jameson says.
“Dig in!” Daisy says, setting plates and forks on the table.
I dish up a piece for everyone, adding two portions to my plate so I can share with my mate.
I pull Daisy back onto my lap when she returns with napkins and kiss her forehead. “Thanks for this.”
“It’s the least I can do after all your help.”
“Anything for you, mate.”
She blushes slightly, then turns back to the papers on the table. “So, when do we leave?”
“We don’t,” I reply. “I’ll be going tomorrow.”
“I’m coming with you,” she says stubbornly.
“No, you need to stay here where it’s safe.”
“You can’t go alone! What if something happens?”
I realize she’s nervous for me, and my heart swells in my chest. “I promise I’ll be okay. We planned for this.”
“I’ll go with you,” Logan says. “I’ll watch your back.”
I nod in appreciation as he reaches out to help himself to more of the lasagna.
“It’s all set,” I tell Daisy with a confident smile. “I’ll be back before dinner.”
After a moment, she nods, grabs her fork, and digs in.
I just hope I’m right.