Chapter 13 #2
My gaze traveled over the six-foot-three-inch Marine at my side, unable to connect him to the word boy.
I closed my eyes. Knox had proven today that island gossip traveled fast, but apparently it had a bullet train to Charleston as well.
“I’m okay,” I promised. “And his name is Knox Hawthorne. The man who saved me on the night of your party.”
Mom was quiet. Possibly a first. “Well.” Another pause stretched across the line. “Imagine my humiliation when I was asked about these things and I clearly didn’t have a clue.”
I closed my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose. “That must be awful for you.”
“It’s not great,” she said, sounding mildly remorseful. “Regardless. Your father and I think you should come home to Charleston until this is resolved.”
“This is my home, Mom.”
“That is a vacation property. We live in Charleston.”
“You live in Charleston.”
Silence.
“I’m staying,” I said, softer. “I’m safe right now, and I’m not alone. Knox is here and I’ll do a better job of keeping you in the loop.”
“Knox.” My mother’s tone suggested she had opinions about that. “How long have you known this man? A few days? And he’s staying with you around the clock?”
“He’s protecting me. Dad suggested I get a private protection detail. I have one. Knox stays here, and his friends, also Marines, are helping with the details.”
Another pause. Then, quietly: “Be careful, Sloane. With the situation. And with your heart.”
“I will. And, Mom?”
She waited.
“Did you or Dad give anyone an extra key to the house?”
“No, well, aside from Marissa.”
“No one else? Are you sure?” I pressed. “Think about it for a moment before you answer. What about the cleaning service? How do they get in when you aren’t here?”
“They use the spare key,” she said. “Behind the dummy stone in the fountain.”
My heart dropped, and I rushed to end the call.
I found Knox in the living room, staring at the coffee table where the shell had been. The sheriff had bagged and taken the little threat as evidence, but I could still see it in my mind. Perfectly centered. Deliberately placed.
“Your mother doesn’t approve of me,” Knox said without looking up.
“My mother doesn’t approve of anything that wasn’t her idea first.”
“She’s not wrong to worry. We barely know each other.”
I moved to stand in front of him, forcing him to look at me. “Do you want to leave?”
“No.”
“Do you regret agreeing to help me?”
“No.”
I reached for his hand. “Then ignore her. You’re the only reason I feel safe right now. So please don’t change your mind about this.” About me.
Knox pulled me into his arms. Not the gentle comfort from earlier. This was a desperate, protective embrace. His face pressed into my hair, his body solid and warm against mine.
“I don’t know what I missed this morning,” he said.
“Knox—”
“He was here. In your space. And I failed to keep him out.” The words were a quiet growl.
I pulled back enough to see his face. “This wasn’t your fault. I think it was my mother’s.”
We went outside and prodded the fountain until we found the single loose stone. The small space behind it was empty.
Knox stared at the roofline, and I saw what he did. None of the cameras pointed in our direction. He texted the new information to the sheriff.
“It’s my job to know. To anticipate.” His eyes were dark with self-recrimination. “What if he’d still been here when we got back? What if he’d ambushed us?”
“But he didn’t. And we’re okay.” I had a hard time imagining a man who could get the jump on Knox, but I knew he worried for me, not for himself.
I framed Knox’s face with my hands. “You can’t control everything. You can’t predict every move. All we can do is be prepared and work together.”
Knox’s gaze dropped to my mouth.
I felt the moment shift, and electricity crackled in the air between us.
“Sloane.” His voice was rough. A warning.
“Yeah?”
“We should get inside.” He looked away, his Adam’s apple bobbing long and slow. I watched as it traveled the strong column of his neck. “Make a game plan for tomorrow.”
“Okay.”
But neither of us moved.
His hands settled at my waist, fingers spanning my ribcage. Every point where our bodies touched zinged with energy. The heat of him reached for me, drawing me nearer. The way his chest rose and fell with each breath sent a spike of need through my center.
“This is a bad idea,” he said.
“What is?”
“The fact that I’m thinking about kissing you instead of focusing on keeping you safe.”
My pulse spiked. “You’re thinking about kissing me?”
His jaw tightened.
“I’ve been thinking about kissing you for days.”
His pupils dilated. “We can’t afford to complicate things. Not with your safety on the line.”
“Do I get an opinion on this?”
He scanned my face, tracing my features with his gaze. “No. I won’t knowingly endanger you, Sloane. Not ever.” He dropped his hands to his sides, removing himself from me.
The rejection stung, regardless of his reason.
I stepped back, putting more distance between us. “You’re right. I shouldn’t have thought—”
“Don’t apologize.” Knox groaned. “I’m trying to do the right thing by you, not upset you.”
My eyes narrowed at the hint of guilt in his tone. “I’m not a victim. Yes, I’m scared. And all of this is horrible, but that doesn’t mean I don’t know my own mind, or that I need you to protect me from myself.”
“I didn’t say that.”
“I’m going to take a shower.”
I went back inside before he could say more, and before I said something I’d regret. Tears pricked at my eyes, threatening to spill, and I didn’t want him to see me cry again. More evidence that I was fragile and needed protecting from my feelings.
A growl of humiliation and frustration started in my chest, because damn if I didn’t lay myself bare, despite everything else going on, and tell him I wanted to kiss him too. Only to be turned away.