Chapter 26. Florian
"Hold still," Knox murmured, his breath warm against the back of my neck as he secured the silk blindfold over my eyes.
The world went dark, and I felt his hands settle firmly on my shoulders.
"No peeking, little boy." His voice held command and affection that always made my stomach flip.
I wiggled my toes against the floor, fighting the urge to reach up and tug the fabric away from my eyes.
"What is this about?" I asked, trying to keep the whine out of my voice. "Daddy, you know I hate blindfolds."
Blindfolds were close to a limit of mine. I could handle cuffs, I could handle being manhandled, but the moment that darkness descended, I was a child in a closet again, hiding from my parents' screams.
"Patience, I promise it’ll be worth it, baby boy," he said, and I could hear the smile in his voice. "Small step down," he warned as we reached what must have been the foyer. His thumbs made small circles against my shoulder blades, soothing me.
"Step down again," he instructed. The morning cold hit me. We were outside now. I could hear the birds, chirping happily.
"Almost there, you're doing so well for me, even though you're scared," Knox said, his hands firmer now.
The texture beneath my feet changed again.
I felt the smooth concrete of the driveway.
We walked a few more steps before he stopped me, his chest pressing briefly against my back as he leaned close. "Ready?"
I nodded, suddenly nervous, my heart thumping against my ribs. Knox's hands left my shoulders, and I felt him move to stand beside me. Then his fingers were at the knot of the blindfold, untying it, so slowly that made me want to scream.
The silk fell away, and I blinked fast, my eyes watering, and then...
"Holy shit."
There, gleaming in the driveway before me, sat a midnight-blue Jaguar F-Type. A massive red bow was perched on the hood.
I couldn't move. I couldn't speak. I could barely breathe.
"Do you like it?" Knox asked, and it was almost laughable. If I liked it? Are you fucking kidding me?
"Is that... is that mine?" I finally managed.
"Of course it's yours," Knox replied. "No one else lives here who needs a car."
I took one hesitant step forward, then another, as if approaching a wild animal that might bolt. When I reached the car, I extended a trembling hand, my fingertips hovering just above the surface before making contact.
A familiar tightness wound around my chest, the old voice whispering that I didn't deserve this, that it was too much.
But I pushed it away, I didn't want to be an ungrateful brat.
Instead of protest, I turned and launched myself at him, throwing my arms around his neck with enough force to make him step back to steady us both.
"Thank you, Daddy," I said, my voice thick with emotion. "It's beautiful. It's perfect. I don't know what else to say. I know I can't repay you for this. But I'll try to repay you by being the best boy ever."
Knox's arms encircled me, one hand cradling the back of my head.
"You don't need to say anything else. And you’re already the best boy ever," he assured me, his fingers threading gently through my hair.
When he pulled back, his dark eyes were warm with affection.
"I chose the Jaguar for a reason," he continued, turning back toward the car, one arm still draped across my shoulders.
"It has top safety ratings in its class.
And," he added, "I thought the color matched your eyes. "
I laughed, loud. "You're such a sap, Daddy," I teased, leaning into his side. "A ridiculously generous, thoughtful sap."
Knox chuckled, eyes crinkling at the corners.
"Only for you, brat. If anyone else called me a sap, they'd be sleeping on the couch for a week.
" He ruffled my hair with casual affection.
"But I suppose you've earned the right to give me a hard time," he replied, pressing a kiss to my temple.
Then he reached into his pocket and produced a key fob. He held it out to me.
"Go on," he encouraged. "Take it. It's yours. Your name's already on everything."
I accepted the keys.
"Daddy, I…” I tried saying something but nothing came out. "Can I… do I…" I fumbled, waving the key fob at him. "I mean, can I drive it? Like, right now?"
Knox's smile went crooked, a little bit wolfish. "If you don't, I'll be deeply disappointed. And maybe today I'll even overlook a speeding ticket."
"I doubt that! You'll punish me, grounding me like a little boy," I shot back, trying to keep my voice level.
He bent his head so that his lips grazed my ear. "Probably a spanking is better."
I laughed, loud.
The Jaguar's door opened, revealing an interior of cream leather.
I slid into the driver's seat, the leather cool and buttery-soft against my back, and ran my hands over the steering wheel, completely fucking shocked.
The cockpit wrapped around me. Knox folded his tall frame into the passenger seat beside me, his presence reassuring and nerve-wracking. This was no Honda Civic.
When I pressed the starter, the engine awoke with a growl that vibrated through the entire chassis. The dashboard lit up with a series of soft blue lights, numbers, and symbols appearing on sleek digital displays.
"Holy fuck," I whispered, and felt Knox's hand come to rest briefly on my thigh.
"Language," he said, but there was no real bite, just amusement. "Now, put it in drive. The paddle is just there, behind the wheel."
I reached for the paddle shifter with trembling fingers. The car seemed to crouch lower, tensing like a predator preparing to pounce.
"Easy on the accelerator," Knox cautioned as my foot hovered uncertainly. "It's more responsive than you're used to."
That was an understatement. The slightest pressure sent the Jaguar gliding forward, the engine's rumble deepening to a purr. I gripped the steering wheel so tightly my knuckles whitened, terrified of doing something wrong, of scratching the perfect paint, of disappointing Knox with my inexperience.
"Relax your hands," Knox suggested, his voice calm. "Let it be an extension of you, not something you're fighting against. It can feel your tension."
I laughed and took a deep breath, consciously loosening my death grip on the wheel. We started moving slowly down the long driveway, the gravel crunching beneath the tires giving way to smooth asphalt as we reached the road.
"That's better," he said. "Take this curve gently. Feel how the car responds."
The road ahead curved to the right, flanked by ancient oaks. I eased into the turn. The Jaguar seemed to read my thoughts. Maybe it really was alive. The steering was incredibly responsive.
"Good," Knox murmured. "Very good. Now, when we reach that straightaway ahead, I want you to give it a little more gas. Just a little."
The tree-lined avenue opened up before us. I glanced at Knox. He nodded in encouragement. I pressed the accelerator with more confidence.
The response was immediate. Fucking intoxicating.
The car surged forward, the engine note climbing to a higher, more urgent pitch.
My body pressed back into the seat as the acceleration pushed against my chest, and a startled laugh escaped me.
The speedometer climbed effortlessly, 40, 50, 60 miles per hour, each number triggering a fresh burst of adrenaline.
"God, it's so fast," I breathed, easing off the gas as we approached another gentle curve.
"You're handling it beautifully," Knox said, and when I dared a quick glance, I caught the full smile that transformed his usually stern face. It was a look of pure satisfaction, like he was experiencing something he was anticipating.
My confidence growing with each mile, I let myself relax into the experience.
Freedom. That's what this feeling was. Not just the speed or the luxury, but the pure joy of movement, of control, of capability. After years of having nothing that was truly mine, of being at the mercy of others' whims and limitations, this gift from Knox was… autonomy. This wasn’t just a car.
By the time we circled back toward the house, the sun was lower in the sky. I eased the Jaguar to a stop in front of the house, the engine settling. In the sudden quiet, I could hear my own heartbeat, still quick.
"Well?" Knox asked, watching me.
"That was..." I searched for words that could show what I meant. But there were none. Instead, I reached across the center and hugged him. "Thank you. Not just for the car, but for trusting me with it. For everything."
"You've earned that trust," he said simply.
I hugged him for a long time.