Chapter 29
When Knox texts me to meet him on the Palmer Building rooftop, I already know what he's planning.
I've seen it in him lately - the quiet confidence replacing his old swagger, the way he's been proving himself without expecting immediate forgiveness, how he's turned his father's arrest into motivation instead of destruction.
He's growing. We both are.
The rooftop door opens to a fairytale. Hundreds of tiny lights create a canopy of artificial stars below the real ones, blankets, and pillows spread across the concrete like an oasis. Music plays softly.
And Knox...
He stands in the center of it all, wearing the suit from draft day, looking nervous in a way I've never seen before. No cocky enforcer facade. No perfect boyfriend act. Just him - real and vulnerable and mine.
"Miss Walters." He gives me that crooked smile that still makes my heart stutter. "Thank you for accepting my invitation."
"Mr. Thompson." I maintain our formal game even as emotion threatens to overwhelm me. "Quite the academic setting you've arranged."
"I thought..." He runs a hand through his hair. "Maybe we could study something different tonight."
"Oh?" I step closer, loving how his breath catches. "What subject did you have in mind?"
"Us." The word comes out rough. "Our past. Our future. Everything in between."
My heart pounds as he leads me to the blankets. We sit facing each other, city lights twinkling behind him like his own constellation.
"I know what you're doing," I say softly. "These past weeks. The formal act. Letting me set the pace. Working so hard to prove yourself."
"Is it working?" His voice carries a hint of that old vulnerability.
"Yes." The truth feels like freedom. "God, Knox, yes. Watching you grow, watching you choose better, watching you become exactly who I always knew you could be..."
"I'm trying." He catches my hand, thumb stroking my palm. "I won’t fail. I can be worthy of you. I know I can."
"You always have been." And I mean it. Because this Knox – the one who faces his demons instead of running, who loves without fear, who works for what matters – this is the man I always saw beneath the enforcer facade.
"Tell me something," he whispers.
I take a deep breath. "I'm not afraid anymore."
His eyes darken. "No?"
"No. I was for a long minute, but this…this is good, Mr. Thompson."
He smirks.
"I choose you," I continue. "Even knowing it might hurt again. Even knowing we'll have hard days. Even if you have no idea what forever means."
He laughs. "Baby, I know what forever means."
"Yeah?" I challenge.
"Yeah, it means your father will take years to come around. Ace will kick my ass again if I do anything––"
"I’m sorry. What?"
He laughs. "He kicked my ass that night after Murphy’s when I went home. How do you think my lip busted and my cheek bruised? That was Ace."
"Oh my God! No, I didn’t know that." I take a moment to imagine the scenario. "Okay, continue please."
He smiles. "I want all your Christmases, birthdays, spring breaks at the beach house, summers. It means that we’ll fight but I’ll get to fuck you mad."
"Knox!" I scold, turning red.
"That was a joke." He smiles. "Kind of. It means I get to fall asleep with you every night and wake up with you every morning. And we do shit like this…all the time. I don’t want to be in the NHL without you. I don’t want to marry anyone else. I don’t want kids with anyone else.
Nothing else matters if I don’t have you.
Call me a lovesick puppy, but I fucking love you.
I want to do life with you." He leans back.
"So, yes, Kennedy. When I say forever, I mean forever. "
He kisses me then – soft and sweet and full of promise. When he pulls back, his eyes shine with something that looks like hope.
"I have something for you." He reaches into his jacket. "Not... not what you might think. Not yet. But a promise."
A ring. My heart crawls up my throat. A perfect golden ring with a green emerald that matches my eyes.
"Knox," I gasp.
"It's not an engagement ring," he says quickly. "Not yet. But it's a promise. That I'm in this. That I choose you every day. That I'll spend forever proving I fucking love you more than I can ever explain."
Tears blur my vision as he slides it onto my right hand.
"It's perfect," I whisper.
"You're perfect." He kisses my knuckles. "Every version of you. The senator's daughter. The girl who blackmailed me. The woman who loves me exactly as I am."
"Even when I make you work for it?"
His laugh rumbles through me. "Especially then. Love watching you play perfect while driving me fucking mad."
"Speaking of driving you crazy..." I reach into my purse. "I have something for you too."
The paper is small, folded carefully. Inside, I've drawn a single cherry in red ink.
His breath catches as understanding dawns.
"Princess..."
"It's yours." My voice shakes slightly. "If you still want it."
"If I still want it?" His eyes search mine. "Because we can wait. I'll wait forever if that's what you need."
"I'm sure." I move closer, straddling his lap. "I want this. Want you. Want everything with you."
He groans as I roll my hips. "Here?"
"Take me home," I whisper against his mouth. "Show me what forever feels like."
Knox's house is dark when we arrive, a note from Ace on the counter.
At Grey's. Don't screw this up.
"Your brother knows me too well," Knox says against my neck as he presses me against his bedroom door.
"Less talking about my brother." I tug his tie loose. "More showing me what you've been promising all these months."
His laugh turns to a groan as I unbutton his shirt. "Still so bossy, Princess."
"You love it."
"I love you." He pulls back to meet my eyes. "Every fiery, demanding, perfect inch of you."
The words hit differently now. No fear. No holding back. Just us, finally ready for everything.
"Show me," I whisper.
He takes his time undressing me, worshipping every inch of exposed skin like he's memorizing me. When I try to rush, he pins my hands above my head.
"Let me love you properly," he murmurs. "Let me show you exactly what you mean to me."
He maps my body with reverent hands.
He whispers how beautiful I am against my skin.
He presses his hard dick against me, and I’m so excited for what we’re finally about to do.
"Still want to do this?" he asks when we're both bare, his body hovering over mine.
"More than anything." I arch into him. "I’ve been waiting for this. For you. I trust you."
The words mean more than just this moment. I trust him with my body. Trust him with my heart. Trust him with my life.
His kiss is answering enough.
I lie beneath him, my body buzzing with anticipation as his warm breath skims my neck, sending shivers down my spine.
His hands, calloused and gentle, roam over my skin, mapping every curve and valley of my body.
I've never felt so desired, so worshipped.
His touch is like a promise, a pledge to show me pleasure beyond my wildest dreams.
"You're so beautiful, Kenny," he whispers, his lips brushing against my ear, making me squirm beneath him. His hands glide up my sides, thumbs grazing the undersides of my breasts, causing my breath to hitch. "So damn perfect."
I can feel his heart pounding against mine, his erection pressing into my thigh, a tangible proof of his desire.
"Do you have any idea how long I've wanted this?" he murmurs, his voice hoarse with need.
I nod, my eyes locked with his, a mix of emotions swirling within their depths. "Since that night you cockblocked me?"
"If you weren’t my best friend’s sister, I would have bent you over in that mini black dress and fucked you in that bedroom.
" He smiles wickedly, a flash of white teeth in the dim light, and leans down to capture my lips in a kiss.
It starts softly, a tender exploration, but soon deepens as our tongues dance and tangle.
I can taste the hint of mint on his breath, mixed with the unique flavor that is purely him.
I moan into his mouth, my hands threading through his hair, pulling him closer.
As the kiss intensifies, so does the urgency between us. Knox's hands travel down my body, leaving a trail of fire in their wake. He cups my breasts, thumbs circling my nipples, causing them to peak and harden. I arch into his touch, craving more. He wastes no time in lavishing attention on them.
His mouth descends, suckling first one nipple and then the other, his teeth grazing the sensitive peaks, sending jolts of pleasure straight to my core. I thread my fingers through his hair, holding him to me, encouraging his ministrations. "Yes," I breathe, my voice ragged with desire. "Please."
He pulls away, his eyes dark. "I want to taste every inch of you, take my time. Let me show you how much I fucking worship you."
I nod, unable to form coherent words as he trails kisses down my stomach, each one branding my skin with his desire.
Knox's eyes roam over me, taking in every inch of my naked body. "You're breathtaking," he says, his voice rough.
I blush at his words, but the heat between my legs belies my embarrassment. I want him, need him, in ways I've never needed anyone before.
He leans down, his breath ghosting over my core, and I shiver in anticipation.
His tongue darts out, tracing the outline of my pussy, teasing me, before plunging deep inside.
I cry out, my hands fisting in the sheets as he laves my most sensitive part, his tongue flicking and swirling, driving me wild.
"Oh, fuck," I moan, my hips undulating against his mouth.
He seems to know exactly what I need, his tongue working magic on my clit, bringing me closer and closer to the edge. I'm so close, teetering on the precipice of orgasm, when he stops, leaving me panting and desperate.
"Please, don't stop," I beg, my voice hoarse.
Knox chuckles, the sound vibrating against my throbbing pussy. "I'm just getting started, baby. I want to make this last."