Chapter 16 #2
She pauses, then adds, "I knew this was a mistake."
I do a double take.
"What do you mean... a mistake?" I fire back, our dialogue muffled by the sounds of dinner chatter around us.
Winter shakes her head. "I'm leaving."
She grabs her purse and begins to stand from her chair.
"That's not necessary," I say.
Winter glares at me. "Yes it is."
She turns and heads toward the exit, her dress sweeping behind her as she walks. I watch her go, my pulse pounding in my ears, my hands gripping the edge of the table.
Then I stand and follow her. My stride is purposeful as I move toward the exit, my pulse a steady drumbeat in my ears. I’m not letting her leave like this. Not without saying something, anything.
I step into the corridor, my shoes echoing faintly against the polished marble floor. Winter is standing ahead, her head bent, scrolling through her phone. Her figure, draped in that breathtaking dress, holds my attention like a magnet.
“Winter,” I say, my tone calculated and stoic, but the tension in my chest betrays me.
She stiffens slightly before turning around, her eyes locking with mine. A shiver runs down her spine—one she tries to mask, but I notice. Always.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” she says, her voice steady, but there’s something underneath—a crack in her composure. Guilt? Unease? Or the same pull that’s been eating at me for the past week.
Her lips part slightly, her breath catching as our gazes hold.
“What are you doing? Why bring me here if you were just going to be an asshole?” she says seethingly.
“I don’t like being ignored,” I say, my response is low, clipped, with an edge I don’t bother to hide.
She hesitates. “I’m not ignoring you,” she replies.
A couple passes us, their laughter fading into the distance, leaving silence. I step closer, my eyes narrowing as I study her. The air between us thickens, laden with everything we’re not saying.
“Is that why you’re acting as if nothing happened?” My voice is calm, but it cuts through her defenses like a blade.
“I didn’t expect that from you, Winter.”
Her lips press together, her cheeks flushing as she meets my gaze.
“Well, what did you expect?” she snaps back in protest, her tone soft but firm at the same time.
Her eyes dart to the side before coming back to mine, and she crosses her arms defensively.
“You don’t understand,” she starts, her voice barely above a whisper.
“So explain it,” I say, moving closer until her back brushes the wall. My tone softens, but the intensity remains, my need for answers—and for her—pressing down on me.
“You know as well as I do, that it’s a conflict of interest,” she says, her voice trembling.
“You’re my client—”
“–Stop,” I interrupt, as I step even closer, my hand bracing against the wall beside her. Her scent fills my lungs, and I can feel the heat radiating off her skin.
“Knox…” she whispers, her voice strained.
Her cheeks are crimson now, her breathing uneven, but there’s no protest in her tone. Just hesitation. Just want.
“I’m not going to do this here,” she says suddenly, pulling back enough to speak but not enough to escape my presence. Her eyes flick to the side, scanning the corridor.
“Then lead the way,” I say, my voice low and gravelly.
She turns, walking briskly toward the coat room at the end of the hallway. Her steps quicken, as if she’s trying to outpace her own emotions. I follow, my gaze locked on the curve of her back, the sway of her hips, the tension radiating from her entire body.
She stops just outside the coat room, glancing around before stepping inside. It’s dimly lit, the faint hum of voices from the banquet distant now.
I step in after her, closing the door behind us with a soft click. The air shifts immediately, the charged energy between us now amplified by the confined space. I take a deliberate step closer, the polished floor muffling my movements. My pulse hammers in my chest, each beat loud and insistent.
“You’re not affected by all of this? I murmur, my voice low and steady, but carrying a weight I can’t conceal.
She turns slowly, her lips parting as she exhales sharply. Her eyes meet mine, wide and uncertain, her composure fraying at the edges.
“Knox, I…” she begins, but falters when I close the distance between us in one smooth motion.
“...I haven’t been avoiding—”
“—Then what is it?” I interrupt, my voice sharper this time, though still just above a whisper. The proximity between us leaves no room for pretense.
She exhales shakily, her chest rising and falling rapidly as she searches for a response. The tension is unbearable, like a live wire humming between us.
“It’s not that simple,” she whispers, her voice trembling.
“You’re my client… and Rowan’s brother. I was trying to—”
“And?” I challenge, leaning in just enough that her perfume fills my lungs. The warmth of her body so close to mine pulls me tighter into this magnetic vortex I can’t escape.
“You wanted to keep things professional? Is that it?” My tone carries a bitter edge, the words tasting like ash on my tongue.
Her lips press together, a faint flush creeping up her neck.
“Yes,” she admits, barely audible, her gaze darting to the side.
“Fuck that,” I say, my voice lowering. My hand moves before I can stop it, my thumb brushing against her cheek. Her skin is soft and warm, and her breath catches at the contact.
She freezes, her lashes fluttering as she glances up at me. Her lips tremble, the faintest quiver betraying her resolve.
“Knox…” she whispers, her tone shaky, uncertain.
I lean in closer, my breath mingling with hers.
“Tell me to stop,” I murmur, my thumb trailing along her jawline. Her body stills, every fiber of her being reacting to the tension spiraling tighter between us.
“Tell me you don’t want me, the way that I want you,” I say
She doesn’t. Instead, her breath escapes in a shaky exhale, and I can see the war in her eyes—the push and pull, the desire and resistance battling for dominance. That hesitation, that crack in her armor, is all the invitation I need. We’re breathing the same air now, neither of us moving away.
My lips crash against hers, and the restraint I’ve been clinging to shatters. She gasps into my mouth, her hands instinctively grabbing the front of my jacket as I press her back against the wall. The kiss is raw, urgent, a collision of everything we’ve been holding back.
Her hands move to my shoulders, clutching desperately, as her body yields to mine, soft and pliant, and I can’t stop the growl that rumbles from my chest.
I walk her backward into the corner, her heels clicking faintly against the floor until the shadows swallow us behind the racks of coats.
Her arms loop around my neck as I push her into the wall again.
The intensity of the kiss is bruising, consuming, as my hands trail down to the curve of her waist. Her voice is a breathless whisper against my lips.
"Knox, we can’t…”
My mouth moves to her neck, trailing rough kisses down her delicate skin.
I suck at the hollow of her throat, tasting the faint salt of her skin, my hands sliding beneath the fabric of her gown.
She arches into me, her fingers tangling in my hair as my lips move lower, leaving marks I don’t bother to hide.
My hands find the slit of her gown, the silk giving way to the warmth of her bare thighs. I lift the fabric higher, exposing her inch by inch as my hands roam over her skin. The need to claim her is overwhelming, primal.
My dick is already rock-hard, straining against my pants as I kneel before her, lifting one of her legs over my shoulder.
Her gasp fills the small space as I press my face between her thighs.
My nose grazes over her lace panties, and I groan at the sweet, heady scent of her arousal.
I feel her wetness on the tip of my nose.
I slide the fabric aside, exposing her dripping pussy folds.
Without hesitation, I run my tongue along her, tasting her as I dip the tip inside, savoring her juices.
Her fingers tighten in my hair as I suck her clit with my tongue, circling and flicking it with precision.
At the same time, I slip a finger inside her, feeling her walls clench around me.
Her moans are soft but frantic, her body trembling as I suck on her clit, my fingers working her open with practiced ease.
She’s close—I can feel it in the way her hips buck against my face, in the way her thighs tremble against my shoulders. Her breath comes in short gasps as I curl my fingers inside her, hitting the spot that makes her cry out.
"Knox—"
“Quiet,” I growl, my voice muffled against her.
“Someone will hear you.”
Her head falls back, her lips pressed tightly together as I push her over the edge.
She shudders violently, her release spilling onto my tongue as I lap her up greedily.
Her thighs quake around me, and she clutches the back of my head, her nails scraping against my scalp as her orgasm continues to wash over her.
I rise slowly, pulling her soaked panties all the way down her legs and slipping them into my jacket pocket.
Her wide eyes meet mine, her chest still heaving as she realizes what I’ve done.
I don’t give her a chance to protest. I press her against the wall again, her leg still hooked around me as I grind my throbbing cock against her stomach.
Her hand slips between us, fumbling with the zipper of my pants.
The urgency in her movements, the way her fingers brush against my length, drives me wild.
I pull my cock free, the cool air doing little to temper the rage coursing through me.
Scooping her other leg up, as I pin her against the wall, her legs wrapping instinctively and tightly around my waist.
I don’t wait. I fist my dick as it slides effortlessly into her soaked pussy in one fluid motion, burying myself to the brim.
She gasps, her head falling back against the wall as I start moving, my thrusts rough and deliberate.
The only sounds are our mingled breaths, the faint rustle of fabric, and the sounds of my cock sliding in and out of her wet pussy, as I take her hard and fast.
Her nails dig into my shoulders, her head bouncing against the wall with every forceful thrust. I kiss her to stifle her cries, my tongue invading her mouth as I drive deeper into her. Her taste, her heat, the way her body grips me—it’s maddening, consuming, and I know I’m close.
Her head tilts back, her lips parting in a silent cry as her pussy walls tighten around me. I capture her lips in another heated kiss, swallowing her moans as I feel my own release building.
When it hits, it’s like nothing I’ve ever experienced—her name a guttural growl on my lips as I still myself, spilling my warm cum inside of her, my entire body trembling. She follows moments later, her body convulsing around me as she clings to me, her breathing ragged and uneven.
We stay like that for a moment, our breathing heavy, our foreheads pressed together as I slowly pull out, and watch my cum drip down the inside of her thighs.
After a few moments, Winter pushes me back slightly, her hands trembling as they linger on my chest. She gazes up at me, her blue eyes wide and searching, her breath still shallow. The raw yearning in her expression reflects everything I feel—everything I can’t say.
I don’t move as she takes a step back, her fingers smoothing over the fabric of her dress, adjusting it.
Her cheeks are flushed, and her lips are swollen, the marks of what just transpired between us.
She steals one last glance at me, and I know she sees it—the obsession, the all-consuming hunger I have for her. I can’t mask it, and I don’t even try.
I zip up my pants, my hands deliberate and slow as I keep my gaze locked on her. She doesn’t linger. She quickly turns, striding toward the closed door, her heels clicking softly against the floor. Her composure is shaky at best, but she’s trying to regain it, even as her steps falter slightly.
I slip out of the coat room, my movements silent, my breath still uneven as I position myself near the doorway to wait for her.
The air is cool, a sharp contrast to the heat still coursing through my veins.
I lean against the wall, my pulse pounding in my ears, my mind replaying every second of what just happened.
The door opens, and Winter steps out. She halts in her tracks when her eyes find me.
For a moment, the world around us fades, the noise of the banquet dimming as we stand there, locked in a silent exchange.
Her lips part as if she’s about to speak, but a group of people passes by, their voices filling the air and cutting through the tension.
I stand there, unmoving, my jaw clenched, my mind racing.
“Let’s get out of here,” I say, my voice low but firm.
She nods in submission, as we walk side by side out of the venue.