Chapter 20
CHAPTER TWENTY
The air left Everleigh's lungs as something hard slammed into her, pinning her to the ground. The cracking of the tree had paralyzed her in place, unable to move. Suddenly, she found herself on her back, staring up at the canopy of leaves high above her.
She fought to drag in a breath, but her lungs refused to work. Pinned in place by the large, immovable weight that had swept her off her feet, she couldn’t move a muscle. She should have been terrified. But it was hard. Warm. And acutely familiar.
Knox lifted slightly off of her, and she drew in a much-needed breath. Leaves brushed her cheek, and she risked turning her head to her left. The tree had missed her by mere inches—all because of Knox. She turned her gaze back to him, only to find a pair of dark eyes staring back at her.
Raindrops trickled down his cheeks and nose in rivulets, clinging to his jaw before dripping onto her face. His eyes were angry. Sad. Hurt. They were also filled with a desire that stirred the fire simmering low in her belly.
She could feel the heat of his breath wafting over her lips, and she couldn't hold it back anymore.
Throwing caution to the wind, she lifted her head and pressed her mouth to his.
For a second, he resisted. His mouth was cold and wet from the rain, and she broke off after a moment, hovering mere millimeters from him, unsure what to do.
She didn't have to worry about it for long, because in the next second, he was devouring her.
The kiss was brutal as he forced her mouth open wide and slid his tongue over hers.
There was no gentleness to his movements, no hesitancy.
He licked and bit at her, leaving no inch unexplored as he seared his touch and taste onto her body.
The sensations were so sharp, so intense that they clutched at her heart and speared deep into her soul.
Hot tears gathered behind her eyes and slipped free, mingling with the raindrops as they ran down her temples.
All of a sudden, he was gone. She blinked up at him, mortification rendering her speechless.
But in the next moment, Knox grabbed her hand and yanked her to her feet.
He barely waited until she was steady on the slick carpet of leaves before he took off running toward the house.
She clenched her fingers around his and bowed her head against the raindrops that continued to fall with a vengeance as they sprinted through the woods.
Her feet slid on the slippery ground, and she let out a cry as one sandal came off mid-step.
Knox whipped around, taking quick stock of her.
Spying her shoe on the ground behind her, he snatched it up, then pulled the other one off her foot.
Before she could stop him, he looped one arm around her back, the other behind her knees, and scooped her into his arms.
She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, holding on for dear life as he carried her forward.
The screen door whipped wildly in the wind, banging against the clapboard siding as they approached the house.
Knox angled them through the doorway, then set her on her feet so he could shut the doors against the onslaught of driving rain.
Her shoes hit the ground a split second before he shoved her against the wall then took her mouth in another hard kiss.
His hands were everywhere. Cupping her face, sliding through her hair, then dropping lower to encircle her waist. Neither of them said a word. She didn't dare open her mouth and ruin the moment. It felt as if the past fourteen years had slipped away, and she was right there with the man she loved.
Knox let out a low groan. “Everleigh...”
It was the first time he’d said anything, and she loved that she had gotten such a strong reaction from him. She clung to him, desperate to bring him closer. His mouth immediately fused to hers again, and he grabbed her waist, digging his fingers into her flesh.
She held back a flinch at the slight bite of pain. It hurt but felt so good at the same time. It helped to ground her, in a way. Helped to solidify the fact that he was there—that this was real. Finally.
Knox was really with her. Holding her, kissing her. She almost couldn’t breathe with wanting him, and she dragged in shallow breaths between kisses, her mind spinning under the potent desire she felt for him.
She couldn’t get enough. Throwing her arms around his shoulders, she molded her body to his, loving the way his muscles bunched and rippled beneath her fingers. His skin was freezing from the rain, and she pressed a kiss to the pulse point at the base of his throat. “You’re so cold.”
Knox pulled back to look at her, eyes glittering. “No, baby, I’m burning up.”
She could practically feel the last of his resolve slip away as he pushed her down the hallway toward the bedroom. She felt the back of her legs bump the mattress, and suddenly she was being lifted and tossed in the middle of the bed.
She dragged in a breath as he ripped his mouth away from hers, and stars danced in front of her eyes as she stared up at the ceiling.
Being with him felt so good, so right. It always had.
She closed her eyes against the burning sensation at the backs of her eyes. It was as if something inside of her had finally broken free.
Knox tenderly brushed away the tears sliding down her temple. “Shhh... I've got you.”
“I'm sorry.” A sob bubbled up her throat and split the air as she threw her arms around his neck. “I'm so sorry.”
Knox smoothed a hand over her hair. “You're here now, baby. That’s all that matters.”