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I lost the battle with the distance and closed the space between us.
We can forget the kiss ever happened.” I couldn’t forget it if I tried. “Is that what you want?” “No.” “Neither do I.”
Memphis hadn’t offered that story. Considering she hadn’t told her own family and, to keep her secret, had given up a trust fund, I doubted she’d confide in me. Not yet. Maybe if I made my own confession, she’d realize she wasn’t the only one with a story.
Neither of us expected it, certainly wasn’t planned, but we made the best of it.
I hadn’t realized she’d noticed. But I was learning that Memphis didn’t miss much.
Gianna had dropped a bomb on my life and everything had exploded.
“Yes.” It was only one word, but there was a plea for me not to ask. Not yet.
man. He was as reliable as the sunrise. As breathtaking as the Montana sunsets.
It hurt to lose him before I’d even had him.
A smile so handsome I wanted to cry.
“I know what’s on the line, Memphis. But I’m standing here anyway.”
I’m promising you that if you want to give me that trust, I won’t betray it.”
“Standing on your own doesn’t mean you have to be alone. There’s a difference.”
Figure out what you want. You know where to find me.” And then he was gone, striding out of the room, leaving behind only his words.
All my life, the women in my family had been at the mercy of the men who kept them. My mother. My grandmother. My sister. I’d broken that cycle
I want you to kiss me again. I want to never eat a peanut butter sandwich again. I want—” Knox silenced me with his lips, banding one strong arm around my shoulders while the other lifted Drake’s car seat from my hand. His tongue dragged across my lower lip as his soft mouth pressed into mine. Before I was ready for it to end, he pulled his lips from mine, but his arm stayed tight, pulling me to his chest. “There’s one want granted. What else do you want?” I leaned into him and told him the terrifying truth. “You.”
For that look, for a laugh, I’d bring her a coffee every day.
She tasted like sweet coffee and vanilla. She was the best damn time I’d ever had and so far, all we’d done was kiss.
If kissing her was any indication, we’d be goddamn fire in bed.
Memphis needed slow. Steady. Maybe I did too.
She whimpered as I nipped at her bottom lip. That sound shot straight to my aching cock so I tore my mouth away and let out a groan, dropping my forehead to hers as we breathed.
Food was to nourish hard-working bodies
A review from Lester wouldn’t drive foodies through Knuckles’ front doors. But it was an accomplishment for me. It was something I’d be proud of for years to come.
When he was out of sight from the large windows, I did a fist pump. “Yes.” “Who was that?” Eloise asked as I passed by the desk and headed for the stairwell. I held up a finger. “Tell you in a sec.” The first person I wanted to tell was Memphis.
The compliment was given so casually, like she was stating the obvious. The sky was blue. Snow was white. I was the best chef in the world. Funny how weeks ago an opinion like Lester’s would have been the ruler by which I measured my success. Now, as long as Memphis enjoyed her meals, I didn’t need a critic’s review or five stars on Yelp.
I dropped my mouth to hers and got lost in the woman who was consuming my every waking thought. She leaned into the kiss, rising up to get closer.
“Are you okay with this pace?” “There’s no rush.” I kissed the top of her hair. “I’m not going anywhere. When you’re ready, I’ll be here. We’ll take it slow. But no hiding it. I’m not keeping you a secret.” The caramel flecks in her eyes danced. “No hiding.”
He had the looks. He had the charm. He had the money and, in Quincy, plenty of status as an Eden. But none of it seemed to matter to him. He cared about honesty and integrity. Family and hard work. He treated me like I was precious and desired.
One glance at Knox at the base of the stairs and I didn’t need to ask myself any more questions. My heart answered with a resounding thump. The landing was frozen and cold, but I stepped outside in my bare feet anyway, waiting as he jogged up the stairs. “Well? How’d it go?” Knox answered by sweeping me into an embrace and carrying me inside, pushing the door closed behind us with his foot. Then his mouth was on mine, our lips melding in that slow, delicious tangle I’d become addicted to this week. I was breathless by the time he finally set me on my feet.
jumping into his arms because I knew he’d catch me.
Not long ago, I’d had a nuclear explosion of a breakup. Yet as I followed Knox across the driveway to his house, my feet danced over the gravel. A smile pinched my cheeks. Every step was full of anticipation. Every heartbeat thrummed beneath my skin.
He grinned, his handsome face muted in the dim moonlight that crept through the glass. Then he leaned forward, his arms planted beside me in the bed. “You are mine. Whether we do this tonight or not.” He was going to make me fall in love with him, wasn’t he? I put my palm against his bearded cheek, then leaned in, closing the distance, and took his mouth. Knox’s intensity met mine,
The moment he reached for the hem of his shirt, I propped up on an elbow and refused to blink as he dragged it over his head. I’d seen him shirtless through the window, but damn. There was nothing like a close-up view of those washboard abs.
An arm reached for the nightstand drawer and when he brought the condom between us, he gave me one more chance to hit the brakes. “We can save this for another night.” “Why are you trying to talk me out of having sex with you?” He kissed the tip of my nose. “Because tonight will be the best damn time I’ve had in years. I want that for you too. No regrets.” “No regrets.” He held my gaze, searching for a shred of doubt. He wouldn’t find one.
we both worked to shove away my pants, leaving nothing between us but heat.
“You are . . . you are a dream,” he breathed. “I gave up on those.” My breath hitched. “So did I.”
There was nothing but us and the fall over the edge. Tremors racked my body and with a groan, he buried his face in my hair, his own limbs shaking, and gave in to his own orgasm.
“I can take him,” I said. “I’ve got him.” He stole the bottle from my hand and walked to the couch, settling down with the baby. I curled up on the other end, tucking my legs beneath me. Those two were a sight. A dream. Drake looked content in Knox’s arms. Knox seemed happy too. “This was a best day,” I whispered. “Top five.” “Tell me about them. Your top five best days.” “You already know the first.”
A woman who volunteered in the nursery made them for all the new babies. I picked out this soft gray one, and as I held it, I had this feeling like I was exactly where I needed to be.
an entire day on the beach, reading and napping and doing nothing but listening to the sound of the waves.”
as the days passed, as Knox interacted with Eloise or Anne popped into the hotel to check on her kids, I began to see my parents’ true colors. Black and lifeless and empty.
He’d brought me my favorite coffee. He’d visited me all morning for kiss after kiss. Knox had made me feel special. Wanted. After he’d talked to Lester, he’d come to tell me first. And then tonight . . . Maybe I was giving away too much. Old Memphis would have played it differently. But I wasn’t playing. Not anymore.
When you lived with sharks, you marked the days when a life raft came floating your way.
“Just a normal, good day. You worked. I worked. We came home. That’s it.” “But it was a best because of you.” “Memphis.” He pressed a hand to his heart. “You honor me.” “It’s just the truth.” He strode toward me, taking my face in his hands. “Then here’s another truth. I’m going to take them. I’m going to take all of your bests. Every damn one until you can’t keep track of the top five anymore because there are so many bests that you’ll need a hundred to capture them all.” “Promise?” I whispered. “I swear it.”
I was three steps down the hallway when the sight in my favorite chair stopped me midstride. Memphis had Drake on her knee, holding him up by the armpits. She leaned in and blew a kiss on his neck, making him giggle. When he laughed, she laughed. When her eyes twinkled, his did the same. He had her eyes, chocolate brown flecked with gold. The pair of them were in their own little world in that chair. Memphis had rolled out of bed when he’d started making noises this morning. I’d rushed through a shower but now I saw the error of my ways. I should have been right here, watching from the
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“This is new. We’ll take a little time. Get used to each other. But I’m not the kind of man who gives up what’s good. And we’re good. We’re fucking good, honey.”
“Watching you cook is better than TV.”
“Kiss me.” She leaned in but stopped, a whisper away from my lips. “Say please.” “What if I don’t?” “Then I won’t kiss you.” I grinned, dragging my mouth across hers. “Sure about that?” “Say please.” “Please.” She launched herself at me, flying off her stool. Her arms wrapped around my shoulders and her tongue was in my mouth. Fuck breakfast, I didn’t need a damn thing more than this woman.
The pain of being near him, the ache I’d felt early on, had vanished. When I looked at him, I didn’t see Jadon. I just saw Drake. My tiny boss.
If you want to sever the very thin threads of our relationship, sue me. In the highly unlikely event a judge rules against me, then you can have the twenty dollars to my name. I’ll scrub bathrooms and make beds until I earn another twenty. But threatening me, ordering me around, didn’t work in New York. It sure as hell won’t work here.”
