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~~KNOX~~ *** I must say, I did not expect Finn’s best friend to be this charming. Finn’s always painted her as some awkward nerd. But this? This sharp-tongued, darkly dressed woman standing in the middle of the sex shop, casually discussing electrocution and BDSM gear with the sales rep, is not what I signed up for. And yet… I can’t look away. Her leather pants are sinfully tight. Her dark boots are heavy against the polished floor. Her blouse clings to her like a second skin, and those blunt bangs and glasses? They remind me of the dominatrixes in my club. All she's missing is a riding crop and a stern command on those full lips. I watch as she lifts a violet wand, a device used to deliver electrical sensations such as shocks. “How dangerous is this?” she asks the sales rep. “In what sense?” “Like… would the highest voltage be enough to cause, I don’t know… electrocution? Just enough to zap someone’s soul out of their body.” I nearly choke fighting a laugh. “These devices are built to be completely safe,” the sales rep says. “They’re designed for sensory play, not… actual harm.” Sloane sighs, setting the wand back on the display. “That’s a bummer,” she says. She turns to the sales rep with the most deadpan expression I’ve ever seen. “Are you sure there's nothing more deadly around here?” The sales rep's eyes widen. “Technically… if you think about it,” she stammers, “everything is potentially life-threatening, right? I mean… people have died from sneezing too hard.” “So the answer’s no?” I can’t do this anymore. The poor girl looks like she's about to call security or faint. I step forward, sliding smoothly into their conversation. “Pardon my wife,” I say, placing my hand at the small of Sloane's back. I feel her stiffen. “She gets… intense sometimes. We’ll take it from here.” The sales rep all but runs away. Sloane is staring at me strangely. It probably has something to do with me mentioning the word ‘wife.’ “You know," I say, leaning in close enough to catch her scent, "if you really want Delilah dead, you could just hire an assassin." “That’d be too obvious. They'll track it right back to me.” I smile. “Right. But if you do it right, they won't.” “Do you have a contact?” I shake my head. “I don't.” “So you're like a fake gangster?” “Who says I’m a gangster?” She eyes the tattoos peeking from my shirt. “You're not?” I chuckle. This is going to be fun. “Tell you what,” I say. “I’ll let you know as soon as I find an assassin.” “That'd be very much appreciated.” I release her and start browsing the shelves, casually grabbing a pair of handcuffs, a leather paddle, and a silk blindfold. I hear Sloane following behind me. “You seem well-versed in all this,” she says. “It’s as if you know exactly what you're buying.” “It’s my line of work.” She pauses. “You sell sex toys?” “More like… I produce them. And I own a sex club,” I say, turning to face her, bracing for her reaction. Most people either get uncomfortably excited or visibly repulsed. Both reactions are tedious. She just stares at me, face blank. “You must be loaded,” she says. I didn't expect that at all. “Well…” “Well, what, Knox?” “I wouldn't know.” She frowns. “The fact that you're not sure if you're loaded means you actually are. Poor people don't have doubts that they're poor.” “Is that right?” “Yep. You're definitely loaded.” I smile. “Okay, Sloane. Whatever you say.” I can’t remember the last time I enjoyed talking to someone this much. She’s… different. Most people get all weird when I mention my line of work, my family included. But she seems normal about it. Like it's just another job—which it is, albeit a lucrative one. Which is probably why I can’t stop myself from asking what's been on my mind for a while. “So… you and Finn. Are you two… a thing?” Her face goes stiff. “No.” “Do you sleep together?” I ask. “Hell no.” “Right.” She looks ready to murder me. We check out the items at the counter, asking for them to be gift-wrapped. As we sit waiting, Sloane crosses her arms. “How are you comfortable with your friend marrying your brother’s ex?” she asks. Hmm. She went right in. “Well,” I say. “Delilah’s a gold digger. Hunter has the money.” “Ah. Classic.” “Hunter’s my friend. I might not like his choices, but as a friend, I respect them.” “Are you really a friend if you can't fight some sense into him?” “That would only make me the enemy. You won't win a fight against love, Sloane.” She glares at me. “I can definitely try.” I smile, unable to help myself. Her naivety is both endearing and tragic. “How long have you been trying with Finn?” I ask. “Where has that gotten you?” Her entire body stiffens. I’ve hit a nerve. I should stop. Shouldn’t push her. But there’s just something about her. Something about seeing someone so pure and innocent that makes you want to crack them open. Break them apart. “The universe is going to align people who are meant to be together,” I say, eyes fixed on her. “Whether they’re good or bad. Whether it makes sense or not. Best you can do is let people live their lives, Sloane.” Her eyes are blazing. “You’re not a very good friend, Knox,” she says. “Because I tell myself the truth?” “No. Because you’re selfish.” I smirk. “Oh? And where has selflessness gotten you? Have you had a proper date in months? Are you seeing someone right now? Or does your entire life revolve around Finn Hartley and his pathetic obsession with a woman who doesn’t give a shit about him?” Her eyes darken with something violent. And for a moment, I think she’s going to slap me. God, I almost wish she would. But instead, she rises to her feet, her eyes burning holes through my soul. “Fuck you,” she spits, turning on her heel and storming toward the exit. I lean back against the counter, watching her walk away. Her hips sway a little too much in those tight leather pants. And the way her short hair bounces over her shoulders as she pushes open the door and disappears into the night? Perfection. I’m going to have a hard time keeping myself from provoking Sloane throughout this wedding. I’m also going to have a hard time keeping my eyes—and my hands—off her. She’s trouble. The kind of trouble I want to drag into my bed and ruin. ~~~ Slaone stares out the window throughout our trip home. Arms crossed. Jaw tight. Silent. It’s honestly impressive how committed she is to ignoring me. Not a single glance in my direction, not even when I deliberately rev the engine just to see if she’ll react. I’ll admit, I kind of miss the talkative Sloane. When I pull into my parents’ house, her head jerks up. I can see her looking at the mansion in surprise, with so many questions written on her face. But whatever she wants to say, she swallows it back. She unbuckles, gets out of the car, and pulls her bag out of the trunk. “Let me help you with that,” I say. “No. I have hands. Thank you very much.” O-kay. I let her have that one, walking beside her as she marches toward the entrance. I open the front door for her, and when she walks in, her eyes sweep over the grand foyer. “Is there something I should know about your parents?” she says, finally speaking to me. “Like what?” I ask, though I know exactly what she means. I've seen this reaction before. “Like, are they from old money or something?” “You can ask your best friend. He’s upstairs.” She rolls her eyes, turning her attention to the massive staircase stretching up to the second floor. I know what's on her mind. She's wondering how she's going to drag that bag all the way up. “Just keep the bag down, Sloane,” I say, amused. “Someone will take it.” She doesn't argue. She drops it. “Where are your parents?” she asks. “Out of the country. They should be back tomorrow or next.” “Great,” she mutters. “So we have the house to ourselves?” “Umm… once you exclude the employees, I guess we do.” “Awesome.” She gives me a look. “Please lead me to Finn’s room.” I press a hand to my chest mockingly. “Of course, ma’am.” I lead her up the stairs. We walk down the long hallway before stopping in front of Finn’s room. I don’t even bother knocking, just push the door open. “Little brother,” I announce. “Your bestie is here.” And then we see it. Finn and Delilah pulling away from each other in a hurry. They’d been kissing. Finn goes completely still. Delilah, on the other hand, barely reacts. She just smooths a hand over her hair. “Ever heard of knocking?” she asks. I glance at Sloane. Her face has turned to stone. “How stupid are you, Finn?” she asks.Sloane’s legs tremble. Her hands claw at my back. Her mouth falls open as her body locks up, and then she shatters. She clamps down so hard and so deep that I have to grit my teeth just to keep from losing it right then. The grip of her, the way she’s pulling me in like she never wants to let go—it’s damn near impossible to hold back.And then, in the middle of it all, she breaks me. “I want your baby, Knox,” she says. “Fill me up.”That’s it. That’s the end of my control.“Jesus,” I growl, and everything unravels. I start slamming into her, hard, fast, unhinged, driven by instinct and the sheer fucking need to give her exactly what she just asked for.My vision whites out. I empty myself inside her with a low, guttural sound I don’t recognize as my own. My thighs start to tingle. My hands shake where they’re braced against her skin. It’s like my body forgets how to function, and all I can do is feel.I collapse on top of her, breathing heavily into the side of her neck, still deep in
The doors open into our suite, one that's perfectly designed for a honeymoon. Candles. Rose petals scattered across the floor. The hotel staff did good.I should be walking straight to the honeymoon bed, but for some reason, a bed filled with flowers seems too delicate for my first sexual encounter with my wife.I let her shoes drop to the floor, kicking mine off too, and then I take her straight outside to the private pool.She squeals when she realizes what I’m about to do. “Oh, my God, Knox. Don't you dare.”I dare.I take two quick steps and throw us both in. Her legs are around my waist, and her arms are still clutching my shoulders. She gasps as we sink in, then comes up choking on a laugh. Her glasses hang askew, and she adjusts them.That laughter soon turns into a fake glare. “You are so annoying, Knox.”“What did I do?”“You know exactly what you did. I was in the mood. Now you’ve put out the fire.”“Oh, baby…” I press her closer to me. “One touch, and I’ll get you back in t
Kxox chuckles. “I’m sure you’ll be alright.”And now it’s my turn.I take a deep breath, trying to speak around the lump in my throat. My voice wavers, but I don’t look away from him.“Well,” I say, “before I met you, I spent my entire life chasing things I thought I wanted. Boundless affection. Love. The kind of love that would make someone choose me over the entire world. Every time I thought I was close to getting it, it slipped away. And I had to start chasing all over again.”I swallow, catching my breath. “And then you came along. God, you were relentless.”He grins but doesn’t speak.“You didn’t wait for me to come around. You chased me like you already knew I was yours. And the truth is, I didn’t stand a chance. Not against these feelings that are constantly overwhelming. I couldn’t not fall in love with you, Knox.”His thumb brushes mine again as I exhale, steadying myself.“And I promise you, from this day and forever, I’ll stay. I’ll show up. I’ll keep choosing you, even o
***~~SLOANE~~***“Well,” the officiant says with a friendly smile on his face, “we’ve made it to the moment that matters most. Knox and Sloane, you’ve chosen to stand here today, just the two of you, because what you have is rare, and real, and enough. You’ve asked to exchange your own vows, so let’s begin. Knox, whenever you’re ready.”Knox’s fingers tighten around mine the second we’re given the floor.Seeing the look in his eyes, I know that I made the right decision dragging him to Vegas to get married.The chapel is small, just as we wanted. There’s a faint floral scent in the air—fake lilies, I think. The windows are frosted, making the whole place glow as light filters through.It’s the kind of peace I wouldn’t have gotten if I’d let Grandma June take over the wedding preparations.God.I’ve learned the hard way that when you’re freshly engaged and still high off that moment, the absolute worst person you can call is your grandmother. Especially when you’ve been avoiding the
I swear, in all my life, I’ve never been this hungry to kiss someone. It’s like the oxygen in my body is burning up just from holding back. I want her mouth. Her skin. All of her.But I have to control myself and wait.“I feel like you thought I was going to say no,” Sloane says. “You have this strange look in your eyes.”“You’re unpredictable.”“Really?”“I don’t always know what’s running through that pretty head of yours.”She grins. “You’re right. Because at this moment, I’m wondering why this behemoth of a man that I love is holding a ring before me and isn’t on his knees yet.”That earns a laugh from me.And I don’t waste another second.Without taking my eyes off her, I lower myself down on one knee.“Sloane Mercer,” I say. “My dearest bunny. The love of my life. Will you marry me?”She screams.It’s not a delicate sound. Not a whimper. A full-on scream that echoes against the water. Then she starts jumping—literally jumping up and down like her feet can’t stay on the ground.I
***~~KNOX~~***When something good finally finds its way into your life, especially after a long time without, it’s hard not to live in constant fear of losing it.I’ve never been this afraid in my life. Not when I took my first punch in the ring, not when I got captured overseas, not even when I watched the love of my life held at gunpoint.This is worse. Loving her is worse.Because love comes with fear. With want. With the obsessive need to know she’s okay at all times. I get these gut punches of panic when she’s not in my line of sight. I wake up in the middle of the night and reach out for her body on instinct. If she’s not there—if she’s even just in the bathroom with the door closed—I have to physically see her come out before I can lie back down.I have to check that she’s still breathing three times a night. I have to hear it. See the slow rise and fall of her back. Press a hand to her chest if I have to.And yeah, I know what that makes me. Clingy. Paranoid. A little unhin