Knox brought her over to a massage table and wrapped his fingers around her waist before hopping her up there. He moved between her thighs, kissing her again. This time, though, the kiss was hungry, passionate. Tenderness could come later.
His fingers fiddled with the button of her jeans until he managed to pop it open. He wanted nothing more than to feel her, cup her mound, see just how wet she was, but he had to restrain himself. He wanted things to go right. He wanted to make sure she was taken care of the way he knew he would be.
Knox blinked at the thought. He had never been a selfish lover before. One of the best things about sex was that it was a challenge. He always wanted to make sure the girl got off before him. He liked seeing what worked, what didn’t, kind of like a science experiment.
Except Beth was not a science experiment. Beth was different. And the thought that he wanted to make it good for her, better than he had made it for anyone else that came before her was not lost on him. That was a big deal. One he would have to contend with, but not right now.
No.
Right now, he would connect with Beth in a way he didn’t think he would ever get the opportunity to. And then he would figure out what everything else meant.
He slowly pulled the jeans off of her body and then let them fall to the floor before he did the same thing to her underwear. And then Beth was sitting before him, completely naked. He saw the flush across her skin, caressed her sides as though he wanted to reassure her that everything was okay without actually saying the words, before leaning forward to kiss her neck. She sucked in a breath, tilting her head away from him so he had better access to claim her as his.
Pulling back, he brushed stray hair from her face and pulled himself up so he was on top of her. No words passed between them but Knox hoped she understood just how badly he wanted this, how much this meant to him, and if she didn’t want this, she needed to say something now because if it got any further and she changed her mind, it would damn near kill him to stop. He would; of course, he would. But it would kill him.
She seemed to understand everything he was trying to convey because she nodded once, giving him permission.
That was all it took for him to come undone.
He pulled out a condom before removing his pants and boxer briefs. Tearing it open, he slid it on his cock before positioning himself at her entrance. Again, he looked at her. Needed her to push him away. Needed her to say no.
But she didn’t.
Instead, she wrapped her arms around his body, pulling him even closer to her. He pressed inside of her slowly, not wanting to hurt her in any way, wanting to savor this moment, because he wasn’t sure what would happen after they finished.
“Jesus Christ, Beth,” he said without really meaning to. “You’re so fucking wet.”
He tried to wait, tried to hold still so Beth could get used to his size, but it was difficult to do. He could barely hold onto his own sanity let alone the stillness that consumed him.
“Knox,” she murmured in a voice that he had never heard before, breathy and low. Jesus, he wanted to hear more from that voice. “Please.”
And he did lose it. He pulled out only to push back in, slowly at first, until Beth writhed underneath him, sinking her fingers in his skin, leaving angry red marks on his skin.
Fuck. He never thought it could be like this before.
When things built up, when Beth was making noises that were propelling Knox himself off the edge, he slid his hand between their bodies until his fingers found her clit, and then she cried out - his name, his name - and then she convulsed. And then, Knox lost it. He pumped two, three more times, before he brought himself to his own release.
When they both started to come down from their peak, Knox kissed Beth’s shoulder. “Let’s go home,” he murmured gently, even though he hadn’t expected to say that.
But he wasn’t about to take them back.
Not when she nodded. Not when he wanted to fall asleep with her wrapped up in his arms.
18
Beth
Beth wasn’t even sure how she was still capable of doing anything, let alone driving back to Knox’s place. After everything that had happened, she wasn’t sure where things stood between them. After Knox all but instructed her to follow him back to his place, she couldn’t resist, couldn’t say no.
Maybe they would talk about this.
Then again, maybe they would do it again.
Her lips curved up at the prospect of sex with Knox again. She wasn’t that experienced before him, only having done it with two other men before him, but goddamn, it was amazing. He was the best she had ever had. Maybe that was because they had been friends first. Maybe it was because she was in love with him. Maybe it was just supposed to be this way. She didn’t know. Quite frankly, she didn’t particularly care one way or the other.
She hoped that this was a step forward in their relationship. Then again, she wasn’t naive to think that one moment in time, as connected and as intimate as it had been, would change everything between them. Was it wrong that she hoped for that, though? Did that make her stupid?
Maybe.
Maybe she didn’t care.
She pulled up behind Knox’s car. It was pitch black outside, but because they were in Irvine, the twinkling lights of the streetlights and nearby buildings lit a shadowed pathway back to Knox’s condo. He was making enough money where he could buy a mansion in the hills, overlooking the canyon. Or he could get closer to the beach with Brandon. But he liked his condo, and had no intention of trading it in any time soon. Beth respected this more than a lot of things, and, to her, it was just proof that Knox was still humble about things.
She pulled into the spot Knox had designated belonged to her at this point. Typically, visitors needed a pass unless they parked in the driveway, which was where Beth parked her car at this moment. Everyone else required a pass, but not her.
Knox waited for her by the garage. When she got out, he reached her, pulling her into his arms again, crushing his lips to hers.
Beth paused. So many questions flooded her mind, but she refused to think about them, refused to give them any sort of attention. She didn’t want to ruin things with words, with thoughts, with discussions. She wanted to be with Knox in whatever way he would have her. If that made her pathetic, then fine. She was pathetic. But for this moment, she would be his, and that was all she wanted.
Beth reached up to run her fingers through his hair. The chopped locks brushed across her fingers, too short to hold onto. But the sensation it left her with was enough for her heart to stumble around herself.
Somehow, they managed to make it to the front door, even locked at the lips. Knox’s hands traced her curves like they belonged to him now, like he knew every nuance about her. And she loved it because he did, she wanted to give him everything again, as long as he would take it from her.
Once they stepped inside, he picked her up over his shoulder, and she let out a small little cry. She needed to make sure he closed the door, locked it, so no one would slide inside and try to steal shit. Knox barely managed to do just that before his hand held her hip in place and he led her up the stairs. Beth had no idea how he managed to do that - holding her in place while bounding up the stairs. It didn’t even seem as though he was breaking any sort of sweat as he did so, and Beth knew she was not as petite as the other girls he was usually with.
He led her down the hall and only put her down when they made it inside the bedroom. Neither of them seemed to care if the door to the bedroom was closed or not. That didn’t matter.
The second her feet touched the ground, she was back in Knox’s strong embrace, lips seeking out her throat. He seemed obsessed with this part of her body, like he wanted to touch as much of it as possible. He had never been that type of person, to mark her body, to claim anyone so publicly, but when it came to Beth, he didn’t seem to care one way or the other. And Beth reveled in it. She wanted it, craved it. Because she did belong to hi
m, whether he wanted him for a lifetime or for the moment. It didn’t matter because she was his.
His hands began to paw at her clothes, almost as though he was frustrated that she was wearing too many clothes in the first place. He needed them off of her, needed the clothes stripped from her body and lying in a pool on the ground, and she was willing to give them that. She would give him anything.
It wasn’t long before the two of them were writhing and naked again. Beth couldn’t get enough of his skin on hers, on the way they pressed and clamored to get even closer. He sucked at her breast again, and she moaned low and loud, not even caring if a neighbor could hear. Doubtful, since these condos weren’t actually built on top of one another - thank God.
His fingers trailed down her waist until they were between her legs. Somehow, he could find her clit without much issue, and in her standing position, she spread her legs for him even further, needing him to touch her in a way no one else had, no one else could.
But, just as quickly as he appeared before her, he was on his knees, staring up at her. His hands were on her inner thighs and slowly, with little pressure, pushed them even wider. She had no idea what he intended to do, but she was willing to wait, to see.
And then, he lifted onto his knees and pressed his mouth against the folds of her sex, and her knees would have given out if she hadn’t been clutching his shoulders. She let out some sort of moan or groan or whatever it was. Her head was too empty to pick the right word and, quite frankly, it didn’t matter.
He fed from her hungrily, finding a pace against her clit that had her seeing stars. She wished she had something else to hold onto because she was afraid she was going to melt into the floor. Her grip on his shoulders tightened, and her breathing turned rapid, desperate. She couldn’t suck down the air she needed to hold herself together, and Knox was determined to rip her apart.
She needed to hold on…
But then, she felt that lightness, like her insides had turned to liquid and were floating, and God, if he could just keep going…
And then, before she even knew what was happening, Knox slid a finger inside of her, and she shattered, she was ripped apart at the seams and everything inside of her spilled out as her body began to uncontrollably unravel.
When Knox finished, he kept a steady hold of Beth’s hips as he pulled himself up. His face glistened with her climax, and Beth couldn’t help herself. She clung to him, pulling his face down so she could kiss him, could taste herself on him.
Knox groaned through the kiss, clearly taken aback by the gesture. “Goddammit, Beth, you’re so fucking wet,” he muttered.
“For you,” she whispered back. She didn’t know why her cheeks pinched with color. Funny how this was what caused her to be slightly embarrassed versus making out with him after he had just gone down on her. “Always for you.”
He kissed her again, moving her to the bed. Somehow, he was on his back and she was straddling him. And this was good, so good, but she wanted to be even closer. Closer to him, to everything he was. She wanted him to fill her up again, make her see stars she had never even heard of.
She began tugging at the waistband of his pants. Thank God he was wearing sweats instead of his usual Dickies. She imagined she would have trouble peeling those off of him if she tried, and she didn’t want to waste time doing that. She rolled off of him, only to pull off her jeans again. She practically kicked them off over the edge of the bed before doing the same thing to her socks. Her shoes were somewhere between here and the living room, but she’d worry about finding them later.
Knox sat up and reached for her, fingers sliding down the straps of her thong and tugging it down until she was fully exposed to him again. He had already seen her naked, already knew what she looked like. Beth didn’t understand why she was still nervous about him seeing her this way again. Maybe it had to do with the fact that it meant something, that because they were going to be wrapped up in each other again, that meant something.
“You’re so damn beautiful,” he muttered, caressing her hip bone with the pad of his thumb.
It was weird; she had been told that by so many people, but Knox was the only one who made her believe it.
He reached for his nightstand, pulling on another condom, before adjusting Beth so she was on top of him. She straddled him, and he shifted until he was positioned to slide into her once again. She pressed over him, feeling him stretch, stretch, stretch, until she sunk down slowly and firmly. And there, between them, they connected at last.
Knox found her breasts, fingers caressing her nipples, making them peak under his touch. She began to rock against him and he let out a long moan that seemed to send sparks straight into her core. She sped up, up and down, faster, until she began to feel more liquid pool between her thighs, coating Knox in her slick juices.
Knox’s breathing turned rapid. Beth wasn’t even sure what she sounded like, but it definitely wasn’t human. She clutched at his body, running her fingers over the muscles of his stomach, claiming them as hers and not caring what that meant.
God, she wanted him.
And then, there was that familiar tug, the one that told her she was about to shatter and she was going to like it.
“Oh, fuck, don’t stop Beth, just like that.”
Beth focused on Knox’s words, propelling forward like shooting straight out of a rocket. She kept her pace while Knox kept touching her breasts, and it wasn’t long before she let go completely, releasing her pleasure. Her body convulsed, milking Knox of his own so he followed suit moments later. And they were floating together, wrapped up in pleasure no one could snatch away from them.
Beth fell forward, her chest pressing into his. Knox wrapped an arm around her as her lips brushed the column of his throat, his shoulder.
“You’re my best friend, Beth,” he murmured, eyes closed, feeling her touch and kiss him. He didn’t even know what he was saying, only that it caused Beth to stop. He opened one eye to lock it with hers.
“What...what does that mean?” she murmured against his skin.
“I just don’t want anything to change between us,” he replied.
This time, Beth yanked back from Knox. He couldn’t actually be serious. After everything they shared that night, everything had changed. And him thinking otherwise was foolish. Was naive.
“What?” Knox said, trying to sit up a little bit.
Now that the haze from their orgasms had washed away, it was easier to think clearer - at least for Beth.
“Of course,” she muttered to herself. She slid off the bed and began to paw at the carpet, trying to find her clothes. “Why would I assume this was any different? That I was any different?”
“What are you talking about?” Knox asked. There was annoyance in his tone, almost as though this was the last thing he expected post-sex.
Yeah, well, it wasn’t as though Beth expected to be friend zoned either.
“When you finally figure it out, Knox, come talk to me,” she snapped, sliding on her shoes. “Until then, just don’t bother. I’m done waiting around for you.”
With that, she stalked out of the bedroom and slammed the door behind her. It was only when she was in the safe vicinity of her car, driving back to her dorm, did she finally allow the tears to fall.
19
Knox
This was not how things were supposed to go. Rarely did he ever say the wrong words. Even more rare did Beth leave because of them. He always had the ability to make it up to her, but now, he wasn’t so sure. He had a flight to catch soon - the team was traveling up to Seattle for a game the next day - and he had to pack before heading to John Wayne Airport.
But he needed to fix things with Beth. That was more important than anything else. And if it meant missing the flight…
He pulled out his phone, glancing at his open suitcase, still halfpacked. Granted, he didn’t need much. It wasn’t like the team was actually traveling to do anything other than play the game and then come back,
but Knox never knew what to expect, and his grandfather taught him that it was important for him to always be prepared.
Without thinking about what he was doing, he found Seraphina Hanson’s office number and dialed it. It was direct, so he didn’t have to speak to her secretary and ask for a transfer. That felt like a waste of time anyway.
He began to pace the length of his bed, scratching underneath his chin. His other hand clutched at the phone tightly, sure his knuckles were white and his sweat causing the slipperiness. He blew out a breath as he turned, hoping he didn’t hit voicemail. He knew she wasn’t going to travel with the team; she tended to stay with the Gulls, especially since the expansion draft was coming up and she had to make some difficult decisions regarding who to protect on her team and who to let go.
Finally, Knox started formulating a message in his head, certain she wasn’t going to answer, when, “Hello?”
“Sera - I mean, Ms. Hanson?” he asked, surprised to hear her voice.
“Knox?” she asked. There was a genuine hint of surprise to her voice, but it didn’t sound annoyed. If he had to describe it, he would say that it was curious. “Is everything okay? Shouldn’t you be on your way to the airport right now?”
“Uh, yes, yes I should be.” He reached up and cupped the back of his head as he made another turn. He wished he had his aviators in his hands in order to have something to do with them. As it was, he ran his fingers through his hair - but that only brought up images from Beth doing the exact same thing to him last night. And he didn’t want to think about that just yet, especially if there was no way to fix this. “But, uh, I’m not.”
“Okay.” There was a pause. “Is this another one of your pranks, Knox? Have you gotten into trouble and you need your friend to pick you up from jail or you’ve been detained by security somewhere?”
There was an edge to her voice now, but he couldn’t place if she was angry, annoyed, or a mixture of both.
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