It Goes Without Saying

by Taylor Danae Colbert

  She pushed him back against the wall behind him, running her fingers through his hair, gently tugging it as she left her mouth on his. Now his hands were on her, but she was surprised at how G-rated he was keeping things. When she had pictured the two of them doing the deed, she had always pictured things to be a little more intense. After all, wasn’t he supposed to be a pro at this? She pushed her chest against his, letting her groin grind gently on top of his. He jumped back, with an exasperated look on his face.

  “Jesus,” he whispered. She pulled his head back, gently breathing down his neck. Apparently, he was going to make her work for it. Although, she knew now, it was because he was scared. She let her tongue draw a line across the nape of his neck and up until it reached his lips again. She let it stroke his tongue gently, before she pulled away, keeping his bottom lip between her teeth gently. Finally, she could feel him letting himself go.

  Suddenly, he popped off the wall and carried her to the couch, lowering her gently, him on top now. He kissed her hard, his hands lost in her hair. Yes. This was the Knox she had pictured a million times. He slid his hands beneath her back, letting them travel down to her butt, giving it a tantalizing squeeze. She reached up, yanking his shirt off and tossing it on to the floor. He returned the favor, gawking at her grown-up perfection. She was so glad she had chosen her lacy purple bra this morning. It was only because the soft, nude one she usually wore was in the wash, but he didn’t need to know that. He stopped kissing her, picked her up off the couch like she weighed nothing, and carried her down the hall to his bedroom.

  Setting her back on her feet, he reached behind her and unclasped her bra with little-to-no effort. If she wasn’t so turned on, she probably would have giggled. That was the sexual prowess she had expected from him. She was normally shy the first time a guy saw her naked; there was that awkward feeling of being fully exposed, regardless of how hot the scenario was. But not this time.

  Then she realized, Knox had seen her naked before, in a lot of different ways that no one else ever had.

  Bria reached down and unbuttoned her jeans, letting them wriggle to the floor. Her matching purple panties were the sole survivor. He unbuttoned his pants and let them fall, his boxers following close behind. As she stepped backwards toward the bed, kissing his neck and chest, he paused for a moment, scanning her up and down.

  “What?” she whispered.

  “It’s just. . . I can’t believe we waited this long.”

  For half a second, she wanted to burst into tears. After all this time, to know that he’d been pining for it, yearning for it, just as much as she had, was too much for her. But nope, nothing was ruining this Knox-induced high she was on.

  As she lay back on the bed, he reached down, gently sliding her underwear down her legs. As his hand made its way back up her legs, it paused between them, circling her most precious spots, and she felt like she was going to melt into a puddle. He climbed on top of her, entering her with one quick motion. She thought for a moment that she might actually die. She had never felt pleasure like this, never a connection this strong.

  In all the hundreds of chick flicks Bria had watched, there always seemed to be some overdramatic, unrealistic sex scene where the couples ran into walls, knocked over vases and furniture, and tore up their homes in a fit of unwavering lust. She had always called bullshit on that. No sex was good enough to distract you from your best china and a picture of your grandmother crashing to the ground and shattering. Yeah, she definitely called bullshit.

  Until Knox.

  He moved her from position to position, skillfully navigating his bedroom. He yanked her off of the bed and pushed her up against the wall, her legs wrapping around his waist. Just as she got settled in their new location, he hopped off again, sitting her on top of his dresser. She arched her back, savoring the new angle. And where his impressive. . .ahem. . .length. . .wasn’t finding her, his hands were. Holy shit. She definitely should have done this years ago.

  “Jesus, Bria,” he whispered into her ear, laying her back on the bed now. He let out a low groan, and she felt her insides bursting into flame.

  “Yes, yes,” she whispered back, digging her nails into his back. And it wasn’t because she needed to overdramatize the effect his sex was having on her, like she had done so many times for Drew’s benefit. It was because she literally couldn’t muster up the brainwaves to say anything else.

  As he moved on top of her one last time, they both exploded, collapsing dramatically onto the bed, like the couples in the stupid movies she had made fun of so many times.

  TWENTY-NINE

  When the sun crept in through the window, she blinked her eyes over and over again, trying to figure out where she was. And then she saw his arm, draped over her naked body, holding her close to his bare, hairless chest, and she smiled. She remembered everything, all that he had said the night before, all that they had done. And she curled into him, kissing his arm and hand.

  “Mornin,’” he whispered, without opening his eyes.

  “Morning to you,” she said, kissing his neck and face. Finally, his eyes opened.

  “Hey, now,” he smiled, “careful. I’m still recovering from last night.”

  He stared at her for a moment, tucking her hair behind her ear.

  “Ya know what’s funny? This isn’t even the first time I’ve woken up next to you,” he said.

  She smiled, remembering the time she had fallen asleep with him, in his parents’ basement. The night that, unbeknownst to her, he had decided to save her and her family. The times she had laid with him all night until he smiled again. And the night in the hospital, and the night at the lake.

  “True,” she said. “Although, it is the first time I’ve woken up next to you naked.”

  He raised his eyebrows up and down, squeezing her sides and rolling over on top of her.

  “Yeah, I don’t mind that so much,” he laughed, kissing the nape of her neck. He kissed her lips, and she felt like she was inhaling him. Like she couldn’t get enough. Like she hadn’t just had him, all of him, the night before. He smelled so good, so familiar. She wrapped her arms around his neck tight. Finally, he pulled off of her so they could come up for air.

  “So,” he asked, stroking her hair again, “what now?” She sighed, running her finger across his collarbone.

  “Hmm,” she said, “breakfast?”

  He smiled. “Yeah, we can do that. But I meant after that.”

  “Well, I guess that depends.”

  “Depends on what?”

  “On how long you plan on keeping your new flame around this time,” she said, smiling as if it were a joke. But he didn’t laugh. He didn’t even crack a smile.

  “Hey,” he said, tilting her chin up with his finger, “that’s not funny. You know that’s not what this is.” She looked down again. “You do know that, right?” he added.

  Bria nodded, but if she was being honest, she didn’t really know. After all, Knox rarely made it to a second date, let alone a full-blown relationship.

  “Bria, I don’t think you understood what I meant last night about how dark things got without you. I don’t know exactly what I want, but I know I want you.”

  She pushed herself up on top of him now.

  “I need you,” she whispered, kissing him.

  “So you’re not going anywhere, right?” he asked, tucking her hair back, and running his fingers along the petals of the flowers tattooed on her shoulder.

  “Maybe to the kitchen, but that’s as far as I’ll go,” she said. He smiled and gently spanked her tush as she hopped out of bed. “Do you want pancakes?” she called from the pantry.

  “Shit!”

  “What? What happened?” she said, running back to the bedroom to see him pulling on his jeans.

  “I forgot about my appointment today! I have bloodwork and prep for surgery.”

  “Oh,” she said, a knot forming in her stomach as real life invaded on their sexy paradise. “Well, let’s go
!” She grabbed her jeans and pulled on one of his sweatshirts.

  “You don’t have to go,” he said, looking at her.

  “Are you kidding me? Look, tiger. After last night, you’re stuck with me. Now let’s go.” He smiled as she led him out the front door.

  “Hey,” he said, a few minutes in to the ride, “you okay? You’re awfully quiet.”

  Same old Knox. His world was about to be turned upside down, but he was worried about her.

  “I’m good,” Bria said, smiling and taking his hand. When the whole kidney donation thing had first come up, she knew she’d have to deal with the fact that her sister would be going under the knife, in pain, and recovering. But she never thought about the fact that she might also give a shit, actually, give a lot of shits, about the person giving up said kidney.

  “So, after the removal, we will need to keep you in ICU for twenty-four hours,” Dr. Carmen said, using his professional doctor voice, not the more familiar tone he had started to adopt with Bria. He had spent a great deal of the appointment looking back and forth between Bria and Knox, clearly confused.

  “Then you’ll be moved into a regular room where you’ll stay for monitoring for another 24-48 hours, depending on how you react. Then, if all goes well, you’ll head home. You’ll be able to return to work after about three weeks,” he said. “And you should make a full recovery by about six weeks.”

  Knox nodded. “Thanks, Dr. Carmen.”

  “Well, if there are no more questions, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “See you then,” Knox said, reaching for Bria’s hand, and heading out of the office.

  “Knox?” Bria said, as he reached for his keys in his pocket.

  “Hmm?”

  “Are you scared?” He looked at her.

  “No, baby cakes, I’m not scared. Are you?” She looked down at her hands, just as he reached for one. “B, Katie is going to be fine. I promise.” She looked up at him.

  “Knox, I’m worried about you, too, ya dope.”

  He sat back, surprised. “Well, you have no idea how good it feels to hear you say that.” He grinned, kissing her cheek before backing his car out of the parking spot and toward Bria’s place.

  As they pulled into her apartment complex back in Dalesville, Bria realized that she hadn’t ever had a man besides her father in her apartment. Damn. She hadn’t had sex in over a year, until last night.

  “This is nice,” he said, looking around at her insanely neat apartment. “It’s very Bria.”

  “Thanks,” she said. “Help yourself to anything in the kitchen. I was just going to hop in a quick shower and grab some stuff for tonight.”

  “Tonight?”

  “Yeah. I thought that I would stay with you again tonight, and drive you in tomorrow morning.”

  “B, you don’t have to do all this,” he said, but she held up her hand.

  “You are giving my sister an organ. I should be doing way more,” she said. “I’ll be out in a few minutes.”

  She turned on the water as hot as it would go and let it stream down her face for a few moments. She was feeling much more stressed than she was letting on. God, if something happened to him because of this. Or Katie. Or both of them. She shook her head. She couldn’t bear to think about it.

  And then she felt his hands on her waist, and she smiled.

  “Hey, sneaky,” she said, turning around to face him. But he didn’t smile. He just pushed her up against the cool tile and kissed her everywhere. It didn’t matter how many times he kissed her, the intensity of it still took her breath away. She wondered if he had kissed every girl like this, or if it was just her. Every time they kissed, he kissed her like he thought it might be the last time.

  Back at his place, Bria was prepping for what looked like three months in an underground bunker. She was cooking, freezing, and baking food, unloading boxes of crackers and soup into his cabinets, and making sure his sheets were clean, and his laundry was done.

  “B, you’re making me feel a little guilty now,” he said. She looked up at him. “But, I mean, damn, if I knew you were going to do all this, I would have given up my kidney years ago.” She chuckled and shook her head.

  “I just want to make sure we have enough stuff,” she said, picking up a piece of green pepper she was cutting and putting it in her mouth. A goofy grin spread across his face. “What?”

  “Nothin’. I just like being a ‘we’ with you.”

  Suddenly, Bria’s phone vibrated on the counter next to her.

  “Hey, mom,” she said, holding it between her ear and her shoulder as she continued cutting. “Uh, yeah, I’m sure that’s fine, but let me just check with him.” She covered up the receiver. “My family would like to have you over for dinner tonight, as a little, thanks-for-giving-our-kid-your-kidney dinner,” she said.

  “I’d love to,” he said, still looking much happier than the usual patient about to undergo surgery.

  “Okay, we will be there. What time?”

  She wasn’t sure why she was nervous. He’d eaten dinner over a million times. He’d watched movies with her family, he’d come to her grandfather’s funeral. But it was different. Because now he wasn’t just her friend Knox. He was the Knox who had been on top of her the night before, and in the shower with her this morning. She caught herself staring into space as she replayed the X-rated happenings of the last twenty-four hours. Yeah, she’d be doing that again very, very soon.

  “So,” Louise said, coming into the kitchen to help cut up the vegetables for the salad, “did you have a good night?”

  Her mother caught her off guard.

  “It was. . .uh, yeah,” Bria said. Her mother smirked.

  “Honestly, I was always a little surprised that this didn’t happen sooner between the two of you.”

  Much to her relief, the family dinner went off without a hitch. Everything was normal and natural, and despite their attempts, her sisters couldn’t embarrass her. Not in front of Knox, anyway. He already knew everything. As she helped her mother do the dishes, Bria’s heart felt full, thinking of how well Knox got along with her family. Her dad was laughing at Knox, and not just his polite, laughing-because-he-had-to-laugh chuckle, but his full, hearty, belly laugh that made his whole face go red. Knox helped gather the dishes from the table and wiped it down before asking what else he could do to help. When her mom told him to relax, he raced Katie to the living room for a quick game of Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots—her dad had found them at a yard sale years ago, and it was a family favorite.

  “He’s such a hoot,” her mother said, watching them play.

  “He is,” Bria agreed, smiling.

  After they were done with the dishes, she told her family that they would need to head out soon.

  “Katie and Knox both need their rest,” Bria said. She heard Knox saying his goodbyes to her sisters in the living room.

  “Knox,” Katie had stopped him, teary-eyed, “I am so happy that you are in our lives. And not just because you’re saving mine.”

  He bent down and scooped her up, just like he had when she was a little kid, running to his car every time he pulled up. He kissed her on the cheek and placed her back down.

  “You and me, Kates,” he said, pointing to her as he walked away, “we will be bonded for life after tomorrow!” She laughed and waved goodbye.

  Knox made his way out to the kitchen, putting his arms around Louise.

  “Thanks for everything, Mrs. K,” he said, “it was delicious.”

  “Oh, you stop with all those thank-yous,” she said, patting his cheek lightly. “Joe and I, we will be thanking you for the rest of our lives for what you’ve done for our daughter. Both of ‘em,” she said, making eyes at Bria. He walked toward Bria, and she felt her heart rate pickup. Damn. The effect he had on her was a little unsettling.

  “You ready?” she asked him.

  “Ready, Freddie,” he said.

  The car ride back to Knox’s was a quiet one. For Knox, it was c
asual, he was leaned back in the seat, one hand on the steering wheel, one hand on her knee, humming whatever song was on the radio. For Bria, it was filled with silent panic and anxiety. As he put the car in park, he turned to her.

  “B,” he said. She looked up at him. “I need you to stop worrying. Katie is going to be fine. I am going to be fine. We are going to all be fine. Take a few breaths.”

  So she did. And it helped a little bit, although they both knew that a little more oxygen wasn’t going to fix her nerves. But she felt better knowing that he knew she wasn’t okay. She was scared. And anxious. Her stomach was flipping. He leaned over and kissed her forehead, then rested his against hers for a moment.

  “I love how much you care, Bria Kreery,” he said, before getting out of the car.

  That night, they moved in on each other like a pack of lions on its prey. She could remember a certain weekend in college, with Drew, where they had sex more than five times in two days. She hadn’t gone nuts like this since then. But she couldn’t get enough of Knox. And she was pretty sure he was feeling the same way about her.

  As they lay in bed that night, him fast asleep on his pillow, she stared at him, stroking his hair, his cheek, running her finger along his collarbone.

  THIRTY

  “Morning, Mr. Knoxville,” Dr. Carmen said, pulling the curtain open. “How are we today?”

  “We are good,” Knox said, looking at Bria and smiling. “But doc, do my legs look okay in this gown?” he said, pointing to the hideous hospital gown he had on. Dr. Carmen smiled and shook his head.

  “Of course,” he said. “Off-white with questionable stains is definitely your color. Now, before we get started, I have to ask you one more time. Are you willing to undergo surgery to remove your left kidney so that it may be donated?”

  Bria felt her heart pounding. Knox looked at her for a moment and squeezed her hand.

  “Kidneys are overrated. I only need one, anyway,” he said with a sly smile. She let out the breath she didn’t realize she was holding.