Knox is standing there with the girl that was with him yesterday. They’re having what looks like a heated conversation. She’s no longer sporting that carefree smile from the last time I saw her, and Knox looks ready to snap.
As she storms away, Knox pulls on his hair and starts to walk toward us. I divert my eyes quickly, not being nearly ready to see him yet but knowing I don’t have much choice.
“I need a fucking beer,” he declares.
Stone chuckles. “What’s wrong? Trouble in paradise?”
“Fuck you. It isn’t like that and you know it.”
“Dude, you’ve been so MIA lately, we don’t know anything,” Gage argues.
Knox scoffs and shakes his head, going behind the counter to get a drink. When he turns around, his eyes meet mine for the first time and widen.
“Delaney,” he breathes. “I didn’t see you there.”
I smile weakly. “Yeah, well, it seems you’ve been a little…preoccupied.”
He looks confused for a moment before he realizes what I’m referring to. However, as he’s about to answer me, something else grabs his attention. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.”
Without another word, he storms over to the door, where Hailey is talking to some guy, and grabs her by the wrist. She yells something in his face then yanks away and stomps up the stairs. Knox throws his head back exasperatedly before following her.
“They seem…happy,” I quip sarcastically.
Zayn hums, showing his annoyance. “I don’t know what the fuck he’s doing. They have a long, screwed-up history, but something is different this time. He hasn’t talked to me about it, though, so I’m just as in the dark as you are.”
They all keep their eyes on me, the sympathetic looks doing nothing for my mood. Maybe coming here tonight wasn’t such a good idea after all. My options are simple—stay and subject myself to seeing Knox and Hailey all night, or swallow my pride and leave. For the sake of my sanity and my heart, I choose the latter.
“I’m sorry, Tess. I’m going to head home.”
She frowns. “Are you sure? I’m sorry. I thought it would be a good idea. I didn’t think she would be here.”
“It’s all right. I’m just going to grab my keys. Where did you put them?”
“Zayn’s room.”
Great, upstairs. I take a deep breath. Just get the keys and leave. He’s probably not even in Z’s room—more like a guest room or something, doing God knows what. I slowly creep up the stairs, making sure the coast is clear, then duck into the bedroom to get my key and purse. Once I go to leave, however, I walk right into a warzone.
“Hailey, fucking stop!”
“No!” she shouts back. “Just leave me alone and let me live my damn life!”
She goes into the bathroom and slams the door shut in his face. I try to slip away undetected, but luck isn’t on my side, and my keys slip out of my hand and clatter onto the hardwood floor. Knox turns at the sound of the noise.
“Laney?”
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt. I’m just getting my things.”
“You’re leaving? Didn’t you just get here?” He actually looks hurt by the idea.
I swallow down the lump in my throat and square my shoulders. “Don’t do that. Don’t act like you care.”
His brows furrow. “What makes you think that I don’t?”
“Oh, I don’t know. Maybe the fact that one minute, we were fine, and the next, you all but vanished from my life—and no, your half-assed replies don’t count.” I take a step back. “It’s cool. I see why you did it, and you two have a history together. I get it. I just have no interest in being your side piece.”
I go to walk away when he rushes toward me and grabs my hand. “Wait, stop. It’s not what you think.” I give him a look that shows exactly how over this whole situation I am, but I don’t pull away, so he continues. “We have a history, yes, but that’s not what this is. Her brother asked for my help. She’s gotten herself involved with some heavy drugs. When her parents found out and tried to step in, she ran away and started living at a homeless shelter. I’m just trying to get her to go home.”
It’s a sad story, and a part of me can even admire his need to help, but it’s not enough. “No. I’m sorry, but no. You spent the last week doing everything but completely ignoring me, with no explanation at all.”
“I’m explaining, now.”
I shrug. “Too little, too late. Whatever was going on between us, it’s not anymore. Only having me around or letting me in when it’s convenient for you doesn’t work for me.”
He catches me off guard by spinning us around and pinning me to the wall, his face only centimeters from mine. “You’re so wrong you don’t even know which way is right, but you walked straight into the lion’s den, Bambi. No way I’m letting you turn back around now. You’re playing my game now.”
His lips meet mine in a bruising kiss. All his frustration, his passion, his desperate need to keep me—I can feel it all, and my resolve doesn’t stand a chance. Every bit of resistance I had toward him evaporates with him against me, kissing me like this. He grips my waist and lifts me with ease, allowing me to wrap my legs around his hips. Neither one of us pulls away as he walks us into a bedroom and kicks the door shut behind him.
Carrying me to the bed, he lays me down and hovers over me. His hands roam my entire body as I grip at his shirt. When he pulls it over his head, I finally get to take in all his tattoos. The ones on his arms I’ve seen, but the two sparrows on his chest have always been hidden, tucked away from view. I want to trace them all and commit each one to memory.
He looks down at me with such patience and care. “Do you trust me?”
The last time he asked me that, he ended up giving me my first orgasm—and you’ll never hear me complaining about that. However, I’m not going to lie to him.
“Not so much.”
Smiling, he slowly inches my shirt up until it’s at my chest. I lift slightly, and he pulls it over my head like I’m fine china. Fragile. Delicate. Like if he moves too quickly, I’ll shatter. To be honest, I might.
“Do you trust me enough?” He questions, fingers skirting along the waistband of my jeans.
It’s not a good idea, giving that part of myself to him. He’s trouble and already has the power to destroy me. Giving him all of me will seal my fate to his. I’ve read enough romance novels to know that it’s a risky move, but my head is fighting against my heart and hormones.
As my heart wins the war, I pull him down and connect our lips once again. I blindly undo his pants then drag my fingernails up his back. He undresses me slowly until I’m left lying on the bed, completely bare. His eyes rake over my entire body, taking his time, as if he wants to savor this. Savor me.
“How could someone as flawless as you want someone like me?”
I reach up, placing my hand on his cheek. “You’re far better than you give yourself credit for.”
“I’m not, Bambi. I’m a train wreck. A bomb waiting to explode and wreak havoc on everyone and everything around me.”
“Then do it, but take me with you.”
His body covers mine as he kisses me with such tenderness it takes my breath away. Who knew someone so stone cold could be so warm and gentle? He slides his hand down and starts to rub me, the same way he did in the car. I moan quietly into his mouth, only for him to swallow it down. When I arch my hips up, he stops, and I whimper from the loss of friction.
He snickers quietly. “Don’t worry, baby. We’re just getting started.”
Reaching over into the nightstand, he pulls out a condom and places it on the bed next to us. As if he can sense the fear coursing through me, he presses a chaste kiss to my lips then looks me straight in the eyes.
“You can stop me if you want. The one thing you can’t do is walk out that door with the intention to cut me out of your life, because I swear to God, Delaney, I’ll fight you every damn step of the way. It’s not an option.”
I’m stunned into silence. Honestly, I know that isn’t an option for me either, but I was going to make it one if I had to. Now, it’s the furthest thing from my mind.
Moving down my body, placing light kisses against my skin on the way, he finally arrives at his destination. His gaze stays entirely on me, and as his tongue licks one stripe up my clit, my entire body tenses. With one hand on my stomach, holding me in place, he reaches up with the other and laces his fingers with my own.
“You taste like fucking heaven.” He does it again. “Innocent, and pure, and mine.”
As his mouth works its magic, he brings his thumb down and puts pressure on my clit, bringing the level of pleasure that courses through my body to an all-time high.
“Knox,” I pant.
“Fuck, my name sounds so good coming from your mouth right now.”
He presses his face into my folds, going harder than he was before—as if he can’t get enough. Even if I wanted to, I can’t hold back. I scream his name as the orgasm rips through my body with enough force to break me.
Knox comes back up to kiss my neck, sucking a mark into my collarbone. He grabs the condom and rips it open before rolling it onto his hard cock. Then, he lines himself up at my entrance.
He pushes in slowly, and I wince in pain as I stretch around him. His hand squeezes my own, and his head lolls back in pleasure. He bites his lip so hard it nearly draws blood. As he reaches that little wall of resistance, I take a deep breath.
“You’re mine,” he tells me. “Not Carter’s. Not anyone’s. Fucking mine.” With one decisive thrust, he breaks through and claims me completely. The sting has me wrapping my arms and legs around him, tense but unwilling to let go. “And now, this pussy is mine, too.”
“Yours,” I repeat, a mindless mess of nerves and sexual frustration.
“Good girl.”
He picks up rhythm, giving me no time to adjust, but soon, I’m moaning his name and clenching around him. His tongue tangles with my own, the taste of myself still lingering.
“You take my cock so well. It’s like you were fucking made for me.”
His words push me over the edge, and my whole body convulses in nothing but pure ecstasy. Riding it out in a blissed-out haze, my name flows off Knox’s tongue like a prayer as he empties everything he’s got into the condom.
He brushes the strand of hair from my face and kisses me with a look in his eyes that calms every fear I have of him ditching me again after this.
“You good?”
I hum, not trusting my voice to say anything at all. Knox releases a breathy laugh. He pulls out of me gently and gets rid of the condom before getting back in bed, maneuvering me so my head rests on his chest. His lips press a kiss into my hair as he rubs soothing circles against my skin.
As I lie here, listening to the sound of his heartbeat mix with my own, one thing is clear—not even a hero can save me now.
13
KNOX
I’ve never needed anyone in my life. Growing up with no father and a mother who was rarely there, I learned at an early age how to be alone—and I was okay with that, until tonight. Hearing the words come out of Delaney’s mouth, ending things with us before they ever really got started, was a shock to my system. Girls have come in and out of my life for years, usually by my own doing, but the second she wanted to leave, it was like someone rammed a knife straight into my chest.
I sit at the top of the bed, leaning against the headboard and watching her sleep soundly next to me. The peaceful look on her face, the way her hair splays out across the pillow, the soft breaths coming from her perfect lips—it’s all things I could get lost in, and that scares the fucking shit out of me.
It’s dangerous, letting her in. The fact that she and I can never be more than some senior year fling is a harsh truth that I’m not ready to face. However, if it’s a choice between having her for a few months or not having her at all—the answer is simple. It’s almost a guarantee that at least one of us will come out of this broken into more pieces than can be put back together, but I’m a selfish son of a bitch. If she’s not going anywhere, neither am I.
THE BRIGHTNESS OF THE morning starts to fill the room, making it easier for me to see what I’m doing. I drag the pencil across the sketchpad in a skillful and practiced manner, making sure to capture the softness of Delaney’s skin. The last thing I wanted was to have a nightmare with her asleep next to me, so I opted to not sleep at all. It’s not like it was the first time. Insomnia is an unwelcome yet almost constant guest in my world.
As Laney begins to stir, I close the sketchpad and slip it inside the drawer of the nightstand. I’ve stayed in this room so many times over the years, it’s practically my own.
“Good morning,” she whispers.
I lie back down and turn on my side to face her. “Sleep well?”
She nods. “I’m sorry I got mad at you. I should have given you a chance to explain.”
“No,” I retort. “I’m sorry. Hailey is like a black hole, and I guess after her brother asked for my help, I just got sucked back in. She’s manipulative as hell and knows exactly how to get her way.”
“Were you ever in love with her?”
The question itself surprises me, but more so is the tone of her voice when she asks it—like she’s genuinely terrified of the answer.
I shake my head. “No, it was never that serious. We just had a lot in common and have known each other for a long time. Somehow, along the way, things got complicated.”
I’m not even sure why I’m telling her this. If anyone else had asked me about mine and Hailey’s screwed-up past, I probably would have told them to go fuck themselves. But once again, there goes Delaney—breaking through my walls and making me question everything.
“Enough about her. Get dressed,” I softly demand. “I’ve spent too long without you this past week, and I’m not ready to let you go just yet.”
A wide grin stretches across her face, and she does exactly as I ask. It isn’t until we get downstairs that we run right into Tessa and Easton. I had hoped they’d still be asleep, but apparently not.
“Laney?” she asks, confused. “I thought you went home last night.” Just then, her eyes land on me. “Oh my God.”
“Tess,” Delaney warns. “We’ll talk about this later. Please.”
She doesn’t want to drop the topic, that much is written clear across her face, but to both my and Delaney’s relief, she does—for now, anyway. I grab our jackets from the closet and help her slip hers on.
“All right, shitheads. I’m leaving. I’ll see you fuckers later.”
Zayn holds up one finger as he finishes chugging his morning beer. “Don’t forget the game tonight.”
“Game?” Tessa questions. “Didn’t the season end over a month ago?”
I groan and roll my eyes. “Yes, but your douchebag of a football captain is being a sore loser. He’s basically demanded an impromptu face-off. North Haven High versus Haven Grace Prep. No refs. No rules. Just an all-out war.”
“Something tells me this is less about football and more about jealousy.” Tess eyes her sister as she waits for her to put the pieces together.
“I don’t know why you all seem to think he has this massive thing for me,” Delaney grumbles. “He doesn’t. I’m just a conquest to him. The one thing he wants that isn’t being handed to him.”
“Damn right it’s not.” I grab her arm and pull her into me. “But I really don’t think that’s all it is. He’s…different about you. Territorial, even.”
She rolls her eyes. “Well, it doesn’t matter. He’s just a friend, and I’m not interested in anything more.”
Her words calm me down more than they should, and Zayn notices as my whole body relaxes. He smirks, giving me a knowing look, and if I don’t get Delaney out of here within the next minute, I’m going to regret it.
As we walk out the door, I notice the beautiful Lamborghini sitting in the driveway. A part of me is
shocked she brought it here. This isn’t exactly the nicest part of town. Then again, her family seems to have enough money to afford the best insurance coverage possible.
“Hey,” she says, getting my attention. The second I turn to face her, she tosses her keys to me. “Just don’t crash it.”
My jaw drops as I realize I’m about to drive a car that’s worth more than my life. “Woman, you have lost your everloving mind.”
As she turns back to smile at me, with the sun hitting her face just right, I’m in awe of her beauty. She’s glowing—radiating happiness from every pore—and fuck if it’s not contagious. I could spend all day memorizing the colors in her eyes and not have a single damn complaint.
I slip into the driver’s seat, admiring the interior from this side of the car. I’m practically drooling at how gorgeous it is. The only thing in the world that even begins to compare is the girl sitting next to me.
The engine roars to life, and I can already feel the power in it. Delaney watches me as I carefully back out of the driveway. Once I’m on the road, I press on the gas pedal, and the car lurches forward. My eyes widen and I yank my foot off the gas.
“It takes a little getting used to,” she giggles. “So, where are we going?”
“I have to pick up something from my house, and then I was thinking we’d go for a drive up the coast. I want to see what this baby can do.”
It only takes a few minutes to get to my place, and by the time I do, I’m starting to get the hang of driving a car with over 700 horsepower. I leave it running and open the door.
“I’ll be right back.”
“Okay.”
Jumping out of the car, I jog inside. It’s quiet, as usual. My mom is probably either sleeping or picked up another shift. I’ve been trying to help out with some of the bills, using the small amount Cal allows me to keep from the fights, but we’re still a long way off from being comfortable.
The Saint: An Enemies to Lovers Romance (Haven Grace Prep Book 2) Page 10