“That’s right. I totally forgot about that. Well, gotta give him props for honesty.”
“True. Better to know ahead of time it’s just a fling than letting my heart get involved.”
“Precisely. Plus, you said yourself last night that you weren’t ready to settle down. The way I see it, this is a perfect situation for everyone.”
She’s right. I know it, deep down I find myself wishing this didn’t have an expiration date before it even begins.
Which is silly, because yeah, I’ve known the guy for way too short of a time to even be thinking of hitching my wagon to him.
I push the thought out of my head and smile at her. “Since you did so well with the suit today, how about I give you carte blanche to get me ready for my date tonight?”
She looks at her watch then back at me before hopping up and clapping her hands. “I have forty-five minutes before I have to be at work.” She points at my hair. “I just need to know if we’re going for ‘screw me senseless in the back seat while a serial killer is on the loose’ or ‘feel free to get a little touchy-feely, but let’s keep the penis away until I’m ready to play’ kind of look.”
“Sunny, has anyone ever told you that you have such a way with words?” I tease.
She waves a hand. “Oh, honey, Joe tells me that all the time.”
I should’ve known better than to ask.
Sunny’s been gone for twenty minutes, and I’ve paced back and forth through the house the entire time, stopping occasionally to check my look in the mirror. I decided for her to put me somewhere between the two ends of the spectrum she’d so eloquently provided earlier, and as each moment passes, I’m worried the look is less sexy and more in the trying-too-hard category. Sunny assured me repeatedly before she left that it was on point, but I’m just not used to dressing like this in the city.
Then again, I don’t know that I’ve ever been as attracted to someone as I am Knox, so I’ve never cared to put my assets on display the way they seem to be now. Since I wore my Daisy Dukes yesterday, Sunny insisted I class it up a little and wear a loose summer dress. I’m not sure we have the same definition of class because my boobs feel like they’re practically falling out. But since Knox has already seen the goods, I figured why the hell not? There’s no harm in a little extra cleavage.
She styled my hair in a loose, low-lying side ponytail with one small braid going from the top of my head down behind my ear. It’s kind of bohemian chic, and I like it more than I thought I would. A bit of summer sun was all the bronzer I needed, so I added some mascara, color to my lips, and gold hoops. I wanted to wear gold bangles on my wrist, but Sunny nixed those in case of “stick-shift activities” as she called them.
I’m rubbing my teeth to ensure the red lipstick I’m wearing hasn’t managed to get on them when a loud knock sounds at the door. Nerves coil low in my belly, tightening and swirling into knots. I can’t remember the last time I felt this way. If I’ve ever felt this way.
With one last glance in the mirror, I cross to the door. My breath releases in a loud whoosh at the sight of Knox and just how close he is to me. He’s standing with his right arm up against the top of the doorframe, his towering build practically enveloping the entire doorway. It causes me to take a step back so I can admire all of him.
Even though it still feels like it’s eighty-something degrees outside, he’s wearing jeans that spread across his thick thighs like they were tailored just for him. He’s paired it with a plain black tank top that does little to hide his sturdy, muscular frame.
It’s his eyes, however, that truly catch my attention. They’re raking me over, his lower lip sucked between his teeth before he lets out a low whistle.
“How can it be that, every time I see you, I want you more?” His voice is a low growl that shoots heat straight to my core.
“I could ask you the same,” I reply, not even caring how breathless I sound.
The words are barely out of my mouth before Knox presses his entire body against my own.
His hand lifts my chin, his dark eyes gazing down at me. “I told myself I wouldn’t do this. I told myself I’d play it cool, take you out. Told myself I wouldn’t ruin your pretty makeup or fuck up those gorgeous lips. I usually listen to myself,” he says, using his thumb to run across my lower lip. “But fuckin’ hell, babe, then you opened the door, lookin’ like this perfect combination of sexy, sweet, and cute. Makes me want to do more than just kiss you right now.”
My eyelids flutter because…yeah, I kind of want that, too.
I must be an easy read. Knox softly beats his head on the wall behind me, groaning in the process.
“Hell, she fucking wants it, too” he mutters to himself.
My hands find his shirt and I bunch them into fists, gripping the material while staring up into desirous eyes. “Knox—”
It’s all I get out before he hijacks my mouth in a desperate kiss.
As quickly as it happened, he withdraws, tugging my hand and leading me out of the house to a beautiful red-and-white convertible that I know from experience has to be a classic Ford. I can’t believe I missed this beauty yesterday in the rain.
As I’m admiring the car, I struggle to keep up with him. When we make it to the passenger’s-side door, he opens it, deposits me inside, ensures all my limbs are accounted for, then closes it.
He leans down to the open window. “I’ll be right back.”
“Where are you going?” I ask, scooting across the bench seat to the open driver’s-side window.
Knox just grunts an inaudible answer and disappears from sight. I nervously toy with my fingertips, curious about his antics. When he returns, I nearly giggle at the sight of my purse slung over his broad shoulder.
He gets in the car, and though I probably should move back to the passenger’s seat, I stay right where I am. He holds up a set of keys. “I couldn’t exactly leave the door wide open for anyone to just wander in, so I locked up for you. And seeing as how this purse was on the ground right next to the spot where I kissed you senseless, I figured it was safe to assume you planned on bringing it.”
“Ah, yes. Thank you.” I glance around the car. “Do you, ah, need me to move over so you can shift?”
He places his left hand on the steering wheel and I can’t help but appreciate the way his taut forearm flexes. “Christ, you’re fucking cute. No, babe. You don’t need to move. I can shift between your legs just fine.”
I squirm a bit at the idea, and a bead of sweat rolls down my back. Stick-shift activities indeed. “I have complete faith in you.”
“Dammit, Amelia, you have to stop blushing or we’re going nowhere.”
I grin at him. “That doesn’t exactly sound like a half bad idea to me.”
He gives me a pointed look, his jaw all tight and sexy, his tone bossy. “We’re going out. We eat, we talk. Catch the movie. Then we’ll see what happens after that. ’Cause, babe, if I didn’t get you out of that house, there’s no telling what we’d be doing.” He grins. “Not that I don’t want that. I just promised you a date and I know you don’t know me well, but I always keep my promises, especially to a beautiful woman. Not to mention, I’m kinda hoping you need someone to hold you tight just in case you get a bit spooked at the drive-in.”