No. That’s really, really hot.
I swallow, hoping I don’t sound too eager. “Cool.”
He nods, I sidle up to him, and he shifts the gear between my legs. Is it weird that this feels like foreplay?
I’m a bundle of nerves when Knox opens the driver’s door and steps out into my driveway. He leans down, taking my hand and bringing out me on the same side since I was practically wedged up against him the whole drive home anyways.
The air is silent around us except for the crickets chirping off in the distance and an occasional splash from some aquatic creature frolicking under the moonlight.
Suddenly, frolicking underneath the moonlight with Knox is all I can think about.
But once he takes my hand and intertwines our fingers while leading me towards the front door, frolicking in the bedroom is now at the forefront of my mind.
“Keys?” Knox asks when we get to the front landing.
The light is on, which must’ve been Knox’s doing when he went back to lock up. He waits patiently as I rummage through my purse, and then I hold the keys up once I’ve found them.
“Women and purses. I’ll never get it. Why do you need to take all that stuff with you?”
I open my mouth to answer, but he leans in and gives me a quick swipe of his lips.
“Never mind. I don’t want to know.”
His infectious grin has my own spreading across my face. As far as first dates go, I’d say this was definitely a winner.
“Thank you for tonight. Dinner, the movie.”
“I’m not sure what you watched more: me or the movie,” he teases.
I’m not going to blush. I’m not going to blush.
“You caught that, did you?” I ask.
“Maybe in the beginning… You’re lucky. Two more minutes of feeling the heat from your gaze and you probably wouldn’t know how the movie ended.”
Damn my impatience. And to hell with playing hard to get.
I slide my hands up his chest and wrap them around his neck. “Well, just because the movie ended doesn’t mean the night has to…” I say, hoping he catches my drift without me having to ask him to come inside.
Knox’s head falls slightly, and I lose his eyes. In that moment, I know the answer is no, so I let my hands fall and take a step back. But not before he catches my wrists and draws me back in.
Dark eyes peer down at me. “God, I wish I could, Amelia. I really fucking do.”
“It’s okay, Knox. I get it…” I trail off when his chest rumbles with laughter. I don’t actually get it, and he knows it.
“Babe, the only thing you should be getting is how into you I am. Whatever else you’re thinking in that pretty head of yours, forget it.”
My lips form an astonished O. Not sure why I’m surprised because I was pretty sure Knox is indeed into me, but he hasn’t kissed me since the beginning of the night, and it’s apparently no dice on my invitation inside.
“Babe, look at me,” he says, and I realize I’m staring into his chest and not at him anymore.
I don’t want to look at him. I don’t want to see the rejection in his eyes. But with one more prodding babe, I glance up and see earnest eyes gazing down at me.
“It’s just that I told my brother I’d be home tonight. He’s only here for a couple of more days, so I promised to spend some time with him before he left. He’s a pain in my ass.”
“I think it’s nice,” I tell him honestly, even though I’m a bit bummed to be going to bed alone.
He must still see the disappointment on my face. Warm hands cup my cheeks, and his eyes pierce mine. “Trust me, Amelia. The last thing I want to do is turn around, get back in that car, and leave you standing here alone, looking so damn cute.”
“It’s fine, Knox. I understand. I do. After all, we’ve got the summer, right?” I nearly cringe at the addition of the last word. I hope it didn’t sound too anxious. At the same time, I might as well find out if he really does want this to be a summer thing.
“I’ve got to be honest with you. Until about a few months ago, I’d only ever been with one girl in my entire life, and after her, well, I haven’t found the time to find anyone else.”
“Okay…” I’m not sure where this is coming from or why the conversation took this detour. Is now the time I tell him about my sexual history? Because it sure as hell doesn’t feel like the right moment.
“I’m fucking this up. What I’m saying is that I’m new to this hooking-up stuff. I’ve never done it before,” he says, using his free hand to motion between the two of us. “I’ve never wanted to. But hell, Amelia, it’s been twenty-four hours and you’re all I can think about. So yeah, babe, if you’re up for it, we have the entire summer.”
I rise onto my tiptoes and brush my lips across his before sinking back down. “I think, Knox, that by the time the summer’s over, you’ll learn I’m up for just about anything.”
His answering groan is all the promise I need. He closes the distance between us and pushes my back up against the front door. One arm now rests on the door above me, the other holding tight to my waist.
“Now that we have that established, I think we should probably set some ground rules. That okay with you?”
I nod because, at this point, I’ll agree to practically anything.
“Good. I told you last night I’m not looking for anything long-term, nothing permanent. Now, I get how strong our attraction is, but I have to know that you get that this is for the summer and nothing more.”
I blink, and my silence causes him to continue.
“The only way I know how to communicate is by bein’ direct. Don’t fall for me, Amelia. I don’t have time for it. All I’ve got time for is sex and a good time. Now, if that’s cool with you, we can have plenty of fun this summer.”
“I get it, Knox,” I say, slightly perturbed he feels the need to emphasize this point. I set my chin and stare back into his eyes. “Before you came along, I was already telling Sunny how I just wanted to have fun this summer, no commitments, nothing. So this works perfectly for me. Just tell me the rules so we’re on the same page.”
His jaw tightens for a split second. Then he nods. “Right. Rules.” He clears his throat. “Don’t go fallin’ for me was my first one, but I think we have that established. That’s the main one.”
“It’s noted.”
He must hear the irritation in my tone. His eyes soften while he strokes my cheek. “I’m not comin’ in tonight, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to.” He pushes against me, his straining erection caressing me in all the right places.
Yeah, he’s not lying. If that’s how it feels through clothes? Heaven help me.
“I want you, Amelia. So fucking bad. But I need you to let me go as slow as I fucking want, because I’m going to savor you. I also need you to tell me if I’m moving too fast. If you need something more from me, say it. If this is going to work, I need your honesty because I don’t want to do anything to hurt you or make you uncomfortable. All I wanna do is make you feel so fucking good that you’ll remember this summer for the rest of your life and ache between your legs every time you think my name. Got it?”