Whew. I blow out a breath. “Got it.”
The two words are the barest whisper because, holy hell, I’ve never had a man speak to me this way. I never knew I wanted a man to speak to me this way.
“Good. Glad we’re on the same page. Now, keys?” he asks, pushing back and holding his hand out to me.
I blink twice before my eyes focus and I realize what he’s doing. Knox unlocks the door then gently places a hand on the small of my back, slowly forcing me inside. Once we’re inside, he closes the door. Turning back, I raise an eyebrow in his direction.
“What kind of man would I be if I let you in the house and didn’t check to make sure there aren’t any monsters hiding in the dark?”
It’s silly, and I know he’s teasing, but like Sunny said, while I may love all things horror, I still get a little freaked out. And since this is my first night alone in this house, I’m grateful for the security and the extra few minutes with him his search may give us.
I flinch at the unexpected sensation of Knox’s thumb under my chin. Worried eyes shine down at me.
“Where’d you go in that pretty little head of yours?”
It’s uncanny the way he can read me after such a short time.
“It’s nothing,” I tell him with a slight shake of my head. It’s not that I don’t want to tell him about my parents. It’s just… It’s been whirlwind twenty-four hours with him. I’m not ready to ruin it.
“Hey, I know we just met, but you can tell me anything that’s on your mind.”
His eyes are so earnest that I want to break down right here in his arms. But I don’t. The last thing I want is to put a damper on our night. Or scare the guy off with my emotions.
“I promise, Knox. It’s nothing. It’s just… This is the first time I’ve been back to Crystal Cove in four years. And the first night I’ll be staying here alone.”
I nearly curse myself for telling him this, opening myself up to questioning. But it’s out there. It’s all I can give him for now, and I hope it’s enough. I pray he doesn’t ask for more.
His face softens. “Amelia, I can stay. Clay will be fine without me. I can just call the house and tell him I’ll be there in the morning.”
My heart melts at the offer, and even though I so want to accept, I know I can’t. “As sweet as that is, you should go home. Like you said earlier, we have all summer. I knew I’d be staying here by myself for the summer, so why not start tonight?”
I plaster on a smile that I’m surprised to realize isn’t fake. Perhaps Grams knew what she was talking about when she said a summer away would do me right. Not sure if she intended for a man to be the number-one ingredient in the remedy, but beggars can’t be choosers.
Except, in this situation, I think I’d be both when it comes to him.
“If you’re sure,” he says, and I playfully push his shoulder.
“I’m sure. Now, I’m going to pour myself a glass of wine while you check out the house.”
I’ve already downed a full glass and refilled it by the time Knox finds me in my bedroom. Unfortunately for me, I managed to undress and change, and I am currently tying a sash around my robe to keep it closed. He leans against the door jam and lets out a low whistle.
Finally, for once, I don’t blush under his attention. My cheeks warm, but I tell myself it’s from the wine.
“All’s quiet,” he says, his voice husky and his eyes trailing south to my bare legs. “I think it’s time you got into bed, Amelia.”
His tone makes me want to mischievously argue; the roguish expression on his face makes me want to obey his every command.
Even though I’ll get up to go through my nightly cleansing ritual, I fold my covers back and slip underneath them, sitting back against my headboard. Knox steps into the room, his footsteps hitting across the wooden floors until he’s next to me on the bed. Part of me feels like a woman about to be ravished, even if I know that’s not the case. A girl can dream, right?
He gently places the folded-back covers over my lap, while lowering his lips to kiss my forehead. When he pulls back ever so slightly, his eyes are warm and watchful.
“You really don’t have to tuck me in,” I tease. “I’ll be—”
Knox answers me by capturing my lips in a searing kiss, swallowing my words up in breathless fashion. My hand comes to the back of his head, holding him tight as my tongue parts his lips to deepen it. I have no idea how long he kisses me, but when he breaks it, his wicked grin turns my insides into jelly. I have to resist the urge to tug him to me again.
“All right babe. Any time you get spooked tonight or hear bumps in the night, you just think of that kiss. Got it?”
“Got it. Pretty sure I’ll only be having good dreams tonight.”
“Good. I’ll lock up on my way out. Good night, Amelia.”
“Night, Knox,” I reply, my voice dreamy, which causes him to chuckle. “See you in the morning?”
He pauses at my bedroom door, his eyes raking over me one last night. “Yeah, babe. You’ll be seeing me in the morning.”
I don’t dream about Mrs. Vorhees chasing me with an axe in the middle of summer camp. No, I dream about the hunky dreamboat summer decided to bring my way and all the wicked things I can’t wait to experience with him.
SEE YOU IN THE MORNING.
Who knew five words could be so hard to say?
Who knew, after one single night, I’d become attached to a girl whose entire being screams for me to run away while beckoning me to reel her in?
Of all things I didn’t know at the time, I should’ve known that walking away from Amelia that night would become one hell of a regret.
You know why? Because Clay. The asshole.
I should’ve known better than to listen to him. After all, my kid brother is an idiot. And I’m one for listening to the bastard. It’s been nearly a week since the night at the drive-in with Amelia, and instead of moving ten paces ahead, we’ve barely moved one. It’s my fault. And my dumbass brother’s.
Leaving Amelia that night was brutal. Fucking brutal. The last thing I wanted to do was go home and hear about Clay making proposal plans for Maria when all I wanted to do was capitalize on the scary movie we’d just watched. Or, well, the movie she’d watched.
I wasn’t lying when I’d told Amelia I had a thing for horror. But there’s a good movie, and then there’s a sexy little vixen curled up against you, clutching you tight, with such expressive facial features you can’t just look away from. From the way she’d nibble her lower lip when suspenseful music signaled impending doom to the way her cheeks flushed at the couple having sex to the sharp intake of breath when the killer was revealed—I was entranced. Enthralled.
Aroused as fuck.
All the while, I knew that night would end all too damn soon. I didn’t know what it was about her that drew me in so completely, but fuck me, she’s got me, locked, loaded, and ready to freaking go. In a single night, I was hooked, and though I knew I should take a step back, all I wanted was to move in for the kill.
Not that I’d push her too far, too quickly. Hell, whether Amelia wanted to just make out or go further, I was all for it and I’d respect her wishes. Respect her.