"I don't want to hurt you," he said, but he sounded like he was struggling. He was going slow, trying to be gentle. It was sweet—so incredibly sweet—but I really didn't want to die because he was goingtooslowly.
Knix chuckled, the sound vibrating up through his chest as the hair on his chest brushed against my breasts and made me shudder all the harder. “You’re not going to die,” hesaid.
My face flamed red. “I-I said that outloud?”
He nodded and pulled me forward, leaning back as I was suddenly astride his lap. He was pushed in as deep as he could go. I looked down between the two of us. I had no clue how he’d fit. Knix was a big man and compared to me…well, he was gentle, but he was a giant. But we did fit—like two puzzle pieces coming togetherperfectly.
Embarrassment stole over my face and I covered my cheeks and eyes with my hands. Knix laughed quietly as he pulled my hands away by my wrists. “Don’t be shy, Harlow. It’s just you and me. You and me, Little Bit.” Knix kissed me again, his arms encircling me as he urged me to set thepace.
I clutched onto his shoulders as we kissed, our lower bodies moving in tandem. We were in sync, both of our hearts connecting. I felt the well of something great rise again, my whole body tensing and under my questing fingers, I felt his do the same. I stroked his back, touched his chest, and moved againsthim.
"Harlow..." He groaned against my lips. I pulled away, tossing my head back as his mouth descended to my throat once more. He licked and sucked on the column of my neck, one large palm settling at the base of my spine urging me on. When we stilled, both of our bodies locking up tight as a wave of pleasure washed over both of us, my lips parted, and I gasped as he held meclose.
It took several more moments for both of us to come down from the high of what we'd just done. Knix settled his head in the crook of my shoulder as he blew out a breath before, finally, he subtly moved me off of his lap. He got off the bed and reached for his jeans pulling them back on quickly as he cleaned himselfup.
“I’ll be right back,” he promised, leaning over to kiss myforehead.
Knix returned and helped me clean up before sliding beneath the sheets with me. He snuggled close, wrapping me in his arms as he pressed a kiss to myhead.
"It's not even dinner time yet," I said, "but I think you've thoroughly worn meout."
He chuckled. "I can say the same for you Little Bit," he said, squeezing meclose.
I pressed my cheek against his bare chest and sighed. "If I could have anything in the world right now, I think I'd be at a loss for what to ask for," I said. "I've got everything I've ever wanted in this house. Aside from Grayson thatis."
Knix pulled back and looked down at mecuriously.
"What?" Iasked.
He tilted his head to the side as he examined me, his eyes moving over my face and down to my naked chest. I held the sheet up a bit to cover myself—I knew it was too late, he had already seen everything. Still, though, I couldn't help the impulsive modesty that echoed through me. You don't spend over eighteen years of your life hiding your body only to be comfortable with being seen naked after you've had sex. Well,Ididn'tanyway.
"What is it?" I pressed when Knix still didn't answerme.
"I'm going to make you a promise, Little Bit," he suddenlyannounced.
I blinked. "Okay..."
"And I can assure you that this promise will hold true for the others—Marv, Bellamy, Texas, and I dare say, even Grayson,” he swore. “We love you, Harlow. We love you like we've never loved anything before. And we will continue to love you. No matterwhat."
My heart skipped a beat. That was a beautiful sentiment, but the devil's advocate at the back of my insidious mind warned me away from a promise like this. "What if I get sick?" I asked. "What if I cheat or I hurtyou?"
His eyes darkened. "You'd never do that,Harlow."
True, I’d never hurt them like that. But...there were unlimited what ifs. “How can you besure?”
“Because we trust you, Little Bit.Itrust you. If you did anything to hurt us then you aren’t the woman we fell in love with.” He pushed me back against the bed, leveraging himself up and over me once more. I closed my eyes and he pressed a feather-light kiss to each of my eyelids before moving up to press one to my forehead and then down to deliver one last lingering kiss to mylips.
“We fell in love with a beautiful, feisty, girl who was a little lost but found her wayeventually.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure about that,” I repliedtartly.
He chuckled, the sound a rumble against my body as his shoulders shook. “I think that response proves my point,” hesaid.
“Oh, doesit?”
He nodded. “I love you, Harlow Hampton. You’ve captured my heart and the heart of my team. There’s a reason forthat.”
“I’m just a normal girl,” Isaid.
He shook his head. “Normal is relative, not universal, Little Bit. There’s nothing normal about you to us. You’re one of akind.”
I damn near melted under him as he leaned forward and delivered another mind-dizzying kiss. If that was what he thought, who was I to dissuade him, but the last thing he said was the thing that really rocked my world. “One day, Harlow…we’re going to marry the hell out of you. If that day doesn’t come soon enough, I think we might as well whisk you off to Vegas. Either way, you’re ours. I promise youthat.”
It made my chest clench and my soul ache in longing, and for several moments, I was struck too stupid to respond. Then, finally, through a thick throat, I said, “Promise?”
“Cross my heart,” he said. “And hope to live…with you…forever.”