The Landscaper

Working Men Series

(Book Six)

Ramona Gray

Copyright © 2018 Ramona Gray

Published by
EK Publishing Inc.

e-ISBN:  978-1-988826-56-1

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This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental.  The characters are productions of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously.

Adult Reading Material

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Cover Art by
The Final Wrap

The Landscaper

Working Men Series Book Six

By Ramona Gray

My bush needs a trim and he’s just the man to do it.

Isabelle

I’ve loved local landscaper, Knox Jameson, since I was twelve.  Yeah, he’s my brother’s best friend.

Total cliché.

But the heart wants what the heart wants, right?  Except on my eighteenth birthday, he made it perfectly clear he didn’t want me.  I showed him.  I got the hell out of our small town, determined to forget him.

I couldn’t.

Now I’m back.

Turns out, he’s wanted me all along and playing with the landscaper’s hose is my new favourite thing.

Knox

I’ve spent the last seven years trying to forget Isabelle.  She’s my best friend’s little sister, and he’ll kill me if I start waving my hose around her garden.

But her brother is the least of my worries.

She’s not in love with me.  She loves the man she thinks I am.  It’s better for the both of us if I keep her at a distance.

Only, my ability to resist her is growing weaker by the day.

* * *

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Table of Chapters

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter One

Isabelle

“Okay, listen, big guy.  You don’t like me, and I respect that.  We’ve just met, you’re young and wild and free, and I want to put a collar and leash on you.  But, believe me when I say that it’s the best thing for you.  I’m asking you to trust me.  To give me the chance to prove to you that I am a-okay.  And,” I held out the burger in the now soggy wrapper, “you’ll get a nice juicy burger and some belly rubs out of the deal.  I promise.”

The dog cocked its head before taking a nervous look at the trees behind him.  I quickly unwrapped the burger.  “C’mon, big fella.  I know you’re hungry.”

The dog sniffed the air as lightning flashed across the sky.  I stayed where I was, crouched low to the ground.  The loop of the slip lead was resting on the palm of my left hand, the burger placed in the center of it.  My right hand held the lead, ready to slip the loop over the dog’s head if he ever decided to come near me.

I blinked rain water out of my eyes and hoped like hell my wild shivering didn’t scare off the dog.  The wind was picking up, the rain was ice-cold, and one hell of a storm was brewing.  I nudged the high-powered flashlight resting on the ground with my foot until the entire body of the dog was caught in its beam.

I made a low sound of dismay.  The dog was a mastiff cross and I shouldn’t have been able to see his ribs that clearly.  The poor guy was slowly starving, and I was determined to catch him tonight.

The animal shelter had been getting calls for months about the dog.  He was spotted all over town eating out of trash cans and, on one memorable occasion, going on a food-stealing rampage through the park during our annual watermelon festival.  The employees at the animal shelter had been trying to catch him without any luck.

His massive size scared off most of the townsfolk from even trying to catch him.  He’d been mistaken for both a moose and a bear, and now that he seemed to be living in the forest on the outskirts of town, and with hunting season about to start, the odds of him being shot and killed by a hunter were high.

“C’mon, boy,” I coaxed.  “C’mon, have a nice juicy burger.  C’mon.”

He took a few tentative steps forward, his nose quivering in the beam of the flashlight.  He whined, and I made a low sound of comfort.  Outwardly, I appeared calm, but inwardly I was nearly frantic for him to move closer.

As the dog stood and contemplated his next move, I took a quick glance behind me.  I couldn’t see it in the dark, but his house was behind me.  Hell, I was practically in his damn backyard.

Considering how hard you’ve been trying to avoid him the last month, you’re being an idiot now, you know that, right?

I ignored my inner voice.  She was right, but what choice did I have?  With a lack of any type of animal control in our small town, Mrs. Johnson had called the animal shelter right before it closed.  The dog was in her backyard and trying to dig up the potatoes in her garden.  My supervisor, Linda, had told her we couldn’t send anyone out until the morning when the shelter opened again, but I’d grabbed a leash and immediately driven across town in the pouring rain, making one quick stop at the local McDonalds to pick up a couple of burgers.

It wasn’t my fault that Mrs. Johnson lived next to him, was it?  I couldn’t let that stop me from catching the dog.  I’d never forgive myself if something happened to the dog tonight, just because I was trying to avoid the man I’d been in love with since I was twelve years old.

By the time I got to Mrs. Johnson’s, the rain was so bad I could barely see the road, and the setting sun had disappeared.  The dog was already gone, scared away by Mrs. Johnson’s youngest son, but I followed its tracks in the mud to the edge of the forest. 

“C’mon, sweetie.  I know you’re hungry.  Please, boy.  Please.”  I wasn’t wearing a jacket, I was soaking wet, my hands and feet were completely numb, and the burger I was holding was a wet and rapidly decaying mess.

“Please,” I said again. 

The old dog inched forward, picking his way delicately through the wet grass.  I held my breath and when the dog bent his head and picked up the burger, I slipped the loop of the lead over his head and around his thick neck.

I braced myself, prepared for the dog to fight and struggle to get away.  I was on the smaller side, not as tiny as my brother’s girlfriend, Luna, but at 5’6” and a hundred and twenty pounds, a panicking large dog would drag me off my feet.

To my surprise, the dog just gave me a weary look of resignation before swallowing the burger in one bite.  Still crouching, I quickly tore open the wet paper bag and unwrapped the second burger.  He took it eagerly from my hand, letting me rub the side of his neck as he chewed it down.

I stood and patted his side.  “Good boy, buddy.  Good boy.  C’mon, let’s get you back to my place.”

Considering it was actually my brother Asher’s house and not mine, he’d probably have a fit about me bringing the dog home, but I didn’t have much choice.  As a part time employee who’d only been working at the animal shelter for two weeks, Linda didn’t trust me with a key yet.  I would take the dog back to Ash’s place and then bring him to the shelter in the morning.

I picked up the flashlight and patted the dog again.  “Let’s go, boy.  I’ve got some dog food waiting for you at my place.  We’re gonna take a car ride, and maybe I’ll even try and give you a bath.  Would you like that?”

Thunder, so loud it made my teeth vibrate, boomed directly above us.  The dog made a startled yelp and took off running.  I held tight to the leash as I was knocked off my feet.  The flashlight went flying and the dog dragged me through the mud and over a raised flower bed full of miniature rose bushes.  I cried out, trying to protect my face from the thorns with my free hand. 

The dog hauled me out of the flower bed and across a stone patio.  I screamed and threw one arm over my head when the frightened mutt ran straight into the barbeque.  The leash was torn from my hand, but it got tangled around the barbeque.  The barbeque fell over with a loud crash, and the dog dragged it for a foot or two before giving up and stopping.  He sat on his haunches, panting harshly as the lights flicked on and the back door opened.

“What the hell?”  The man I was madly and hopelessly in love with, stepped out onto the patio and studied the dog before turning his gaze to me. 

I was still lying face down on the cold stone and, as lightning lit up the sky, I lifted my head and said, “Hello, Knox.  One hell of a storm out here, huh?”

* * *

I hadn’t been in Knox’s house in years, but not much had changed.  As I stood shivering in the kitchen, water and mud dripping off of me and the dog at my feet, I studied the room.  He had upgraded his appliances to stainless steel and replaced the counter top with a grey coloured marble, but the rest of the kitchen was the same.

I wondered if his bedroom still looked the same, if he still had the collection of Marvel Funko Pop figures on the bookcase in the corner, and that grey and white quilt on his bed.  My cheeks turned a fiery red.  I hadn’t exactly been invited into his bedroom that night, more like I’d purposely wandered in and then…

“Hey, here’s a towel.”  Knox had returned, and he handed me a big fluffy blue towel.  I dabbed at my suddenly hot face and wet hair.  I was fairly certain I looked exactly like a drowned rat as Knox knelt and rubbed down the dog with another towel.  It sat docilely while he did it and I made a sound of surprise when he licked Knox’s arm.

“What?”  Knox glanced up at me.

“Nothing.  He’s just pretty friendly with you for being a scared stray the last few months.”

“What can I say, dogs like me.”

He gave me that old charming Knox grin, and I could feel my crotch start to tingle with a pleasant warmth. 

Shit.  Time to go.

“Okay, well, thanks very much for your help, but I gotta get this guy back home and get some food into him.  Sorry I ruined your rose bushes.  Let me know how much it costs to replace them and I’ll, uh, e-transfer the money to you.”

“You’re soaking wet and covered in mud,” Knox said.  “I’ve got some dog food left over from when I dog sat for Elijah a few months ago.  I’ll give him some of that while you go to the bathroom and clean up.  Hell, have a shower if you’d like.”

Nope.  No way.  Being naked anywhere within a two-mile radius of Knox was a very bad idea.

“Nah, that’s okay.  I really need to leave.”  I dropped the towel on the table, ignored my unladylike urge to pull my wet underwear out of the crack of my ass, and grabbed the leash.  I tugged on it and the dog raised his head, gave me a weary look, and then laid down on the floor and closed his eyes.

“C’mon, boy.  We gotta go.”

“Isabelle, the road is -”

“C’mon.  Right now, dog.  Up.  Stand up.”  My voice was almost on the verge of panic, but the dumb dog didn’t budge an inch.

“Isabelle.”  Knox touched my arm and I jerked away from his touch.  My wet socks slipped on the tile floor and slid out from under me.  I landed on my ass with a hard thud that made my teeth click together.

“Shit.”  I wanted to rub my throbbing tailbone and fuck me, could my goddamn underwear migrate any further up my ass if they tried?

“You okay?” 

I scrambled to my feet before Knox could touch me again and backed away, trying unsuccessfully to give him a natural smile.  “Yeah.  Just clumsy.  Really good to see you again, Knox.”  I gave the leash a sharp tug.  “C’mon, dog.”

“The road is washed out.”

Dismay rippled through me.  “Already?”

Knox nodded and pointed to the iPad sitting on the kitchen table.  “Yeah, I was just watching the news when you came crashing into my yard.  It washed out about ten minutes ago.”

“I might still be able to get through if it wasn’t that long ago.” 

Knox lived in a neighbourhood on the outskirts of the west side of town close to the river.  The only road leading to the neighbourhood had a tendency to be flooded by the overflowing river during hard rain storms like this one.

“You can’t,” Knox said. “It isn’t safe.”

“I think I’ll try it.”

“No, you won’t.  You’re staying here with me tonight.”  Easy-going Knox had disappeared, and new tingles of heat appeared in my lady bits.  This version of Knox was rare, but damn if it didn’t get my juices flowing every single time.

“You’re dripping, Isabelle.”

My eyes widened, and I fought the urge to cover my crotch with my hand.  How the fuck did he know my panties were soaking wet because of him?

“Um…”  I had no idea what to say.  Should I apologize?  Should I offer to sleep in the garage with the dog?  He’d made it perfectly clear years ago that he found me just a step above repulsive.  Hell, after what I tried to do to him the last time I stayed overnight, the fact that he was even letting me spend the night was a damn miracle.

“Here,” he handed me the towel, “wrap this around yourself and take off your socks so you don’t get the hardwood in the hallway wet and muddy.  I’ll bring you a t-shirt and a pair of shorts to wear after you shower.”

Right…I was dripping wet from the rain, not from my desire to ride Knox’s cock for the next seven hours.

I cleared my throat.  “I can’t stay here.”

“Sure you can.  I’ll text your brother and let him know you’re here.  Go on, Izzy, have a shower before we lose the damn power.  The storm is only going to get worse.”

I hated it when Ash called me Izzy and loathed it when Knox did.  It made me feel young and stupid, and just hammered home the fact that Knox would never see me as anything more than his best friend’s little sister.

My lust cooled, and I wrapped the towel around my wet clothes and pulled my socks off as Knox rummaged in the cupboards and pulled out a large bowl.  He opened the pantry and took out some dog food.  The moment he opened the bag, the dog was on his feet and standing next to him, his tail wagging hopefully as he stared up at Knox.

Knox laughed and stroked his wet ears before pouring food into the bowl.  “You’re a good old boy then, aren’t you?”

He glanced at me.  “Go have a shower before you freeze to death.”

“Yeah, okay.  Thanks.”  I trudged out of the kitchen.

Chapter Two

Knox

What are you doing?

I paused in the hallway just outside of the bathroom, a t-shirt and a pair of shorts in one hand.  I could hear the shower running and my goddamn hand had actually been on the handle of the bathroom door.

What was I doing?  I was doing a good deed, being a good friend to my best friend and looking after his baby sister.  Nothing more.

Oh yeah?  Then explain why you’ve got a half a woody, and you were about to open the bathroom door without even fucking knocking.

I adjusted my dick and grimaced at the pressure.  If Asher knew that the idea of his sister naked and wet in my shower made me want to bust in there and join her, he wouldn’t hesitate to rearrange my face into something that resembled roadkill.  It didn’t matter that we’d been best friends since high school.  He was fiercely protective of Isabelle and after watching me whore around town, he would never think I was good enough for her.  Of course, Asher beating the hell out of me for dating his sister was the least of my worries.  If Asher or Isabelle knew what I had done, how badly I’d torn apart my own family, they’d see me as a monster, just like my father did.

Asher was right.  I wasn’t good enough for Isabelle.  But even if I hadn’t destroyed my family’s perfect life, even if I hadn’t spent the last five years sleeping with any woman that I could charm into my bed, this was little Isabelle.  When I’d met Asher at sixteen, Isabelle was only eleven.  A sweet girl with pig tails and skinned knees who adored her big brother.

Asher wasn’t a typical big brother.  Maybe it was because his parents fought so much or maybe he just genuinely enjoyed Isabelle’s company, but more than once, he’d show up at my house or the ball diamond or the movie theatre with Isabelle in tow.  Some of the guys in our group of friends were irritated by having an eleven-year-old tagging along with us, but they never said a word to Asher about it.  He was big, even back then, and his don’t-fuck-with-me vibe was enough to keep their mouths shut. 

Me?  I didn’t mind having Isabelle with us.  She was a sweet kid who talked more than her brother but was still quiet for an eleven-year-old.  As we’d grown older and she became a teen herself, she’d naturally drifted away from us to spend time with girls her own age.

I spent enough time at their place to still see her nearly every weekend.  She was growing up, becoming curvy in all the right places, but I swear I still only saw her as little Izzy.  I never thought that would change, not until the weekend after her eighteenth birthday and she…

My dick immediately got hard again, and I tossed the memory out of my head immediately.  What had happened that night was a mistake, and I just thanked God that I had come to my senses before I’d really fucked up.

A month after that disastrous night, Isabelle was gone.  She was living in Florida with her parents and had cut me out of her life completely.  Hell, she’d even unfriended me on Facebook.  I’d asked Asher a few times how she was doing but couldn’t exactly ask for more detail when he gave me general answers.  He would have wanted to know why I was so interested in his baby sister and who she may or may not be dating in Florida. 

I drove all memories of that night out of my head and busied myself with fucking any woman I could.  I told myself that it was because I had a high sex drive, and not that I was overcompensating for not getting to sleep with the woman I really wanted.

The news that Isabelle was coming back to town thrilled me more than it should have.  Except… she’d been ignoring me since she’d returned over a month ago.  I’d tried not to let it bother me, tried to pretend that she was just busy at the shelter like Ash said she was, but I knew the truth.  She still hated me for rejecting her and she always would.  I’d become convinced that we would live in the same town for the next twenty-five years and I’d never see her once.   Her avoidance game was…strong.

It was for the best, I knew that.  I tried to tell myself that I could just be friends with her, but even just the thought of being around her made me want her naked and under me where she belonged.  It was a good thing that she was avoiding me.  Only, I hadn’t counted on her crashing into my back yard in the middle of a thunderstorm, crushing my rose bushes and destroying my barbeque while being tethered to a big, smelly dog.

I didn’t realize the shower had stopped until the door opened and a cloud of steam rolled out.  Isabelle, her slender body wrapped in a towel, made a squeak of surprise.

“Knox?  What are you doing?”

I immediately looked away from her warm, wet body and held out the clothes. “Uh, sorry.  Just bringing you some clothes.  Throw your wet clothes in the washing machine if you’d like. You know where it is.  I, uh, I’ll just start dinner.”

She took the clothes and I hurried to the kitchen without looking at her again.  My heart was pounding, my dick was hard as fucking steel, and I was this close to picking Isabelle up and carrying her to my bedroom.  All the dirty things I wanted to do to her were reverberating through my head and I was in deep fucking trouble.

I was just opening the fridge when there was another huge boom of thunder that shook the house.  The wet dog at my feet let out a startled yelp as all the lights in the house went out.  I muttered a curse and shut the fridge door before shuffling toward the table.  I tripped over the dog, he yelped again, and I muttered another expletive before patting his head.

“Sorry, boy.”

The lightning flashed, lighting up the kitchen.  I grabbed my phone from the table and turned on the flashlight, just as Isabelle walked in with her own phone in her hand.

“Hey, you okay?”  I asked.

“Fine.”  She looked pale in the weak light of my phone.

“You sure?”

“Yes.  Do you have candles?  I don’t want to waste my phone battery.”

“Yeah, hold on.”

I snagged candles from the junk drawer and found matches in the cupboard over the stove.  I lit the candles and set them on the counter before turning to Isabelle.  “Looks like my dinner plan won’t work, but….”

“What?”  She crossed her arms nervously over her chest.

“Where are the shorts?”

She stared at her legs and pulled at the hem of my shirt.  “They were too big, they kept falling down as I walked.”

I turned away and stared blankly out the window over the sink, willing my dick to stop trying to push through my fucking jeans.  Isabelle was standing in my kitchen wearing nothing but my shirt.  If I wanted to, I could put her on the counter, lift the shirt and bury my face in her pussy.  I’d finally know how she tasted, what she sounded like when she had a tongue licking her clit. 

My cock surged against my denim until the pressure hurt.  I squeezed my hands around the edge of the sink as lust consumed my entire body.  I needed to leave.  I needed to go to my fucking bedroom and rub one out like a horny teenager, before my need for Isabelle took over the last rational thought in my brain.

I turned toward her, hoping the candle light was dim enough that she wouldn’t notice the way the front of my fucking jeans was tenting.  I didn’t have to worry.  She’d turned her back to me and was petting the dog.  I stared at her ass in the dim light and groaned under my breath.  “Isabelle, I’ll be right back.  I just need -”

The loud boom of thunder directly above us drowned out my voice.  The house shook, and the dog jumped up and put his big paws on Isabelle’s chest.  She staggered back, and I caught her around the waist as the dog’s weight drove her backwards.  She sagged against me as I pushed the dog away.

“You okay?”

“Yeah.”  She studied the dog who had returned to sitting on his haunches.  “You okay, puppy?  Did the thunder scare you?  It’s okay, you don’t…Knox?”

“Yeah?”

She twisted her head and stared up at me.  Even in the flickering candlelight I could see the surprise on her face.

“Isabelle, what’s wrong?  Why are you…shit.”

I was still holding her soft body against mine and, sweet fucking Christ, not only could she feel my erection pressing against her ass, but I was rubbing it against her like I really was a horny teenager.

I immediately let go of her and shuffled back.  She turned and stared at me as lightning lit up the kitchen.  The dog was wandering out of the kitchen and I tried to follow him, stopping when Isabelle dodged to the right and blocked my path out of the room.

“I have to go, Isabelle.”

“You want me,” she said.

“No, I don’t.” 

Smooth, you fucking wanker.

“You do.”  A combination of shock and delight was crossing her face.  “You’re attracted to me.”

“I’m not,” I insisted.  “What you thought you felt wasn’t what you thought you…felt.”

At least I was keeping up with my streak of saying stupid things.

She grinned at me, a predatory grin that made me hornier than fucking hell.  Her gaze dropped to my crotch and the grin widened.  “No?  So that wasn’t your erection poking me in the ass?”

“Isabelle, I…”

“You want me, and I want you,” she said in a low voice.  “I want you so much, Knox.”

“Please don’t,” I whispered as she drew closer.  I shuddered when her small hand traced my stomach through my shirt.

“Don’t what?”  She asked.  “All this time, I thought you found me repulsive, thought you couldn’t stand to touch me.  I was wrong, wasn’t it?”

Her light blue eyes stared steadily at me and I groaned when she traced the waistband of my jeans.  My hips jerked forward, and she stared up at me before stepping so close I could feel her stomach pressing against my dick.

“Answer me, Knox.”

“Yes,” I rasped.  “Yes, you were wrong.”

Her nostrils flared, and she smiled as more thunder rattled the windows.  “You want to fuck me.”

I groaned again.  “Isabelle, you need to go to the guest room and stay away from me.”

“Why?”  One slender finger traced my flat nipple through my t-shirt and precum dripped from my cock.

“I can’t be around you,” I said in a low voice.

“What if I’m tired of staying away from you?”  Her arm slipped around my waist and she kneaded my ass.

“I am five seconds away from tearing that shirt off of you, bending you over the table and shoving my cock into your pussy.  Do you understand?”  I growled at her.  My need for her had grown to a fevered pitch, and I meant every word I said.

She didn’t say anything, and I reached down and stroked her wet hair with the tips of my trembling fingers.  “Last chance, Isabelle.  Leave now or I will fuck you.”

She didn’t move, and I succumbed to the madness growing inside of me as lightning flashed across the sky.  Isabelle didn’t say a word when I grabbed the hem of her shirt and pulled it over her body.  I stared briefly at her naked body, but my urge to fuck, to take, to claim, was overpowering in its intensity.  I grabbed her arm and turned her roughly, shoving her up against the edge of the kitchen table.  I placed my hand in the middle of her back and pushed her down until her cheek was resting against the smooth wood.

I kept her pinned with one hand and shoved her legs apart with my thigh as I unbuttoned and unzipped my jeans.  I pushed them and my briefs down my legs, leaving them around my ankles as I stepped between Isabelle’s legs.  Her thighs widened, and I had enough goddamn restraint left to cup her pussy and make sure she was ready for me.  She was soaking wet.  I muttered a curse before gripping her hips and lifting her a little higher.

Without speaking, I pushed my cock up against her wet pussy and groaned when the head slipped into her tight hole.  She moaned, and I squeezed her hips and pushed forward into her incredibly hot and wet pussy until my cock was completely sheathed.

“Fuck, sweetheart,” I groaned.  “Your little pussy feels so good.”  I rubbed her lower back before stripping off my shirt.  “You okay, baby?  You need a minute?”

“Knox,” she lifted her upper body and braced her hands against the table, “shut up and fuck me.”

I grinned and gripped her perfect ass before pumping in and out of her.  She met each of my thrusts with unbridled enthusiasm, and when she tossed her long dark hair out of her face, I gathered it in a loose ponytail in one hand and pulled.  She cried out, her back arching as I leaned over her and kissed her shoulder.

“You’re so fucking tight.  You make me so hot, I’m ready to blow my load already.”

“Oh God!”  She reached down to rub her clit and I knocked her hand away before sliding my hand between her legs.

“You need your clit rubbed, baby?”

“Yes.”  She wiggled on my cock and I groaned before rubbing her swollen clit.  She bucked against me, squeezing her pussy around my cock, and I muttered a curse before slapping her ass with my other hand.

“Fuck, you’re gonna make me cum if you keep squeezing like that.”

“Make me cum,” she begged.  “Please, Knox.”

“Whatever you want, Isabelle.”  I rubbed her clit, circling around it and tugging on it every few seconds while I fucked her hard and fast.

She made a soft squeal, her body stiffened, and she pounded on the table with her tiny fists before screaming her release.  Her body shuddered and swayed beneath me as her pussy gripped my cock and held tight.  I made one final thrust, my hand tightening on her perfect ass, as I filled her pussy with my cum.  I pumped rapidly, going nice and deep.  She gasped and shoved her ass back against me, taking everything I was giving her.

“So good,” I moaned before leaning over her and resting my forehead between her shoulder blades.  She had collapsed against the table and was panting harshly.  I kissed her soft skin and rubbed her side.

She wiggled her hand beneath her body, and I jerked all over when her fingers brushed over my softening cock.

“Shit, Knox, did you cum in me?”

I immediately pulled out of her, shame souring my stomach as she straightened and turned around.

I yanked up my briefs and jeans and buttoned them.  “I’m sorry.  I – I fucked up.”

She studied me silently before bending and grabbing her shirt from the floor.  As she slipped into it, I said, “If you’re pregnant, I’ll be there for both you and the baby.  I promise, Izzy.”

She scowled at me, “Don’t call me Izzy.  I’m on the pill so I’m not worried about getting knocked up.  But I know you’ve slept around so…”

For the first time in my life, I regretted my whoring around.  “I’m clean.  I’ll show you my medical records.”  I grabbed my phone off the counter as Isabelle picked up hers.

“Thanks, I’ll show you mine as well.”

“You don’t have to.  I’m not worried about it,” I said.

Her laugh was a little bitter.  “You aren’t the only one who sleeps around, Knox.”

My fingers paused over my phone and Isabelle shrugged.  “What?  You think you’re the only one who likes to fuck?”

I cleared my throat.  “No.  I just…”

“Just what?”

“Nothing.”  I pulled up my medical records and handed the phone to her.  She gave me hers and I scanned her records quickly before setting the phone back on the table.  “Who have you slept with?”

“Seriously?  You want me to name every single guy I’ve been with since I moved to Florida?”

“No.  Just the ones since you moved back.”

She handed my phone to me.  “That’s none of your business.  Now,” she paused and waited for the thunder to end, “are we going to your bedroom or not?”

I hesitated before shaking my head.  “Isabelle, what just happened…it can’t happen again.  You know that.”

“Are you kidding?”

“No.  I want you, obviously, but I can’t be with you.”

Her cheeks flushed, and she crossed her arms over her chest.  “Why not?”

“If your brother found out what we did, he’d -”

“I’m an adult,” she snapped.  “It’s none of his business who I fuck.”

“If he finds out that we slept together, he’ll beat the shit out of me.  He’s protective of you.”

The look she gave me made me feel about two feet high.  “So, you won’t be with me because you’re afraid of my brother?”

It was so much more than that, but it was better for both of us if she believed it was because of Asher.  The truth was much worse, and if she knew, she’d never look at me the same way.

“He’ll cut me out of his life, Isabelle.  He’s my best friend, and I don’t want to lose him.”

Her lips pressed into a thin line before she gave me a short nod.  “All right.”

“Can we still be friends?”  I sounded like an asshole, I know, but I wanted Isabelle in my life.

Why, so you can watch her date a bunch of other men who aren’t you?

“I don’t think so,” she said.  “I want you as more than just a friend and being around you is painful if I can’t touch you or be with you.  It’s better if I don’t see you.”

“It’s a small town,” I said, “you can’t avoid me forever.”

“It’s been working out okay so far.”  She gave me a small smile.  “Thanks for giving me a place to crash.  Good night, Knox.”

“Isabelle, I -”

“Don’t worry, I won’t sneak into your bedroom like I did before.  I’ve,” she paused, “matured a little since then.  Good night.”

She left the kitchen and I heard her and the dog head down the hallway before the faint squeak of the guest room door.  The storm was starting to diminish, and I sank into the kitchen chair, staring numbly at the table.  Already, fucking Isabelle seemed like a distant memory, like it was nothing more than a feverish dream. 

I clenched my hands into fists before blowing out the candles and heading to my own bedroom.  I’d been out of control earlier, my need for her so intense that I’d acted like a goddamn rutting wild animal.  I chucked my clothes in the hamper and slid naked into the bed, staring up at the ceiling.  I wished to God, I had taken my time with her.  Wished I had carried her to my bed and spent the rest of the night kissing her, and touching her, and making her cry my name as she came repeatedly.

I groaned and rolled to my side.  I’d spent years dreaming about fucking Isabelle, and I’d ruined it by being impatient and selfish.

So, go to the guest room and fix it.  Ask Isabelle to let you fuck her again.

I punched my pillow into a better position.  I couldn’t.  It was a mistake to sleep with her in the first place.  I couldn’t ever lose control like that again.

Chapter Three

Isabelle

“You seriously just snuck out this morning?  I thought the road was washed out.”  Mia brushed the crumbs from her banana bread off her ample chest and took a sip of coffee.

“The storm didn’t last all that long, I took a chance that the road was drivable.”  I took my own sip of coffee and waved at my brother’s girlfriend, Luna, when she came out of the back room of the coffee shop.

“Was it?”

“Mostly.”

“That was really dangerous, Isabelle,” Mia said.

“Yeah, I know, but I couldn’t be there when he woke up.  I just couldn’t, Mia.”  I glanced around the coffee shop before lowering my voice.  “I finally got the chance to sleep with Knox and it was terrible.”

“Sometimes two people just aren’t compatible in bed.”  Mia lowered her voice as well.

I gave her a startled look.  “What?  No, that isn’t what I meant.  The sex was fantastic, Knox made me cum harder than I ever have in my life.  It was after that was so awful.  It was awkward and weird, and I could see the regret all over his face. Not to mention that it was pretty humiliating to have Knox choose my brother over me.”

“They’ve been friends since high school, and you’ve been gone for a while,” Mia said tactfully.

“I know, I just -”

“Hey, Isabelle.”  Luna, a Mugs apron tied around her waist and her dark hair in a braid, joined us.  “How are you?”

“I’m good.  Luna, do you know Mia?”

Luna smiled at my best friend.  “I don’t think we’ve formally met.  You’re a paramedic, right?”

Mia nodded.  “That’s right.”

“Luna is dating Asher,” I said.

“It’s nice to meet you,” Mia said.

“You as well.  Some storm last night, huh?”  Luna turned to me.  “I stayed over at Asher’s, but I didn’t hear you come in.”

“I spent the night at a friend’s,” I replied.  “I finally caught that stray dog last night.”

“No!  Good job, Isabelle.  What did you do with him?”

“Took him to the shelter this morning.”

Luna glanced at my arm.  “How’s the dog bite on your arm by the way?”

“All healed up.”  I flipped my arm over and showed her the scars on my inner forearm.  “More scarring than I expected though.”

“Guys dig scars, right?”  Luna said with a grin.  “Which is a good thing, because I have about a billion.  Anyway, I’d better get back to work.  See you later.”

We watched as the small brunette turned and headed back to the counter.  Halfway there, she tripped over the leg of a chair and fell.  She popped back up immediately and nodded to Lily Carson who touched her arm and gave her a worried look.  Lily followed her to the counter and ordered a coffee.

Mia nudged me.  “Hey, did you hear that Lily the “Ice Queen” Carson is dating Jack Williams?”

I nodded and studied Lily who was still waiting at the counter.  “Yes.  I had dinner with her the other week.  She told me she moved in with Jack.”

“Since when did you two become friends?”  Mia asked.

I shrugged.  “I ran into her at the grocery store about two weeks after I moved back.  She seemed…different, you know?”

“Her father was sent to prison and she lost all her money.  That changes a girl, I guess.”

“Did everyone in the town shun her?”  I asked.

“Yeah,” Mia took off the lid of her coffee and blew on the steaming liquid.  “I’m sure I told you about it in one of our text or Facebook conversations.  Arthur Carson going to prison, Lily losing all of her money, and having to work at Dale’s disgusting bar, was the juiciest gossip this town had in years.”

“Yeah, you probably did,” I said.  “But it was around the time that things got really ugly between Mom and Dad, so, you know.”

Mia gave me a sympathetic look and squeezed my hand.  “Anyway, most of the people in town thought that Lily would move away with her mother, but she stuck around.  Allie Dickerson rented out one of her gross trailers to her once the bank took her house, but I think it was just so Sonya and Denise could call her trailer trash.”

“The three of them are still close?”

“Yeah, they were beside themselves with glee when Lily’s father went to prison and her life turned to shit.  Not that I can blame them, Lily was a real bitch to them in high school.”

Lily left the counter and headed for the front door.  She paused at our table and gave me a tentative smile.  “Hi, Isabelle.”

“Hey, Lily.”

“Are we still on for coffee next week?”

I nodded, and Lily smiled at me.  “Great, see you then.”

She left, and Mia grinned at me.  “You’re such a bleeding heart.”

“I am not.”

“Of course you aren’t.”

“Lily needs friends and people can change, you know?  It isn’t fair to judge a person by what they did in the past.”

“I know, I was just teasing.”  Mia pulled at her t-shirt again where it clung to her round belly.  “Hey, did I tell you I joined the gym?”

“That’s great.”  Mia had been self-conscious about her weight as a teenager and still was.  “You know you’re beautiful though, right?”

Mia just shrugged.  “I’ll be beautiful when I drop thirty pounds.”

“No, you’re beautiful now.”

Mia glanced at her watch.  “We’d better go.  You have to be to work in half an hour and I told Nana I’d come by this afternoon.”

“Fine, but this conversation isn’t over, Mia.”

She wiggled her nose at me, and I slapped her on the butt before following her out of the coffee shop.

* * *

“Adopted?  By who?”  I stared blankly at Thomas, one of my coworkers from the shelter.  “But I just dropped him off this morning.  He couldn’t have been adopted already.”

Thomas shrugged and continued to mop the empty kennel.  “He was.  Some guy came in at noon and put in an adoption application for him.”

“But,” I had to raise my voice to be heard over the barking of the other dogs, “there’s a twenty-four hour wait once you fill in the application form.”

Thomas dipped the mop into the bucket.  “I guess the guy asked to talk to Linda directly and whatever he said, convinced her to let him take the dog right then.”

“Who the hell is this guy?  Linda wouldn’t break the rules for God himself.”

Thomas laughed.  “It’s the gardener guy, I can’t remember his name, but he’s got a way with the ladies.  Linda might be a hundred years old, but she wasn’t immune to him either.”

“Gardener guy?”  A bad feeling was rolling into my stomach.  “Where’s Linda now?”

“Cat room.”

I stormed out of the kennel and through the lobby to the cat room.  I yanked open the door.  Linda was sweeping the floor as a dozen or so cats roamed around her feet.  Linda was less than five feet tall, weighed ninety pounds soaking wet, and could wrestle a fully-grown, panicking Great Dane to the ground.  She was fueled by bourbon and sarcasm and had been the shelter manager for the last twenty-five years.  No one knew her exact age, but she had to be pushing seventy at least.

“Did you adopt that stray dog I brought in this morning to Knox Jameson?”

“Good afternoon to you too, Isabelle.”  Linda stopped sweeping.  The moment she stopped moving, a large, orange cat leaped into her arms, knocking the broom out of her hands.  Linda held him against her chest and petted his thick fur.

“Sorry.”  I took a deep breath.  “Did Knox adopt that stray dog?”

“Yes.”

“But, there’s a twenty-four hour wait to check references and make sure the adopter is serious.”

Linda set the cat on top of one of the cat scratching trees and picked up the broom again.  “Mr. Jameson convinced me he was ready to take the dog now.”

“What?  How?”

“Well, he did mention that the dog had already spent the night at his home.”

I blushed furiously, and Linda raised her penciled-in eyebrows at me.  “What?”

“Nothing,” I mumbled.

“Do you know something about Mr. Jameson that I do not?”

“No, he’s a good guy, and he loves animals.”

“Then what’s the problem, Isabelle?”

“I – there’s no problem.”

“Good.  If you’re done scolding me on my adoption practices, the kennels outside need hosing out.”

“Yes, Ma’am.”

Chapter Four

Knox

“What are you going to name him?”  My mom scratched the dog behind his ears, and he made a woof of happiness before leaning on her.

“I haven’t decided yet.”  I sat down at the kitchen table and took a drink of iced tea.  “Any suggestions?”

“He looks like a Max.”  Mom sat next to me, smiling a little when the dog butted his head into her lap.  She scratched the top of his head again.  “Max could use a bath.”

“I know.  I’m taking him over to the Pampered Paws Grooming after his vet appointment.  I just wanted to stop in so you could meet your new grandson.”

She laughed and shook her head.  “It’s not that I don’t love your new dog, but I’m really hoping for human grandchildren at some point.”

I didn’t reply, and she reached out and squeezed my hand.  “Why did you get a dog, honey?”

“Why wouldn’t I?  I like animals and he needed a home.”  I refused to look her in the eye.

“You’ve spent the last fifteen years cutting yourself off from anyone or anything that might need you and -”

“You know why I’ve done that.” 

“Yes, I do.  I don’t agree with it, but I understand.  Which is why you suddenly getting a dog makes no sense.”

“It’s just a dog, Mom,” I said.  “It’s no big deal.”

“Honey, look at me.”

She squeezed my hand again and I sighed and raised my gaze.  I knew what was coming, knew I was about to hear the same speech for what felt like the hundredth time.  She needed to say it, even if I never believed her.  I had my coping methods and she had hers.

“Your grandmother was drunk.  She fell down the stairs.  It was an accident.”

“I know.”

“It wasn’t fair of your father and me to ask you to watch over her that day.  We shouldn’t have asked that of you, and not a day goes by that I don’t regret it.  If I could go back and change it, I would.”

“I know.”

“You don’t, honey.  You say you do, but you won’t allow yourself to get close to anyone.  You need to go back to therapy and -”

“No.  I did enough therapy as a teenager, I’m not doing more.”

“Knox, it was an accident.  A terrible, horrible accident that you are not to blame for, despite what he told you.  You need to stop punishing yourself and give yourself permission to be close to someone.  To find love.  Sleeping around with random women and not being in a committed relationship isn’t healthy.”

“I like my life just the way it is.”

“Do you?  Or do you wish you could be with Isabelle?”

I spilled some of my iced tea on the table.  “What are you talking about?”

My mother petted the dog’s head.  “I know you’re in love with her, Knox.  I know you’ve been in love with her for years.  She loves you too, I saw it every time she looked at you.  She moved back here to be with you.  Why are you not with her?”

“You know why.”  My voice was harsh, but my mother didn’t cringe.

“You’re not going to hurt her.”

I couldn’t stop the bitter laughter.  “Yeah, tell that to Grandma.”

“Knox -”

I stood up and made a soft whistle.  The dog stretched and followed me to the doorway.  “I gotta go, Mom.  I need to get the dog to his vet appointment.  I love you.”

Her voice was tinged with sorrow.  “I love you too, Knox.  So much.”

* * *

Isabelle was waiting for me when I got home.  I brought Max out of the car, holding tightly to his leash in case he decided to bolt on me, and walked up the steps of the front porch.  My need to be buried deep inside Isabelle’s tight little pussy returned in a roaring rush that almost made me lightheaded.  She was sitting in the chair closest to the door and Max, his stub of a tail wagging furiously, lunged for her.

She smiled and petted his big head when he rested it on her lap.  She eyed the blue ribbon tied into a bow around his collar.  “You smell a lot better, boy.”

“I took him to Pampered Paws after his vet appointment.”  I stood awkwardly, holding the end of Max’s leash and hoping that my erection wasn’t too noticeable.

“What did the vet say?”

“He’s too thin, but healthy.  I have to take him back in a month to make sure he’s gaining weight.”

“That’s good.”  She rubbed the bridge of his nose.

“Why did you leave this morning without saying goodbye?”

“I couldn’t stay.”

“Was the road even -”

“It was fine.  I want you to bring the dog back to the shelter, Knox.”  Isabelle patted Max’s thick neck.

“What?  Why?”

“I don’t think you’re the right home for him.”

Hurt flickered through me.  “You’re wrong.  C’mon, Max.”

I tugged on the dog’s leash and he followed me obediently into the house.  Isabelle was right behind us and I unclipped Max’s leash and ignored her as I talked to the dog.

“Time for your dinner, big guy.”

Isabelle glared at me as I put food in Max’s new food dish and set it on the floor.  “Just hear me out, Knox.”

“No.  Linda thought I was the right home, she let me adopt him on the spot.”

“What exactly did you say to her?”

“I was just my usual charming self.  Can I help it if Linda is into hot younger men who know how to work their…hose?”

I was reverting to the horndog tricks that everyone expected from me.  Knox, the guy who didn’t take anything or anyone seriously.  The guy who always had a smartass comment for everything.  I’d used that persona as a shield for years, and I desperately needed it at the moment.  I couldn’t let Isabelle see how she affected me.

Isabelle rolled her eyes, but I could see the small smile playing on her lips.  “Seriously?  You flirted with Linda just to get the dog?”

“I like him, and we bonded last night during the storm.”

“Bullshit.”

I just shrugged and crossed my arms over my chest before leaning against the counter.  “You’re just mad because he likes me better than you.”

“I am not.”  Isabelle gave me a huffy look.  “And I’ll have you know that he totally likes me more than you.”

“Not true.”

“I was going to adopt him.”

“Bullshit.”  I threw it right back at her.  “Like Ash would ever let you have a dog in his house.”

“I won’t be living with him forever,” Isabelle said.  “I’m looking for my own place.”

“Max isn’t an apartment dog.”

“I’ll rent a house.”

“You’re telling me you’re going to rent a house on your part-time shelter job paycheque, and will adopt Max, just so I can’t have him?  Seriously, Isabelle?”

She crossed the kitchen and poked me in the chest.  I had to force myself not to cup her hips and pull her up against my erection.  Her t-shirt and jeans were covered in dog hair, she must have just finished a shift at the shelter, but she still smelled fucking delicious.  I wanted to bury my face in her neck.

“Why did you adopt him?  Since when did you want a dog?”

“It’ll be nice to have some company in the evening.”

“You mean the parade of women isn’t enough?”

I winced, and shame flickered across Isabelle’s face.  She pressed her soft hand against my chest.  “I’m sorry, Knox.  That was a real dick thing to say.”

I shrugged.  “It’s not like I can deny it.”

She sighed and stepped a little closer.  Her hand was still against my chest and just the heat of it was setting my nerve endings on fire.  “I’m in no position to judge and I apologize.”

I slid my arms around her waist and pulled her against me.  “Apology accepted.”

“Knox…”

“I just want a hug,” I said, trying not to cringe at how pathetic I sounded.  “Hug me and all is forgiven, Isabelle.”

She smiled a little before standing on her tiptoes and wrapping her arms around my neck.  I buried my face in her throat and inhaled deeply.  “You smell good.”

“No, I don’t.  I was cleaning out the kennels and bathing some of the shelter dogs.  Unless you like the smell of wet dog, you’re just trying to get into my pants again.”

“In some places, wet dog smell is an aphrodisiac,” I said.

She laughed, and I refrained from giving her tight ass a squeeze.  She patted my back.  “I should go.”

I held her a little tighter, I couldn’t help myself, and she patted my back again before saying, “I need to go.  If I don’t, I’ll try and seduce you and you’ve made it clear that -”

“Do you regret last night?  Is that why you left so early this morning?”  I searched her face, my stomach dropping at the look on it.  “Shit, you do regret it.”

“I don’t,” she said.  “I swear I don’t, I just, maybe, regret parts of it.”

I tried to release her, and she pressed her firm body against mine.  “No, don’t shut down on me, Knox.  Listen to what I have to say first.”

I stared at the floor, and she cupped my face and made me look at her.  “I regret how it happened.  I regret that it was hard and fast and even though you gave me the best orgasm of my damn life, I wish it had been different.”

“Different how?”  I asked.

“Honestly, if I had known that it would be the only time I’d be with you, I would have touched you more, would have,” she flushed a little, “finally kissed you.”

“You’ve kissed me,” I said.  “That night in my bedroom -”

She groaned.  “Do not remind me of that night.  I’m still humiliated.  And we definitely didn’t kiss.  More like I got my lips about two inches from your lips before you panicked and pushed me out of the bed.”

Now it was my turn to groan.  “God, I still feel bad about pushing you out of my bed.  I’m sorry, baby.”

She shrugged.  “Don’t apologize.  I’m sorry for what I did.  Climbing into your bed in the middle of the night was a horrible thing to do to you, and you were right to shove me out of it.”

I flinched.  “I only pushed you away because -”

“I know why you did it.”  A pinched look crossed her face before she smoothed her face into a false smile.  “Anyway, can we get away from rehashing the most embarrassing moment of my life, and back to rehashing the second most embarrassing moment of my life?”

“You don’t have to be embarrassed about last night.”

“I do.  I basically forced you to admit you wanted to screw me.”

“You didn’t.”

She just shook her head before sighing.  “Anyway, no I don’t regret that I finally found out what it was like to have sex with you, but I wish I hadn’t been so needy for you and I wish I’d taken my time.”

I didn’t reply, and she smiled at me.  “I’d better go now.”

I cupped her face and stroked my thumb across her cheek.  “What if we had one more night?”

“What do you mean?”  She whispered.

“You think I don’t wish I’d taken my time as well?  What if we spent the night together tonight?  Just one more night.”  I slid my other hand down to her ass and cupped it gently.  “One more night to touch, taste,” I bent my head and licked her bottom lip, “kiss.”

“And fucking?”  She said breathlessly.

I grinned.  God, I loved how blunt she was.  “Yes, baby, and fucking.”

She stared at my mouth and I was just about to kiss her, when she said, “I don’t want to make you do something you don’t want to.”

I pressed my hard cock against her flat belly.  “Does it feel like I don’t want this?”

She studied me.  “But just tonight, right?  After this, you won’t want anything to do with me.”

“Isabelle, I -”

She held up her hand.  “Forget I said that.  It wasn’t fair of me.”

I started to release her, and she pressed her slender body against mine. “No, don’t pull away.  I want this.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.  Make me yours.  Just for tonight, Knox.”

Chapter Five

Isabelle

The moment I told him to make me his, Knox groaned and squeezed me so hard that my ribs ached.  I ran my hands over his hard chest and studied his dark brown eyes as his thumb rubbed my cheekbone again.

“I want you so much, sweet Isabelle,” he said.

“I want you too.”

He dipped his head and pressed his mouth against mine.  I moaned when he sucked on my bottom lip before tracing my upper with the tip of his tongue.  I parted my lips and he continued to brush his thumb across my cheek as he explored my mouth.  He took his time, tasting and teasing and licking.  Kissing Knox was everything I’d dreamed it would be.  Hell, it was so much more.  Just the taste of him, just the way his tongue stroked across mine as his big hand kneaded my ass, made me dripping wet.

The same urge from last night to just spread my legs and beg him to take me hard and fast, washed over me.  I tried to ignore it.  I had tonight with Knox and that was it.  I wanted to experience everything with him.  Having him fuck me over the kitchen table again wouldn’t give me what I really wanted.

What you really want is Knox in your bed for the rest of your life.

I ignored my inner voice and slid my hands under Knox’s shirt.  I traced the heavy muscles in his back with my fingertips, and he moaned against my mouth.  His big hand cupped my breast and I arched into his touch.

I was insanely turned on.  Knox, the love of my life, was kissing me.  He was touching my breasts and teasing my nipples, and if I didn’t get him inside of me right now, I would lose my fucking mind.

I reached for the button on his jeans, flicking it open and then tugging down the zipper.  Knox’s big hand covered mine before I could reach inside his briefs.

“Whoa, I thought we were going to take our time,” he said teasingly.

“I can’t.”  I was a little ashamed at the raw eagerness in my voice.  “I need you to fuck me right now.”

He shook his head and I made a low noise of frustration.  He grinned and picked me up, kissing me again as I wrapped my legs around his waist and dry-humped him like an out-of-control teenager.

He nipped at my bottom lip and gave my ass a gentle slap.  “Behave, Isabelle.”

“Bedroom, now,” I demanded.

“Sure, but only because it’ll be easier to eat your pussy when you’re lying on the bed,” Knox said.

“Hell, yes,” I said before licking and sucking on his earlobe.  “But, and hear me out on this, we could have a quick…quickie first, just to, you know, cut the need a little bit.”

He laughed as he left the kitchen and carried me to his bedroom.  “No.”

“I really need you.”  My voice was on the edge of a whine.

“This was your idea, remember?”  He set me down.

“No, it was your…”

Knox took off his shirt and even though I’d seen him shirtless last night, I was dumbstruck all over again by how incredible his upper body was.  Years of working outdoors had given him a permanent tan.  He was long and lean with a six-pack, and his broad shoulders were the stuff that wet dreams were made of.  A dusting of dark hair covered his upper chest, and I reached out and pressed my trembling hand against his heart.

He groaned, lust lighting up his face, and I loved the way I could turn him on with just a touch.  

“You’re beautiful,” I whispered.

He just smiled and reached for the hem of my shirt.  He pulled it over my head and traced the line of my bra cups before tugging on the strap.  “Take this off.”

I unhooked my bra and let it slide off my upper body before standing still with my arms at my side.  He stared at my tits before reaching out and almost reverently cupping both in his big hands.  His thumbs circled around my nipples and I arched again into his touch.

“Please,” I whispered.

He gave me that Knox grin, the one that made every nerve ending in my body light up, and reached down to unbutton my jeans.  He helped me out of my jeans and my panties before removing the rest of his clothes.  I studied his thick cock, the tip of it already leaking precum, and bent over.  Before he could protest, I was sliding my mouth over his cock. 

He moaned a curse and his hips jerked forward.  I braced my hands on his hips and bobbed my head back and forth over his dick.  He tasted delicious and I loved the way he gathered my hair back in one hand so he could watch me suck him.

“Fuck, baby, you’re so fucking hot.  You’re so good at this,” he moaned as he cupped my face with his other hand.  “Suck harder, sweetheart.”

I did what he asked, gripping the base of his cock with my hand and rubbing hard as I sucked and licked the head.  I traced the vein on the underside and he muttered another curse before jerking his dick out of my mouth.  I whined in protest and tried to take him back.

“Stop, baby.”  He tugged on my hair until I straightened.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong.  I just don’t want to finish in your mouth.  Not this time.”

I squeezed my thighs together as fresh lust flooded my body.  When it didn’t help, I reached between my legs.  Before I could even start rubbing my clit, Knox was pulling my hand away.

“I need to cum,” I said. 

“Soon.”  He led me to the bed and I laid on my back in the middle of the mattress as Knox kneeled between my open thighs.

“Fuck me.”  I reached down to guide his cock into my soaking wet pussy, but he caught my hand and held it still.

“Knox, fuck me!”

“Soon.”

“You’re the worst,” I said.

He laughed and bent down to nuzzle my neck.  “No, I’m the best and you’re about to find out for yourself.”

“Arrogant jerk,” I moaned as he licked across my collarbone before kissing between my tits.

“Maybe,” his breath was warm on my nipple, “but you like it.”

“I don’t, I…. oh hell, yes, just like that.”

His mouth closed around my aching left nipple and sucked hard.  I clutched his head, digging my short nails into his scalp as his hand squeezed and kneaded my other breast.  He sucked my left nipple until I was begging and pleading and then switched to the other.

I stared up at the ceiling, my pelvis rising and falling uncontrollably, as Knox sucked both nipples until they were hard and aching.  Each pull of his mouth sent pleasure straight to my pussy.

“Knox!”  My voice was breathless with need.

He rumbled laughter before kissing between my breasts and down my flat abdomen.  When he kissed the small patch of hair at the top of my pussy, I reached for his pillows and shoved them behind me so that I was sitting up.

Knox had stretched out between my thighs and he kissed my inner leg before raising one eyebrow at me.

“I’ve dreamed for years about what it would be like to have you eat me out.  I wanna watch it happen,” I said.

His laughter brought warmth to my chest.  God, I loved him.

“Should I get my phone, so you can record it and watch it again later?”  He asked with a sardonic grin.

“Maybe next time,” I pushed on his naked butt with my foot.  “Get to the good part, mister.”

“Patience.”  He nipped my inner thigh.

“I think I’ve waited long enough,” I replied.  “Or, are you not that good at it?  Is that why you’re stalling?”

“Oh, baby, you’re so gonna pay for that remark,” he growled before lowering his face to my pussy. 

I spread my thighs wide as he licked my wet slit from my narrow opening to my swollen clit.  I shrieked with pleasure at the brush of his tongue against my clit, but he immediately moved away, licking and nibbling at my pussy lips.  He licked the crease of my thigh and I pulled hard on his hair before trying to force his mouth to my clit.

“Be nice, Knox!”

“I am.”  He captured both my wrists and pinned them against my outer thighs.  “Now be a good girl and sit nicely while I eat your pussy for you.”

I struggled to free my hands, but Knox was too strong.  I had discovered that the pussy eating went much better if I could…guide a man’s mouth to the exact spots I wanted his tongue.  With my hands pinned, I couldn’t take control like I normally did, and I wouldn’t be able to cum.

“Knox, let go of my hands.”

“Not yet.”  He made a leisurely lick back down my slit and I moaned, half in frustration and half in need, when the tip of his tongue brushed against my clit.

“I – I need to show you, need to help you…” I moaned.

He shook his head and kissed my soaking wet pussy lips.  “I don’t need help, baby.”

“You will,” I panted.  “I can’t – I can’t cum if you don’t let me help you find the right spot.”

“We’ll see about that,” he said with maddening patience.

“Dammit, Knox!  I…oh…oh my god.”

Knox was sucking on my clit and he released it and grinned at me.  “Was that the right spot?”

“Again.  Right now,” I demanded.

Instead of sucking on my clit, he licked my wet pussy lips until I was digging my nails into my thighs and nearly wailing with frustration.  He ignored my begging, my pleading, and my cursing, and nibbled on my inner thigh before licking my clit.

I cried his name, my hips thrusting upward.  He smiled at me as I made another hoarse cry of need. “Please, oh please, Knox.”

I watched as he bent his head and deliberately licked around my clit.  I was squirming and moaning, and I couldn’t take my gaze away from his mouth and his tongue as he tormented me.

I thrust against his mouth again and screamed with pleasure when he licked my clit and then sucked on it.  I rubbed my pussy furiously against his mouth, the scrape of his stubble on my wet lips sending little spikes of pleasure down my legs, the hot wetness of his tongue pushing me immediately toward my release.

He sucked hard on my clit and my orgasm washed over me like a tidal wave.  I screamed again, my body arching up against his mouth.  He released my hands and gripped my thighs, continuing to lick and suck as I came so hard, small flashes of light exploded behind my eyelids.

I collapsed against the bed, moaning and shuddering, my pussy clenching uselessly with the aftershocks of my orgasm.  Knox was pushing my thighs wide, but I barely noticed as I sucked in big gasps of air.

“Baby, look at me.”

My eyelids fluttered open.  Knox was kneeling between my legs, the head of his cock pressing against my opening as he braced himself on his hands above me.

“There’s my girl,” he said. He held my gaze as he pushed the head of his cock into my pussy.  He made a harsh moan and stopped.  “Baby, let me in.”

“Trying,” I panted.  My pussy was still clenching and unclenching, and I couldn’t seem to stop twitching.

Knox bent his head and licked my mouth.  “You’re so wet and tight, baby.  I need to be inside of you.  Take some deep breaths.”

“It was so good,” I moaned as I twitched beneath him.  “So fucking good.”

He nuzzled my neck.  “Deep breaths.”

I took some deep breaths, willing my body to relax as I gazed up at Knox.  He pushed again, a little more of his cock sliding into my body, and smiled at me.

“That’s my good girl.”

I squeezed around his thick cock, and he groaned as a bead of sweat dripped down his neck.  I lifted my head and licked it away.  He groaned again and made a final thrust that sheathed him completely.

“Fuck, you have no idea how good this feels,” he muttered.

I cupped my breasts, running my thumbs back and forth over my hard nipples, secretly delighted by the way it made Knox’s eyes glaze over.  “Fuck me, Knox.”

He didn’t need to be told twice.  I squeaked in surprise when he leaned back and lifted both my legs over his shoulders before propping himself up on his hands again.  He fucked me hard and fast, driving in and out of my soaking wet pussy as he watched me play with my nipples.

He was starting to shake, his head twisting back and forth as his chest heaved for air.  I tugged on my nipples before pinching them.  He cried out and plunged in and out of me so rapidly that my body bounced on the bed.

“Isabelle, I’m so close, I…”

I reached up and pinched one flat nipple.  He made a hoarse shout and thrust forward, pinning me to the bed as his body shuddered and he came hard.  His cum filled me up, splashing my inner walls with its warmth as he rocked back and forth against me.  My legs were cramping, and I could barely breathe under his weight, but I didn’t care.  I watched him ride out his orgasm, ignoring the pain in my thighs.

Still shaking, he moved back a little and I eased my legs down to the bed.  He moved to the side and I laughed when he collapsed on his face.

“Hey,” I poked him in the ribs, “you okay?”

“Holy fuck,” he mumbled into the pillow.  “I’ve never cum that hard in my life.”

“That makes two of us.”  I stretched like a contented cat before curling on my side.  He rolled over and pulled the covers over us before spooning me and resting one big hand on my flat stomach.  It was dark in his room, and I squealed in surprise when a wet nose ran across my upper thigh.

Knox jerked behind me, his hand clamping painfully on my abdomen.  “What?  Jesus, what’s wrong?”

“Max, go on,” I pushed on his big head, laughing when he licked the palm of my hand before snuffling around the floor.  “Your dog just tried to give me a heart attack.”

“You?  I’m the old one, remember?”  Knox said.  “I think we need a no dog in the bedroom rule.  What do you think?”

“At the very least,” I grunted when Max jumped up on the bed and stretched out across our lower legs, “no dogs on the bed.”

“Max, get down,” Knox said.

The dog ignored him and rested his big head on my hip.

“You okay?”  Knox asked.  “Is he too heavy?”

“I don’t know, is it bad that my legs have gone completely numb?”

He laughed, but I grabbed his arm when he went to push Max off the bed.  “No, it’s okay.  He’s fine for a bit.”

“Are you hungry?”  Knox kissed the back of my neck.

“No, not right now.  Listen, should I go?  Are you just awkwardly wishing I would leave?”

“No.”  Knox held me a little tighter.  “I want you to spend the night with me, Isabelle.  Okay?”

“Okay.”  I relaxed in his arms and Knox kissed my shoulder.

“I’m glad you’re home.”

“Me too,” I said.  “I hated Florida.”

“Why did you live there for so long then?  Was it,” he hesitated, “was it because of me?”

“Partially.”  I squeezed his arm when he winced.  “Sorry, but I don’t want to lie to you.  But, it wasn’t all you.  My mom had gotten even worse when we moved to Florida, she was constantly spying on and harassing my dad about her belief that he was cheating on her.  She just couldn’t or wouldn’t trust him, and I didn’t want to leave my dad to deal with her alone.  He told me it was fine, that I should move out and live my own life, but…”

Knox kissed my shoulder again.  “You’re a good daughter, Isabelle.”

I just shrugged.  “Anyway, when they finally separated and divorced, I was worried about Dad being lonely, so I stayed with him for a while longer.”

“Why did they divorce?  Ash won’t talk about it, and I kind of thought your dad would put up with her forever.”

“She hired a private investigator to tail him.”

“You’re kidding me.”

“Nope.  It was the line in the sand for dad.  Of course, the fact that she paid for it using his credit card, didn’t help.”

“Holy shit.  Your mom is a real piece of work.”

“Yeah, I know.”

“Do you talk to her at all?”

“A little.  She’s living in a retirement community and she seems happy.  At least, as happy as she can be.  She has a new boyfriend and he takes up a lot of her time.  Even if she didn’t - she’s not really into me or Ash.  She never has been, you know?  It’s always been about her.”

“I know.  I’m sorry.”

“It’s not anything new.  Besides, I’m not the only one with a crapass parent.”  I squeezed his arm.  Knox had never once mentioned his father to me and from what I could tell, he had only given Ash the barest of details.  His parents had divorced when Knox was sixteen, and his mother had moved him to our small town and started over.

“Do you, uh, ever talk to your dad?”  I asked.

“No.  How is your dad doing?”

I knew a subject change when I heard one.  “He’s good, actually.  He’s started dating a woman named Martha from his church.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah.  Ash wasn’t super happy about it, but now that he’s actually dating Luna and starting to maybe get over his weird relationship issues, I think he’ll see that it’s good for dad.”

“Did you date anyone seriously in Florida?”

“No.” 

“Why not?”

“No one I was really interested in, I guess.”

I wondered if Knox knew I was lying.  If he realized that I hadn’t dated anyone because it was him and only him that I would always love.  The thought of being with anyone else, of trying to build a life with someone other than him, made me feel sick to my stomach.

Thanks to Mia, I knew that Knox hadn’t dated anyone either.  Now that I knew he wanted me just as much as I wanted him, I was tempted to ask him why he hadn’t dated anyone seriously.  I wouldn’t ask though.  It was a silly dream to hope it was because he was in love with me, but it would still break my heart to know the real reason.

Yeah, because it’s super healthy to just keep mooning over him, Isabelle.  Pretending that he’s in love with you is stupid.  He’s asked you for one night, not the rest of his life.  Idiot.

I really was an idiot.

Knox’s stomach growled, and I pushed away my self-pity.  I would have plenty of time to feel sorry for myself after tonight.

“Why didn’t you say you were hungry?” I asked.

He shrugged.  “I want to do whatever makes you happy tonight, Isabelle.”

“Listening to your stomach growl while I blow you won’t make me happy.”

I could feel his cock stiffening against my ass, and I laughed and rubbed against it. 

“You know, I’m not that hungry.”  Knox cupped my breast as his stomach growled again.

“Liar.”  I tugged at his arm. “C’mon, let’s go make something to eat.”

“How about a blow job and then something to eat.”  He tugged on my nipple.

“Nope.”

“Tease.”

“Totally.”

He laughed and kissed my neck.  “C’mon, baby, out of bed.  I’m about to cook you the fastest dinner in the history of cooking.”

Chapter Six

Isabelle

Mia slid into the seat next to me.  “Sorry I’m late.  There was an accident out on Corone Road.”

“That’s all right.  Everyone okay?”

“Yeah.  Single vehicle accident.  She fell asleep at the wheel and drove into a tree.  She was wearing her seat belt, so she’s bruised, but she’ll live.  It’s busy in here tonight.”

“Ren’s Bar is always busy on a Friday night.”

“True.  What did I miss?”

“Nothing,” I replied.  “Are we getting you laid tonight or what?”

“Isabelle!”  Mia turned bright red.

“What?  You told me yourself it’s been a while since you had dick, I assumed that’s why you suggested we go out tonight.”

“Oh my God, how many beers have you had?”  Mia said.

“Um… two?” 

“She’s on her third one.”  Madison, our server, had appeared at the table.

“Shit, Isabelle, it’s only ten o’clock,” Mia said.

“Tell me about it.”  I drained the rest of my beer in one big swallow.  “Another please, Madison.”

“Sure.  Mia, what do you want?”

“I’ll take a beer.”

“Coming right up.”  Madison took my empty and we watched as she headed back toward the bar.  She stopped next to a table where a large man with dark hair threaded through with silver was sitting by himself. 

“Who is that?”  I asked.  He looked familiar, but I couldn’t quite place him.

“Jacob Marken.  He does carpentry work, and he and -”

“Holy shit,” I said when Madison bent and planted a kiss on his mouth before heading to the bar.

Mia laughed.  “Yeah, he and Madison are dating.  I heard he moved in with her.”

“Isn’t he like twenty years older than her?”

“Fifteen.”

“Huh, well good for them.  They look pretty happy.”

Madison returned with our beers.  We paid her, and she pocketed her tips before nodding her thanks and heading to the next table. 

I took a big swallow of beer.  “All right, let’s see if we can get you laid tonight.”

“I’m not interested in…”

“Mia?”  I frowned at her.  “What’s wrong?”

“Uh, nothing.”

She quickly looked down at her beer bottle, and I stared in the general direction she’d been looking.  Dismay and – shit – lust immediately swept through me.  Knox was sitting down at a table with a couple of guys I didn’t know.

“Do you want to leave?”  Mia asked.

“Nope.”  I drank more beer and studiously avoiding looking in Knox’s direction.

“Uh oh.”  Mia never could hide her emotions.

“Uh oh, what?”  I glanced at Knox and the jealousy shot through me like a bullet.  “Is that Sonya Bracker?”

“Yeah.”

Sonya had joined the group of men.  She sat on Knox’s lap and ran her fingers through his short dark hair.

Mia wrapped her hand around my arm when I started to stand.  “Keep it together, Isabelle.”

I sat down and forced myself to look away.  “It doesn’t matter.  He’s probably already fucked her a few times.”

“Probably,” Mia said.

I sighed and stared moodily at her.  “I never should have moved back here.”

She gave me a sympathetic look.  “So, banging him all of Wednesday night didn’t get him out of your system, huh?”

“Apparently not.”  I stretched gingerly.  My thighs and my pussy were sore.  Not surprising.

“You okay?”

“Yeah, just a bit sore.”

“How many times did you and Knox have sex?”

“Honestly?  I can’t remember the exact number.  It was a lot.  He, uh, likes sex as much as I do.”

“Are you really not going to sleep with him again?  You’ve been in love with him for years, and you’re honestly going to tell me that sleeping with him one night was enough?”

“Does it matter?  He said he would give me one night and he did.  I finally got what I wanted, and it was amazing, and I don’t regret it.  But it’s over now.”

“Is it though?”

“He’s already with Sonya.”

“He doesn’t seem that into her,” Mia said.

I swallowed more beer and glanced at Knox again.  I was pleasantly surprised to see that Sonya was off his lap.  She was sitting next to him and I could see her hand on his thigh, but at least she wasn’t grinding her ass against his dick.  I didn’t want to watch the man I loved take another woman home, but I also didn’t want to leave and not know if he took her home.  Was it better or worse to know that Knox had already moved on?  I really didn’t know.

“I think we should go,” Mia said.

“No.  Why should we leave?  We were here first, and I don’t care what he does with Sonya.  Hell, he could fuck her in the middle of the dance floor, for all I care.”

“You totally care,” Mia said.

I ignored her and waved Madison over.  I needed another beer.  Maybe it would drown the jealousy in my belly.

* * *

“Hey, Isabelle.  You want to dance?”

I squinted up at the big guy standing next to our table.  He looked vaguely familiar to me, but I couldn’t place him.

A second voice came from my right.  “C’mon, Mia, you know you want to be pressed up against this hot body.  Dance with me.”

I swiveled in my seat to see Mia’s work partner, Matt, grinning at her and holding out his hand.  “Let’s go, hot stuff.”

She rolled her eyes before taking his hand.  “Fine, but I know you’re only asking me because Jenny Smithson just turned you down flat.”

“Complete lie,” Matt said cheerfully before wiggling his eyebrows at me.  “Don’t leave Elijah hanging in the wind, Izzy.”

Elijah!  Right… local firefighter and Matt’s best friend.  I smiled up at the big man.  “Hey, Elijah.  How are you?”

“Good.  Dance with me?”

“Sure.”  I deliberately kept my gaze from the table Knox was sitting at, just like I’d been doing for the last hour.  He was probably sucking tongue with Sonya by now, and just the thought of him kissing someone else made my stomach churn.

I stood and took Elijah’s hand.  I weaved unsteadily, and he put one big hand on my elbow.  “You okay?”

“Yeah, a teensy bit drunk though, so don’t judge my dancing on what happens tonight, all right?”

“Sure.”

We walked slowly to the dance floor, Elijah holding my hand tightly.  He wasn’t as big as my brother, but he was well over six feet and his entire body seemed like one big muscle.  I giggled as Elijah put his arm around my waist and took my hand with his.

“What’s funny?”  He asked.

“You’ve got a lot of muscles,” I said.

“I work out a lot.”

“How much can you bench press?”

“Why?”

“Just curious.  I weigh about a hundred and twenty pounds.  Could you bench press me?”  I asked as we swayed to the music.

“Yes.”

I immediately had a mental image of Elijah lifting me up and down over his head.  I laughed, and he gave me another curious look as I tried to control my giggles.

“Sorry.  I just had a vision of you bench pressing me.”

His big hand squeezed my hip.  “I wouldn’t actually bench press you.  Too dangerous.”

“I know, I just meant…”

Man, Elijah seemed like a nice guy, but he didn’t have much of a sense of humour.  He turned me in a circle and I tripped over his feet.  He caught me as I fell, and I stared up at him before grinning.  “Hey, thanks for catching me before I fell on my face.  You probably catch a lot of damsels in distress, being a firefighter, right?”

“The ladies love being rescued by Elijah.”  Matt, holding Mia tightly against his body, glided by us.  I laughed when he reached down and cupped her ass.  Mia poked him in the chest, but I could see the flush of excitement in her cheeks.

“Hand back on my hip, pervert.”

“Yes, Miss Mia.”  Matt moved his hand before guiding her across the dance floor.

“You know, I’m starting to think Matt has a thing for Mia,” I said.

Elijah studied them.  I might have been drunk, but there was no mistaking the flicker of jealousy crossing his face as he said, “He’s just flirting.”

I squinted at him.  “Are you jealous?”

“No.”

“You are jealous.  Oh my God, are you, like, secretly into Matt?”

“Why would you think I’m gay?”

“Aren’t all gym rats secretly gay?”

“How drunk are you, Isabelle?”

“Ridiculously hammered,” I said.

“I like women.”

“Oh.  Well, good for you.”  My eyes widened. “Holy shit, do you like Mia?”

“No, and keep your voice down,” Elijah almost snarled.  “I don’t like her.”

“You’re acting like you do,” I said.

“If I liked her, why would I ask you to dance?”  There was something that almost sounded like panic in his voice.

“I don’t know, maybe you’re shy and don’t want her to know you wanna bang her like a screen door?”

“Isabelle,” he gave me a little shake, “I am not into Mia, do you understand?  Don’t say a word to her about -”

“Get your hands off her, asshole.”

My whole body stiffened when I heard his voice.  Elijah studied Knox before glancing at me.

“Let’s go, Isabelle.”  Knox held his hand out.

“Go where?”

“Home.  You’re drunk, and I’m driving you home.”

“I’m not drunk.”

“You just told me you were completely hammered,” Elijah said.

“Be quiet, you!”  I scowled at him, but he just shrugged.

“Time to go,” Knox said.

“You’re not my dad.  I’m dancing with my new friend, and I don’t appreciate you interrupting us.  Besides, if I need a ride home, I’m sure Elijah will be more than happy to give me a ride.  Won’t you, big guy?”  I ran my hand over his chest and smiled at him. 

I knew I shouldn’t have been using Elijah that way, but I was still pissed that Sonya had been all over Knox and he hadn’t exactly pushed her away.

Knox’s face turned red, and his hands clenched into fists.  “Let go of her now, man.”

Elijah didn’t move, and Knox moved closer.  “She’s mine,” he said in a low voice, “and if you’re smart, you’ll take your hands off her right now.”

“I’m not yours,” I said, “and have you gone crazy?  Elijah will kick your ass.”

“Thank you for the dance, Isabelle.”  Elijah was stepping away from me and before I could chase after him, Knox’s arm had wrapped around my waist.

“Elijah, wait…”

The firefighter nodded to Knox before walking off the dance floor.  I glared up at Knox.  “You asshole.  Don’t pull that macho alpha bullshit ever again, do you hear me?”

“I’m taking you home, Isabelle.”

“What if I don’t want to go home?”

“You’re drunk,” he said.

“So what if I am?”  I pulled away and nearly fell on my ass.

Knox grabbed my arm and kept me upright as Mia, followed by Matt, joined us.

“Isabelle, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong,” Knox said.  “She’s had too much to drink and I’m giving her a ride home.”

“Nope,” I announced, “Mia is giving me a ride home.”

“Uh, I’ve had too many beers to drive,” Mia said.

“I’ll drive you home,” Matt said.  “I’ve only had one beer.”

“You sure?”  Mia asked.

“Yep.”

“Can you give me a ride home too?”  I lived on the other side of town from Mia, but I was hoping that Matt wouldn’t mind.

Before he could reply, Knox slipped his arm around my waist again.  “I’m driving you home.”

“Thanks, buddy,” Matt said.  “I don’t mind giving her a ride home, but it’s not exactly on my way.  Mia, you ready to go?”

“Yeah.”  Mia smiled at me.  “Call me tomorrow, Isabelle.”

“Sure.”  I knew Mia thought she was doing me a favour, but being alone with Knox was a very, very bad idea. 

“Let’s go, Isabelle.”  Knox still had his arm around my waist and I tried to squirm free.

“I don’t need you touching me.  I can walk on my own.”

He let go of me and I weaved my way off the dance floor.  Behind me, Knox cursed and grabbed my hand.

“I said I can walk on my own.”

“No, you can’t,” he snapped.

I stared up at him.  “Why are you so angry with me?”

“I’m not,” he said.  “Just, let’s go, for God’s sake.”

Still holding my hand, he led me toward the door of the bar.

* * *

Knox

By the time I got Isabelle home, I was almost shaking with rage and, I didn’t want to admit it but, fear.  I had never once seen Isabelle even close to drunk and watching her weave her way down the hallway to the kitchen was filling me with bright terror.

I took a few deep breaths as she disappeared into the kitchen.  I was trying to stave off the goddamn panic attack that was lurking.  There was the sound of a chair tipping over, Isabelle cursed, and my heart tripled its frantic beat.

“Isabelle!”  I lurched into the kitchen, and she stared up at me from where she was sitting on the floor.

“What?”

“What are you doing?”

She shrugged and pointed to the open cupboard.  “I got the munchies, but the chips are on the top shelf, so I dragged the chair over and -”

“Did you fall?  Are you hurt?”  I hurried over and gingerly helped her to her feet.

Isabelle narrowed her gaze.  “Knox?  What’s wrong with you?  You’re all sweaty and pale.”

“Nothing’s wrong.  Are you hurt?”

“No.  Maybe I’ll have a bruised knee or something, but, hey, chips are worth it?  Am I right?”  She held up her fist for me to bump.

I scowled and led her to another chair before pushing her gently into it.  “Sit your butt right there and don’t move.”

“Where are you going?”  She asked.

I paused in the doorway of the kitchen.  “I’m getting your brother.” 

I didn’t care what time it was, or that I would be waking Asher up.  He needed to watch his sister.

“He’s not here,” Isabelle sang out.  “He’s at Luna’s place.”

“What?  Are you serious?”

“Dead serious, you hot stud.”  Isabelle giggled.  “They spend a lot of nights at Luna’s apartment.  I think she’s a screamer and she doesn’t want me to know.”

She stood and weaved her way back to the cupboard.  “Which, now that I think about it, I kind of appreciate.  I’m really glad Asher has found the love of his life, but it’s super gross to think about him boning.”

“Fuck!”  I ran my hands through my short hair.

“What’s wrong?”  She blinked at me as I grabbed her arm and steered her toward the stairs.

“You need to go to bed and sleep it off, Isabelle.”

She paused at the foot of the stairs and yawned.  “Yeah, I am pretty tired actually.  Still haven’t caught up on my sleep from Wednesday night.”

She suddenly turned and cupped my cock.  “Hey, you wanna join me?”

“No.”  My voice was harsh with fear.

She recoiled and before I could say I was sorry, she turned away and started up the stairs.  “Sometimes, you can be a real asshole, Knox.  You know that?”

She wasn’t holding the handrail when she turned back, and panic rushed through me. 

She put one hand on her hip.  “And you know what?  I don’t need you staring at my ass while I walk up the stairs, so why don’t you just -”

“Isabelle!”  I lunged up the stairs and grabbed her arm when she teetered.  She had already grabbed the handrail and she scowled at me.

“Let go, Knox.”

“You’re drunk!”  I barely recognized the raw hoarseness of my voice.

“Oh for God’s sake.”  She tried to shake off my grip.  “It’s not like I’m going to fall down the stairs and break my neck.  Just let…Knox, what’s wrong?”

I didn’t – couldn’t – respond.  I was standing on the stair below Isabelle, and I stared mutely at her when she cupped my face and gave me a worried look.

“Knox, honey?  Do you feel faint?  You’re white as a sheet.”

“I’m -” I cleared my throat and tried again.  “Please will you just go to bed?”

She studied me for a moment and then nodded.  “Yeah, okay.”

I held her arm the entire way up the stairs and kept holding it as we walked to her bedroom.  She was quiet and already seemed like she’d sobered up a little, but that didn’t stop my panic.  I helped her out of her boots and socks as she pulled her phone out of her pocket and put it on the nightstand.  I tugged her jeans and t-shirt off.  She unhooked her bra and tossed it on the floor but didn’t make a move on me.  My earlier rejection had hurt her badly, but I couldn’t spit out an apology.

My tongue was sticking to the roof of my mouth, my throat was dry, and my pulse was thudding in my ears.  Normally the sight of Isabelle in nothing but panties would have had all of my blood draining to my dick in a heartbeat.  But fear and worry had killed my libido. 

I pulled back the covers and helped her climb into bed.  She curled on her side and tucked her hand under her cheek before closing her eyes.

“Isabelle?”

“Hmm?”

“Stay in bed, okay?”

“Yeah, I will.”

“I mean it.  Don’t get up to-to go downstairs or anything.”

“I won’t.”  She yawned.  “Thanks for the ride home.”

“Promise me, Isabelle.”

She muttered something under her breath and buried her face under the covers.

I pulled them back.  “Isabelle, promise me you won’t get out of bed.”

“I won’t, unless I have to pee or something.  Go home, Knox.  I’m,” another huge yawn, “fine.”

She grabbed the covers and pulled them over her head again.  I backed away from the bed and stared at the door before staring at the lump in the bed.  My heart was still trip-trip-tripping, and I couldn’t seem to catch my breath.

What if I left and Isabelle got out of bed?  What if she tried to go downstairs?  What if…I turned and walked unsteadily to the chair by her small vanity.  I eased my big body into it and stared at Isabelle.  I would stay the night.  I would stay and watch over her and make sure she didn’t try and get out of bed.

My heart immediately slowed, and the bright panic faded with my decision.  I took a deep breath and crossed my arms over my chest as I kept my gaze on Isabelle.

At least crawl into bed with her.  The chair is uncomfortable, and you know she won’t care if you lie in the bed.

No, I couldn’t get into Isabelle’s bed.  I was a heavy sleeper and, like her, I was still tired from Wednesday night.  Or maybe I was tired because I’d slept like shit last night.  My bed seemed too big and too empty without Isabelle in it.

If I got into her bed, if I laid down next to her soft warmth, I’d fall asleep.  And if I fell asleep and Isabelle woke up… I shuddered, and rubbed at my burning eyes.  I would sit here in this uncomfortable chair until Isabelle sobered up. 

I’d take care of her, and this time I wouldn’t fail.

Chapter Seven

Isabelle

The harsh beeping of my phone woke me.  I groped for it, hit the snooze button and squinted at the time before rolling onto my back and groaning.  Shit, drinking at the bar last night was a really stupid idea when you had an eight a.m. shift at the shelter.

Surprisingly, considering how much I had had to drink last night, and the fact that I rarely drank more than a beer or two, I only had a mild hangover.  I rubbed at my aching forehead.  I needed to get my ass into the shower, and then get some water into my poor, dehydrated body.  I sat up, pushed down the covers, and swung my legs over the side of the bed.

“Feeling better?”

I screeched like a banshee and grabbed at my chest.  “What the fuck, Knox!  What are you doing here?”

Knox was sitting in the chair by my vanity.  There were dark circles under his eyes and his hair was sticking up like he’d been running his hands through it.  He rubbed his hand across the stubble on his jaw as I grabbed my shirt from the floor and slipped it on.

“Were you up all night watching me sleep?”

“Someone had to,” he snapped.  “You were drunk last night, and your brother wasn’t home.  Do you not remember anything from last night?”

“I remember everything,” I said.  “But what I don’t remember is asking you to sit in my bedroom all night and watch me.”

“You were so drunk that you would have hurt yourself if you’d gotten out of bed.”  His voice was full of anger and - my stomach clenched - disgust.  “I couldn’t take that chance, so I stayed up and kept an eye on you.”

“Knox?”  I gave him a cautious look.  “Honey, what’s wrong with you?  You’re acting a little crazy.  You know that, right?”

“Seriously?  What’s wrong with me, Izzy?”  He stood and stalked to the door of my bedroom.

“Don’t call me Izzy.  I’m not a little girl.”  Now my own anger was bubbling up to the surface.

“Could have fooled me, Izzy.  You acted like an irresponsible and foolish little girl last night, but you want to know what’s wrong with me?  I kept you safe last night.  I kept you safe, and you’re acting like I’m crazy.”

He yanked open the door of my bedroom and paused before giving me one final scowl.  “You’re welcome, Isabelle.”

“Knox, what…”

He stomped out of my room, and I groaned and flopped down on the bed.  What the hell just happened?

* * *

Isabelle, this is a bad idea.

Yeah, it probably was.  Still, it didn’t stop me from climbing out of my car and walking up the steps of Knox’s front porch.  I paused and brushed some dog hair from my shirt.  I’d worked all day at the shelter and then drove straight to Knox’s.  I probably should have gone home and showered, but I was almost frantic to get to Knox’s place and find out just what I had done to piss him off so badly.  Besides, it’s not like we were going to fall into his bed or anything.  Who cared if I was covered in hair and smelled like dogs?

Got that right.  Knox hates you now.

I sighed.  My inner voice was a bitch, but she was a correct bitch.  Knox hated me – I’d seen it in his eyes this morning and that was why I was standing on his front porch about to confront him.

I could live with Knox never wanting to have sex with me again, I could live with running into him occasionally in our small town and pretending I didn’t love him, but I couldn’t live with him hating me. 

I raised my hand to knock, stepping back when the door opened.  Knox’s mom beamed at me.  “Isabelle, sweetheart, it’s been so long.”

Before I could say anything, she pulled me into the house and gave me a hug.  “Why haven’t you stopped by to see me since you moved back home?”

“I’m sorry, Mrs. Jameson,” I said.  “I meant to.  Uh, I just finished a shift at the shelter and I’m covered in dog hair, you might not want to touch me.”

“I don’t care, and you know you can call me Ellen.” 

Her arms tightened around me, and I gave in and hugged her back.  I’d always loved Knox’s mom, sometimes I think I loved her more than my own mother, and it felt good to be hugged by her again.  I shouldn’t have stayed away from her like I did, but I’d stupidly thought it was best.

“How are things?’  She stepped back and grasped my shoulders, studying my face intently.  “You look a little sad, sweetheart.  What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” I said.  “I’m really happy to see you.”

“I’m so happy to see you, sweetheart.  I’ve missed you.”

“Mom?  Thanks again for the casserole.  I’ll bring the dish back to you in a couple of… Isabelle, what are you doing here?”

Knox was coming out of the kitchen, and he glanced at his mom before turning back to me.  He was wearing jeans and a t-shirt, and they were covered in dirt and grass trimmings.  He had smudges of rich, black dirt on his face and his hands were equally dirty.

“I wanted to chat with you about something, but I can, uh, come back later,” I said.

“Nonsense,” his mother said.  “Max had a sleepover at my house last night, so I was just bringing him home and dropping off a casserole for my boy, I wasn’t planning on staying.  You two have dinner together and talk.”

She pressed a kiss against my cheek and squeezed my hands.  “Don’t be a stranger, my love.  All right?”

“All right.”  I smiled at her and stepped aside as she grabbed her jacket.

“Knox, I’ll talk to you later.”

“Okay.  Thanks, Mom.”

She blew him a kiss and left, closing the door behind her.  Max appeared in the hallway, blinking sleepily at me before ambling forward and leaning against my legs.  I rubbed his head as Knox said, “He’s not much of a guard dog.  I think he might be a bit deaf.”

“Yeah, it happens with older dogs,” I said awkwardly.

Knox and I stared at each other before he cleared his throat.  “I have some lemonade in the fridge.  Do you want some?”

“Sure.  That would be, uh, nice.”

I took off my shoes and jacket and followed him into the kitchen.  Max wandered back into the living room and climbed onto the couch, stretching out on the cushions like he’d lived in the house his entire life. 

Knox opened the fridge door and, already hating the thick, uncomfortable silence between us, I walked to him and touched his arm.

“Knox, I’m so -”

I made a breathless squeak when Knox slammed the fridge door shut and pulled me into his arms.  He threw his arms around my waist and I stood on my tiptoes to wrap my arms around his thick neck.  He lifted me, keeping the entire length of my body pressed against his as he buried his face in my neck.

I hugged him hard, rubbing the back of his neck as he squeezed me tight and kissed my neck.  “I’m sorry, baby.  I’m so sorry.”

“I came over here to apologize to you,” I said.

He shook his head.  “You don’t have to apologize.  It’s my fault.  I was a dick to you this morning.  I’m sorry.”

He set me down, but kept his arms around me as I leaned back to look up at him.  “I do need to say sorry for my behaviour last night.  I was rude and childish with you, and I’m sorry.  I know it upset you and -”

“That isn’t what upset me,” he said.

“Then what was it?”

He hesitated and then shook his head.  “Nothing important.  I just – I was worried about you, I’ve never seen you drunk before.”

I sighed.  “I don’t usually drink that much.”

“Why did you last night?”

“Honestly?  Because I was upset that it was over between us, and that you were already making out with Sonya Bracker.”

“I didn’t make out with Sonya Bracker.”

“She was sitting on your lap, and then she had her hand on your thigh.”

“Yeah, and fifteen minutes later she left when she realized I wasn’t going home with her.”

“Have you gone home with her before?”  I studied his face, relief flooding through me when he shook his head.

“No, I haven’t slept with Sonya.  What about you?”

“Nope, never slept with her.”

A ghost of a smile crossed his tired face.  “I meant Elijah Thomson.”

“Elijah?  You mean the guy who’s built like a brick shithouse and who you tried to beat up last night?  You know he would have squashed you like a bug, right?  I think he might even be stronger than my brother.”

“Have you slept with him?”

“Of course not, why would you think that?”

“You said you’ve slept around.”  There was no judgement in Knox’s tone.

“In Florida.  You’re the only guy I’ve slept with since I moved home.”

His relief was obvious, and I patted his chest.  “What about you?  Who have you slept with?”

“Since you moved home?  Just you.”

I stared up at him.  “Seriously?”

“Yes.”

“Wow.”

“I am capable of controlling my libido on occasion,” Knox said.

“I know.  Why did you threaten to beat up Elijah last night?”

“Because he was touching you.”

His honesty took me by surprise, and I tried to wiggle out of his grip.  He held me firmly as I stared up at him.  “I’m not yours, Knox.  You know that, right?”

He didn’t reply, and I squeezed his arms.  “I’m not yours.  You keep making that perfectly clear and -”

“I know you’re not mine,” Knox said.  “But you’re not his either.  I don’t want you sleeping with Elijah.”

“It’s not your decision to make.”

“Izzy -”

“Stop calling me that!”

He rubbed my hip.  “Why do you hate being called Izzy now?”

“Because it was my childhood nickname, and I’m not a little girl anymore.  I spent most of my teen years wishing you would see me as something other than a little girl.  Every time you call me Izzy, it reminds me that for years I was just Asher’s annoying brat of a little sister.  The one that you put up with because Ash wouldn’t leave me behind to deal with my parents on my own.”

“I didn’t think you were annoying or a brat,” Knox said.  “I liked having you around.”

“Sure you did.”

“I did,” he insisted.  “Some of the other guys didn’t, but I never had a problem with it.  You were a sweet kid and -”

“Kid, yeah.”  I sighed.

He shifted me slightly, and I moaned when I felt his erection press against my lower belly.  “You know just as well as I do that I don’t think of you as a kid anymore, Isabelle.”

I tugged his head down and kissed him.  He returned my kiss, his big hand warm on my hip and the other sliding under my t-shirt to rub my back.

“I want you again, Knox,” I whispered against his mouth.

“I never stop wanting you,” he said.

A hard thrill went through me and I rubbed against his erection.  “Let’s go to bed.”

“I’m covered in dirt and grass,” he said.  “I just got home from work and haven’t showered yet.”

“I’m covered in dog hair and slobber,” I said.  “I came over here straight from work.”

He grinned at me.  “Shower sex?”

“Hell, yes,” I said.

He squeezed my ass as Max wandered into the kitchen.  He woofed in greeting, and then sniffed my jeans repeatedly.

“Go on and get in the shower.  I’m just going to feed Max and then I’ll be right there,” Knox said.

I smiled at him and traced my fingers down over his chest.  “Don’t be long or I’ll start without you.”

He made a sexy little growl and slapped my butt playfully.  “Don’t you dare.”

“You’ve got five minutes.”  I slipped out of his grasp and left the kitchen.

* * *

“Don’t drop me.”

“I won’t drop you.”

“Are you sure?  I feel like maybe you’re gonna drop me.”

Knox burst into laughter as he gripped my wet hips.  “This just went from sexy to not-sexy real fast.”

“Listen, I want to be banged in the shower as much as the next girl, but I also don’t want to break a hip.”

“You’re not seventy.”

“Still… I’ve never had sex in the shower before so I’m feeling a little nervous.”

“I haven’t either,” Knox said.

I stared up at him in surprise.  Knox’s shower was a tub/shower combo and not what I’d call spacious.  His big body was blocking the spray of water, and I was starting to shiver from cold.  “You’ve never had sex in the shower either?”

“No.”  He turned and adjusted the hot water.  “Crap, the hot water is starting to run out.  I took too long to scrub the dog slobber off of you.”

“Me?”  I laughed and squeezed his ass.  “You were the one covered in dirt.  I’m starting to think you just stripped off your clothes and rolled around in it or something.  It’s your fault we’re running out of hot water.”

He adjusted the hot water again before running a hand over my hip.  “You’re shivering.”

“Someone’s blocking all of the lukewarm water.”

We stared at each other for a moment.

“Bedroom sex?”  Knox said.

“Chickening out, are we?”  I teased.

He leaned down and pressed a path of kisses down my throat.  “I’ll let you ride me as long as you want, let you come as often as you’d like, if we switch to bedroom sex.”

“Get me out of this shower, right now,” I said.

He laughed and shut the water off before climbing out and grabbing a towel.  He wrapped it around his waist and grabbed a second towel.  I stepped out of the tub and he carefully dried my body.  It wasn’t overtly sexual, but there’d been a lot of damn foreplay in the shower and I was more than ready to ride him.

“Hurry.”  I reached out and cupped his cock, rubbing him through the towel.

He groaned and, for once, didn’t tease.  Instead, he dropped the towels, grabbed my hand and hurried me out of the bathroom and down the hall to his bedroom.  Max have moved from the couch to the bed, and he made a disgruntled woof when Knox tugged on his collar.

“Max, do not be a cockblocker.”

I giggled and patted Max’s hip.  “Go on, boy.”

He hopped off the bed.  Knox had put a dog bed in the corner, and Max flopped down on it with a loud sigh as Knox pulled back the covers and laid on his back on the bed.  “Baby, get your sweet pussy over here.”

“Smooth.”  I rolled my eyes, but it didn’t stop me from climbing onto the bed and straddling Knox’s hips in less than five seconds.

I rubbed his dick against my pussy and Knox made a low groan.  “Fuck me.  Right now, Isabelle.”

“Whatever you say, handsome.”  I slid Knox’s cock into my pussy.  There was only the slightest resistance before he was seated snugly inside of me.  “So good.”

“Yes,” he groaned.  His hands gripped my hips and he made a few shallow thrusts.

“Me first,” I said.

He smiled up at me.  “Always you first, baby.”

“So sweet,” I moaned.  I was rubbing my clit and already about twenty seconds from cumming all over Knox’s thick cock.  “I’m close.”

Knox thrust a little harder.  “Don’t let me – fuck, your pussy is so tight – stop you.”

I rubbed harder and faster as Knox watched his cock sliding in and out of my pussy.  The combination of my fingers and Knox’s thick cock sent me over the edge, and I cried out my pleasure as I rode him hard.  He cupped my tits, pulling on my nipples as I rocked lightly back and forth.

“Good?”  He asked.

“So good,” I moaned.

“Give me another one.”

I leaned over and kissed him.  “Are you sure?  I don’t want to be totally selfish and -”

“Isabelle, you have no idea what it does to me to watch you cum all over my dick.  Show me again, baby.”

“If you insist.”  I nipped his bottom lip before straightening and bracing one hand on his chest.  I let the other wander down my abdomen to my pussy, loving the way Knox couldn’t keep his eyes off of me. 

Before I could rub my clit, a truck horn sounded in the bedroom and I made a soft shriek before jerking against Knox.  He groaned when my pussy squeezed him and made two hard and out-of-control thrusts into me.

“What the fuck was that?”  My heart was going a goddamn mile a minute.

“Sorry, it’s my phone.  Your brother is texting me.”  Knox glanced at his cell phone that was on the nightstand.  “I’ll read it…”

He squinted at the screen.  “Oh shit.”

“What?”

He grabbed his phone.  “Asher is on his way over here.”

“Uh oh.”

“Fuck.  He’s like two minutes away.”  He patted my ass.  “Get up, baby.”

He sat up and, when I didn’t move, lifted me off his dick and dumped me on the bed.  “You need to get dressed and leave before he gets here.”

“My clothes are in the bathroom.  Knox, there isn’t enough time for me to get out of here before Ash shows up.”

He was already running from the bedroom.  I ran a hand through my wet hair.  “Fuck, think, Isabelle.  Think!”

Knox was back.  He threw my clothes at me and grabbed a pair of jeans and a t-shirt from his closet.  “Isabelle, get dressed!”

I slid out of bed and started to dress.  There was a knock at the door.  Max barked but didn’t bother to get off his bed as Knox gave me a look of pure panic.

“Shit, stay here.  Don’t say a word.”

“Knox, my car is…”

It was too late.  He’d already sprinted from the bedroom.  I sighed and finished dressing as Ash knocked again.  I heard the squeak of the front door opening and was impressed at how natural Knox sounded.

“Hey, Ash, what’s up?”

“Hey.”  My brother’s voice sent my heart into overdrive.  “Came to see if you wanted to go to a movie or bowling or something.  Why is my sister’s car in your driveway?”

Max’s leash was lying next to his bed and I quickly clipped it to his collar.  “C’mon, boy,” I whispered.  “It’s time to save your new dad’s ass.”

Chapter Eight

Knox

Shit.  I was going to have a goddamn heart attack.  I sprinted out of the bedroom and ran down the hallway as Ash knocked on the front door a second time.  He opened it and walked in, grunting in surprise when I blocked him from moving into the kitchen.

“Hey, Ash, what’s up?”

Christ, could I sound any guiltier?

“Hey.  Came to see if you wanted to go to a movie or bowling or something.  Why is my sister’s car in your driveway?”

I stared at him as all of the fucking spit in my mouth dried up.  I was seconds away from ruining my friendship with Ash.

“Okay, well, I walked him around the back yard and I didn’t see him limping or anything, so I’d suggest keeping an eye on him for a few more days.  If he’s still favouring the leg, bring him to the vet and…oh, hey, Ash.”

At the sound of Isabelle’s voice, I whipped around.  She was standing in the hallway behind me, holding onto Max’s leash and smiling at her brother.

“What are you doing here?”  Asher asked.  “And when did you get a dog?”

“It’s not my dog, dork.”  Isabelle unclipped Max’s leash and patted the side of his neck.  “It’s Knox’s dog.  He adopted it from the shelter.  He sent me a text earlier because he thought Max was limping.  I offered to come by after work and take a look at him.”

“You got a dog?”  Asher gave me a look of surprise.

I nodded.  I still didn’t seem to be capable of saying anything.  Apparently, having my life flash before my eyes rendered me mute.  At least my imminent heart attack seemed to have abated.

Max wandered over to Asher.  The big man rubbed the side of the dog’s head as Max leaned against him.  “He’s skinny.”

“He’s been a stray for months,” Isabelle replied. 

I was unbelievably impressed by how normal she sounded and acted.  Five minutes ago, she’d been riding my dick, and now I could almost believe that she really had been out walking my damn dog in the backyard.

“You’re gonna have dog hair all over your house,” Asher said.

“Uh, yeah, I know.” 

Asher studied me.  “What the fuck is up with you?”

“Nothing.”

Asher turned to his sister.  “You been fucking with Knox, Izzy?”

Thank God there was no spit left in my mouth, I would have choked on it.

“I’m here doing him a favour, ya dink.”

“Well don’t be your normal bratty self.  It’s bad enough I have to put with your behaviour, Knox shouldn’t have to as well.”

“Cram it up your cramhole, Asher.”

Asher grinned at her.  “Get outta here, Izzy.  Knox and I are busy tonight.”

“Oh yes, I’m sure the bowling alley can’t wait for you two to show up and throw around your manballs.”

Isabelle’s retort made zero sense, but I laughed like an insane hyena anyway.  Both Asher and Isabelle stared at me, and I shut my mouth with a snap.

“Okay, well, I’m gonna go.”  Isabelle swept past us without even looking at me.

“Uh, thanks, Isabelle, for, uh, looking at Max.”

“Yeah, don’t mention it.”  She opened the front door and paused when her brother called her name.  “What?”

“Why is your hair wet?”

Fuck me sideways.

Isabelle rolled her eyes.  “It’s called showering, Ash.  You should try it sometime, Luna would probably appreciate it.”

“You didn’t stop in at the house after your shift.”

“Maybe you just didn’t hear me,” Isabelle said.

“You weren’t at the house,” Asher replied.

“God, what are you, the showering police?”  Isabelle gave Ash a huffy look.  “It’s none of your business where I shower.”

“Was it at Elijah Thomson’s house?”

I clenched my hands into fists as Isabelle crinkled her nose at her brother.  “What do you know about me and Elijah Thomson?”

“I know you were dancing with him last night at Ren’s.”

“So what if I was?  And how do you know anyway?  Are you spying on me?”

“Small town, Izzy.”

Isabelle glared at Asher before a wicked look came over her face.  “What’s wrong, Asher?  You don’t like the idea that maybe the hot fireman is using his big hose to put out your baby sister’s fire?”

Asher made a gagging noise before trying to put Isabelle in a headlock.  “You’re disgusting.”

She backed away and flipped him the bird.  “If you don’t want to hear about my sex life, stay out of my business, butthead.”

“See ya, pimple face.”

“Later, booger breath.”

Isabelle slammed the door shut and Asher grinned at me.  “Ready to go?”

“Yeah, just give me a minute to change.”

* * *

“What?”

“What the fuck is up with you tonight?”  Asher tossed a handful of popcorn into his mouth.

I shifted in my seat and stared at the movie screen.  “Nothing.”

“You’ve been acting fucked up all night.”

“No, I haven’t.”

“Oh yeah?  Because back in the concession line, that cashier was hittin’ on you hard and you didn’t even fucking flirt with her.”

“I’m just tired tonight.”  I took a sip of my drink.  For the first time in my life, a woman flirting hadn’t done a goddamn thing for me.  In fact, I’d just found it annoying.  I was Isabelle’s man, and I had no interest in…

Shit.  I sucked up some more soda.  I was not Isabelle’s man and thinking that way was ridiculous.

“You got a woman you’re having issues with?”

I nearly spilled my fucking drink.  I shoved it into the cup holder and gave Ash a cautious look.  “Why would you say that?”

He shrugged and ate some more popcorn.  “You got the look of a man with woman trouble.  Sure as shit, I’ve never seen it on your face before, but it’s hard to miss.  You dating someone I don’t know about?”

I swallowed compulsively.  Fuck, I hated lying to Asher, but technically I wasn’t dating his sister, I was just…having sex with her.

“No.”

“You sure?”  Asher had stopped eating his popcorn and was staring at me intently.  “You know you can tell me shit, right?”

Yeah, I did know.  Besides my mother, Asher was the only person who knew how much my own fucking father hated me.  I’d spilled the entire story to him when I was nineteen.  I wasn’t even drunk, I just had to tell someone.  Even if it meant losing my best friend. 

We’d only been friends for three years at that point, but I should have known even then that Asher would have my back.  Asher was tough and could be a right bastard when he wanted to be, but he was also extremely loyal to the people he loved. 

The night I’d confessed, he’d listened without judgement, said a lot of the same shit my mother was always telling me, and then never brought it up again. 

I stared at the mostly empty theatre.  “I know.  I’m not dating anyone.”

“But you’re having woman troubles.”

“I’m not.”

“Fuck yes, you are.”

“Just drop it, Ash.  You know I don’t do relationships and you know why I don’t, so just let it the fuck go.  All right?”

“I know you’re spending your life alone for no good fucking reason.  If there’s someone out there that you love, man, you gotta go for it.  Doesn’t matter what anyone thinks or says, either.  Just be happy, you asshole.”

I rolled my eyes.  “Since when did you become a fucking relationship guru?  You get yourself one girlfriend and now you’re an expert at relationships?”

Asher grinned at me as the lights dimmed in the theatre.  “What can I say, Luna makes me a better man.”

* * *

My palms were sweating, and my guts were churning, but I plastered a smile on my face when Isabelle opened the door.

“Hey, how are you?”

She gave me a surprised look.  “Hi.  I’m good.”

“Good, that’s good.  Can I, uh, come in.”  Max was already straining at the leash to get to Isabelle.

“Sure.”  She stepped back, petting Max when he squirmed past her.  I unhooked the leash and he sniffed his way into the kitchen as we stood awkwardly in the hallway.  Isabelle crossed her arms over her torso.  She was wearing yoga pants and a t-shirt, her hair was in a messy bun on top of her head and she wasn’t wearing any makeup.  I’d never found her more beautiful.

“Um, Asher isn’t here.”

“Yeah, I know.  He told me last night that he would be at Luna’s apartment tonight.”

“Oh.”  She picked at one nail.  “Did you have fun with him last night?”

“Yeah.  We went to a movie and then grabbed a beer afterward.”

“Good, that’s good.”

There was an awkward silence and I rubbed my palms against my jeans.  Before I could say anything, Isabelle cleared her throat.  “Why are you here, Knox?”

“I wanted to say thank you for yesterday.  That was some quick thinking on your part.”

“Yes, well, we couldn’t have your scared little ass getting beaten to a pulp by my brother, could we?”

I didn’t reply, and Isabelle’s face fell.  She blinked rapidly, and I could see the shine of tears in her eyes.  “Shit.  I’m sorry, Knox.  That was a real bitchy thing to say, and I didn’t mean it.”

“It’s fine.”

“It isn’t fine and I’m really sorry.  I just – I spent last night and today being mad and frustrated and…”

Now the tears spilled down her cheeks and I pulled her into my arms.  I kissed her forehead and hugged her as she wrapped her arms around my waist.

“Don’t cry, baby.  I’m sorry.”

“You have nothing to apologize for.  You’ve been perfectly clear what this is.  I was just mad because I…”

“Because why?”

She shook her head.  “Never mind.”

We stood in silence for a moment, neither of us letting go of the other, until I finally kissed her forehead again.  “I should probably go.”

She lifted her head and I wiped away the tears that still lingered on her cheeks.  She studied me solemnly.  “Is saying thank you the only reason you came by, Knox?”

“I…yes?”

She gave me a ghost of a smile.  “Liar.”

“I missed you,” I whispered.

“I missed you too.”

I captured her mouth with a kiss, pushing at her lips with my tongue until she let me in.  We kissed until my cock was hard and throbbing, and she was rubbing against it with those soft little moans that drove me fucking insane.

“Come upstairs with me, Knox,” she whispered against my mouth.

“I shouldn’t.”

“You should.”  She reached down and rubbed my dick.  “We could finish what we started last night.  If you want that?”

I groaned.  “Fuck, yes, I want that.”

“Good.”  She led me upstairs and we undressed each other in record time.  In under two minutes, I was lying on my back in Isabelle’s bed and staring at her glorious naked body as she straddled me.

I cupped her pussy and rubbed her clit with my thumb until she was gasping and moaning.  I slid two fingers into her, loving the way she began to fuck them immediately.  I rubbed her clit with firm, hard strokes, and watched as she threw her head back and came with a hoarse cry.  Her body shook, and her tiny pussy squeezed around my fingers as she dug her nails into my hips.

When her body relaxed, she grasped the base of my dick, rose up on her knees and slipped me into her warm, tight wetness.

“Fuck!”  The word exploded from my mouth.

Isabelle smiled down at me, and I gripped her thighs as she rose up and down on my cock in a slow rhythm that sent shivers up and down my spine.  I watched her slender body move, watched her tits jiggle as she bounced harder and faster on my cock, and tried not to lose my fucking mind when she squeezed my dick with her tight pussy.

I cupped her tits, kneading them gently as she braced her hands on my abdomen and rocked back and forth.  She closed her eyes and then squealed when I immediately flipped her onto her back.  I pushed her thighs apart and entered her again, dropping down onto my forearms so that my chest was pressed against her breasts.  Our faces were only inches apart and I pressed a kiss against her mouth.

“Hi,” she said with a breathless little laugh.  “Didn’t like that position?”

“Loved it,” I said, “but I want you under me, want your smooth thighs around my hips while you take my cock.”

She immediately wrapped her legs around me, hooking her feet behind my back and slid her arms around my shoulders.  I kissed her again before fucking her in a hard, deep rhythm.  She met each of my thrusts, our bodies moving together in perfect harmony as we stared at each other.

I kissed her again, my tongue licking and tasting every inch of her mouth.  She returned my kiss with an eager abandonment that made my thrusts speed up, made my body scream for relief.  We rocked against each other, our bodies slick with sweat and our groans of need intermingling.

“No, don’t look away,” I said when her eyelids began to drift shut.

“Close,” she moaned.

“I know.”  She stared up at me and when her eyes glazed over and her entire body stiffened beneath mine, I let myself go over the edge with her.

I buried my face in her neck, inhaling the sweet scent of her skin and kissing her warm flesh as we came down from our high together.  Her hands were stroking my back, and I kissed her throat again before rolling off of her.

She immediately snuggled into me and I held her close, stroking her upper back when she rested her cheek on my chest.  We didn’t speak for almost twenty minutes, and I thought she’d fallen asleep when she lifted her head and smiled at me.

“Hi.”

“Hi.”  I stroked her cheekbone with my thumb.  “How are you?”

“Much better.”

“Good.”

She kissed my chest and I stroked her back again.  “What were you mad about?”

“What do you mean?”

“Earlier, you said you were mad about something.  What was it?”  I held my breath and waited for her to tell me it was because I was a chickenshit who needed to grow a pair.

She traced her fingertips over my chest.  “I was mad that Asher got to spend time with you last night and I didn’t.  So, I guess jealous more than mad.”

“I would have preferred to spend the night with you.”

“Yeah?”  She lifted her head and gave me a gleeful look.  “Man, I wish I could tell Asher that.  He’d be so pissed if he knew that I’d won.”

I laughed.  “It’s not a competition.” 

“Everything’s a competition with siblings,” she said with a grin.  “Anyway, I -”

My stomach growled, and she laughed.  “God, I’m starting to think you have a tapeworm or something.  You’re always hungry.”

“Gross,” I said.  “I’m hungry because I haven’t eaten supper yet.”

“It’s almost seven.”

“Yeah, I know.  I didn’t have much of an appetite earlier.  I should probably go.  It’s getting late and I need to eat, obviously.”

She sat up.  “You could stay.  Asher and Luna are spending the night at her place.  I’ll cook dinner and we could watch Netflix.”

I hesitated, and Isabelle shook her head.  “Sorry, I shouldn’t have said that.  I know what you want from me and just hanging out isn’t it.”

She started to slide off the bed and I grabbed her arm.  “I would love to have dinner and watch a movie with you, Isabelle.”

A soft smile lit up her face.  Christ, what I wouldn’t do to make her smile like that every day for the rest of her life.  “You would?”

“Yes.  Very much.”

“Well then,” she leaned over and kissed me with a loud smacking sound, “get your cute butt out of my bed and let’s go downstairs.”

Chapter Nine

Isabelle

“That was a terrible movie.”

“It wasn’t that bad.”  I closed my laptop and moved it to the coffee table before smiling at Knox. 

“The acting was terrible, the plot was non-existent, and I could have done a better job with the special effects using silly putty and glitter.”

I laughed so hard that tears came to my eyes.  Knox grinned at me and slid an arm around my waist before hoisting me into his lap.  I straddled him and ran my hands across his naked chest.  After dinner, we had moved to the couch and watched, admittedly, a terrible sci-fi movie.  Knox was wearing his jeans and I was wearing his shirt, and dammit if we didn’t look like the perfect couple just enjoying a night in together.

I pushed that thought out of my mind and glanced at Max who, despite his size, had curled up on the cushion at the other end of the couch and was snoring loudly.

Knox followed my gaze.  “I had to banish him from my bedroom at night because of the snoring.”

“He is super loud,” I said with a laugh.

Knox slipped his hands under my shirt and kneaded my bare thighs.  “Now that the world’s worst alien invasion movie is finished, what do you want to do?”

I shrugged and ran my thumbs over his flat nipples.  “What do you want to do?”

“Well, we could try and find another alien invasion movie on Netflix that tops the stupidity of that one, or we could go back to your room, I’ll eat your pussy and then see if I can find your g-spot.”

He leaned forward and licked my throat and I moaned happily.  “Option B, please.”

“Are you sure?”  He licked my throat again before nibbling on my collarbone.  “I know how much you like your cheesy alien invasion movies.”

His big hand slid up from my thigh and cupped my naked breast.  He teased my nipple as I arched my back and shook my head.  “No, I’m good with going back to the bedroom.  I don’t -”

I cocked my head and stared at the doorway to the living room.  “Did you hear something?”

Knox kissed my jaw before sucking on my earlobe.  He rubbed his hard cock against my pussy.  “No.”

“Are you sure?”  I strained to hear over the sound of Max’s snoring.  “It sounded like the front door.”

Knox cupped my head and turned my face toward his.  “I didn’t hear anything, baby.”  He kissed me, and I moaned and slid my tongue between his lips, rocking myself against the thick bulge in his jeans as he sucked on my tongue.

“This is why you should just move in with me permanently, Luna.  It’s the third fucking gas leak in your building in the last two weeks and…holy shit.”

I tore my mouth from Knox’s, my heart dropping into my stomach and dismay flooding my veins as my brother’s voice filled the living room.  I stared at Asher and Luna, still straddling Knox with his hands hot on my hips and his harsh breath matching the frenetic rhythm of mine.

“What the fuck, asshole?”  Asher glared at Knox, and Luna grabbed his arm.

“Ash,” Knox’s voice was remarkably steady for someone whose worst fear had just come true, “I can explain.”

“You let your fucking dog on my couch?  What the hell is wrong with you?  Now it’s gonna have dog hair all over it.”  Ash made a disgusted noise before clapping his hands.  “Yo, dog, off my couch.  Now.”

Max woke with a loud snort and blinked at Asher and Luna.  He yawned, and then slowly climbed off the couch.  His nub of a tail waving madly, he meandered over to them and leaned against Luna.  She giggled and petted his big blocky head. 

“Aw, he’s so cute.  Asher, we should get a dog.”

“No way.”  Asher petted Max’s head.  “I hate dog hair on everything.”

“We can get one of those non-shedding dogs,” Luna said.

“I’m not getting one of those little frou-frou dogs that never stops yapping,” Ash said.

Knox tapped me on the thigh.  “What’s happening?”

“I… I don’t know,” I said.

“We had to come home because Luna’s shitty apartment building had another fucking gas leak,” my brother said.  “We’re just dropping off her suitcase, and then we’re going for a drink at Ren’s.  You guys want to come?”

“Honey, they look like they’re busy,” Luna said.

Ash studied the way I was straddling Knox before rolling his eyes.  “Gross.”

“Sweet, you mean,” Luna said with a giggle.  “We’re so happy for you guys, really.”

“Ash, you’re not…upset?”  Knox said slowly.

“Why would I be upset?”

“Because I’m sleeping with your best friend,” I said.

Knox winced and Asher grimaced.  “What the fuck, Izzy.  You don’t have to say it out loud.  Christ.”

“Why are you not more surprised?”  I asked.

“You guys think I’m a fucking idiot,” Ash said.  “I knew you had a crush on Knox since you were a kid – hell, everyone did with the way you mooned over him – and then when you moved back, it wasn’t fucking hard to see that Knox liked you.”

Knox’s mouth dropped open.  “Bullshit.”

Asher shrugged.  “It’s true.  I can read you like a book.  Not to mention, she was at your place last night and you had an “I just got laid’ look on your face.”

“Do I get an “I just got laid” look on my face?”  Luna asked.

Asher grinned at her.  “Hell, yes.  Cutest one I’ve ever fucking seen.”

“You thought I was with Elijah Thomson!”  I said.

“I was just messing with you.  It’s what you get for lying to me about being at Knox’s place to walk his fucking dog,” Asher said.  “Besides, I told Knox last night that I knew about the two of you.”

Now my mouth dropped open and I stared accusingly at Knox.  “Are you kidding me?”

“He didn’t say anything to me, Isabelle.  I swear to God, he didn’t.”

“The fuck I didn’t.”  Asher said.  “I told you in the theatre that I knew you loved Izzy and that you should be with her, didn’t matter what anyone thought.  Christ, were you not listening to me at all?”

“You never said your sister!”  Knox’s voice was way higher than usual.  “You never once said Isabelle, you just mumbled a bunch of shit about love and how Luna made you a better man.”

“Honey,” Luna kissed Asher’s bicep, “did you really say that?”

He grinned at her and she tugged on his arm until he bent down and she could kiss his mouth.  “You’re so sweet to say that.  Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it, Sunshine.”

“You aren’t angry that we like each other?”  I said.

“Why would I be?  Just keep the sex details to yourself and for Christ sake, do not have sex on the couch.  That’s worse than the goddamn dog hair.  C’mon, Luna, let’s get that drink.”

Luna took his hand before waving at us.  “Bye, guys.”

We waved back and then stared blankly at each other until the front door shut.

“Isabelle -”

“Knox -”

We both stopped, and I could feel a huge grin crossing my face.  Knox jumped when I screeched and wrapped my arms around him before kissing him on the mouth.  “Holy shit, Knox!”

“Isabelle…”

“Can you fucking believe it?  He doesn’t care!  We can be together.”

“Isabelle -”

I reached down and rubbed his cock.  “Come on, let’s go to the bedroom and celebrate.”

“Isabelle, wait!”

I blinked at his harsh tone as he lifted me off his lap and leaned forward.  He ran his hands through his hair and shifted away when I touched his naked back.

“What’s wrong, Knox?”

“We still can’t be together.”

Panic raced through me.  “What are you talking about?  Of course we can.  My brother doesn’t care that we love each other.”

“You don’t love me.”

“Yes, I do.”  I touched his arm.  “And you love me.”

“Fuck!”  He slammed his hands down on his thighs before standing and pacing back and forth.  “We can’t be together, Isabelle.  I’m sorry, but there’s more to this than just your brother.  I – we can’t be a couple.”

“Tell me why,” I said.

He shook his head and I stood up and glared at him.  “Don’t you fucking shake your head at me, Knox Jameson.  You’ve spent how long telling me that we couldn’t be together because of my brother, and now you’re saying there’s more?  You owe me a goddamn explanation.”

His body tensed before his shoulders slumped.  He rubbed a hand over his forehead and glanced at me.  The fear and anxiety in his gaze hit me in the gut like a sharp punch, and I immediately forgot my anger. 

I crossed the room to him and put my arms around his waist.  “Tell me, honey.  Please.”

“You’ll never look at me the same way again, Isabelle.”

I cupped his face.  “Nothing you tell me will change how I feel about you.”

His laugh was achingly bitter.  “Don’t be so sure about that.”

“Just tell me.”

He sighed and took my hand before leading me back to the couch.  We sat, our bodies not quite touching, and he dropped my hand before staring at the floor.

“When I was ten, my grandmother came to live with us.  She had some health issues and she was an alcoholic.  Dad was her only kid and he loved her a lot.  He often put her ahead of us, but I was too young to really understand.”

His fingers were tapping against his thighs in a restless beat.  “Grandma’s drinking got worse.  She was drunk nearly every day, and she would say horrible things to my mom.  My dad made a lot of excuses for her and said she couldn’t help it.”

Max crawled onto the couch next to Knox and rested his big head on his thigh.  Knox stroked his ears.  “It was my parents’ fifteenth anniversary and Dad wanted to take Mom for dinner.  Grandma was drunk off her ass as usual, and I think Dad wanted to give Mom a break, you know?  So, they went out for dinner and left me to babysit.”

“How old were you?” I asked.

He swallowed heavily.  “Twelve.  Dad told me not let her drink anymore.  I promised I wouldn’t.  We sat in the living room and watched a movie, and she drank the rest of her beer.  When she told me to get more from the basement, I refused, and she was too drunk to go down the stairs herself.  I convinced her to go to bed.  I helped her upstairs and tucked her in.”

His normally tanned face was pale, and he was rocking back and forth a little.  I scooted closer and took his hand.  He held it tightly, his fingers nearly crushing mine, but refused to look at me.  “I went back to the living room and started playing video games.  I thought she was passed out.  I swear I did.  Only, she wasn’t.  Somehow, she managed the first set of stairs on her own.  But she snuck past the living room and she- she went to the basement, and then she…she fell down the stairs, broke her neck and died.”

“Oh, honey.”  I pressed up against him, feeling horrified and sick to my stomach for him.

He still wouldn’t look at me.  “It’s why I freaked out the night you were drinking.  It’s why I stayed up all night and watched you.  I’m a heavy sleeper and I was afraid if I fell asleep, you would get out of bed and-and try and go down the stairs.”

“I’m so sorry,” I whispered.  “I’m so sorry I did that to you.”

“You didn’t know,” he said.

“I’m so sorry.”  I kissed his arm and his shoulder, trying not to cry when he pulled away.

“I killed my own grandmother, Isabelle.”

“No, it was an accident, honey.  A terrible accident and nothing more.”

“My father didn’t think so.”

I froze against him, my hand clutching his arm compulsively.  “What?”

“He blamed me for her death.  Said that if I had watched her like I was supposed to, she wouldn’t have died.  He was right.”

“No.  No, he wasn’t,” I said.  “You were a child and it was an accident.  They should never have left you with her, not when she was that drunk.”

“That’s what my mom said, but my dad, he just – he was so angry,” Knox said quietly.  “I had taken his mother from him, and he couldn’t forgive me.  The next four years were hell.  I couldn’t do anything right in his eyes.  He started drinking more, he lost his job.  He and my mom were fighting all the time.”

I rubbed his back as he continued.  “One night, he’d been drinking lots and he lost his temper.  He shoved mom.  I took a swing at him.  He punched me in the face and told me I deserved to die for what I did to his mother.  Then Mom threatened to call the cops and he took off.  She packed the car with as much personal stuff as she could cram into it and we left.  She filed for divorced, changed our last name to Jameson, and moved us to this little town in the middle of nowhere.”

“She changed your last name?”  I stared up at him.  “Your last name isn’t Jameson?”

“No.  I’m actually Knox Branson the Third.”  His laugh was painfully bitter.

“Why-why did she change your name?”  I whispered.

“Because she was afraid that dad would find us.  That he would drink too much, and then come after me and hurt me.”

“Oh my God.  Oh, honey, I’m so sorry.”  I tried to hug him, but he stood and walked away.

“Now you know why I can’t be with you.”

“No, I don’t,” I said.

He gave me a look of frustration. “Because I’m toxic, Isabelle.  I killed my own grandmother, I broke up my parents’ marriage, and my own father hates me.”

“No,” I said.  “Knox, none of that is your fault.  You aren’t going to hurt me, honey.”

“You don’t know that.  I have a lot of baggage, and I don’t have any idea how to even be in a relationship.”

“You think I do?  My mom is a total bitch who nagged and belittled my father every chance she got.  I am terrified of turning into her.  Every morning I look in the mirror and tell myself to be kind, to be patient, to not be the awful person she is.  Sometimes I succeed, sometimes I don’t, but I never give up, Knox.  I can’t.  Not if I want to be happy and live a good life.”

“It’s different.  You’re not a murderer, Isabelle.”

“You aren’t either,” I said. 

“I am!”  His voice was thick with frustration.  “I’m not good enough for you.  I wish I was, but I’m not.  My father was right.”

“He isn’t.  Maybe you need to-to contact him, to find him and tell him that he’s -”

“No,” Knox said.  “I don’t want anything to do with him.  I spent four years listening to him tell me how awful I was, I’m not going back to that.  Maybe if I thought he had changed, if I knew that he…”

“He what?”

“Nothing.  He won’t have changed, and it doesn’t matter.”

“Don’t let what your father has told you, be the truth that you live, honey.  He is wrong about you.  He’s a drunk asshole who screwed up and lost the best thing that ever happened to him.  You are amazing and funny, and kind and sweet.”

“You just see what you want to see,” he said.

“Does my brother know what happened?”  I asked.

He nodded, and I stood and walked over to him.  “No one will ever love me more than Asher loves me.  He knows your past, and he still thinks you’re good enough for me.  Because you are, Knox.”

I cupped his face and made him look at me.   “I love you and I will always love you.  Your past is your past, and it does not define you.”

For a moment, I could see his love for me in his eyes.  Hope bloomed in my belly and then abruptly died when he looked away.  “I’m sorry.  I should never have let things go this far between us.  I should have ignored what I felt for you and let you live your life, but it’s just more proof of the way I fuck up the lives of the people I love.”

“Knox -”

“No,” he pulled away from me, “I have to go.  I’m sorry, Isabelle, truly sorry for what I’ve done to you.  Goodbye.”

He whistled for Max and I watched numbly as they left the room.  The front door shut, and I staggered to the couch, staring blankly at the wall.  I was devastated…and angry.

No, fuck that, I was pissed. 

Knox’s dad had fucked up his chance to ever live a normal life.  I stood and paced back and forth before punching the wall as hard as I could.  I yelled a curse and stomped to the kitchen, grabbing my laptop on my way.

I plopped a bag of frozen peas on my swelling knuckles before opening my laptop.  It took me less than five minutes to find Knox’s father’s home address, cell phone number and Facebook page. 

My hand shaking, I clicked on his page and stared at his profile picture.  It was a picture of him, Ellen, and Knox as a toddler.  He was holding Knox in his arms and kissing his cheek and Ellen was smiling up at them.

My rage engulfed me like a bloated sun.  How dare he.  How dare he put that picture up like he had never broken his son, like he had never hurt him or blamed him or…

My hands were still shaking with fury and my knuckles were throbbing, but I still managed to punch in the phone number into my cell the first try.  It rang and when he answered after the second ring, sounding so much like Knox that it hurt my heart, I shouted.  “You’re a fucking asshole!  Your son is the best man I know, and you deserve to walk on fucking hot coals for the rest of eternity, you stupid son of a bitch!”

There was a stunned silence and then he said, “You – you know my son?”

“Fuck you!  You’re a fucked-up psychopath, and I hope a thousand fire ants eat your dick from the inside out.  Do you have any idea what you’ve done, you brain-dead motherfucker?  Knox deserves better than a brainless, dickless walking asshole who doesn’t know the first thing about raising a son.”

“You’re right.”

“Even with you fucking him up, he’s an amazing man, an incredible man, and it’s your loss that you – wait, what the fuck did you just say?”

“You’re right.  Listen, I have no idea who you are, but if you really do know Knox, please, you have to tell him to contact me.  Tell him that I’m sorry and that I love him, and I’ve spent the last decade trying to find him.”

The man spoke in a rush, as if he was afraid I would hang up on him before he could get it all out.

“You’re sorry?  You told your son he was a murderer and you’re sorry?  Are you fucking kidding me?”  I barked harsh laughter.

“I know, it isn’t enough, but it’s a start, right?  I am desperate to fix what I’ve done to him, I swear.  How-how do you know my boy?”

“I’m not answering any of your fucking questions,” I said.

“It’s obvious that you love him,” his father said.  “Please, I love him too and I just want the chance to tell him I’m sorry.  He won’t forgive me, and I understand that, but I want him to know that I was wrong and that I’m sorry and I love him.”

I didn’t say anything.  I hated Knox’s father, hated him, but if he truly did want to tell Knox he was wrong and that he was sorry, it might be my only chance to have Knox in my life.

Selfish bitch.  Always thinking about yourself, just like your mother.

I winced and pushed away that thought.  No, if I did this, it was for Knox.  He loved me, I knew he did, and hearing his father admit he was wrong, could be what he needed to forgive himself and move on with me. 

“Miss?  Are you still there?”

I took a deep breath and let it out.  “My name is Isabelle.”

Chapter Ten

Knox

I hesitated before rapping sharply on Asher’s front door.  I shifted the six pack of beer I was holding to my other hand.  I was surprised that Asher had invited me over.  Sunday night I’d left his place certain of two things – I had broken Isabelle’s heart and destroyed my friendship with Asher.

When he texted me on Tuesday and asked me to come over Thursday night for dinner, I’d almost dropped my fucking phone.  Not wanting to, but unable to help myself, I’d asked if he knew what had happened with Isabelle. 

His three worded reply “not my business” was so typical Asher that it brought a smile to my face for the first time in days.  After verifying that it would just be me, Asher and Luna at the dinner, I’d agreed to go.

Didn’t mean I wasn’t nervous though.  Not because I thought Isabelle would be there, I knew Asher wouldn’t lie to me, but because I wasn’t certain that he wasn’t just luring me over to beat my face in.  I had hurt Isabelle badly, and I might have been Ash’s best friend, but she was his baby sister.

The door opened, and I pasted a smile on my face.  “Hey, Ash.”

“Hey, come in.”

I followed him into the hallway and handed him the six pack of beer.  “I brought refreshments.”

“Thanks.”  He was oddly quiet, even for him, and for the first time ever, I could see anxiety on his face.  My stomach churned. 

Well, shit.  I was getting my face beat in.

“So, uh, where’s Luna?”  I could hear the nerves in my voice as I followed Asher into the kitchen.  “Is she…”

My voice died out and my mouth went dry.  Isabelle was sitting at the kitchen table with her laptop in front of her.  She gave me a tentative smile as Asher clapped me on the back and left the room.

“Hi, Knox.”

“Hey.”  I cleared my throat.  “I should go.”

“No, wait.  Please.  There’s someone I want you to talk with, okay?”

“What do you mean?”

She turned her laptop around and I stared at the man on the screen.  He was thinner now, his dark hair turned to silver and new lines on his face, but I recognized my own father.  I took a step back, my hands clenching into tight fists.  “Dad?”

“Hello, son.”

“What are you – what’s going on?”  I glanced at Isabelle who gave me a pleading look.

“Just hear him out, okay?’  She said.  “Just listen to what he has to say and -”

I lunged forward and slammed the laptop shut before staring at Isabelle.  “What have you done?”

“Honey, just give him a chance to -”

“Did you – did you find my father?  Did you contact him and tell him where I was?”

“I-I contacted him, but I haven’t told him where you are.  I called him because I was mad, because I hated him for what he’d done to you, and I wanted to tell him what a fuck up he was.  Only, he -”

“Why would you do that?”  I wanted to throw Isabelle’s laptop across the kitchen.  Instead I backed away and shoved my hands into my pockets.  “I trusted you.  I told you what happened in confidence and you betrayed me.”

She flinched before standing.  “Honey, no.  I did it because I love you.  Your dad has changed.  He’s changed, and he wants the chance to say he’s -”

“He’ll never change!”  I shouted.  “Do you have any idea what you’ve done, Isabelle?  Do you?  I’ve spent the last fifteen years trying to forget, trying to move on with my life, and then you bring the monster back into my world.”

“You’re not moving on,” she said.  “That’s the problem, Knox.  You’re not living your life.  You’re stuck in this awful place because -”

“Because of what he,” I pointed at the laptop, “said and did to me!  I’m like this because of him!  My mother changed our name and moved me halfway across the fucking country to get away from him, and you think it’s just fine to invite him back into my life?  Like I don’t get a fucking say in it at all?”

Her face paled.  “I’m trying to help you, honey.”

“No,” I said.  “You’re trying to help yourself.  You want the perfect life with me, and you think if you push hard enough, if you just do whatever the hell it is that you want, that I’ll bend to your will and go along with it.”

“No!  Knox, that isn’t what I want.  I want you to be happy and your father -”

“He’s a monster who fucked up my life, you said it yourself, Isabelle.  I don’t know why the fuck you thought this was a good idea, but stay out of my life.  Don’t ever talk to me again.  Don’t even look at me when you see me on the goddamn street.  In fact, do everyone in town a favour and move back to Florida.”

I turned and shoved my way past Asher who was standing in the hallway.

“Knox…”

“Don’t!  You fucking lied to me, you dickhead,” I shouted before storming out of the house.

* * *

“Well, you look like shit.”

“It’s good to see you too, Mom.”

My mother pushed past me and dug in the pocket of her jacket.  She handed a dog treat to Max who was wiggling excitedly in the hallway.  He took it from her and she patted his head.

“This isn’t a good time.  Can we talk later?”  I asked.

“No.”  She walked into the kitchen, and I groaned and shut the front door before following her.

She hung her jacket over the chair and filled the kettle with water before setting it on the stove.  I sunk into a chair, my head pounding from the lack of sleep and watched as she made us both cups of tea.

“Thanks.”  I sipped at the steaming liquid as Mom eyed me.

“Are you hungover?”

“No.  You know I don’t get drunk.  Ever.”

“Why are your eyes so red?”

I shrugged.  “Didn’t sleep much last night.”

“Did you sleep at all?”

“Why?”

“Because I need to have a serious conversation with you and I need you to pay attention.”

“I’m fine.  Say what you came to say.”  I sipped more tea.

“I spoke with Isabelle this morning.”

I muttered a curse.  “I told her to stay out of my life.”

“She did.  I went to her and made her tell me what happened after Asher came to see me.”

“Ash came to see you?”

She frowned at me.  “Yes.  Why are you so surprised by that?  He’s your best friend, and he’s worried about you.”

I didn’t reply, and mom blew on her tea before taking a drink.  “Isabelle told me everything that happened.”

“So you know how badly she fucked up.”

My mother scowled at me.  “You know I hate it when you curse, Knox.”

“Sorry.”

“I know that she tried to help you.”

“Going behind my back, contacting dad, and trying to force me to talk to him isn’t helping.”

“Maybe her methods were unconventional, but can you blame the poor girl?  She’s been in love with you for most of her life, and she was trying to help you and save your relationship.”

“Are you seriously on her side?”  I gave my mother a hurt look.

She reached out and took my hand, squeezing it hard.  “I will always be on your side.  You know that.  I love you and I want what’s best for you, and Isabelle is what’s best for you.”

“I can’t forgive her for this.  She-she betrayed me.”

“No, she did a stupid thing to try and help the man she loved.  We’ve all done stupid things, Knox.  I spent four years watching your father tear you down, hurt you, make you feel awful.  Four years I let him fill you up with guilt and remorse and pain because I loved him.  I loved him, and I thought I could fix things.”

“You couldn’t.”

“No, I couldn’t, not in this case.  But I still tried.  It was a mistake because it hurt you so badly and as a mother, I will always carry the burden of failing you.”

“You didn’t fail me,” I said.  “You saved me.  If you hadn’t divorced dad and taken me away…”

“Isabelle loves you and she wants to be with you.  You love her too.  Your belief that you will hurt her, that you’re toxic, is so very wrong, kiddo.  I know you can’t see that because there’s been too much damage done by your dad.  Which is why you need to talk to him.”

I twitched wildly, spilling tea on my hand.  I wiped it on my shirt as I stared at my mother.  “Are you serious?”

“Yes.”  She touched the cuff of her shirt sleeve.  “I spoke with him earlier today.”

My jaw dropped, and I leaned forward.  “You spoke with dad.”

“Yes.  I got his number from Isabelle and I called him.”

“What did he say?”

“He made his amends to me.  Now, I think you need to hear what he has to say.”

I stared at my shaking hands.  “I don’t know if I can talk to him.”

“I know it’s hard,” my mother gave me a sympathetic look, “but if you want to move on with your life, if you want to find happiness with Isabelle, you need to try, sweetie.”

“Do you still love him?”

My mother shook her head. “No.  I won’t ever love him the way I did.  But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try and forgive him.  He is truly remorseful for what he did, and he’s spent the last decade trying to find us so that he can say he’s sorry.  He’s changed, honey.  He quit drinking and went into rehab about two years after we left.  He’s been sober ever since.  He sounded like the man that he used to be.”

“What if he asks for more?  What if he wants to see me or-or wants me to spend time with him?”

“Maybe eventually he’ll ask for that, but it’ll be your choice whether you let him back into your life that way.  But for now, all he wants is to say he’s sorry.”

“Do you promise?”  I felt and sounded like the scared kid I once was, and I hated it, but I needed to hear her say it.

“I promise, Knox.”

I took a deep breath and nodded.  “Yeah, okay.  Call him.”

She smiled at me and pulled her phone out.  She called his number and handed the phone to me.  My hand was shaking, but I held it to my ear and didn’t flinch when he answered.

“Ellen, hi.  I didn’t expect to hear back from you so soon.”

“It’s not mom.  It’s me.”

There was a moment of silence and then my father said, “Knox, it’s good to hear your voice.”

I didn’t reply, and he said, “I’m sorry.  I’m so sorry, Knox.  I’m sorry for what I said and how I treated you.  You didn’t deserve it, and I was so wrong to hurt you the way I did.  What happened with your grandmother was an accident, and it was my fault for expecting you to look after her.  You were only a child and it wasn’t fair of me to put that on you.  Your grandmother didn’t die because of you.  She died because she was an alcoholic.  I’m an alcoholic too, and I’ve hurt the people I love most because of it.  I love you and I’m so sorry.”

“I don’t know what you want me to say,” I said.

“You don’t have to say anything,” he replied.  “You don’t have to forgive me, and you don’t have to let me into your life again.  This is just me wanting to say that I am so very sorry and that I have never stopped loving you.  You are my son and I’m proud of you.”

“Yeah, okay.  Thanks.”

“It was good to talk to you, Knox.  Thank you for talking to me.”

I hesitated.  “Maybe I’ll give you a call in a week or so.”

“I’d really like that.”  My father’s voice had grown hoarse.

“Okay, well, bye.”

“Bye, Knox.”

I disconnected the call and set the phone on the table. 

“Do you feel better?”

I stared at my mother.  “I do.” 

I wasn’t lying.  For the first time in years, I felt weightless.  I felt…free.  My mother had told me repeatedly that what happened was an accident and it wasn’t my fault, but hearing my father say it, had changed something fundamental inside of me.  Something that I had known was terribly wrong but was helpless to fix.

I didn’t realize I was crying until my mother stood and walked over to me.  She lifted my head and wiped away my tears with her thumbs.  “I’m so proud of you, honey.”

I buried my face against her stomach and let her rock me like she did when I was a child.

Chapter Eleven

Isabelle

“What can I get you?  How about some tea?  Or maybe a cookie?”  Luna sat down on the couch and put her arm around me.

I shook my head. “I’m fine, Luna.”

“You’re not fine.  You didn’t go to work yesterday or today, and the only reason you got out of bed was because Ash threatened to throw a bucket of water on you.

I rearranged the nest of blankets around me on the couch and hunched further into them.  “I want to be left alone.”

“Do you?”  Luna eyed me.  “Or is this a situation where I’m supposed to take you out and get you drunk?  Because I’ll call Claire and get her to be our designated driver for the night.”

I shook my head.  Just the thought of being drunk made me nauseous. “No, I really do want to be alone.  Where’s Ash?”

“He had an errand to run.  He wouldn’t tell me what it was.”  Luna hugged me tight.  “I’m worried about you, sweetie.”

“I’m just,” I swallowed down the lump in my throat, “sad.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be.  It’s all my fault.  I ruined whatever chance I had with Knox when I contacted his father.  I shouldn’t have done that, but I just wanted to be with him so bad that I…I made a terrible decision.”

“Everyone makes mistakes.”

“I hurt him so much.”

“You didn’t mean to.”

“What if I – what if I really am turning into my mother?”  I gave Luna a scared look and she pressed a kiss against my forehead.

“I only know what Ash has told me about your mom, but you don’t sound like you’re turning into her.”

“She wasn’t good at minding her own business.  Always pressuring my dad to tell him everything, then not believing him when he did tell her stuff.”

“Like I said, that doesn’t sound like you.”

“I didn’t mind my own business with Knox and look what happened.  I made him hate me.”

“I don’t hate you, Isabelle.”

Knox’s low voice made me gasp.  I stared at the doorway where he was standing with Asher.

“Honey?  What’s going on?”  Luna asked.

“Come with me, Sunshine.”  Asher held out his hand.

Luna glanced at me.  “Isabelle, do you need me to stay?”

“No,” I said.

Luna jumped off the couch and walked to Asher.  He took her hand and they left the living room.  Knox gave me a crooked smile.  “Can I sit beside you?”

“Uh, sure.”  I shuffled my nest of blankets over and had to do my best not to lean against Knox.  I wanted to.  God, did I want to.  He looked so good, a little tired maybe, but good.  Being away from him was a constant ache in my stomach.

“How are you?”  He asked.  He was eyeing my hair and I groaned inwardly.  I hadn’t showered in two days, and my hair was a rat’s nest on top of my head.

“Other than wishing I hadn’t destroyed your life, I guess I’m fine.  I have apparently given up on showering, so you might not want to sit too close.”

He leaned in and inhaled before shrugging.  “You smell good to me.”

“I’m sorry,” I whispered as tears started to run down my cheeks.  “I’m so very sorry, Knox.  I should never have contacted your dad, I should never have tried to force you to talk to him the way I did.  I know how selfish I was, and I’ll spend the rest of my life trying to fix -”

“Baby, stop.”  Knox reached into the blankets and took my hand.  “It’s all right.”

“It isn’t.”  I was sobbing now, and he yanked the blankets down and lifted me into his lap.  I hated that I was making him feel sorry for me, but it didn’t stop me from clinging to him and burying my face in his neck.

“Don’t cry, sweet Isabelle.  I love you.  Please don’t cry.”

I stiffened in his lap before sitting up and using my shirt sleeve to wipe my face.  “What did you say?”

“I love you.”

“You love me.” 

“Yes.”

“Why?”

He gave me that sweet Knox smile.  “Because you’re amazing and sweet and loyal, and you love me.”

“I hurt you.”

“Yeah, but you had good intentions.  I talked to my father this afternoon.”

I almost fell off his lap.  He grabbed me around the waist as I said, “You what?”

“I talked to him.  My mom came by and we talked, and then I called him.”

“How did it go?”

“Okay, I think.  He said he was sorry.  I might call him again in a couple of weeks.”

“Do you – do you feel better?”

He smiled at me.  “My mom asked me the same thing.  I do feel better.  Not perfect, but better, you know?  Like maybe I could live my life with the woman I love without worrying I’m going to destroy her life.”

“Well,” I hesitated, “that’s great.”

He laughed and kissed my neck.  “I’m talking about you, Isabelle.  You are the woman I love and want to spend my life with.”

Relief flooded my entire body and I pressed kisses all over his face.  “I love you, Knox.  I’m sorry, and I love you.”

“I’m sorry for what I said to you when you tried to help me.”

I shook my head.  “You were right to say those things.”

“I wasn’t.”  He cupped my head.  “Hey, what do you think about moving in with me this weekend?”

I blinked at him.  “I – are you serious?”

“Yes.  Ash told me that Luna is moving in with him, so if you don’t live with me, you’ll be hearing her sex screams all the time.”

“Ugh.”

“So, you kind of have to move in with me.”

“Yes, I guess I do.”  I kissed him again.  “Are you sure this is what you want, Knox?”

“I have never been more sure of anything in my life, Isabelle.”

“Well in that case, why don’t we go up to my bedroom and gross out Luna and Ash with my sex screams.”

He laughed.  “Pretty sure that Asher took Luna out for dinner, but I’m still up for making you scream with my godlike sex moves.”

“Sweet,” I said.  “I love you,”

His smile faded, and he gave me a serious look before cupping my face in his warm hands.  “One last thing.  Do you remember telling me that no one would ever love you as much as Asher loved you?”

“Yes,” I said.

He pressed a soft kiss against my mouth.  “You’re wrong, Isabelle.  No one will ever love you as much as I love you.”

* * *

Thank you for reading The Working Men Series. 

Whew – that was some hot and steamy fun, wasn’t it? 

I had originally intended to end the series at six books, but realized that leaving out the people who put their lives on the line and keep us safe every day just wasn’t fair. 

They deserve to have lots of over-the-top insta-lust and sexy times too, right?

So, keep your panties wet and your minds dirty for three more books in the series in early 2019.

The Firefighter

The Cop

The Paramedic

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Books by Ramona Gray:

Individual Books

The Escort

Saving Jax

The Assistant

One Night

Sharing Del

Other World Series

The Vampire’s Kiss (Book One)

The Vampire’s Love (Book Two)

The Shifter’s Mate (Book Three)

Rescued By The Wolf (Book Four)

Claiming Quinn (Book Five)

Choosing Rose (Book Six)

Undeniable Series

Undeniably His

Undeniably Hers

Undeniably Theirs

Working Men Series

The Mechanic

The Carpenter

The Bartender

The Welder

The Electrician

The Landscaper