Sins, Lies & Spies (Black Brothers #2)(27)

I shivered as a puff of cold air curled around my bare arms, goose bumps peppering every inch of exposed skin.

“Are you cold?” Knox said.

“I’ll be okay once I get in the car,” I answered, rubbing my hands up and down my arms.

“You might freeze to death before then.” He hooked his hands around my waist and pulled me against his warm muscled chest. Stunned, I stood motionless. “At a party this size, they need more than one person manning the valet,” he said, his warm breath whisked across my hair. My body softened, already traitorously drunk on the feel of his body against mine. What was it about this man?

I nodded absently, each sweeping brush of his thumb against my dress making me breathless in anticipation of his next move. I should’ve pushed him away, but I was incapable of doing the sensible thing. Voices trickled from the party. The front door opened and closed a few times, but I couldn’t concentrate on anything except the tightening of my breasts, the staccato beat of my heart and the rich scent of masculine cologne.

Before I could make sense of his actions or my reactions, he buried his cheek in the curve of my neck. “Did I tell you how much I like this dress? You’re beautiful,” he whispered, the stubble on his face brushing against my ear. The air hummed with electricity, sharpening the magnetic pull between us.

Temptation surged hard and fast through my veins, and I tipped my head to the side, inviting his touch even though my mind begged me to stop whatever this was before it went too far. God knew, I didn’t need to complicate my life any further. In fact, there were thousands of reasons why I shouldn’t get involved with Knox, even for a night or a moment. Then he caught my ear between in his teeth and nipped.

“Knox,” I muttered. “We shouldn’t—” My voice trailed off as his warm lips pressed against the curve of my shoulder, skating up my neck and across my jaw to the corner of my mouth. Thoughts of resisting evaporated like tendrils of smoke in the night.

He transfixed me.

He captivated me.

He held me hostage in a web of desire.

His lips paused near my mouth for a second, waiting for something. A sign? My capitulation? His dilated eyes stared into mine, and my insides knotted uncomfortably. Tension stretched between us, lengthening and thickening with each passing second. At that instant, I would’ve done anything for him to kiss me. It was all I could think about. My body felt like a time bomb ready to explode.

I opened my mouth to ask for what I needed, and the air tripped in my lungs, a small moan escaping my parted lips. That was all the encouragement he needed. His body shifted closer to mine, our legs tangling and erasing every suggestion of space between us. I didn’t know who made the next move, but suddenly our lips fused together like two halves of a whole.

My hands edged up his chest and around his neck, eventually landing in the silken strands of his hair. His lips slanted against mine, and I unlocked my mouth, giving him what he demanded and taking what I wanted. I clung to him, tasting him, exploring him and meeting him stroke for stroke. I melted into him.

“Trinity,” he breathed against my mouth, and my heart swelled with warmth. I loved the rumbling sound of my name on his lips.

“Yes?” I answered, sliding one of my hands inside his jacket, twining his striped tie around my wrist.

His hands slipped from my waist, and he stepped back. He cleared his throat. “The car is here.”

I blinked away the fog of lust and zeroed in on Knox’s blue BMW sedan, idling next to the curb. The valet stood next to the open passenger door, his eyes carefully averted. “Right.” I nodded. “I see that.”

Ten minutes later, Knox pulled over to the curb on a quiet side street and lowered the volume on his radio to a faint hum. The sudden stop set my already frayed nerves on edge. Neither of us had made a single comment when we got in his car. At some point, he planned to bring up my connection to Derrick, but my mind was stuck on repeat, replaying our kiss so many times I thought my head would explode.

“Look, Trinity, I’m sorry about that kiss. It got out of hand.” My stomach rolled, and I clutched my purse to my chest, digging the pads of my fingers into the gold buckle. I didn’t like where this was headed. “But when Miles followed us out, I realized he intended to approach you, and I took advantage of the opportunity to make him believe him we’re together.”

Red-hot shame crept up my face. I’d forgotten about his suggestion to pretend we were together. He’d been playing a game to goad Miles, and I got caught up in the moment, romanticizing the kiss. Romanticizing the moment.

“Right, Miles,” I finally muttered when the silence threatened to become uncomfortable.

“Good news, though, I think it worked. Did you catch his expression after we got in the car?”

“Um.” I licked my lips, then cleared my throat. “Actually, I missed it.”

He chuckled. “Too bad. I think you would’ve enjoyed it.”

“Yeah. You’re probably right,” I mumbled, focusing on the details of the darkened windows in front of me so I wouldn’t give in to the insane urge to cry. I felt like a total idiot. Sadly, I didn’t want or need another man in my life right now, but the second Knox kissed me I’d been ready to toss my convictions out the window.

He squeezed my upper arm. “Are you okay?”

“Of course,” I blurted out. “I was just thinking.”