Worth It (Forbidden Men #6)(76)

Slumping onto my bed, I stared down at my hands in my lap, wishing I could see him now.

When a sharp, small object snapped against my window, I yelped and jumped up from the bed, gaping at the glass.

Another pebble pelted it.

Catching my breath, I raced forward, knowing it was him. But I couldn’t see him through the dark until I opened the window all the way, stuck my head out, and he waved to me. Elation roared through me, quickly chased by fear.

“Are you crazy?” I hissed, glancing briefly behind me to make sure my bedroom door was still closed. “What’re you doing here? If anyone saw you—”

His white teeth gleamed through the dark as he merely grinned at me. “Meet me in the gazebo.”

“Knox.” I shook my head, still unable to believe he was here. “Don’t be insane. We’ll get caught.”

“And wear that dress.” Then he was gone, streaking across the yard in the direction of the gazebo.

I groaned out a breath, knowing it’d be safer for him if I stayed away. But the temptation got to me, and a full five seconds later, I was slapping the window closed and scurrying barefoot from my room. I tiptoed to the stairs and crept down. I could hear voices in the front parlor, so I held my breath as I snuck to the back hall and slipped out the kitchen exit.

Once I was free in the warm evening air, I exhaled and then grinned.

Knox was close, and I was going to get to see him.

The grass was damp against the soles of my feet, and it felt good. I almost laughed aloud, I was so happy. But that would’ve been bad, so I kept quiet until I reached the gazebo steps. Then I yelped out a scream as someone grasped my arms from behind.

Sure one of my brothers or father had followed me, I tensed, trying to think up a reason I had come out here. Maybe I’d left a hair barrette from earlier when we were taking pictures. Yeah. That sounded good.

But then the voice of my captor murmured, “Shh. It’s just me,” as he tugged me back against a familiar chest.

Relieved, I whirled around and hugged him tight. His mouth captured mine with a kiss that stole my breath and reignited the tingling between my legs that I’d felt earlier in the day, except it was sharper and more intense this time around.

“Why aren’t you at work?” I demanded when we broke apart.

“We ran out of bags; they let me off early.” He picked me up and carried me up, out of the moonlight and into the shadows of the gazebo. “Crazy girl,” he murmured into my ear before he kissed my pulse directly under it. “You’re not wearing any shoes.”

“How could I think of shoes,” I answered breathlessly, “when I knew you were so close?”

He groaned and kissed me again, hard and desperate. “God, I missed you today. It felt all kinds of wrong not being able to look at you when you were right f*cking there across this very yard.”

When his fingers immediately went to the spaghetti straps of my dress, my breathing picked up. I ran my hands through his hair, scraping my nails over his scalp. “I can’t believe you came to watch me get my pictures taken. That was too risky, Knox. You were caught. You almost went to jail.”

He only grinned. “But I didn’t. And I had to see you in your fancy cotillion outfit.” Then he slowly lowered the front of my dress, baring my breasts to him. “Jesus.” he sucked in a breath. “I knew you weren’t wearing a bra, but this is... You’re lovely. You’re so lovely, City. Fully clothed or with your top down like this, you’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. Did any of your idiot family tell you how nice you looked today?”

I shook my head and whispered, “No.”

“I didn’t think so. I hated watching the way they treated you”

“Me?” I sputtered. “What about the way they treated you? I felt so ashamed of myself for not saying anything, not stepping in or telling them to leave you alone.”

“I’m glad you didn’t. You know I didn’t want you to say or do anything, right?”

I stared up at him, knowing, but still feeling crappy. As if sensing my continued guilt, he sent me a soft smile and returned his attention to my breasts.

“Besides, it turned out fine, didn’t it? And we’re here together now.”

A sudden cool gust blew across us, chilling my exposed breasts. I shivered and felt my nipples pearl into tight buds. Knox sucked in a breath and cupped them in his hands, immediately warming them.

“I saw you looking at them,” he said. “Earlier, when I was out here waiting for you to come out and get your picture taken, the curtains to your room were open. I could see in as you changed, and you paused to look at them in the mirror.”

“Oh my God.” I moaned in absolute horror and tried to cover them with my hands, but he caught my wrists. “You saw that?”

He nodded, and his eyes twinkled in the moonlight. “It was so f*cking hot, City. I got so hard so fast I ached. I wished I were there with you, touching you while you looked at yourself.”

His naughty admission made something deep in my stomach clench. I pressed my legs together and trembled out a long breath. “I was thinking about you kissing them, and I wished you’d do it again.”

“Fuck...me.” He groaned and dipped his face to take the right breast into his mouth before sucking it in deep.