Page 31 of Relentless Knight

I could see it in his eyes the day he found me in this very room after Quinn stitched me back up.

Sleeping with her was a betrayal to our friendship, and I don’t know that I can forgive myself for that—even if I want Quinn an astonishing amount, with an intensity I never even dared to think about until tonight.

“Lance, stop thinking about the guilt for just a second,” Quinn insists, scooting closer to me on the bed as her green eyes hold mine captive. “Just tell me this, do you want me?”

The question knocks the wind from my lungs, and for a moment, I’m utterly speechless.

I don’t know how to respond.

And that intense lump in my throat returns, threatening to choke me.

16

QUINN

The silence that stretches between us is agonizing. And Lance’s hesitation obliterates me, opening a gaping hole in my chest as I realize that my feelings for him are probably unrequited. What happened between us tonight must have been entirely physical on his part—instinctive, nothing to do with who I am. Only that a woman kissed him and he was aroused.

And suddenly, his guilt makes sense.

He feels bad because he knows he feels nothing for me.

Meanwhile, I just bared my soul, hoping he might see me differently now.

That he might want me.

I can’t believe how stupid I was, how naive.

Lance’s deep-blue eyes leave mine, his chin dropping. And it’s the last nail in the coffin. He doesn’t want to watch my heart shatter into a million pieces when he turns me down.

Damn it, Quinn. You never should have said anything.

Tears sting the corners of my eyes, and I feel myself withdrawing inside myself. Because this pain is far less bearable than having someone beat me with a riding crop or threaten tochop me into little pieces. This is someone I care about holding my heart in their hands and tossing it aside like a dirty diaper.

“I have no right to want you,” Lance rasps, his deep voice hoarse with tension.

I know how hard it is for him to speak sometimes, and that only makes this worse—because I’m the one who put us in this impossible situation. And while I want to be mad at him for hurting me, I don’t think I can. Because even though he’s done nothing wrong, he’s trying to shoulder the blame.

He swallows convulsively, his neck muscles bulging with the effort to speak, and he forces his gaze back to mine. “I havenoright to want you,” he repeats more vehemently. “But that doesn’t seem to be stopping me.”

It takes a half a second for my brain to catch up. Because I honestly didn’t think that was what he would say. And then my heart swells to bursting in my chest. A surprised laugh jumps from my lips, and I smile tearfully at what is probably the sweetest thing Lance has ever uttered in my presence.

And though I know he feels guilty—conflicted about his feelings—I can’t help myself.

I fling my arms around his neck, dropping the sheets that cover my breasts and letting the fabric between us fall away as I kiss him. He tenses, his powerful arms bunching around me as his strong fingers splay across my rib cage. Like he’s unsure if he should be catching me or pushing me away.

Then, his lips soften against mine. His arms slowly snake more firmly around my body. And he gathers me close as he kisses me back with scintillating heat.

This time, our make out session is slower, more tender. His lips move with mine, exploring me rather than devouring me, body and soul. And while the pace is distinctly different from before, I can’t say I like one or the other more.

The gentle way his hands cradle my body makes me feel astonishingly cherished. Like he intends to worship me this time, rather than own me. And it feels both sweet and incredibly erotic.

His arms tighten around my waist, lifting me as he pulls me closer. And beneath the sheets, I sling a leg over his thighs, straddling him. My core throbs, my clit aching with fresh anticipation as I feel his thick length growing, hardening beneath me.

“God, I want you, Lance,” I murmur. I’ll always want him. I don’t know why, but he’s had my heart from the moment I met him. And I’ve loved him every day since.

“I want you too,” he breathes, drawing back from my lips to trail kisses down my neck.

I gasp, my nipples hardening as goose bumps rise across my flesh. My core tightens, and I roll my hips forward instinctively. Lance groans, the sound low and sultry and drawing a hot, gushing arousal to slick my already dripping pussy.

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