Page 8 of Break

Knox puts his hands up innocently. As if he could ever be innocent. “How do you like your job?”

“Is that a trick question?” I ask as my eyes narrow.

Knox’s piercing stare finds mine, making my heartbeat stall for a second. “No.”

I sigh. “I love this job. I worked hard to get it,” I say in a firm voice, hoping he has enough heart to not screw this up for me. But does he have a heart at all?

Knox hums under his breath as he nods, the side of his mouth turning up. “It’s a lot of pressure.”

“I can keep up.”

He grins, but he always looks wolfish when he smiles, like he can eat me alive at any second. “Well, I did choose this team because it had the best physical therapist.”

White noise rings in my ears as I stare at him in shock. “YouknewI was on the team before you transferred?”

Knox shrugs, tucking his hands in his pockets as he steps closer until his frame towers over me. “Perhaps.”

My heart thunders as I try to make sense of this. “You could’ve picked any other team, and you came to this one for me?”

Knox lifts a finger and clicks his tongue. “Me and the guys had multiple offers, but you definitely sweetened the pot for this team.”

I was a deciding factor? I drew them here like bees to pollen, and I can’t get rid of them. I shake my head. “You need to leave me alone!”

He laughs. “You should calm down, Hope. This is a good thing for all of us.”

My finger jabs his chest. “A good thing for you! You three! Not me!”

Knox smirks and catches my hand before I can pull it away and draws me closer, the smell of his cologne filling my nose. “It could be good for you too if you just behaved.”

I peek down at our joined hands, my stomach flipping. I try to pull away, but he tightens his grip that much more.

“Stop this,” I grit.

Knox leans even closer, his face only inches from mine. “Why? Can’t handle it? You already handled us before.”

My eyes widen as I lean away, my heart threatening to pound out of my chest. “Just leave me the fuck alone, Knox!”

Knox laughs again, the sound chilling my very soul. “Don’t lie to yourself, sweetheart. I bet you still think about us at night.”

I can only stare at him, my face paling. Of course, I think about them at night. Just not in the way that he thinks. I grit my teeth and steel myself as much as I can. “You wish!”

A smirk crosses his face as his eyes roam over my tense face. He finds amusement in every little thing that I do like I’m some sort of toy or game that he can play. His free hand cups my cheek, and I’m too frozen to jerk my head away from him. “Don’t worry, we still remember how rough you like it.”

All of the oxygen in my lungs evaporates, leaving me stunned and breathless. His words grate on my very soul, stripping away my strength. My control. He has me in the palm of his hand, waiting to crush me at any moment.

“You have no idea what you’re talking about, Knox,” I tell him, my voice coming out in a harsh whisper.

Knox slides the hand on my cheek around to the back of my neck, tightening his grip and keeping me from pulling away. The ghost of his touch on my skin burns, and I feel weak at the knees as his tongue trails over his bottom lip. “Maybe we should remind you.”

My survival instincts kick in, and I gather enough strength to shove him away from me. I stumble back from the force, but I manage to plant my feet and ground myself as he takes a few steps back. “Fuck off, Knox!”

Knox merely chuckles, and a chill races up my spine, and my fight or flight instincts intensify again. This time, I want to run and get as far away from him as I can, like I’ve done before.

Noise from me behind me makes me turn. A relieved breath leaves me as I force a smile on my lips. Other team players are strolling our way, helping me by just being present.

“Hey, Hope.”

“Morning, Hope.”

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