Page 76 of Hello Tease

“I love you,” he said. He pulled back so I could see his face, read the truth in his eyes. “I love you so damn much, Larkin.”

“Oh, Knox,” I whispered, tears already falling down my cheeks. “I love you.”

“I love you,” he said, picking up pace, pounding inside of me until I could think or feel nothing outside of him and his love for me. “I love you.”

“Baby, I’m close,” I said.

“Eyes on me as you come,” he said. “All of you is mine.”

I nodded, determined to give him everything he wanted. And I came around his cock so hard I saw stars in my eyes. But most of all, I saw him coming with me, shaking with the force of it all.

When all the waves had passed, he slowly lowered me and held me until I found my feet. “Knox,” I whispered, looking up at him. This was all so overwhelming, so new.

“I know, baby,” he said, drawing me into the shower stream. He ran his hands through my hair, making sure it was soaked to my scalp and then used the products attached to the wall to wash my hair with so much tenderness and care, I melted even more right there.

I loved that Knox cared for my kids. But it was even better knowing he could love and care for me too. It was dangerous to hope, to dream—I knew that from experience—but I could imagine us on that front porch together, watching the sunset well into the future, even after the kids were grown and busy living their own lives.

I just hoped that nothing would come along to bring my dreams crashing and burning to the ground.

42

KNOX

Larkinand I walked to the outdoor dining area where all the other couples were already sitting, my arm around her shoulder, her arm around my waist, her wet hair tickling my arm. All of her makeup may have been washed off and her hair unstyled, but she’d never looked more beautiful to me than she did right then under the twinkle lights.

There were a few eyes on us as we went to the table with a place card that had our names on it in swirly letters. “Looks like this is us,” I said.

We parted from our embrace, and I helped her into an open chair.

“Such a gentleman,” she said with a wink.

I had to chuckle as I sat across from her. I moved my foot under the table so my leg could brush with hers.

I’d never felt this way before, and just when I thought everything was perfect with her, it got even better.

Hearing her say those words? It meant the world to me. It meant the world to my teenage self who thought he was unlovable and irrevocably damaged. It meant the world to my current self who worried that Larkin would keep her walls up indefinitely, never fully giving herself to me.

But she loved me.

She loved me.

Penny came over, now changed out of her pink yoga outfit and into a pair of jeans and a buttoned black shirt, carrying two carafes. “Here is your tea and water, and we’ll be bringing you the first course soon. Goat cheese crudités. The dip is to die for.”

“Thank you,” Larkin said.

“We also have conversation cards right here.” She pointed to what looked like a regular card deck in the seasonings and napkin holder. “They are questions for you based on the stage of your relationship. We’ve had some couples coming long enough that they get to move up from new relationship to married!” She gave us a wink and then left us to it.

Before Penny walked away, she reached for the tea and poured us both a glass while I reached for the cards that said New Relationship on the outside of the pack. I’d wondered why they wanted to know the state of my relationship while booking the class. “Wanna try these?” I asked Larkin.

“Sure,” she replied and took a sip of her iced tea.

I got the cards out, and since they had the look and feel of playing cards, I shuffled them a few times before drawing one from the top. “What is your love language?”

Larkin smiled gently. “Words of affirmation. You?”

“Physical touch.” I winked.

She laughed.

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