Page 4 of Sunrise

His eyes are green with flecks of amber, framed by lashes that are longer than most women’s. I’ve always loved them.

We lock gazes, and my jaw sets as I reach over to unbutton his dress shirt. He playfully smacks my hand away, his smirk crinkling the sides of his mouth, and he undresses himself instead of making me do it. To save myself from getting sucked into his orbit, I break eye contact first to check on Sophie again. “How are you, Sunrise?”

“Green,” she says.

When I turn my attention back to Knox, he’s nolonger smirking. He’s not moving.

I don’t even think he’s breathing.

What the fuck?

“Did you forget how to use your hands?” I tease. The small audience below waits for us to get on with the show. They can keep waiting. I don’t give a fuck about anyone except who’s on this stage.

Which now includes Ryker.

Great, it’s turning into a party.

I swear, having Knox in our club draws each of us out of the shadows. Makes sense. Growing up, he kept us all together, one way or another. For the man who says he’d never make anything of himself, he helped shape each us into what and who we are today.

His pecs flex when he peels his shirt back and tosses it on the floor. The fire in his gaze is dead. I think he wants to punch me.

Clenching my teeth, I walk around until I’m behind him. Trailing my fingers across the back of his shoulders seems to make him tense up even more. Without saying a word, I wait for the beat of the Missio song piping into the room to set my brain into rigger mode. Then I lose myself to the rhythm of knots and bass beats.

“Too tight?” I ask once I’m in front of him again, making sure the rope is flat and perfectly placed.

“I like tight,” he growls, with no hint of amusement.

“I know.” My gaze flicks back to Sophie. “What color are you?”

“Yellow.” Her voice is more strained, but she continues to hold her perfect position for me.

A quick nod to Dmitri and he lowers her down. She’s light in my arms when I catch her and unhookthe first rope, then the next. She pulls the quick release on her legs, the rope unravels, and her bare feet hit the stage.

“Finish him,” she says over the audience’s applause. “I’m fine.”

My attention returns to Knox, who’s staring straight ahead like a soldier waiting for orders. His arms are bound tight to his sides, the blue rope snaking around his torso. I’d like to think it’s holding him together, but nothing holds this man together when he explodes, which is exactly what I think is about to happen.

“What color are you?”

“Green as a fucking kiwi.”

He’s lying.

“Knox.” I shouldn’t have asked him to come up here. I didn’t think it would affect him like this. I’ve made a mistake. “We’re done. I’m ending the scene.”

“Don’t you fucking dare,” he sneers at me. Turning to Ryker, he yells. “Don’t listen to him.”

“It’s over.”

“No, it’s not. Fucking finish, Alex.”

My heart skids to a stop. He rarely calls me by my real name and only when it’s important. Swallowing the lump in my throat, I nod at Ryker and pick another bundle of rope from my pile.

Dropping to my knees, I look up at him, desperate to understand what the fuck is going on in his mind, but he gives nothing away. Knox is just like the fortress he’s named after. Practically impenetrable.

Nudging his thighs open with the back of my hand, he lets me position him in a way that makes it easy to tie his thighs up. His dick is close to my face this way, but he’s not hard. Mine’s in a cage, so…

My fingers glide along the rope, calming me as I knot Knox’s lower half. He fills these pants out well, and the configuration I put him in showcases his tight ass.

---