Page 26 of Knox
My lips curved into what I hoped was a smile. I was glad I hadn't eaten yet as the bile rose in my throat. I tamped that down and took a deep breath, in through my nose as I tried to calm down. My skin crawled from so many people watching me.
"Thank you," I murmured, and they laughed.
"Mister Deejay!" Ian yelled, and the music began, which thankfully shielded me from saying anything else.
Mom and Colin came to hug me, and then Granpa, who I hadn't seen in a few days.
"Anni's pregnant," he said as he looked me over, and noted Knox holding my hand. Good lord. It was always about clan politics.
I nodded. "I'll have to congratulate them."
Granpa cupped my face in both hands and smiled. "Josh, you can marry who you want."
He backed away and winked at Knox before stepping onto the dancefloor.
I took another deep breath, and Lacey slipped her hand into my free one. "You promised my first dance lesson, didn't you?"
I laughed softly as she and Knox led me to the floor.
We spent two hours teaching her to dance, and for the first time in my life, I felt like I belonged somewhere. No snide comments, no one telling me to go away, and when the cakearrived, with sparklers instead of candles, I removed them one by one and dunked them into a cup of punch. No one made fun of me for not wanting to spit all over the cake, or worse yet, burn down the barn.
That was the sort of weirdness Jasper hated about me. The thoughts that flew through my mind over different situations. Knox, however, held the cup and kissed me lightly on the lips after. Everyone yelled again as I cut the cake, and then Mom took over when I had my piece.
Knox followed me to the tack room and kicked the door closed behind him. He dropped the latch and removed two bottles of water from the back pockets of his jeans.
"How are you?" he asked as he sat on the bench beside me. I fed him a bite of cake, and he made a face. "It's sweet."
"I think Mom chose it," I said, wiping icing from his top lip. "I like chocolate, but since this is my first official birthday cake with my name written on it, I'm not complaining."
Knox ran his finger through the icing and rubbed the peppermint-flavored cream on my lips. I licked it off, and he leaned in, brushing his lips over mine.
I gave in, and as his tongue tangled with mine, I set the cake on the floor. He was intent on something, and the world beyond the door cared more about clans and Macs than feelings.
"Knox?" I whispered, pulling away gently and touching my forehead to his. "We don't have to rush into this. Unless you're only in it to get laid."
He took a deep breath and leaned away to watch me under his lashes. "Let me see if I understand where you are going? One, you and Jasper just broke up. Two, you're still afraid I'll fuck you and leave you. Three, there are way too many people beyond the door. Four? You want it to be more natural? And Five? In a bed?"
"All of that," I nodded.
He brushed my hair off my face and straddled the bench. "I agree with the bed. It's too cold in here. There are too many people out there. You are also tired." He gently rubbed his finger under my left eye. You need sleep, which isn't happening in that new, big bed. So, what if we," he leaned closer and kissed one eyelid and then the other, "go home and maybe take a nap?"
"In my bed. Ian put a double in yours." I wrinkled my nose.
"So, is the King too big or too small?" he asked, grabbing the cake as we left the room.
"Oh, maybe just right for both of us? We aren't short."
Adam blocked our path when we rounded the wall for the first stall, and the man was still adjusting his tie. "Hmm." I frowned. "Flowery perfume, tie undone, and your shirt is sticking through the zipper. Who have you been doing?"
Adam glared at me as he fixed the rest of his clothes, and the stall door opened just enough for Lacey to squeeze through.
Knox and I exchanged a small smile before I cleared my throat. "So, we wanted to go home." I winked at Lacey, whose cheeks flamed. "Unless you're busy."
Adam's jaw ticked, but he nodded once and escorted us to the SUV with Lacey in tow.
Didn't worry about those two or what came later for them. It wasn't my business. I was nervous about sleeping in the same bed with Knox—morning breath, morning sex, and was he a top or a bottom? Did I want to try topping? Jasper never gave me the chance. He didn't like giving blow jobs, either.
What was I getting myself into?
