Page 28 of Knox
I linked our fingers then and cocked my head to the side. "Then I guess you get to be my dreamweaver."
Chapter 17
I Love You, Too
It was midnight when we settled down to sleep. We'd come upstairs, and I went into my room to shower, while he went into his. I'd just crawled onto the bed in a pair of joggers when he walked in, closing and locking the door behind him.
He held up a stuffed horse missing one eye, and the left ear sliced off. "It's not a teddy bear, but it's mine."
"What happened to it?" I asked as he climbed onto the bed.
"Lana. Mom gave this to me when I was four, and Lana was angry because she got a doll." He held it out, and the scent of his cologne washed over me. "Do you really want me to sleep in here?"
I didn't answer with words. I pulled him down so that his head rested on my shoulder. He snuggled into my side, his warmth seeped into my bones, and for the first time in days, I felt safe.
That was the word. Oh, the house was perfect, and I loved my bedroom. Being included in the family and finally having a place to call my own was great. That part wasn't just about a room or a vehicle. It was about belonging. I wanted to belong without taking away from someone else.
All the parts of Jasper I loved were only shadows of what Knox gave me.
The night Ethan yelled at me in the bowling alley, Jasper stood there with his mouth hanging open, too shocked to say anything. He was there for me after, but now, it looked like he only wanted to get laid. He started pulling away from me when Ian made me his heir. It wasn't about who we were to each other, but who we were to the clans.
Knox defended me to Lacey, and in a way to Adam. Declarations to a guard went straight to Granpa, who gave us his blessing tonight.
"Knox?" I whispered.
"Hmm?"
"Are you still a Daniels?"
He sighed and rose above me. "My father hasn't disowned me, no. I didn't get a trust fund if that's what you're asking."
"No, I was just curious. You talked about losing your name. Granpa gave me the ID bracelet earlier that day, and then tonight, he gave us his blessing."
Knox smiled. "You're overanalyzing." He laid back down; his pinky finger sliding under my joggers.
I tensed when those fingers gripped my cock. No one else had ever touched me. Jasper had watched too many porn videos and assumed that tops didn't touch the bottoms anywhere but the hole.
Knox lifted his head, and his lips slid down my shaft, causing me to shiver. I tangled my fingers in his hair as he continued to move, and held my breath, hoping to stave off my orgasm. I felt it coming, and tried to get him to move, but he was determined and swallowed.
He lifted his head and smiled while I was trying to remember how to breathe.
"We didn't talk about this. Well, we did. You said you were a virgin, and are you? Oh, God!" I stared at him, and he raised his eyebrows.
"Josh," he put his hand on my chest. "It's okay. We are really good, I promise. I've never done anything with anyone. Too busy with school and the horses before coming here. I'm not wired for weird hookups."
"Okay," I nodded, trying to steady my breathing. This was a big deal, wasn't it?
Knox hugged me then. "Don't panic. We are good. I swear." He stroked my face as he straddled me. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. Sex is a big deal, I know. You're it for me, Josh. I've known that since I was five years old. Only took me fifteen years to tell you. "
I took a deep breath, and then another as we stared at each other. Slowly, I hugged him, and he scooted as close to my chest as he could get. It was so different seeing him, feeling him like this, from the guy who asked me for a ride home. From the guy who defended me to Lacey in front of the entire cast.
It was true, then. We all played roles to hide ourselves. This was Knox accepting me, and understanding when I panicked. He didn't need me to explain it. He also didn't laugh. Didn't make fun of me. He understood.
I filtered through everything he'd said in the last five minutes, realizing what he was trying to tell me. "Knox?"
"Yes?" he whispered into my neck.
"I love you, too."
