Page 17 of Knox
The human left the room, and Knox lay back down. He closed his eyes, pretending to be asleep when Adrian came back. He didn’t know what had happened to the man, what made him so scared, but Knox didn’tneedto know either. He wasn’t going to stay here long enough for it to matter.
In time, he would either find a way back to his world or a more willing human to feed off.
Chapter
Five
The first thing Adrian registered upon waking was warmth. An all-encompassing warmth that radiated from the source pressed against his side. His eyes snapped open, and his heart stuttered to a stop.
He was curled up against Knox.
His arm was draped over Knox’s chest, his head resting on the incubus’s shoulder. Knox’s arm was wrapped around him, holding him close, and Adrian could feel the steady rise and fall of his breath against his cheek.
The memory of the previous night—the shattered skylight, the rain, the realization that his fictional crush was now a very real, very solid presence in his life—flooded back in a dizzying rush.
He’d fallen asleep on the sofa, determined to maintain some distance from the demon who’d turned his world upside down.
But sometime during the night, he must have shifted in his sleep, drawn closer to the comforting heat radiating from Knox.
Mortified, Adrian tried to extricate himself without waking the other man. He carefully shifted his weight, easing out from under Knox’s arm, trying to untangle their limbs without making any sudden movements. It was like trying to defuse a bomb made of lean muscle and warm skin.
Just as he thought he’d managed to free himself, Knox mumbled something in his sleep, his grip tightening around Adrian’s waist.
"Don’t… go," Knox murmured, his voice a low rumble that sent a shiver down Adrian’s spine.
Adrian’s heart stuttered in his chest. He couldn’t stay here. He couldn’t be this close to Knox, not when every inch of him screamed to lean in closer, to bury his face in the other man’s chest, and inhale that intoxicating scent of rain and something uniquely Knox.
It was the incubus magic, he told himself, the allure that had ensnared countless victims in the stories. He had to resist it.
Before he could make another attempt at escape, a cheerful voice shattered the tense silence.
"Good morning, sleepyheads!"
Adrian flinched, his entire body flushing crimson as his grandmother bustled into the living room.
"Oh, my." Her gaze lingered on their tangled limbs and Adrian’s panicked expression. "It seems you two got quite cozy."
"Grandma!" Adrian choked out, scrambling away from Knox so quickly he nearly fell off the sofa. "It’s not what it looks like!"
Knox groaned, his eyes fluttering open, a confused frown creasing his brow. He blinked, taking in the sight of Adrian perched on the edge of the sofa, his face the color of a ripe tomato, and Evelyn standing there with a knowing smile.
"Morning," Knox mumbled, his voice still thick with sleep. He glanced down at himself, at the rumpled duck pajamas, then back at Adrian, his brow furrowing. "Did I…?"
"You didn’t do anything," Adrian blurted out, the words tumbling over each other. "I mean, you were asleep. And I… well, I must have rolled over in my sleep. It’s a small sofa."
He knew he sounded utterly ridiculous, but he couldn’t help the frantic babble that spilled from his lips.
Evelyn chuckled. "Well, no harm done, dears. Breakfast is almost ready. Why don’t you two freshen up while I finish setting the table?"
Adrian, desperate to escape the awkwardness, practically bolted toward the bathroom, his heart still pounding in his chest.
He splashed water on his face, staring at his reflection in the mirror. His cheeks were still flushed, his hair was a mess, and his heart was pounding like he’d just run a marathon.
His phone buzzed on the bathroom counter, a notification from his group chat. He picked it up, his stomach clenching with a mix of dread and anticipation.
BookBoyfriendLover69: Dude. Holy. Shit.
BookBoyfriendLover69: Turn on the news!
