Page 14 of Possessed By Knox
The Garfield Park Conservatory doesn’t draw much of a reaction either, but instead of getting disappointed, I find myself growing increasingly curious over what would impress this ice princess who seems set on hating this city and all the beauty within it.
“This place is huge too,” she comments as we step inside the conservatory. We’re greeted by a wave of humid warmth and the scent of damp earth and blooming flowers. Sunlight streams through the enormous glass panes and illuminates a kaleidoscope of green. “Really huge. I’m surprised something like this could exist within the city.”[KB20]
The sound of the city fades, replaced with the gentle murmur of water features and the rustle of leaves. We walk slowly, taking in the towering palms and ferns. She stays silent when we stroll through the Desert House, smiling faintly when I point out an unusual plant.
“That’s an elephant’s foot plant,” I say, pulling her closer to the plant, its surface textured like an ancient stone. “See how its stem is swollen? That’s how it stores water to survive in arid environments. It adjusts.”
She smiles, her fingers brushing against mine as she leans closer for a look. “You surprise me.” She chuckles, a rare sound from her. “Who would’ve thought that the Rebels’ playboy would have a thing for plants? A botanist in a leather jacket.”
“You visit the place enough times, you pick up on a thing or two.”
Next, we enter the Fern Room, cool and shaded with delicate ferns and trickling waterfalls meant to create a soothing space, but it doesn’t seem to work on her as she turns around to face me, her back to the plants. “It’s pretty, all of this is pretty,” she says, waving her hands around the space. “The Bean, the plants, and I imagine all the other tourist spots you intend to take me to are all going to be pretty.”
“But?”
“You don’t understand,” she whispers, pushing forward until she’s all I can see. Until everything has faded away and hers is the only scent I can smell. “Unlike you, I don’t revel in the whole diamond from a rock philosophy. You want to show me that something good can come from bad, I get it. With the railway track to Bean thing, and with this place, with its lush gardens and meticulously arranged displays that scream perfection. I don’t need to be reminded of that!”
“Ruth—”
“I grew up with it. Constantly being expected to be perfect. The constant stress and anxiety to be beautiful, structured, flawless, perfect, and all this…” She heaves, blinking back tears. “Even when I left home, I couldn’t shed everything I was raised to be. Christ, I even chose my field of study because Ilikethings to be perfect, controlled, black and white, right and wrong. But perfection is exhausting, and places like this? They’re just a reminder of the things I’ve been trying to hide from.”[KB21]
I glance around to search for a secluded spot, something that would give us the illusion of privacy. “Come with me,” I say, taking her hand and leading her down a narrow path, away from the main walkway and toward a small alcove, hidden behind a curtain of vines. The air here is still and quiet, the only sounds the soft drip of water and our hushed breath.
“Look, Knox, forget about everything I just said. I don’t know what got into me—”
I turn around and slam my mouth down on hers, sliding my hand to her nape and holding her in place as I take her mouth in a kiss so hard and hungry that she has no choice but to grab the lapels of my jacket and hold on.
Oh, she’s looking to strip off the perfect facade she wears like a second skin? I can help her with that. Heck, it’s whatI am good at, or I wouldn’t be the vice president of the most dangerous MC in the city.
I can barely hold myself back from ripping off her shirt and revealing her tits, touching and exploring her right where we stand. I want to worship her body until she’s begging me to fuck her.
I break from the kiss and push back to look at her, my hand firm in her hair. “It seems I’ve terribly misjudged you, little bird,” I hiss, the need in my chest threatening to explode if I don’t take her this very second, but I push it down. With my free hand, I pop open the first button of her shirt, and then the second until I spot the red lace bra that’s covering her mouthwatering tits. Fuck, I should have known she would do this to me, that the sight of those sexy tits and the dip of her cleavage would send a storm of emotion rocking through me.
I want her.
“Knox.” My eyes shoot back to hers, reading the shock and worry in her eyes, but underneath that is need. A need that nearly matches my own. Her eyes dance across my shoulders for a second before shifting back to mine. “This…we can’t do this here.”
“Here,” I say firmly. This needs to happen here. Only then will we shatter this illusion of perfection. Or at the very least, form a crack in her ideas of it.
“But…oh,” she moans when I rub the back of my hand up her ribs, watching with hunger as her nipples pebble inside the bra, turning into little points. “Knox—”
“Fuck, baby, I love hearing my name on your lips,” I say, voice low. I ignore my aching cock and focus on her. On the way a pretty flush spreads to her neck and face, the way she arches forward as she anticipates my touch on her tits, but I don’t indulge her. “I love the way you respond to my touch even when I’ve barely touched you.”
“We should stop,” she breathes, those pretty eyes dazed as she locks them on mine.
She’s a woman who revels in control, I realize. I should have figured this out about her yesterday.She likes being in charge of her life as she never was in her childhood. She probably thinks that coming back here means handing over that control to people who are going to abuse it. Again. [KB22]
“Just this once,” I say, loosening her ponytail before sliding my fingers through her thick mane and grabbing a fistful, tilting her face up. “Let someone else worry for you.”
“I can’t—”
“Can’t or won’t?”
“I just…I can’t.”
“Scared that handing over control means you won’t get it back?” I ask, sliding my fingers up under her shirt and around to unhook the back clasp of her bra. It loosens around her chest so I slide my hand underneath and palm her left tit, groaning at the softness of her skin against my calloused fingers. “If that’s what you’re worried about, then let me put your mind at ease.” I lean down and brush my lips over her ear, all the while fondling her breast and rubbing at her beaded nipple with my thumb. “I’m not looking to control you, Ruth. I just want to make you feel good.”
“Why?”
