Page 6 of Big Forbidden Blacksmith

Right. I was limping around yesterday, lost, and confused. How could I forget that?

I must stay silent for too long because he steps into my space, closing the distance between the two of us. I gasp when he runs the knuckle of his index finger over my cheek. The little gesture sends a tremor running through my body. His dark eyes have me hypnotized to the spot. “Are you sure you’re okay, baby?”

Oh my … “M-me? Yeah, I’m fine.”

“I didn’t want you to wake up alone so I let Bear into the bedroom and left breakfast for you in the kitchen.”

“I saw it, thank you,” I say breathlessly, trying to think of something else to say. I can barely grasp a thought long enough to say it. With him this close, I can clearly see the bulging outlines of his muscled frame, and his intoxicating scent stirs a storm of strange sensations I’ve never felt before. Heat prickles underneath my skin, messing with my mind.

“You’re wearing my shirt,” he says, his voice thick with something unfamiliar. “I left your suitcase next to the bed. Did you not see it?”

Oh. Was I not supposed to put this shirt on then?

I must seem like a total weirdo to him. I should explain myself so he doesn’t think I’m just wearing his clothes for no reason, as if I’m overstepping some boundary between us. I need to explain that I’m not used to being around big, attractive men like him, at having the chance to get closer with someone like this, but I can’t find my voice long enough to say the words.

Knox is driving me crazy, looking at me the way he is. His gaze is all heat, dark and hypnotizing.

“Lara,” he growls deeply, taking a step closer to close the remaining distance between us. I gasp when he wraps his hand around my waist and draws me flush against him. I gasp when his body heat penetrates the thin material of his shirt, making me yearn and ache for him.

This is new to me.

Knox is every bit a piece of art, just like any other piece I have seen in museums all over the world. It’s not the first time I’ve fallen in love with a piece of art, it’s the first time I’ve ached like this for one.

“I hope you don’t mind that I borrowed your shirt.” My voice comes out breathy and I brace my hand on his chest. My eyes widen when I feel the hardness of his muscles. “It was there at the foot of the bed, so …”

My voice trails off when his eyes drop to my lips. Liquid heat gathers between my thighs when he leans in, his lips barely touching mine when he rasps, “Tell me what you want.”

“I …”

What was I about to say? Why can’t I get a hold of my thoughts?

Knox threads a hand through my hair, gripping it tightly and forcing my head to tip back. My breathing grows labored when his eyes drop to the line of my throat before moving slowly down to regard my breasts under the fabric of his shirt. A rumbling sound grows deep in his chest as his eyes run a soft, caressing gaze over my body.

“Say it,” he growls, his dark eyes connecting with mine as he runs his tongue over his lips, eyes hungry and wild. “Tell me what you want, Angel.”

Him. All I want is him. The things my body is feeling—it’s want. It’s all want. He’s washed away every other thought, and has put himself in their places.

“I-I … I want …”

It has to be him, right? His touch, his scent. His unmatched strength. Why can’t I get the words out?

“Let me help you figure it out,” he breathes hotly.

Whatever parts of my brain that were still capable of functioning suddenly stutter to a halt as his lips drop to mine. His mouth is hot and demanding, the scruff of his beard tickling my chin as he nips at my lips.

It’s my first kiss. I can already tell that it’s a high point, and that kissing anyone else will pale in comparison. It hits me suddenly that I don’t want to kiss anyone else ever. Not if I can help it. The very thought makes my hands fly up to his shoulders, hoping to pull him closer.

Knox tightens his hand in my hair, forcing a gasp out of me. My lips part against his and he licks into my mouth with a low groan.

He tastes like something I shouldn’t want as much as I do.

He tastes forbidden because that’s what he is to me. My parents would lose their minds if they found out what I was doing in the middle of nowhere with a man I met less than twenty-four hours ago. Someone like Knox, all rough edges, and hard lines, would horrify them.

My gentle giant would scare them, even though he has never ever scared me.

I lean into the kiss, rising onto the tips of my toes to lean into his massive frame as he takes my mouth with his. He licks into my mouth as if I belong to him. The hand twisting in my hair tugs gently and I whimper into the kiss.

I claw his chest, tugging at the apron to feel more of his skin as he kisses me, his harsh breath mixing with mine in a fever of need. Our lips break apart, but only for a second. Being apart from him is too hard for me, I need to feel his mouth against mine more, just to make sure this is real.

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