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I was almost asleep—about to be the best fucking sleep of my life holding her—when she whispered, “I used to think about a life where you were dead.”
I propped myself up to look at her. Her eyes were brimming with tears. “Care…”
Caroline cupped my jaw, stroking her thumb across my cheekbone. Her voice was barely a breath. “And now that feels like the worst possible thing that could happen.”
My heart cracked. “Me, too,” I said just as quietly, kissing her palm. “I know it’s hard to let go of the past. But we can move forward together. Yeah?”
Caroline bit her trembling lip. “Yeah.”
I leaned down to kiss her, soft at first, then with more urgency.
“I have no intention of dying, wild thing, or letting anything happen to you. You’re mine. There’s no going back from that.”
CHAPTER 30
CAROLINE
It had been easier to relinquish control to Knox than I thought it would be.
Maybe I had just been holding on to it, on to the old me, so tightly that my fingers cramped, and I just gave up. Now I had nothing to grab on to, and it felt so fucking good.
I put my trust in Knox, and he didn’t betray me. He didn’t treat me like I was just a piece of meat for pleasure or sneak out while I slept. He didn’t bruise me or taunt me. He promised he would take care of me, and he did. Men often didn’t keep promises, especially those made in the heat of sex.
But Knox did.
Major green fucking flag.
After we confessed we both wanted each other, Knox made good on his promise.
We didn’t have rope, ribbons, or anything else that could act as bondage—just getting creative with my panties.
He twisted them around my wrists in a way that bound them behind my back. I could escape them if I wanted to—but I didn’t want to.
I went pliable for him, wrists tied, lying on my back on the bed. Knox stood at the edge of it. Fuck, he was the perfect male specimen.
He spread my legs, giving himself a front-row seat to my pussy. He had the audacity to lick his lips.
“Shit,” I breathed.
I was doomed.
Without breaking eye contact, Knox knelt. He pinned me down by my ankles—then yanked me toward him until his face was just inches from my already damp folds. I went to stifle a gasp but couldn’t—I was tied up, duh.
“You look so good, baby,” Knox purred. I tried to close my twitching legs. “No, no. None of that. You’re at my mercy, spitfire. Don’t make me blindfold you, too.”
“With what, your underwear?” I retorted before thinking that through. Knox raised a questioning eyebrow. I glared. “Hell no. Just lick me alr?—”
I didn’t get to finish the word before Knox’s tongue dragged across the inside of my thigh.
Fuck.
I couldn’t move any of my limbs, as they were tied and pinned. I could only squirm as Knox’s tongue did all the work. Licking, teasing, flicking, dragging… Saying things that made me want to crush his head between my thighs.
“You taste like fucking heaven,” he murmured, watching me watch him. “You can come early. It’s okay. I can feel it. Come for me, Caroline.”
I bit my lip so hard I thought I drew blood. “Nate?—”
He licked me in one slow, long drag, and I felt myself losing control. I started to feel the urge to take the lead, but when he started kissing my lower stomach, I went limp with disappointment—no, with longing.