Page 101 of Deviant Knight (Knight's Ridge Empire 4)

“Yeah, maybe. Excuse me.” She places her hands on my knees and pushes. This time, I let her go.

“You shouldn’t be here. You should be at home with your friends.” The sombre look on her face makes my chest hurt.

It’s Christmas Day. It should be one of the happiest days of the year.

“What if I want to be here?”

“You hate me, Theo. Why would you want to be here?” She waves me off and slips into the bathroom.

The sound of the shower turning on gets my attention and I push from the bed, following her.

She left the door open, so I can only take that as an invitation.

Resting my shoulder on the doorframe, I watch as she peels her clothes from her body and steps under the spray, completely unfazed that I’m watching her. Every inch of her.

Her hair is piled on top of her head to keep it dry, and she makes quick work of covering her mouthwatering body in bubbles and rinsing them away.

All too quickly, she reaches for a towel and wraps it around herself, hiding from me.

“Excuse me,” she says, stepping up to me, her eyes locked on my chest as she waits for me to move out of her way.

“Emmie,” I say, waiting for her to look up at me.

When she doesn't, I reach out and tuck my fingers under her chin, forcing her to meet my eyes.

My breath catches in my throat at the sight of her tears.

“What is it?”

She shakes her head. The movement is so subtle that if I weren’t touching her then I’d never have known it had happened.

“Today. It’s… it’s been a long day.”

My eyes narrow as if I’ll be able to read the reason for her sadness in her eyes, but I can’t. She’s closed down.

“Talk to me,” I beg quietly.

“So you can use it against me later? Hard pass, thanks. You should just leave.”

She tries to slip past me, but I’m not having any of it.

Dropping my hand, I wrap my fingers around her throat and press her up against the bathroom wall.

“I’m not going anywhere,” I tell her roughly before doing something I know I’m going to regret, but I need that look out of her eyes. I need to give her something else to focus on.

The bolt of electricity that shoots through me is like nothing I’ve ever felt before, and it makes my blood turn red hot in an instant as my lips brush against hers.

She doesn’t move for a few seconds, too stunned, much like I am, but now I’m here, I’m not giving up so easily.

My lips brush against hers, begging her to respond.

When she does, my knees damn near give out with relief.

It starts soft, innocent, and it’s like nothing I’ve ever felt before.

Her sadness and desperation seeps into me and I wish I could take it away, or at least help shoulder the weight.

I lick across her bottom lip. They part slightly, and I make the most of the opportunity. But the second my tongue collides with hers, her hands slam down on my chest and she pushes me back.