Page 39 of In the Long Run

GEN

‘Are you sure you’re okay?’ I ask Knox after our walk as he unclips Madeleine and Chouquette’s leads, ushering the dogs inside Eugene’s flat. He pauses in the doorway.

‘I’m so much better now,’ is all he says. He pulls me close, encircling my body with his strong arms. The eucalyptus of his washing powder is familiar, as is the steady beat of his heart under my cheek.

‘Is that you, Knox?’ Eugene calls down the hall. He doesn’t sound like himself.

‘Yeah, Eug. I’ll be in in a sec.’ Despite his words, Knox’s arms tighten around me. ‘I’m sorry our day got derailed,’ he murmurs.

I look up at him. ‘Hey. No, it’s fine. No one could’ve predicted this was going to happen.’

‘Still. I wanted that time with you.’

I bite my lip. Who would’ve thought that sitting down next to a stranger was going to lead to this? ‘Me too.’

‘Good,’ he whispers before burying his face in my hair.

‘You need an early night,’ I say into his chest. ‘We can cuddle another time.’

‘I do,’ he sighs. ‘But I don’t want to let you go.’

‘Is Gen here too?’ Eugene’s voice drifts down the hall again.

I muffle my laugh against Knox’s jumper when Eugene groans and says, ‘I’ll get out of your hair. Let you guys do whatever it is you want to do.’

‘I want to do you,’ he mumbles, eyes widening so fast that I snort. He tips his head back and thunks it on the door frame. ‘That didn’t come out the way I meant it to.’

He’s so cute when he’s flustered. He swallows, and apparently I’m into Adam’s apples now.

‘Be a gentleman and bring her inside! I’ve ordered some Indian. Should be here soon. There’s plenty.’

‘He’s still trying to apologise,’ Knox says softly.

I pat his chest. ‘Sounds like you two need some more time together.’

‘We’ve already cleared the air. We’re okay now.’ Knox’s hands skate down my back, avoiding my welts, and I know that’s on purpose. A weary smile appears on his face. ‘You ever get tired of doing all the stuff you should do? Rather than what you want to do?’

I rise up and press a kiss into the corner of his mouth. ‘I have some experience with that, yes.’

‘I can go back to bed if you two want to be alone,’ Eugene calls. ‘Don’t want to cramp your style.’

‘He sounds sad.’ I nudge Knox towards the hall. ‘Go on, I’ll see you tomorrow. Run? Bring Madeleine and Chouquette for the warm-up?’

Knox licks his lips and runs his hands through his hair. ‘Or you could stay? Hang out with us both? Eugene would like that, and so would I.’

And that’s how I find myself on Eugene’s couch, Chouquette on one side and Knox on the other, a plate of naan and butter chicken on my lap and Knox’s hand on my knee. Eugene and I outvote Knox and subject him to a marathon of The Great British Bake Off .

It’s relaxed.

And easy.

And exactly how I want to spend every night.

It’s dark when I wake up. Soft light spills out of the bathroom down the hall.

I blink. We’re still on the couch. Leftover dinner dishes litter the coffee table.

I have no idea when I fell asleep, but I don’t want to leave.

Knox is stretched out behind me, my back pressed against his chest. Other things are pressed together as well, and I want to push back, see if I can get him to make some more of those noises he made in the shower.

‘Halliday,’ Knox moans behind me, and my nipples harden. He rocks his hips against my ass. I can’t tell if he’s awake or not though.

Trying to roll over requires a level of grace I don’t possess, and I teeter on the edge of the couch for one perfect slow motion second before crashing to the floor.

Knox sits up quickly and rubs his eyes. ‘Jesus, Gen, are you okay?’

I sit up and massage my hip. ‘I’m fine.’

‘What time is it?’

It’s after eleven according to my phone. I have two messages from Caleb asking where I am. The third is a string of eggplants and question marks. I fire one back quickly, confirming I’m with Knox.

‘Guess we fell asleep, huh?’

Rumpled Knox is one of my favourite versions of him. There are pillow creases on his cheeks and his stubble is all shadowy. I bet it would feel so scratchy against my face … my thighs.

‘I should go,’ I whisper, trying to remember what I did with my keys.

‘Or’—Knox holds out his hands, helps me up—‘you could stay.’

‘Would that be okay with Eugene? What are the rules?’

‘I think “the rules” expired when I was eighteen. Come on. I want to see you in my bed. Wake up with you again.’

How’s a girl supposed to say no to that?

I let him lead me down the hall, past Eugene’s closed door and the bathroom. I stop short when I see the king single bed.

‘We’re not going to fit,’ I whisper.

‘We’ll make it work.’ Knox tugs me into the room before fiddling with the bottom of my jumper. ‘Might be too warm for this though.’

I lift my arms, silently asking him to help me undress. Knox swallows before lifting the hoodie off me. My mouth waters when he steps out of his tracksuit pants, leaving them in a heap.

His body’s ridiculous. I was in awe of it the other day, but now seeing it bathed in moonlight, it’s like he’s been carved from stone. All sharp lines, stacked muscles and strength wrapped up in the perfect Knox-shaped package.

Speaking of packages … his cock is already hard, the outline clear against his boxer briefs. I want to get on my knees. Make him come undone again.

Eugene is asleep down the hall .

A growly ‘C’mere’ rumbles out of Knox’s chest as he pulls back the neatly made bedding, climbs in and moves over until his back is pressed against the wall.

I slide in, overwhelmed by the warmth of his body, the scent that’s so perfectly Knox on his sheets. I’ve never been so cosy.

Or wide awake.

We lie in silence and I try to match my breathing to his. To give in to the contentedness seeping throughout my body. Tell myself that we’ll be able to find some time to be properly alone very soon. But it doesn’t work.

Because this is Knox’s bed.

And he’s hard.

And I want to know what it’s like when he’s inside me.

I bite back a quiet moan and bury my face in the pillow.

I freeze when Knox’s hand shifts from my hip to my stomach to the underside of my breast. My skin’s on fire.

‘I can’t sleep,’ he whispers.

‘Neither can I,’ I reply, willing him to move his hand a little bit higher.

‘Want to know a secret?’

Yes. Always. I want them all.

‘You’re the first woman to spend the night here with me.’

His hand’s moving again. Coasting up and down my side, snaking up between my breasts.

‘You never brought anyone else home?’

He kisses the spot where my neck meets my shoulder, scratching the sensitive skin with his stubble and I shiver.

‘Nope.’

I push back, encouraging him to grind against me. Any trace of drowsiness is long gone, replaced with scorching hot need. It makes my nerves sing, pools between my legs, makes my pussy throb.

‘Can you be quiet?’ Knox palms my breast, then squeezes it.

Oh, God. I exhale roughly and nod jerkily.

His free hand hooks under the waistband of my leggings, flirting with the elastic of my panties.

I’m making a mess of myself already. ‘I’ve been dreaming about having you in my bed,’ he says before sucking on my neck, pushing his hand inside my pants.

He pulls my panties to the side and groans when he feels how ready I am for him.

‘Always so wet, Halliday.’ He teases me, keeping his touch light, dipping into my entrance before immediately withdrawing. Tracing circles along my pussy. Making me arch and squirm. ‘You’re a goddamn dream come true.’

I moan loudly and slap a hand across my mouth. My apology is muffled.

‘You have to be quiet.’ He’s so stern and I’m so into it.

‘I can … I can do that,’ I whisper.

‘That’s my girl.’ He punctuates his words with a quick snap of his hips, and I push against him. Feel how hot his cock is through the thin material of my leggings, his boxer briefs.

‘Do you want me to make you come, Gen?’

So much yes.

My thighs clench and he laughs softly, pushing a finger inside me.

‘You like that, huh?’

I gasp when he adds another finger and starts pumping them. With his other hand, he tugs at my nipples. Pulling at them roughly. Making me spiral.

‘You’re so beautiful right now. I wish I had my face between your legs.’

That makes two of us.

He quickens his pace, presses his thumb against my clit.

‘I’ve never tasted anything better than your cum, Gen. It was sweet. Just like you.’

Who knew Knox Watson had this mouth on him?

His cock twitches and I groan into my palm. He likes that. I can tell by the way he squeezes my breasts together, bites my shoulder.

‘Please,’ I whimper, drawing much-needed oxygen into my lungs but it’s not enough. I need more of everything. Pleasure rises inside me and everything blurs. The shadowy room. The rustle of the bedsheets. The heat of his cock, pressed up against my ass.

‘You’re close, aren’t you?’

The way he’s able to read my body so accurately adds an intoxicating layer to my pleasure, sets everything on fire. As I tumble into bliss, Knox presses his hand over mine, helping cover my mouth.

‘It’s okay,’ he whispers, his hand quickening, thumb rubbing my clit the way I like. ‘I’ve got you.’

My eyes flutter closed as pleasure shimmers throughout my body, stealing my ability to speak or do anything but ride out my orgasm. Eventually I go limp. My body is so heavy, my heart so happy.

Knox holds me until I’m strong enough to rise up onto my elbows.

‘Do you want to?’ I gesture towards his cock, where it strains against his underwear.

He smiles tightly. ‘There’s no way I can be quiet. Not the first time I get to be inside you, Gen.’

I lick my lips. Think about all the things he’s just told me. ‘I might have a solution for that.’ I lift my eyebrows. I’ve never done this before – too self-conscious about whether or not my partner would be into it or if I have the coordination to pull it off, but I know Knox won’t laugh at me.

That he wants me the same way I want him.

I brush the hair off his forehead and climb up onto my knees, which press into his side.

He scrunches his eyes closed and the corner of his mouth tips down into something that looks like a frown, but I don’t think it is. It’s frustration. It’s the fight inside him as he tries to do the right thing. Tries to put himself last again.

No way am I about to allow that.

‘Do you trust me?’ I ask.

His eyes fly open. ‘Of course.’

‘Then take your pants off.’

He shakes his head slowly. ‘Gen, baby. Eug’s a light sleeper. I’m not going to be able to control myself. Believe me, I never thought I’d be saying no to you but …’

I pull off my top, push my leggings and ruined, stretched-out panties down to my knees. ‘I’ve got you,’ I say, loving the way his eyes darken with want. How his stomach muscles – and God, there are so many – clench.

I step off the bed and out of my clothes. Feeling exposed but safe. ‘Scoot down the bed,’ I say, and I can tell the second he figures out where this is going. His mouth drops open and I kind of love shocking him. ‘I did what you said. It’s my turn to be in charge.’

‘Yes, ma’am.’ He finishes it off with a devilish wink that has more heat rushing to my core. The ache inside me intensifies when he yanks his boxer briefs off.

This is the bit I’m most nervous about. What’s stopped me from doing this before. What if he doesn’t like it? What if I do it wrong? What if I smother him?

‘What’s going on in that beautiful mind of yours?’ Knox asks.

‘I’m trying to figure out if I need to do some stretches before I attempt to summit Everest,’ I reply.

He chuckles. ‘Which part of me is Everest, Halliday?’

I wave my hands in front of me, thrilling when his gaze snags on my nipples. Somehow, they pull even tighter. ‘All of you.’

‘If you don’t like it, we’ll stop,’ he says.

And I know he will. Without question. Without judgement. Without complaint.

‘Okay. So I’m going to …’

‘You’re going to sit on my face.’

It’s not as awkward as I’d imagined it would be, positioning myself over his body. Of course it helps that Knox says, ‘I can’t fucking wait to taste you aga—’ then hisses when I grasp his cock, bringing it to my lips and licking the tip. ‘Fuck, just like that.’

His moan vibrates across the inside of my thighs. ‘Shhhhhh,’ I remind him. ‘You’re supposed to be being quiet.’

‘Then you’d better shut me up.’

I’m about to reply when he plunges his tongue inside me, using his hands to pull me backwards, find the angle he wants.

I’ve made a mistake.

I can’t focus on anything else while Knox eats me like I’m his last meal.

His cock twitches against my lips and I realise I’m being beaten at my own game.

I start slowly. Swirl my tongue around the tip of his dick.

Take a little more inside my mouth. Suck hardest at the top.

Bob up and down. Play with his balls. He breaks away from driving me crazy to suck a bruising kiss into my thigh.

I hope it leaves a mark.

‘Gen …’

‘Mmhmm?’ I don’t let him out of my mouth or slow down. I want to make him come so badly, my body’s vibrating with need.

‘Don’t stop,’ he gasps. The muscles in his legs pull taut under my hands. My breasts drag along his abdomen. I’m hot everywhere. He gets heavier in my mouth, thickening against my tongue, pressing against the back of my throat.

‘I’m going to come,’ he whispers. ‘Baby, you need to get off if you don’t want to …’

I suck harder because the more time we spend together, the clearer it is that I’ll take everything he gives me.

And when he spills against my tongue, my name dropping from his lips like an exultation, I couldn’t be happier.

Knox jerks underneath me, his breaths so loud in the quiet room. I start to move away from him but he grips my hips, his fingers biting down into my thighs.

‘Not before you give me one more,’ he says.

He’s so out of breath. Like we’re racing towards the end of our sprint session.

His fingers plunge into my pussy and he proves – yet again – that he’s a man of his word.

Knox doesn’t stop until I’m boneless above him, body quivering and limbs heavy with satiation, my face pressed into his thigh. ‘So good,’ I mumble.

Once I’ve righted myself and found my spot back in Knox’s arms in his silly little bed, cocooned among his deep breaths, you’d think sleep would come easily.

But reality crashes through my post-orgasm high, stomping all over my newfound confidence.

What are we going to do when he leaves in a couple of weeks?