Page 9

Chapter Five

K nox

“Their defense is good, and they added some decent talent with the draft,” I tell Landry as we watch game tape from last season of the Cincinnati Wolves. They’re our first game of the regular season this year.

“They are, and they did, but we’re better.” Landry smirks.

“Don’t go getting too cocky,” I warn him. He’s not wrong, but I don’t want to jinx us. We won the league finals last year, and we’re all hopeful that we will do it again this year, but nothing is guaranteed.

“We’re the Rampage,” he says, throwing his fisted hand in the air as if ready to riot. I appreciate his confidence.

“Very good, Landry,” a female voice says behind us.

We both turn to look and find Corie and Sloane standing in the doorway. “Can you spell Nashville?” Corie teases her brother, and I don’t try to hide my smirk.

“R – E – Y – N – O – L – D – S,” Landry spells out his last name and taps his hand on his chest over his heart. “All heart, baby sister,” he quips.

“You’re too much,” Corie says, shaking her head. She’s smiling, which lights up her entire face, and damn, I’m once again reminded how gorgeous she is.

“Landry, I’m so proud of you. You’ve been working on your sight words,” Sloane says mockingly. She gives a slow, quiet clap of her hands as if celebrating his accomplishment.

“Get out of here.” Landry tosses a pillow at her, and we all laugh. “I’m not one of your students.”

“Are you sure about that? I’m pretty sure the maturity level is on point with my preschoolers,” she goads.

Landry points his index finger at her. “I’m watching you, Ms. Peterson,” he says, attempting to glare at her but smiling instead.

“We’re going out to pick up some snacks,” Corie tells us, changing the subject. “Do you want anything? You’ve been at this for hours.”

“What kind of snacks?” Landry asks. Not that it matters. Landry Reynolds will eat anything you put in front of him.

“We’re craving Buffalo chicken dip, so we’re going to make that.” Corie licks her lips as if she can taste the dip. She has no idea how alluring she is or how that simple swipe of her tongue across those luscious lips of hers turns me on.

“And BLT bagel dip,” Sloane says, moaning in appreciation. “I swear that shit’s addicting.”

“Wings,” Landry adds. “Lots of wings.”

“We can do that,” Corie tells him before turning her gaze to me. “Knox?”

“That all sounds perfect.” I reach into my back pocket and pull out my wallet. “I’ll buy.” I grab a couple of hundreds and hold them out for her. Corie makes no move to take the money, but Sloane does. She steps forward and grabs the cash from my hands.

“Anything else?” Sloane asks us.

“Chips and salsa,” Landry tells her. “Damn, snacks were a good idea,” he says, rubbing his belly.

Corie smiles at her brother. It’s soft and endearing. “We’ll be back.”

“Be safe,” I tell them. They wave and walk out of the room.

“Let’s finish this. When they get back, I’m tearing that shit up,” Landry says, reaching for the remote.

“You know, it all has to be cooked, right?” I ask, laughing.

“Yeah, but I can steal bites as they do it.” He grins widely, hits play on the large projector screen, and we get back to work.

“Genius, baby sister. You are a genius,” Landry tells Corie.

“It was Sloane’s idea,” Corie tells him.

Landry stands and walks toward the recliner where Sloane is sitting. Bending, he gives her a one-armed hug, because his empty plate is in one hand, which she returns. “Best idea ever.” He stands and makes his way to the kitchen, I’m sure to refill his plate.

“I don’t know where he puts it.” Sloane laughs. “It’s as if he’s an endless pit.”

“He’s always been that way,” Corie tells her.

“We burn a lot of calories,” I say in his defense, but yeah, he eats a lot. I’m not really sure where he puts it either.

“You don’t eat that much.” Sloane nods to my plate. It’s also empty, but I’m too full to go back for more, no matter how good it was.

“I have self-control,” I say, grinning and pointing toward the kitchen. “Landry, not so much.”

“Landry is a brother to me, and I feel like I need to say that before I say this… how does he stay so ripped?” Sloane asks.

“Genetics. He’s always been that way. In high school, Mom used to say he was going to eat us out of house and home, remember?” Corie asks Sloane.

“I know, but damn, he’s so… defined, and not an inch of fat for all the calories that man eats.”

“Yeah, then there’s me, and if I look at a pastry, I can feel my thighs getting wider.”

“Stop.” Sloane rolls her eyes. “You’re perfect. Like you said, good genes.” She hits the button on the side of the power recliner to lower her legs and sit up. “I don’t care if my thighs widen. I need more of that bagel dip.” She walks toward the kitchen, leaving me alone with Corie.

“You can’t actually believe that,” I say, blurting out my thoughts from her earlier statement. I had to bite my tongue to avoid saying anything in front of Sloane.

Her reply is to shrug her delicate shoulders.

“Corie.” My tone has an edge to it. A warning. Her eyes find mine, and I’m unsure what I see in those beautiful green orbs. I can’t read her, but I can assume.

She’s so damn beautiful that sometimes I find it hard to breathe around her.

She tilts her head to the side to study me.

I don’t bother to hide my… annoyance? Anger?

I’m not sure what I’m feeling. I know hearing her say that about herself, as if she’s not the sexiest woman who walks this earth, does something to me, and I need to make sure she understands every inch of her is perfect.

“For a minute, we’re going to pretend I’m not your brother’s best friend.

” My voice is low and authoritative. “Are you with me, Corie girl?” I ask, and she nods.

“Good. Then not for a single fucking second do I want you ever to think you’re not the most beautiful woman I’ve ever laid eyes on.

” I pause, giving my words a moment to sink in.

I glance toward the kitchen, where Landry and Sloane are talking and snacking.

“Eat the fucking pastries.” My voice is gruff and too stern for this conversation, but I can’t seem to change it.

Her green eyes study me for several heartbeats before she replies, “Coming from a man who could have any woman he wants. You’ve got it all—good looks, talent, charisma, a good career.

You don’t have to worry about such trivial things.

” Her tone is soft, but I can hear the underlying tone that tells me she’s serious.

She thinks, what? That she’s not pretty?

That her thighs are too wide because she ate a fucking croissant?

What kind of men has she been hanging out with at that college in Cincinnati who didn’t tell her how gorgeous she is every single fucking day?

I guess that job falls to me, and I take my responsibilities seriously.

“Stand up.” My tone is softer, but my gaze tells her I mean business.

I do the same as I wait for her to stand from the second recliner in the living room she’s been lounging in.

In a few long strides, I’m standing before her.

Taking her hand in mine, I move us a few paces to the left so we’re out of Landry’s and Sloane’s line of sight.

“We’re still pretending, okay?” I ask her.

She peers up at me under long lashes and nods. “Okay,” she whispers, as if she needs to voice her validation along with her physical acknowledgment.

My eyes veer to the kitchen, and I can’t see them, which means they can’t see us. Knowing I’m crossing all kinds of lines, I do it anyway and slide my hands around her waist. My palm rests on the small of her back, and I pull her into me. I step closer, not leaving an inch of space between us.

“Knox.” She breathes my name, and my cock twitches. Her eyes widen, and I know she feels it. She feels me and what she does to me.

Her hair falls over her eyes, and I can’t have that.

I need to see them when I tell her what I’m about to say.

I need to know she’s listening. Gently, I push the loose strands behind her ear and smile when she softens as I run my index finger along her cheek.

“You’re beautiful. Please don’t say things like that about yourself. ”

“I was joking. Kind of.”

“That’s not funny.” I lean a little closer, dipping my head, because this woman is like a magnet pulling me into her orbit.

“I mean, it was kind of funny.” She shrugs one delicate shoulder.

I move in closer. Our lips are barely a breath apart when I turn my head and whisper in her ear, “You’re perfect, Corie girl.

Remember that.” I press my lips just beneath her ear.

It’s a brief touching of my lips to her skin, but it still sends a jolt of desire coursing through my veins.

She shivers at the contact and leans into my hold.

Damn.

Knowing I’m pushing limits that I don’t need to be, I force myself to stand to my full height and release her. It takes more effort than going up against a three-hundred-pound defenseman to drop my hands from her waist and step back, breaking our connection.

“Corie!” Sloane calls out for her. “Do you want anything?”

She shakes her head, making me grin. “You have to answer her.” I’m ready to pull her into my arms and kiss the hell out of her, and that’s a line I can’t cross, so I force myself to take another step back.

“I’m going to run to the restroom.” My hands itch to hold her again, but instead, I turn on my heel and walk out of the room.

In the bathroom, I close the door and twist the lock, needing that extra layer of distance between us. Bracing my hands on the counter, I bow my head and take a few deep breaths. I don’t know what the fuck has come over me, but it has to stop.

I can’t have her.