Page 29 of Within Shadows

Maeve

Knox opens the door for me, holding his hand out to help me climb from my seat, and I raise my brows, glancing back at him.

Which is obviously a mistake, because I might start drooling again at how damn good he looks tonight.

His hair is tied back in a messy bun, with a black button-up undone just enough to show the top of his chest and the sleeves rolled up to show off those delicious veins I’ve thought about licking once or twice.

He is wearing a pair of dark grey jeans, and god, they hug his muscular thighs so well.

We haven’t even made it inside the restaurant before I’ve caught at least two women openly staring at him like the most delicious thing here. To be fair, they’re not wrong.

“Why do you look so sour?” Knox asks, leaning close after he hands the valet his keys. I quickly remind myself to fix my face.

“I don’t think I’m dressed for a place this nice,” I whisper as he opens the door for me. Knox looks down at me like I’ve said the most ridiculous thing as he rests his hand on my lower back, guiding me up to the podium where a woman peers down at us over her glasses.

“You’re the most beautiful woman here, muse.” My stomach kicks up to a flutter of a dozen butterflies at the gravelly depth of his voice, and I have to remind myself not to jump him right here and now.

“Table for two?” the woman asks, barely sparing us another look, and Knox nods, his thumb rubbing small circles on my back while we follow her to a booth. Once we are seated and handed menus, I stare at the prices with a frown. Knox reaches across the table and takes my hand in his.

“What’s wrong?” He rubs his thumb over my hand.

“This place is a little over the top.” I try to laugh, but it comes out as an awkward, choked giggle. Knox frowns and looks around.

“We can go somewhere else, Maeve. I just wanted to treat you to a real date. Something you deserve. But if you’re uncomfortable, then we can find somewhere better.

” He smiles, but I can see the twinge of pain that flashes across his eyes.

I jerk his hand and stop him from standing with a shake of my head.

“No, it’s honestly perfect. I don’t know why I’m so nervous.

” I give him a real smile, and he relaxes while I mentally kick myself.

He’s gone out of his way to plan this all for me, and instead of worrying about fitting in, I should just enjoy this moment of normality with him.

When the young waitress walks up to our table, she gives Knox a bright smile and happily leans close to suggest the lobster tail.

He nods politely, but his eyes never once leave mine.

“What are you thinking, my love?” he asks, still cradling my hand in his. She turns a less enthusiastic smile to me, holding her tablet up and giving me a once-over.

“The steak sounds good, well done, please. And the Caesar salad on the side, thank you.” I try my best to smile, but it feels closer to a grimace as she immediately turns her attention back to Knox, flicking her perfectly curled brown hair over her shoulder.

Knox shakes his head once, sighing as he stares at the menu.

“I’ll have the same, but medium rare for me.” He gathers our menus, handing them to her.

“Great choice, anything more than that is just overcooked.” She frowns at me for a second before swaying her hips as she struts off.

“Unbelievable,” I snort.

“Extremely, but I suppose I can tolerate your taste in overcooked meat.” He grins, tightening his grip when I try to pull my hand away and glare at him.

“Well, some of us don’t like the taste of uncooked meat,” I counter. He chuckles, bringing my hand to his lips as he kisses my hand.

“You always kiss my left hand,” I say, wiggling my fingers, and he nods, sitting back.

“I do.”

“Do you not like my right hand?” I ask. He smirks, taking my right hand and kissing the knuckles.

“I kiss the finger that will one day show everyone that you and I are bound together, muse,” he says casually, while I’m reminding myself not to openly gape and let my jaw hang open in a fancy restaurant.

“That’s very forward,” I finally manage to get out, even with my throat clenching at his proclamation.

“When I want something, I see no point in being anything but upfront. Maybe not today, or tomorrow, but I plan to spend our lives at each other's side.” He’s so calm talking about marrying me, and it just throws me off even more.

This man was going to be the death of me, but I tilt my left hand and stare at the empty finger, imagining the shimmer of a diamond one day.

Knox catches me, a smug smile on his face as he leans back in his chair.

“What’s your favorite color?” I ask, resting my chin on my free hand as I watch him raise a brow, but he still humors me.

“Simple answer? Brown,” he says, and I tilt my head.

“So there’s a complex answer?” I ask.

“Amber, when the sun hits it just right, the color glows brighter under the light. The warmth that beckons you closer, the color of home, and one I’ve committed to memory for the rest of my days.

” As Knox speaks, he leans closer, his gaze burning into mine as he reaches out to brush his thumb beneath my eye, and I blink slowly.

He was describing my eyes, and my heart is doing cartwheels behind my rib cage at this point.

“Next question, little muse.” he winks, and I mentally shake myself off.

“Favorite food?” I clear my throat.

“Your pussy.” He doesn’t bother whispering, and the unfortunate guest at the table behind ours was in the middle of sipping their wine.

It is now being coughed into their napkin as they choke at the crass words.

My eyes bulge as I shush him, hissing a breath through my teeth while glancing around at the nearby tables shooting looks in our direction.

Knox, on the other hand, couldn’t care less if he tried, still trapping my hand in his as he flicks invisible lint from his shirt.

He gives me an innocent look, blinking slowly.

“I’d like to add on to my favorite color. The exact pink shade of your pussy.” He sighs, staring down at our hands. “Especially how pretty she looks wrapped around me.” I snatch my fork, keeping my hand close to the table while giving him a pointed glare.

“Stop saying pussy.” I hiss the words, keeping my voice quiet. His eyes flick down to my pathetic intimidation tactic, and it has an effect on him. Just not the one I’m hoping for. His eyes darken, and he groans, shifting in his seat.

“I couldn’t get harder if I tried, muse,” he says, brushing his thumb across mine as the waitress makes her way back to our table. Is there a flutter and rush of heat between my thighs? Absolutely. She sets our plates down, lingering a few seconds too long as Knox keeps his sole focus on me.

We start eating in silence, and Knox has an amused look on his face each time I have to work a little harder to cut my steak.

More than once he offers to help me, but I stubbornly decline.

Two glasses of red wine appear, and it’s surprisingly sweet, as I take more than a few sips.

When I set my empty glass back down, Knox is hiding his smile behind his hand, and I realize that we’ve committed at least ten etiquette oopsies tonight.

Thanks to him, and the wine, I don’t care now as much as I did at the beginning of dinner.

Once our plates are cleared and Knox covers the check, he stands and holds his arm out for me.

I happily loop my arm through his as he leads me through the busy restaurant and out to where a valet is waiting with his car.

“Are you ready for our real date?” Knox asks, kissing the back of my hand without taking his eyes off of the road.

“If a fancy dinner isn’t a real date, what is?

” I ask, watching the trees pass our window in a blur as he leaves the busy city behind.

We ride in a comfortable silence, but something about the area is familiar as I look around.

Knox parks the car in a small gravel pull-off, and we are surrounded by trees that nearly block out the last of the setting sun as we both climb out.

Rounding the back of the car, he pulls out a large blanket and wraps his arm around my shoulder to guide us through the woods.

The sound of birds chirping, followed by a brisk breeze, cools my warm face when my mind quickly wanders to what we will do in the secluded woods with nothing but a blanket.

The trees start to thin, and we are suddenly stepping out into a sight that steals my breath.

We are standing on a wide cliff that overlooks the bustling city below, its lights like a sea of stars hundreds of feet below us.

Knox spreads the blanket out and motions for me to join him as he sits, leaning back on his hand and crossing his ankles.

He looks so handsome under the fading sunlight, his smile gentle and eyes full of admiration as I sit next to him.

Knox wraps his arms around my waist, pulling me snug against his chest to rest his chin on my head.

“I come here to think and find peace when things get too heavy to bear.” His voice rumbles against the top of my head, and I turn my head, nuzzling against his chest.

“Thank you for showing me, it’s beautiful.” My voice is a whisper, afraid to break the tranquil bubble that surrounds us.

“It’s never been as breathtaking as it is at this moment, with you in my arms. You are my peace in the chaos, Muse,” he says, kissing the top of my head.

I blink rapidly, trying to stifle the tears that prick at the back of my eyes.

The sun slowly creeps lower on the horizon, and Knox hums; the sound nearly has me melting in his arms.

The sun has almost completely vanished from sight and I tilt my head back, staring up at the stars as they blink into view. I raise a brow at him as he leans back, eyes traveling down my body and back to my face.

“Do you like the new boots?” he asks, and I can tell that he’s planning something. I lift my leg, admiring the high quality shoe that he bought for me.

“Yes?” It comes out as a question, and Knox grins.

“I wonder if they’re good for running.” He tilts his head, eyes flicking to the forest. I turn my head, following his gaze.

“You want to go for a late-night jog, in boots, through the dark and creepy woods?” I snort, thinking he’s joking. When I turn my head, my smile drops when I see the look in his eyes. He is not joking.

“I want to see if you can make it through these woods and back to the house before I catch you.” He speaks so calmly, but there’s a darkness in his words. It excites and terrifies me.

“What if I get lost?” I ask.

“I’ll always find you, even if I have to scour every inch of this fucking earth. There’s nowhere you can go that I wouldn’t follow.” His words are comforting and also slightly unnerving.

“What if you catch me?” I slowly stand, brushing my hands on my pants nervously. Knox gets to his feet in one fluid motion and grabs the front of my shirt, yanking me to him until our shoes brush.

“ When I catch you, these woods will echo you screaming my name for all of eternity.” He growls the words and releases his hold on me.

My legs nearly turn to jello as I stagger back a step as Knox rolls his shoulders, unbuttoning his shirt further as I take another shaky step backwards.

He flips the corner of the blanket up and pulls out his mask, slipping it over his face and crossing his arms tight enough to make his muscles bulge.

“Go on, muse. I can’t wait to make you scream.”

Fuuuuuuck.