Finding Us (11 page)

“What’s your deal Knox?”

He just looks at me intently, he’s fighting something. I can see it in his eyes. After a few minutes he pulls me off the dance floor. I try to keep up but with Rhea’s pumps on for hours my feet are kind of numb. He leads us down a long dark hallway. Knox reaches into his pocket and pulls out a key. He unlocks the door and pulls me in behind him. The light is still off but there is just enough light from the window on the back wall that I can make out silhouettes of things throughout the room. Knox throws his key to the side of us and they clank against a glass bowl. I take a few steps into the room, not really sure where we are or what I should be doing. Knox stalks towards me. My stomach knots and my legs start to tremor. For every step that he takes towards me I take one back, eventually I run out of room and now I’m up against a cool door.

“Jasmine,” His husky voice swirls around me.

“Knox,” The look on his face looks like he wants to devour me.

The next words hit me right in my stomach, “I want you.”

I say the first thing that comes to mind, “You’re giving me whiplash.”

As soon as the words are out of my mouth Knox’s eyes darken. He looks me up and down. He takes the final step and now we are flush against each other. The hairs on the back of my neck stand up. I take a deep breath through my nose, my chest rising. Then I let it out and my chest falls. Knox’s heated eyes penetrate something inside me. My mouth covers his in an urgent, hungry kiss. His lips send a spiral of ecstasy through me.

He growls from deep inside and then he’s all over me. His hand runs down my side, past my hips and stops as he reaches the back of my thigh. I pull back, needing to catch my breath while he rocks into my body. A fire has been set.

Knox’s eyes are hooded and I get those butterflies in my lower stomach and I
know
my panties are wet. I’m weak in the knees from just kissing. As much as I’ve been trying to keep him at a distance for the last few months I knew something would happen between us, I just didn’t realize it would be like this.

“Knox,” I breathe. My heart is pounding.

He doesn’t say anything but he brings his mouth back to mine but this time it’s different. It’s slow and tender but possessive and greedy. Knox’s tongue licks the seam on my lips and I open them just a little. He takes my lower lip between his teeth and sucks gently on it. I moan and my eyes flutter closed. Knox let’s my lip slip between his teeth as he reaches behind my tights and urges me up. He has me pinned up against the door by his rock hard body. He places a kiss at the base of my neck and drags his tongue to right below my ear then his teeth graze my ear lobe. I whimper as he continues to place kisses along my jaw until his lips are back on mine.

I always read about the hero and heroin in the throes of passion, about how he takes her up against the wall, and now I completely understand the feeling it gives you. The world fades away, things move fast, you’re in the heat of the moment but nothing, nothing, compares to it.

I’m strung so tight I feel like I’m going explode any minute. My back leaves the cool door and I’m being carried across the room. As he sits, my knees are met with cool leather. I sigh and close my eyes tighter as his large hands start caressing my thighs. His fingers graze the hem of my dress. He starts edging it up, inch by inch. I’m breathless and my whole body is tingling. I’m so far above the clouds that I can’t think or see straight.

The bass from the music floats into the room, pumping my blood harder. I need and want more. I reach for the buttons on Knox’s shirt. I unbutton it as he’s kissing and caressing me. Finally all the buttons are loose and I pull at his shirt. He breaks the kiss and helps me pull it the rest of the way off. I climb off his lap to slip my heels off.

“What are you doing Jas?”

I put my index finger to his lips to keep him quiet. I’m afraid if too many words are spoken this, whatever this is that we have going on, will be broken. I’m tired of fighting these feelings for him. Maybe, just maybe, if I give into it I will finally be able to stop thinking about him for five minutes.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

“Knox!” someone yells.

I twist to face Knox. He reaches for both of my hands and tugs just as the banging starts again. Groaning, Knox squeezes his eyes shut and his head fall back against the couch.

“Knox!” Bang! Bang! Bang! “Put you dick back in your pants and open the damn door!”

Knox curses under his breath and storms across the room shirtless. I sit on the couch facing away from the door and pull my dress down.

“What?” Knox bites out. “This better be fucking good.”

Cade chuckles.

I swivel around and Knox’s body is tense, his hands are clenching and unclenching.

“Cade,” he warns.

I stand up and make my way over to the door to try and calm the situation down. I place a hand on Knox’s shoulder and I feel his body relax just a little bit.

“Cade, what’s the matter?”

His eyes roam the length of my body. He licks his lips and I swear I heard Knox growl. Cade must have heard it too because he throws his head back and laughs. He’s drunk and egging Knox on.

“Jerkoff,” Knox says under his breath as he turns and stalks back towards the couch.

“JJ,” Cade licks his lips again “Come dance with me again.”

I roll my eyes, “Why? So you can piss Knox off even more?” I glance over my shoulder to see if Knox heard me. He’s sitting on the couch with his head held in his hands. “What happened to the blonde you were groping on the dance floor?”

Cade looks at his finger nails like he’s bored, “Oh her, she can’t handle this.”

“Can’t handle
you
putting it in the wrong hole is more like it.” I mutter under my breath as I walk away. I’ll never let him live that down.

“I heard that! Come on I want to go home.” Cade yells from the doorway and then turns and leaves.

I take a seat next to Knox on the couch. He leans over, grabs my heel and slips it on my foot.

Knox looks up to me with a fiery look on his face, “Never in my life have I ever found feet sexy, but yours…” he trails off.

I take a deep breath to keep from passing out. Knowing I affect him like this makes me feel lightheaded. Knox helps me with my other heel then takes my hands and leads me out of the room. Cade has officially ruined what
that
was back there.
Jackass!
Payback is a bitch.

When we make it back up to the VIP section everyone is sitting around talking. Summer and Rhea are whispering in one corner as the guys are talking about baseball. I order another drink and take a seat with the girls.

“So,” Summer starts, “Where were you?”

I look over to Knox who is smirking at me. He knows I’m going to get questioned and he’s eating it up while watching me squirm.

“Oh hell,” Rhea says with a defeated look on her face, “You went and fell for him didn’t you?”

Summer gives me a dreamy smile. “About time!”

My eye brows burrow, “What are you talking about?” My eyes fly to Knox to see if he heard Rhea. He’s looking down at his feet fighting a smile. He heard alright.

Jeremy and some bimbo with her tits hanging out take a seat right next to me. Jeremy stretches his legs out in front of him and the girl wraps herself around his body. I notice that his eyes are all glassy, feeling buzzed I’m sure.

Rhea and Summer are comparing Knox and Rex. Rex has the better eyes while Knox has a tighter ass. I’m just sitting here laughing. Summer has clearly had too much to drink. I take a sip of my drink, wishing I was feeling as good as she was, then maybe my feet wouldn’t be hurting right now.

A lustful look comes over Summer’s face, “I wonder if he’s as big as Rex though.”

I spit my drink out and start coughing.

Jeremy pipes up from next to me, “It’s not the size of the boat, it’s the motion of the ocean baby.”

I fall back against the couch, laughing so hard I start crying. Summer falls to her knees gasping for air between her fits of laughter, and all the while Jeremy just sits there with a grin on his face.

“Oh my God, I think I just fell a little in love with you.” I say between more laughing.

Rex comes over and helps Summer to her feet. Knox follows behind him and takes Summer’s vacated seat then pulls me onto his lap. “What did this shithead say?”

Jeremy, with a smug look on his face, repeats himself.

I start giggling again as Knox wraps his arms around me. I rest my head on his shoulder and he speaks softly into my ear, “The size of this boat is just fine, Jasmine. You aren’t going to need the motion of the ocean. I’ve got everything you need.”

I squirm and squeeze my legs together. In the corner of my eye I see Jeremy’s piece of ass slide onto his lap and start grinding against him.

Classy.

“You ready to get out of here?” Cade yells over the music.

I nod because I’m disgusted with what’s taking place next to me.

We walk down the same way we came in and wait for the cabs to come for us.

Knox pulls me back against his chest, wrapping his arms around me. “You forgive me for earlier? I’ve got some shit going on that I’m trying to handle and I took it out on you.”

I nod and give him a kiss on the cheek, accepting his apology.

Cade stands next to us with a blonde wrapped around his body, “You ready to get this party started when we get back?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be.” I respond back honestly.

Seeing her move on the dance floor with Jeremy made me something in me snap. I tried to stay away, I really did, but I can’t fucking fight this anymore.

I made a deal with the devil. I’m going to put my past in the back of my mind and just live in the moment. Just be with Jasmine just for the rest of the weekend at least.

It’s probably the worst decision I’ll ever make but after that moment in my office I can’t stop my feelings. Not even if I wanted to.

When we all arrive back at the house we stumble down to the beach where the fire pit is set up. The weather is still warm with just a bite of cool air coming off the ocean, the perfect weather for Fourth of July weekend.

Rhea and Tanner sit on a log furthest away from the fire, cuddled up together and lost in their own world. Rex and Summer walk off towards a vacated lifeguard stand and the rest of us sit on logs that are around the fire. Jeremy and Knox start the fire while I sit back and watch. The view of Knox’s ass in front of me makes me crave for our time back in his office. Thank God Jeremy ditched the bitch back at the club because he could do a hell of a lot better than her.

“JJ?” Cade interrupts my thoughts.

“What’s up?” I’m surprised that Cade is even talking to me. When we left the club he brought some girl home with him and they have their tongues shoved down each other’s throats.

“You were totally checking out Knox’s ass.” He says with amusement laced in his tone.

Knox turns and looks at me. I shrug. If he’s trying to embarrass me, it’s not working. Knox is hot and any red blooded woman would be staring too. Jeremy shakes his head and then pours some lighter fluid on the logs in the pit. Knox lights a match and the fire explodes causing everyone to jump back a bit. Eventually the lighter fluid burns off and leaves the fire just perfect. Jeremy sits on the only empty log and takes his phone out of his pocket.

“Dude, what’s up with you? This is the first time all summer you haven’t brought a girl back.” Cade says to Jeremy while his girl rubs his back.

Jeremy doesn’t look up from his phone when he answers Cade, “Fuck off asshole.”

I snort. They are more like brothers than they are friends. Knox throws a few smaller logs in the fire before he takes a seat next to me. When his arm brushes up against mine my skin sizzles. I can’t help but lean into him and when I do Knox kisses the side of my head.

“Knox is getting more action then you are this summer, Jeremy.” Cade starts laughing. I look over to Jeremy and he’s holding up his middle finger to Cade.

Cade pulls his phone out, taps a few times and music starts. Knox starts to chuckle again and Jeremy just shakes his head as a smile forms on his face.