Taking Chances (Blackrock Book 2) (51 page)

“Hi
darlin’.”

I
love her voice, especially when she first wakes up. It’s heavy
with sleep and so fucking sexy, her blue eyes pierce my soul when she
looks at me and frowns

“You
didn’t sleep,” she accuses and I am about to open my
mouth and let a small white lie pass my lips, but she leans over and
kisses me softly. “Thanks.” She smiles.

“What
for?” Her smile widens, melting my heart.

“For
watching me all night, I know that’s what you did.”
Rolling my eyes I laugh jostling her on my chest. How the fuck does
she know me so well? “I am going for a run, babe. I need to
clear my head.”

Wrapping
my arms around her tiny waist, I rest my hands on her ass. “No
I don’t want to let you go.” She shifts her weight and
lies flat on top of me making me harder. I can see the hint of
mischief in her eyes as she bites her lower lip and grinds her hips
against me. “Keep it up, darlin’, and you will never
leave this apartment.” Pulling up, she kisses me quickly and
snickers as she climbs out of bed. “Don’t leave me like
this,” I call out to her making her laugh harder. I watch her
pull on her running gear and wink at me.

“I’ll
be thirty minutes; be there when I get back.” She points to me
and the bed then waves and leaves me hard and frustrated; she is in
so much trouble when she gets home.

Bailey

I
wasn’t intending to run this morning but seeing Knox’s
puffy eyes I knew he was awake all night watching me; sometimes that
guy is too much. I run around the football field on campus thinking
and clearing my mind of all the bullshit as much as possible. Over
the last few days my thoughts have been about Ben and the court
hearing and for some reason Summer. I think about her all the time
but it’s been a lot lately and it makes me sad because I miss
her, I miss the old her pre-Ben the one who was fun and liked to joke
around not the serious person she became towards the end refusing to
smile or crack a joke.

I
walk back to the apartment to cool down and try to purge my thoughts,
but it’s like a freight train of misery constantly running
through my mind. I find Knox asleep in bed so I pull the covers up
over him. Kissing his head, I leave for the shower. My day is wide
open since he will sleep off his headache for a few hours, so I make
a quick trip to the bookstore and order my books. Well I try but end
up calling Paige.

“You
do know it’s like nine am right?” she asks groggily.

“Yeah,
sorry but I’m in the book store and your machine is being mean
to me.”

She
sighs and let’s out a string of curses that would put a sailor
to shame. “Give me a few minutes,” she says finally
calming down.

“Okay,
I’ll get the coffees and meet you back here.”

Walking
over to Coffee Joe’s I order our coffees and wait by the
counter browsing the cups and flasks for sale.

“So
he finally did it again?” Looking up I see Lindsey staring at
my engagement ring. Moving my hand to my pocket I step away but she
follows me. “You know he won’t go through with it.”
She looks at me sadly sipping her coffee.

“What
are you wasting my time with now?” I huff at her.

“Knox,
he won’t marry you; he is afraid to. He did the same to me
that’s why I did what I did to him. I know it wasn’t
right but I was hurt and well it got out of control for a while, but
he promised me he would marry me and then suddenly one day he changed
his mind and started ignoring me and putting distance between us.”
I stare at this girl with utter shock. Am I really listening to this
shit?

“I
hope it works out for you either way, but just watch yourself or he
will break you like he did me.” Her eyes look sad as she turns
to leave and my name is called out.

Walking
back over to the bookstore I find Paige beating the keys on her
portable keyboard. “Here you go.” I smile sitting on the
floor beside her.

“Thanks,
I swear I am going to beat this machine’s ass if it keeps
fucking with me,” she growls punching buttons on the screen
now.

“Why,
what is wrong with it?” Her sideways glance tells me to shut up
and let her figure it out.

“That
one is fine; you can order your stuff now.”

Standing
I get to work putting in my classes and codes then wait with her. I
sit drinking my coffee watching her for an hour with my bag of books
at my feet. She sighs and closes the door of the machine.

“Finished?”
I smile at her and she nods.

“Yeah
fucking piece of shit,” She kicks the bottom of the machine and
I laugh at her.

“Is
it the machine you wanted to kick really?”

Shaking her head, she laughs. “Oh
Bailey, I am so confused,” she cries leaning against my
shoulder. “I want to go to NYU but I don’t want to leave
you guys and I will miss you.”

Leaning
my head on her, I smile. “I’ll miss you too Paige, but we
will be here and you can come home on holidays, call me anytime. Even
on a Friday night when you miss Max and want to hear him sing.”

Lifting
my head, I look at her to see tears swimming in her eyes.

“Hey,
I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.” Giving her
a hug, she laughs.

“No,
I’m good but I will miss him more than I can tell him because
it will be too hard otherwise.” Wiping her face she looks at
me. “Bailey, I love him; I mean like really love him like you
and Knox but I told him I didn’t so he could move on.”
Her tears fall again and my heart breaks for her.

“Paige,
tell him. He was upset the other day, he even snapped at me.”
Her eyes widen and I nod. “I know, my bro biting my head off.”
She giggles at me shaking her head. After a few more tears we walk
back to the apartments. “How about the four of us take off for
the day, have a picnic or something.”

She
nods. “Sounds good but I don’t know where Max is. I
haven’t seen him for a few days.” I hug her goodbye,
promising to find her missing boyfriend and get his ass back here.

Once
inside, I hear Knox singing in the shower and smile. Walking into the
kitchen, I dump my books on the table and start looking in the fridge
for food to bring on a picnic. I dial Max and wait.

“Hey
sis, what’s up?”

I
smile at his cheerful voice; he sounds okay, “Hi bro, I have a
proposition for you.”

He
whistles then laughs at me. “Does Knox know? Because I doubt he
will go for it, as much as I would like to.”

Rolling
my eyes, I cut him off. “Max Porter, I will hurt you if you
finish that sentence. Now where are you?” I ask closing the
fridge finding nothing nice.

“In
bed. Wanna join me?”

Laughing
I shake my head. “No pervert. Get up, and get dressed and get
over here, no excuses.” He makes more jokes about me wanting
his body and how he will ‘come’ quickly.

Walking
down to the bedroom, I am still laughing.

“Hey
babe.”

Turning
he smiles at me. “What you laughing at?”

I
kiss him tasting the minty toothpaste. “Oh Max he is such a
flirt.” Knox snorts at me. “I’ve decided we are all
going on a picnic today, babe. We can go in the truck or on the
bikes. Ooh that would be better. Paige can hop on with Max.”

Knox
frowns at me. “Darlin’, stay out of it,” he warns
me and I roll my eyes back at him.

“Oh
Knox, she loves the guy. I spent the last hour and thirty minutes
watching her cry her eyes out.” He sits on the bed running his
hand through his damp hair and I tackle him jumping onto him and
kissing his jaw.

“You
owe me, Knox Porter,” I say in between kisses and slowly open
the towel at his waist.

“I
think I can pay you back.” He grins flipping me over to land
beneath him.

About
thirty minutes later, we are scrambling around the apartment to put
together a picnic, both of us laughing as we run by each other
kissing and teasing. Max and Paige are calling our phones as we run
down to the parking lot.

“About
time,” Max calls smirking at us.

“You
know how it is, bro.”

Knox
grins at Max and they fist bump. Paige and I roll our eyes at them.
Climbing into the truck, we take off up to the mountains to the
secret spot Knox brought me to before. Paige and I set out the
blankets and food, which is all of the junk verity. Knox lies down
beside me slipping on his sunglasses making him look even more
delicious.

“Who
wants to play football?” Both Knox and Max snort and laugh at
me.

“Darlin’,
do you know how to play?” For that he gets a punch in the gut.

“I’ll
have you know I played in junior high; we had a girl’s team.”

Knox
lifts his glasses and winks at me. “Ok then, let’s do
this.” He jumps up clapping his hands.

“Okay,
but there are rules,” I say standing too and he nods. “First
rule, no shoes. Second, it’s only a game so don’t get
butt hurt when we win.” I smile hooking my arm round Max’s
neck and Knox frowns.

“Hey
it us against them” Knox moans pointing at Max and Paige, I
shake my head no.

“Us
against you.” I tell him hugging Max against me, he smiles and
pulls off his shoes, Paige and Knox follow. I grab Paige to the side.

“I
have an idea. What type of bra do you have on?”

She
looks at me and laughs. “I am not stripping in front of your
fiancé.” Playfully I slap her arm.

“If
we don’t wear a top they can’t grab it and pull us.”

I
wink and walk back over pulling off my t-shirt to Knox’s
horror.

“What
the fuck!” He jumps covering me with his body.

“It’s
okay babe, I’m covered,” I say pointing to my satin bra.”
Paige laughs for a few minutes then pulls her own off.

“Two
can play this game,” Knox says, pulling his top off.

Max
looks at us, and laughs. “Fuck it,” he says then pulls
off his own shirt. Max and I move off to get our strategy down.

“I’ll
throw to you because Knox will chase me.” He nods and we step
back with our game faces on; it’s a good job we are all alone
up here because it’s getting kind of hot in more ways than one.
Max calls out the game and I take off as Knox runs at me. I throw the
ball to Max just as Knox grabs my waist swinging me around and
planting me on the ground then running after Max.

It’s
so much fun running around the small field without shoes playing a
game of football that quickly turns into a game of grope your
girlfriend. Knox tackles me to the ground covering my body with his.

“Damn
darlin’, I love your version of football.”

He
kisses me quickly and jumps up to regroup with Paige who is nodding
at as he talks.

“Max
game change.” He nods smiling as he wraps his arm around my
shoulder.

“What
you got in mind?”

I
tell him my plan and he laughs nodding. As soon as Knox calls the
play, he takes off with the ball and Max goes after him while I grab
Paige and swing her to the ground laughing, she squeals at me as I
run off.

Max
and Knox are rolling around wrestling, so I steal the ball and run
back as Paige jumps up smiling. We clash and she knocks the ball from
me; we wrestle for a few minutes laughing the whole time. Getting up
I grab her ankle and pull her back rolling I get the ball, and run
looking over my shoulder I see Knox about ten feet away chasing me.

Screaming
I run faster and make the touchdown jumping with my hands in the air
when he hits me, pulling me down in a tangle of limbs.

“Knox,”
I choke as he rolls on top of me.

“Sorry
darlin’, but you played dirty.”

Smiling
I wink at him. “Is there any other way?” His lips crush
mine; both of us already sweating he rolls me on top of him fisting
his hands in my hair. Pulling back, I smile down at him then look
around seeing Max and Paige walk off into the woods. Knox whistles at
Max who looks over his shoulder giving him the finger making Knox and
I laugh. Knox looks at me from the ground.

“It’s
nice to hear you laugh like that,” he says brushing hair off my
shoulders leaning down I nibble on his lips.

“I
love laughing with you.” Sitting up, he holds the small of my
back kissing my jaw and down my neck.

“I
love how you play football,” he whispers as his tongue slips
inside to lick my nipple.

“Babe,”
I gasp and he smirks. “Not here.” Standing, he lifts me
onto his hips and walks into the woods kissing down my neck. He walks
us deeper into the trees and presses me up against one. Kissing me
deeply his tongue tasting he opens the button of my shorts and slips
his hand inside fingers teasing.

“Darlin’.”
Pulling back, his eyes are bright emeralds staring at me as he opens
his jeans pushing them down. I quickly slip out of my shorts and
panties and Knox lifts me up again slowly lowering me onto his
straining shaft. He pants heavily, pressing my back against the rough
bark of the tree as he thrusts his hips. Pulling his mouth to mine, I
explore with my tongue taking everything he has to give my nails dig
into his shoulders as I hold on while my body shatters around him.
Knox thrusts again finding his own release.

My
legs are like jelly and my back burns.

“Babe.”
He hums into the hollow of my neck sending a wave of hot breath
across my cooling skin. Stepping back, he lowers me to the ground. We
pull on our pants and I turn around to walk back.

“Shit.”
He grabs me covering his mouth. “Your back darlin, shit it’s
all red.”

He
runs his hand over it making me jump away.

“Yep,
it stings.” We walk back to our clothes and get dressed sitting
on the blanket I grab some water.

“I’m
sorry, baby. I’ll put something on it when we get home.”
Knox pulls me onto his lap. “You having fun?” he asks,
resting his chin on my shoulder beaming I look at him and nod.