CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

KNOX

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I walk slowly backinto the bedroom and find Payton curled up under the covers. Her eyes follow mine and then fall to the box I’m holding in my hand.

Her mouth falls open.

When I hold up the pregnancy test in my other hand, she’s gone deathly white.

“Payton. Are you pregnant?” my deep, rough voice asks.

She nods.

I have about seven questions rolling around in my head, but I’m not sure which one to ask first.

“It’s yours,” she tells me and that was not one of them.

“It fucking better be mine,” I growl, tossing the test and box on her dresser and walk to the bed sitting next to her.

We stare at each other for a long moment, and finally I reach out and take her hand.

“Fucking hell.”

Payton tucks up her legs in what is clearly a protective move and says, “I’m scared.”

Me too.

But I am also... I’m going to be a dad.

A fucking dad.

Holy fucking Jesus.

“Come here.” I pull her onto my lap and wrap my arms around her. “Payton. We made a baby.”

“I know.” She nods, and tears fall down her face.

I grip the back of her head. “A baby. You are pregnant with my baby.”

“Yes.”

Oh, my god.

“A baby.”

“You can stop saying that.” She bites her lip.

This woman is mine.

This woman and the child growing inside her belong to me.

“Payton, fuck,” I say as my mouth slams down on hers.

I pull her against me hard and she wraps her arms around me as a feeling I’ve never felt overtakes me. Mine. I need more than anything to claim her. Claim them. Stake my claim and let her know that I am never letting her go again.

Not fucking ever.

I never want Payton to doubt me and my commitment to her. To us.

I stand and drop her on the mattress, ripping off my top and tugging down her pajamas.

She doesn’t stop me.

Next, my shoes and jeans go flying and we’re kissing and clawing at one another. I slide my hand between us as she tugs off her top and presses my fingers between her flesh. I lean in and suck her clit as she cries out.

I’m not falling for Payton Mills. I have fallen.

The lump on the back of my head, proof.

I climb over her, spreading her legs and sucking a nipple with a pop.

“From now on, it’s you and me, sweetheart. Do you understand?” I say, lining up my cock.

Her green eyes smile up at me. I know she doesn’t believe me, but she will.

I can’t just tell her; I need to show her.

The head of my cock slips in, and I tug her legs around my body. With my elbows on either side of her head, I press in further.

“Knox,” she moans.

“Yes baby, feel me. Feel me filling you. Take all of me inside your pussy,” I growl.

“God, I’ve missed this. You,” she says as a tear slides down her cheek.

I kiss it.

I will always take her tears and turn them into smiles. Never do I want to see this woman in pain. She is mine to protect and love.

I press in again, right to the tip and then out, slowly going in once more.

“Your body was made for me, Payton.” I take her mouth and speed up, the feel of her wet heat sucking me in. “Every curve, every inch. I want all of you. Every day.”

Her hands press into my back as our bodies slap and bang together.

“I want you to come with me. Come at the same time, baby. Can you do that?” I grunt, overcome with more arousal, more need than I ever have before.

“Yes, oh, god. Fuck me,” Payton cries, as our orgasms tear through our bodies.

When I finally lift my head, as the ripples of our pleasure begin to subside, I cup her face and wait until her eyes lock with mine.

“I wasn’t fucking you, Payton. I was making love to you.”

“You don’t need to say that,” she whimpers.

God damn her.

“That’s what I came here to tell you.” Her eyes fill with more tears, and I smile. “I love you, Payton Mills. I should never have let you run away that day. I should have knocked down your door a week ago.”

“Why didn’t you?” She sniffs.

It’s a good question and if I want her to trust me, I need to open up and tell her everything.

“Because I wasn’t sure you would take me back,” I say honestly. “Because I didn’t think I was worthy. Because I haven’t been the man you deserve. But I will be. From this fucking moment on.”

“Not because of the baby?”

It’s a fair question.

I can see why she would ask, but I honestly hadn’t given it a single thought before seeing the test in her trash can. I knew we had had unprotected sex, and she wasn’t on birth control.

God, maybe I unconsciously wanted this to happen.

To take the decision away from all of us.

Who knows?

I’ve lost my damn mind over this woman from day fucking one.

I move our bodies so I’m lying beside her and keep her as close to me as I can. My hand runs down her body to her stomach.

“I didn’t know about this surprise until thirty minutes ago.” I know it’s the size of a pea right now, but in my mind there’s a full-grown baby inside her. My child. Our child. “The question is, do you want me?”

For the first time in my life, I’m terrified.

I know now that Payton is the love of my life, the mother of my child, and she could rip my heart out of my chest and destroy me.

“I think I fell in love with you the minute I saw you.” Payton sniffs. “But I can’t be with you if I come second. If our child comes second. I know your career and family business are important, but that is not the life I want to live. It will kill me slowly, knowing we aren’t your priority.”

All I heard was she loves me.

But I also heard the rest.

“I did choose you, sweetheart. I always chose you. Don’t you see? Every kiss, every touch, every time I looked at you, I was choosing you. Not my father’s job.” I smile and press my lips to hers. “Montgomery Enterprises is mine. It will always be mine. And Atlas, Levis, and Bella. When the time is right, I will take over the organization, but not today.”

“You didn’t get the job,” Payton says, and her eyes dip.

She’s disappointed for me and I couldn’t love her more.

I smile and put my finger under her chin, lifting her face to mine. “That’s what took me so long. I’ve been working out what I really want.”

“Is it me?” she asks as her cheeks warm.

“Yeah, baby. It’s you. It was always you.”

“Oh Knox, I love you so much,” she cries, wrapping her arms around me.

We make love another three times before collapsing into sleep. But not before I text my father telling him I am taking a sick day.

The first in my life.