Chapter 46

WILLOW

I standinside the bathroom with the door shut.

Knox is right there with me.

He reaches for a thick bathrobe and I climb into the thing like it’s a giant blanket.

An instant wave of exhaustion hits me.

A relaxing feeling though.

Post orgasm high?

Umm… yeah.

I’m not even sure how I managed to walk to the bathroom after Knox and I finished.

Speaking of which, I can feel him… down there… warm evidence… if you understand what I’m saying.

Now, why are we hiding in the bathroom?

I got the bed soaked.

Bathwater and more.

Knox called the front desk of the hotel to ask for help. He told a story of how he spilled a bunch of water on the bed by accident and requested fresh sheets. The hotel apologized to Knox and had someone sent to the room right away.

I can’t imagine how much this room much cost per night.

I’m not sure if Knox and I are supposed to be hiding in the bathroom or not, but here we are.

I can hear someone changing the sheets.

She’s humming and whistling.

I look back at Knox.

He’s got a look in his eyes that is just…

The look that makes me want to lower my guard down completely. But it’s also the look guys sometimes give when they’re stupid and giddy after sex and feel things that may not exactly be true.

Knox leans down. “You know, baby, we could fool around again. Right now. Make it a goal to keep quiet.”

“Is that all I am to you?” I ask. “Someone to fuck?”

I intend on being silly but my whisper is a little too serious.

Knox backs off.

I spin around. “Knox… I was kidding…”

He puts a finger to his lips.

Shh.

I’m starting to wonder if we’re actually allowed in this room or not.

A few minutes later the room grows silent.

The sheets have been changed.

Knox opens the bathroom door to check.

He motions for me to follow him.

The bed is perfectly made again.

Fresh sheets that smell… fresh.

Knox makes a move, grabs me and picks me up.

He playfully tosses me to the bed.

I gasp and touch my stomach. Instinct kicking in so fast.

“Fuck,” Knox groans.

Next thing I know he’s on his knees in front of me.

“Willow,” he says.

“Knox, it’s fine,” I say.

He touches my stomach with his right hand. “I wasn’t thinking just then. I was just-”

“It’s okay,” I say. I run a hand through his hair. “I promise, Knox. It’s not like a water balloon or something.”

“I’m not here just for…”

“I didn’t mean it the way it sounded in there,” I say. “I swear. I was trying to be silly. Flirty.”

We’re in silence now.

It’s slightly awkward. Slightly romantic.

I’m more than slightly sure that my mind is really playing tricks on me here.

Every breath and every second seems to have such a weight to it right now and I’m the one making that happen.

“Brianna,” I whisper.

“What?” Knox asks.

I gasp. “Nothing. Sorry. Forget that.”

“No,” Knox says. He starts to stand up. “You said a name. Brianna?”

“Yeah. Just something on my mind. Hey, let’s order something to eat. Are you hungry? I’m hungry.”

I spin around and crawl across the bed.

It’s not exactly a flattering kind of look or feel but I don’t care.

I reach for the phone.

“How do we order food?” I call out.

“You use your phone here,” Knox says.

He’s close to me. Really close to me.

I turn and admire him.

He’s still shirtless, by the way.

Which he should be.

Someone like him? Someone built like him? Um, yes, no shirt is required. Ever.

“We can order anything you’d like, Willow,” Knox says. “Or you can tell me what you just meant by blurting out someone’s name. A girl’s name too. That’s a new one for me.”

“It’s just a name.”

“For our baby?” Knox asks.

I gasp.

My cheeks are suddenly warm.

My body shivers.

“Is that what you wanted to say?” Knox asks. “Say it, Willow. You have a name picked out?”

“It’s nothing…”

“Nothing? It’s our baby. You have a name for our baby…”

I bite my bottom lip for a second.

Then I nod.

“Yeah,” I confess.

“So you think it’s a girl?”

“I don’t think anything, Knox. I’ve never been pregnant before.”

“But you’re thinking it. That it’s a girl. That if you have a girl you want to name her Brianna.”

I nod. Again. He’s caught me…

“Why that name?” Knox asks.

He’s so calm and cool. And he’s so sexy.

“Something about it,” I say. “Brianna is such a pretty name. Then Brie for short. It’s smart. It’s cool. It’s…”

“I think it’s badass,” Knox says. “Like Brianna is smart and loyal and works hard. But Brie knows how to throw a punch and defend herself.”

“Yes,” I say. I feel my eyes light up. “Right?”

“Yeah.”

“Should we be doing this, Knox? I mean… talking about names? Look at me. I’m not even…”

Knox puts his right arm around me. He lifts up and hovers over me. “We can do anything we want, baby. Stop worrying about everything around us. We’ve already screwed it all up.”

“That doesn’t make me feel any better, Knox.”

“We’re allowed to have fun. And not just to the point of needing to get new sheets…”

I laugh. And blush. “Fine. What name do you like?”

“Oh, I get to pick one now?”

“Yeah. Unless you haven’t thought about it. Which is fine. I’m just having-”

“Liam,” he says.

“Liam?”

“Liam.”

“I like that name. Can I ask… why?”

“You really want to know why?”

I nod.

“Liam was one of my best friends as a kid,” Knox says. “He and I used to play basketball all the time. I was going to be a pro basketball player. Liam and I were going to do it. I got sick. Normal stuff. Flu or stomach bug. Liam went to the courts to play. On the walk home he got hit by a car and died.”

I gasp. “Knox…”

“I never played basketball again. I switched to hockey. I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t play basketball without Liam.”

I touch his face. “I’m so sorry, Knox.”

“Life happens, Willow. That’s why certain things can’t bother me. Between that experience and the way my father is…”

“No wonder you’re a goalie,” I say. “You think deep and you stay calm. You’re not freaking out at all about me being pregnant.”

“No need to freak out.”

I touch his face.

Why is he doing this to me? Why is he so calm? Why is making me feel the feelings that I’m feeling…

“Don’t give me those sad eyes, baby,” Knox whispers. “I don’t talk about Liam much. None of the guys know.”

“You told me.”

“I guess I did. Now you know something about me. And you’ve met my father.”

“Likewise,” I say. “Things are just moving right along, huh?”

Knox drops his mouth down to mine.

This kiss is completely different.

We’re getting closer by the second.

And not just physically.

It’s more than Knox’s hand gently opening the bathrobe.

It’s more than his fingers tickling down my lower belly, easing between my legs.

It’s more than me groaning into his mouth.

And it’s definitely more than him climbing back on top of me and thrusting himself into me for another round of intense pleasure.

I’m not sure what the more than is right now.

Knox pleasuring me is far too good to think about anything else.