Chapter Eight

Danielle POV

Knox’s gaze settles heavily on mine, and my mind struggles desperately to form a response. Before I can speak, his mouth captures mine again, stealing my thoughts away entirely. I lean eagerly into him, returning the kiss and tugging him closer. He might have said he doesn’t rush, but surely that doesn’t mean I can’t explore him, can’t enjoy the feel of him beneath my fingertips.

His touch moves slowly down my hip, gliding over my thigh until it reaches the hem of my dress. A gentle shiver runs through my body as his fingertips trace delicate patterns over the exposed skin there. I gasp softly as his hand slips higher, guiding the dress upward with each careful movement. Without hesitation, I lift my hips, helping him remove the barrier between us.

The dress is quickly peeled away and tossed carelessly aside, forgotten in an instant. Knox pulls back just enough to let his gaze roam over my body, hunger and admiration gleaming in his eyes as a deep groan leaves his lips.

“Fuck,” he murmurs, voice thick and rough with desire. “This set is fucking temptation wrapped in hell’s fire. I swear, it came from the goddess of seduction herself.”

My breath catches sharply as his head dips down, mouth capturing my nipple through the delicate fabric of my bra. Teeth graze gently yet firmly, sending jolts of pleasure radiating throughout my body. My fingers thread into his hair instinctively, tightening as I hold him closer, urging him onward.

His tongue flicks and teases over the sensitive peak, drawing a soft whimper from my lips as sensation coils tighter within me. As his mouth continues its torment, his free hand slides confidently between my thighs, fingers tracing slowly, deliberately over my aching sex, igniting an unbearable fire that has me trembling beneath him.

Knox lifts his head slowly, his eyes blazing with a dangerous intensity that nearly steals the breath from my lungs. He watches my reaction carefully, his fingers continuing their maddening exploration between my thighs, teasing me, testing me, making me lose all coherent thought beneath his touch.

“You feel how wet you are, Danielle?” he murmurs softly, his voice a gravelly whisper that sends goosebumps skittering over my skin. “That’s what real want feels like. Not the bullshit you’ve been settling for.”

His fingers press against me more firmly, circling over my aching center in slow, deliberate strokes. I arch helplessly into his touch, desperate for more, but he remains maddeningly patient, refusing to rush even when my hips lift instinctively, pleading without words for more.

“Knox, please,” I finally whisper, my voice breaking on his name, a ragged sound torn from somewhere deep and vulnerable inside of me.

A slow smile curves his lips, but he doesn’t relent. Instead, his fingers drift lazily along the edges of my panties, tracing patterns meant to drive me absolutely insane.

“You’ll have to do better than that,” he says quietly, his gaze never wavering from mine. “I told you, Red. I want you begging.”

I bite my lip hard, embarrassment warring with desperation as heat burns through me. I’ve never been good at saying what I want, not out loud, not boldly enough for someone to really hear, but Knox demands it, expects it, and deep down, maybe I want to give him exactly what he’s asking for.

Taking a shaky breath, I force myself to meet his gaze. “I want your fingers inside me. I want your mouth on me. Knox, please, stop teasing.”

His eyes darken dangerously, approval flashing sharply within their depths. “Good girl,” he murmurs, voice roughened with lust. “Wasn’t so hard, was it?”

Before I can respond, he’s moving down my body, his mouth trailing burning kisses across my ribs and lower, his breath warm against my skin. My pulse pounds wildly in anticipation, my body trembling beneath him as his teeth graze softly over my hipbone, a hint of sharpness just enough to remind me who’s in control.

His fingers hook into the delicate lace of my panties, dragging them down my thighs with unhurried patience. Cool air meets heated skin, leaving me completely exposed beneath him. My breath catches in my throat, nerves and excitement twisting together until I’m dizzy with need.

Knox doesn’t hesitate, doesn’t falter. He simply settles himself lower, broad shoulders pushing my legs gently apart. His breath ghosts warmly over me, making my muscles tense instinctively. I’m about to protest, to tell him I can’t possibly handle this much sensation, but before I can form a single coherent thought, his mouth is on me.

I gasp sharply, hips jerking upward as his tongue drags slowly over my sensitive flesh, tasting me without rush or urgency, savoring every reaction I give him. He groans deeply, the vibration of his pleasure sending shivers rippling through me.

“You taste even better than I imagined,” he whispers roughly, his mouth hot against my skin.

My hands twist desperately in the sheets, knuckles white, breath ragged. “Knox—”

“Say my name again,” he commands quietly, his voice hard-edged but rich with desire.

“Knox,” I whisper, louder this time, more urgent, each syllable trembling with the intensity of what I’m feeling.

His fingers slide inside me without warning, filling me, and stretching me, curling deliciously to hit the exact spot that makes me see stars behind my closed eyes. My back arches sharply, a broken moan spilling from my lips.

“There she is,” he says with approval, voice husky with arousal. “That’s the fire I’ve been waiting for.”

His mouth returns to me, relentless and merciless now, tongue swirling expertly over my clit as his fingers move in a slow, torturous rhythm inside me. Heat coils tighter, building rapidly until I’m nearly frantic beneath his touch, my entire body taut and trembling.

“Oh God, please,” I cry out, losing myself entirely to him, to the raw pleasure he’s pulling from me.

“Come for me, Danielle,” he commands roughly, his mouth and fingers working in perfect harmony to push me closer and closer to the edge. “Now.”

It’s the quiet authority in his voice that undoes me completely, the possessive certainty of someone who knows exactly what he’s doing, who knows exactly how to break me apart and put me back together again. I shatter beneath him, waves of ecstasy rolling over me as I cry out his name helplessly, the sound raw and unfiltered and so very real.

He holds me there, wringing every last bit of pleasure from me before finally pulling away, a satisfied smile playing across his lips as he moves back up my body. He brushes my hair from my flushed cheeks, eyes softening as they meet mine again.

“You okay?” he asks quietly, tracing a gentle thumb along my jaw.

My breath comes in shallow pants as I stare up at him, still trembling, still dizzy. “More than okay,” I whisper, my voice shaky but sincere.

His smile deepens, eyes gleaming with heat and promise. “Good. Because we’re nowhere near finished yet, Red.”

His mouth claims mine, tasting like raw desire and something infinitely more dangerous, a quiet, primal intensity that sets every nerve in my body aflame. My hands move across his chest and shoulders, exploring the powerful contours, feeling the muscles flex beneath my touch.

I want to memorize every inch of him, every rough edge and hard angle that makes up this impossible man holding me captive in his grasp.