Page 49 of Mountain Protector

“Oh.” Desire darkens his gaze. A bulge rises below his waist. “Well. Thatisinteresting.” Leaning over, he kisses my cheek. “I think about you naked all the time.”

My breath catches.

Heat builds at the apex of my thighs.

Did I say I wasn’t ready to have sex with Knox yet?

Maybe I changed my mind.

With a little shake of his head, Knox says, “Shit. What I want to do right now wouldnotbe appropriate in the Edwardsons’ driveway.” As he puts the car in drive and heads toward the house, he adds, “But later…”

“Yes. Later.” I squeeze my legs together to relieve the ache growing there. “Definitely.”

Once we stop in front of the house, Knox turns off the car and comes around to my side to help me down from his ridiculously tall truck. There’s a little step, so I could do it myself, but I think he likes lifting me down, letting his hands linger on my waist and hips, and honestly, I like it too.

As we walk through the very lovely house, Knox points out other projects he’s worked on for the Edwardsons—the upgraded kitchen, the staircase with a gorgeous mahogany railing, and the giant stone fireplace in the living room. “The house is a little fancy for me,” he comments, “but it’s really come together well.”

“It’s really nice,” I agree. “But I still prefer my cabin. Or your farmhouse. I like the simplicity of them. It’s relaxing.”

He smiles. “That’s how I feel, too.”

When we get into the dining room, Knox leads me over to a row of bookshelves on one wall. With pride in his voice, he says, “I think this is my favorite project. I would have loved a secret room when I was growing up.”

Then he pushes a book, and the bookcase slowly opens to reveal another room beyond it. The scent of freshly-cut wood fills the room, and the sun streamingthrough the sunlight gives the room a golden glow. Floor-to-ceiling shelves line two of the walls with a little ladder attached to them so you can reach the top shelf.

As we walk inside, Knox gestures at the open wall. “I’m building a desk to go there. And a built-in reading nook in the corner. It’ll probably be done in another couple of weeks. Since the Edwardsons are in Florida until April, there’s not a rush to finish.”

“It’s amazing.” I walk over to one of the shelves and run my fingers along the smooth wooden grain. “I’d love to have something like this. Smaller, maybe. But I don’t think there’s room for one at my place.”

Knox answers immediately, like he’s already thought about it. “Well, you could repurpose your pantry. Or use part of your dining room. I could easily fit a small library in, maybe eight by twelve or so.”

“Maybe once I take care of some of the other repairs,” I reply. “I really should get the roof replaced soon. And I need a new washer and dryer. So I should probably take care of those first.”

Knox stares at me for a second. Then he pulls me in for a hug, brushing his lips across mine. “If you want anything done, Lark, just ask. I’ll take care of it.”

I know what he’s saying, but there’s no way I’m letting Knox work for free. Not when I make decent money at my job. But I love that he didn’t hesitate to offer. Hugging him back, I reply with a teasing smile, “Watch out. I’ll end up asking you to renovate my entire house.”

He kisses me again, longer this time. “I would do anything you ask me to.”

“Knox.” My heart swells. “I would do anything for you, too.”

He stares at me for a second, a depth of emotion in his gaze. It’s more than friendship or desire or affection. His eyes call to mine, sharing the same unspoken words.

Could I already be falling for him? Is it possible to fall this quickly?

Or have I already, and I’m only now realizing it?

After a minute or an hour, Knox is the first to blink. He strokes my cheek as he says, “Since we’re here, I’m just going to check on the electrical panel for a second. All the power in the room is supposed to be shut off, so I want to make sure. Will you be okay in here, or do you want to come into the basement with me?”

“I’m fine here.” Stepping away from Knox, I walk over to the ladder and give it a little push, watching it glide smoothly across the floor. “Maybe I’ll take this for a ride.”

He laughs. “Okay. Be careful. I’ll be back in a couple of minutes. Then we can head out. Grab something to eat.”

After he leaves the room, I spend a minute or so pushing the ladder and hopping onto it, like I’m a kid trying out a new piece of playground equipment. And although I’m easily two decades too old, it’s pretty fun. Once I get down, I stand in the center of the room, imagining if I had my own hidden library and what I’d put in it. An oversized chair, for sure, and maybe one of those electric fireplaces for warmth and ambiance.

Or I could put a couch in there, and Knox and I could read together. He said he used to like reading science fiction, likeDuneand anything by RayBradbury. I imagine myself sitting with Knox, my legs draped over his while we read. And when we get tired of reading, we could do other, sexier things.

When I hear the footstep in the doorway, I turn toward it, smiling as I say, “I really love this room. It’s?—”

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