Page 51 of I Am Lioness

6:30 a.m.

Knox had to be at the airport by eleven, but if this weather kept up, there was no way I was letting him get on that plane to fly home, especially if this storm was to follow him.

I was already anxious enough about being separated again, I didn't need the added worry of possible tumultuous travel mounted onto it.

As a new wave of unease washed over me, I settled back into the pillow and took in a very comfortable Knox asleep on my chest. Half his body was sprawled out over mine, his face resting between my breasts, arms trapping me beneath him.

Apparently I was his personal and quite comfortable body pillow. Not that I minded one bit, in case you were wondering.

With gentle fingers, I combed them through the silky strands of his hair, looking over every facet of his handsome face. His usually defined, chiseled features were much softer in his sleep like those of a young boy rather than the intimidating man he could be during the course of the day.

I traced a line along his jaw and up to his lips, brushing the bottom one and then the top. They were warm and so very soft, tempting me to pepper them with kisses, but I held back and continued my reverent stroke up his perfect nose instead.

Knox stirred and slowly nuzzled the valley of my breasts with the tip of his nose. Laying his head to one side, his eyes fluttered open. They were so fiercely blue, they glowed in the darkness of the room, leaving me both awestruck and devastated all at once.

“Mmm. Good morning.” He grinned lazily, his voice thick as molasses.

“Nothing about this morning is good.” I said truthfully, turning away from him. “This weather, you leaving…”

Tears threatened to unleash their fury but I willed them away, shutting my eyes tightly in an attempt to keep them at bay. The bed dipped under his weight as he crawled over me, placing his arms on either side of my head, caging me in beneath him.

He pushed his cheek along my chin in coaxing, turning my head back to meet the tender yet serious expression etched on his face.

“Any morning I wake up with you is a good morning.”

“It's also the last one.” I added.

“For now. Two weeks are going to fly by.”

“Maybe for you.”

Knox sighed and dropped his head to the crook of my neck as a tense silence began to fill the room. The only sound to be heard was the rain tapping ever so lightly against the window now. We laid there for quite some time without a word exchanged, each of us lost in our thoughts, in a whirlwind of emotions.

“You think this isn't tearing me up?” He asked abruptly. “That it isn't killing me to have to leave your side with all you’ve had to endure and all you have on your plate right now?”

When I didn't respond, he lifted his head to regard me intently. Even under the scrutiny of his awaiting gaze, I didn’t have an answer for him. Not because I didn’t know but because I couldn’t. I physically could not find the words, much less my voice, to reassure him that I understood this was temporary.

A means to an end.

Because I did, I understood it all too well, but that did nothing to lessen the blow of having to endure another bout of separation after firmly setting our relationship in place.

“Answer me.” He hedged.

I swallowed deeply, taking in his cutting expression. There was nothing remotely playful about it. He was hurting, as was I, and my silence wasn’t helping to alleviate the unease we both felt.

Cupping my face in his hands, he pressed his lips to mine and kissed me once, twice, three times.

“Answer me, Hazel, please. You know I’m coming back, right?”

“Yes,” I finally managed to say, though it was more of a whisper. “I’m just hating the thought of being away from you again even if it’s brief. We’ve done this once already and it was quite enough for me.”

“It's the same for me, baby, but I need to sort things out at home. Yes, Luis agreed to take over my clients, however, I still need to speak with them personally and answer any questions they may have. If I don’t form a mutual understanding with them then there’s a great possibility this can blow up in my face later. I also need to meet with my landlord, get all my bills sorted...” Dropping his forehead to mine, he rubbed our noses together. “Fourteen days, that's it. Then I'll be right back here where I belong. You're going to finish off this season with me by your side, with me in your corner. I need to you to be strong though and push past this shitty situation with your head held high. Train, stay focused, and kick some ass while I’m gone. It’s what Bernie would have wanted and it’s what I want too. Think you can do that for me?”

“I can try.” I said softly.

Knox shook his head. “It’s not a request. No trying, just do it.”

Scoffing through my nose, I smiled and rolled my eyes. “So demanding, Mr. Carr.”

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