Page 84 of Knox

“Walked out?”

“Yeah, I know that sounds harsh, but that’s what it felt like. He emailed, sometimes, and came to my high school graduation, but really, he simply faded away, busy with his deployments and saving the world or whatever he did. And I realized…you can only count on what you make. What you do. Because people will leave you.”

“Not me.”

He didn’t know why the words came out, but he’d never meant anything more in his entire life. A tenor of heat consumed him, and he sat up. “Not me, Kelsey. Have you not met me? I’m the guy who sticks around. Who keeps his promises—or tries with everything inside him to. I show up. And I stick around. You can count on me.”

She was consuming his words, her eyes in his, and he couldn’t help it—he reached out to her and pulled her over to himself on the sofa.

He couldn’t believe it when she surrendered, sitting on his lap and sliding into his arms.

“Kelsey. I made you a promise back in Texas, and I intend to keep it.”

“You did? What—”

“I won’t let you fall. That I’m going to get you out of this.”

She drew in a breath, the hope back in her eyes. Then she leaned down and kissed him.

And as much as he’d dreamed about it, the fact she’d made the first move told him that this time, please, there wouldn’t be panic, running, or God help him, tears.

He hoped.

So he let her be in control, let her caress his face with her thumb, let her explore, taste him, let her be the one to wrap her arms around him, sink into his embrace.

The warmth of her touch enveloped him, and he purposely kept his hands on her back, not moving her down onto the sofa, not deepening their kiss.

But it cost him, his breath coming hard when she leaned back.

Met his eyes.

“Safe is a good thing, you know.”

He frowned.

“And so is Nice.”

He nodded. Maybe.

Especially since she was bending to kiss him again. He was leaning in to meet her when—

“Hey, Knox—oh, whoops! Sorry!”

He leaned back and caught Tate turning in the threshold, his back to them, hand over his eyes.

“What?” Knox growled.

Kelsey made to scramble from his lap, but he touched her hand.

“Stay?”

She smiled at him, and Tate had better have a very good reason—

“I have some news.” Tate turned and cast a look at Kelsey, who had settled back into Knox’s embrace.

A beat. Huh. “And?”

He considered Knox a moment, then held up his phone. “AJ texted.”

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