Page 98 of The Backup

My head tips back for a second as I let out a breathless laugh, my hand raking through my hair. “Oh, yeah? What changed your mind?”

She tilts her head, her grin turning sly. “You’re very… motivating.” Her hand gives an experimental stroke that makes my hips jerk involuntarily, and she giggles. “See? Positive reinforcement.”

“Motivating, huh?” I ask, my voice low and rough as I glance down at her again. “What can I say? I aim to please.”

She snorts, resting her chin on the edge of my thigh as she looks up at me. “Actually, I thinkyousay ‘please.’ In your head. Every time I do this.”

The laugh that bursts out of me is loud and unrestrained, my hand covering my face for a second before I lower it to meet her amused gaze. “You’re unbelievable.”

“And yet,” she says, leaning in to press a lingering kiss against the base of my length, “here I am, on my knees for you.”

The heat in her voice sends a shiver down my spine, but there’s a softness to her smile that grounds me. Her free hand slides down to my ankle, and before I can question it, she’s tugging at my boot.

“What are you doing?” I ask, still catching my breath.

“Taking charge,” she says breezily, yanking the boot off with more force than necessary. It thuds against the floor, and she grins up at me like she’s just won a prize as she takes off the other. “See? I’m a multitasker.”

I can’t help but smirk. “Don’t let it go to your head.”

“Too late,” she quips, already working on the other boot. It joins the first with a satisfying thunk, and then she shifts closer, her hands on my thighs again as she kneels back between my legs.

For a moment, she just looks at me, her expression softening. “I like this,” she murmurs, her fingers brushing lightly over my skin.

“This?” I ask, my voice quieter now. “What’s ‘this’?”

“You,” she says simply, her smile growing as she holds my gaze. “Like this. No walls. Just… you.”

The words knock the air out of my lungs, but before I can find something meaningful to say in return, she grins again and presses a kiss to my inner thigh, breaking the tension with her usual teasing charm.

“And for the record,” she adds, looking up at me through her lashes, “youdefinitelysay ‘please.’ Comfortable now?” she teases, her lips quirking as her fingers trail over my thighs.

“Almost too comfortable,” I say, my grin widening as I reach for her. “But it’s my turn now.”

Just as I’m about to flip the script, there’s a loud, insistent banging on the door.

We both freeze.

“Knox! Open up!” Joe’s voice booms from the hallway, loud enough to cut through the noise of the party.

Sloane’s eyes meet mine, wide with alarm, and for a second, we just stare at each other, silently praying he’ll go away.

“Knox! I know you’re in there, man! Quit hiding!”

“Unbelievable,” I mutter, running a hand through my hair as I stand. I’m not even bothering with my jeans. If Joe’s drunk enough to bang on my door, he can deal with seeing me half-dressed.

Sloane sits up, pulling her knees to her chest as I head for the door. “Asher, don’t?—”

But I’m already there, yanking it open with more force than necessary.

Joe stumbles slightly, a half-empty beer in his hand and a glazed look in his eyes. His gaze immediately drops, stealing a glance at my “gift,” and his expression shifts from smug to startled.

“Jesus, Knox,” he mutters, straightening up. “No wonder you’re so cocky.”

“Joe,” I snap, stepping into the doorway to block his view of the room. “What the hell do you want?”

He waves the beer around, his grin slipping. “Look, man, I just…I need to talk. About her.”

His tone is dripping with self-pity, and I feel my temper spike. “Joe, you’re drunk. Go sleep it off.”

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