Page 57 of Pose for Me

He trails his fingers down my stomach, splaying his hand across my abdomen again. "This softness here, it's not a flaw. It's a testament to your strength, to the life your body has lived. It's beautiful, just like every other part of you."

Knox's hands move to my thighs, squeezing gently. "These legs… They're long and shapely, strong enough to wrap around my waist and hold me close as I fuck you."

His voice drops lower, becoming almost a purr. "And your ass, Rayne... God, your ass… so round and firm, perfect for gripping, for spanking, for worshipping with our hands and mouths."

His touch is electric, sending shivers of pleasure coursing through my body. But it's not just the physical sensations that overwhelm me–it's the raw emotion in his voice, the way he speaks about me with such reverence and desire.

"But it's not just your body that captivates us, Rayne," Knox continues, his voice softening. "Your mind, Rayne, is a marvel. The way you see the world, the beauty you find in the smallest details—it's breathtaking. We've watched you work though you didn’t know it, we’ve seen the way you can put even the most nervous client at ease with just a few words and a gentle smile. Your empathy, your ability to connect with people on such a deep level, it's a rare and precious gift."

His fingers trace the dip of my waist, skimming over my hip and down my thigh. "The way you throw yourself into your passions, whether it's photography or helping others—it's inspiring. You have this fire inside you, this drive to make the world a better place, one person at a time. It's intoxicating to watch."

Knox's lips brush against my ear as he continues, his voice low and intense. "Your laugh, Rayne—it's like music. The way your eyes crinkle at the corners when you're truly happy, how your whole face lights up—it's mesmerizing. And your smile, god, your smile could outshine the sun."

His eyes meet mine in the mirror, his gaze intense and unwavering. "I told you a long time ago that I wished you could see yourself the way I see you," Knox murmurs, his voice thick with emotion. "You would never doubt your beauty if you saw yourself through my eyes."

My breath catches in my throat, memories flooding back in a dizzying rush. A warm summer day, the scent of freshly cut grass in the air. Two children, a boy and a girl, sitting side by side on a rickety porch swing. His hand, small but already calloused, wrapped around mine. The weight of secrets shared, of promises made.

"William," I whisper, the name falling from my lips unbidden.

Chapter 34

Rayne

Knoxgentlykissesmytemple, his lips lingering against my skin. "You know I hated that name," he says softly. "It was my father's name, and I was never going to keep it after what he did."

The weight of unspoken history hangs heavy between us. I remember him as a young boy with haunted eyes, bruises hidden beneath too-large clothes. How we bonded over lost mothers to violent fathers. I remember whispered promises in the dark, dreams of a better life. And I remember the day he disappeared, leaving nothing but a hollow ache in my chest.

Knox's arms tighten around me, as if he can sense the direction of my thoughts. "I'm sorry," he murmurs against my hair. "I'm sorry I left you behind. I didn’t want to, but they wouldn’t let me stay. I tried."

I turn in his arms, facing him directly instead of through the mirror's reflection. His eyes are dark with regret and something deeper, more intense. "Knox," I breathe, reaching up to cup his stubbled jaw.

He catches my hand and presses a fervent kiss to my palm. "I did what I had to, to protect you," he rumbles, lips brushing my skin before he moves his hands to my hips. "I overheard that boy saying things, vile things he planned to do to you. I couldn't let that happen, no matter what."

A frown creases my brow as my mind rushes to make sense of his words. What boy? What is he talking about? Sensing my confusion, Knox's expression tightens, a muscle ticking in his chiseled jaw.

"You don't remember him," he states flatly. It's not a question. "He was one of the older kids at the home. Always lurking in corners, watching you with eyes that made my skin crawl." Knox's hands flex against my hips, fingers digging in almost painfully. "I overheard him telling his buddies exactly what he wanted to do to you once you turned thirteen. The things he described..." He shakes his head, jaw clenched so tightly I fear he might crack a tooth.

Bile rises in my throat as the implication of his words sinks in. A nameless, faceless threat from my past, one I have no recollection of. But Knox remembers.

"I couldn't let that happen to you," Knox rumbles, his voice vibrating with barely contained fury. "Even back then, I knew that you were mine, something inside me just...snapped."

He draws in a ragged breath, the tendons in his neck standing out in stark relief. "I waited until after lights out, when the halls were deserted. When he came sneaking out of his room, I was ready. I attacked him from behind, slamming his head into the wall until he crumpled to the floor."

Knox's eyes burn with an intensity that I can feel deep in my soul. "I just kept hitting him, over and over, until my knuckles were raw and bloody. All I could think about was protecting you, keeping that monster away from you at all costs."

His hands flex, fingers curling as if remembering the feel of flesh yielding beneath his knuckles. "By the time the night staff pulled me off him, that piece of shit was barely conscious. He could barely move, let alone touch you. You thankfully slept through the whole thing, even back then you were a heavy sleeper."

"Of course, when the staff found out why I did it, they just shuffled us off to new foster homes," Knox continues bitterly. "They put that sick fuck with a whole new crop of little girls to terrorize. I couldn't let him hurt you or anyone else ever again. So I waited until he recovered from that first beating before taking him by surprise when he was alone. He was the first person I killed, to protect you and other girls like you."

My heart is pounding in my chest. A part of me should be horrified by his admission, but a darker part is captivated and aroused by this glimpse into Knox's uncompromising nature when it comes to defending what's his.

River steps up behind me, his solid chest pressing against my back as his arms snake around my waist. "You aren’t even shocked, gorgeous," he purrs in my ear, his breath hot on my skin. "You know there's an edge to us, a darkness that draws you in like a moth to a flame."

His tongue traces the delicate shell of my ear, and I whimper softly at the erotic sensation. "Knox didn't do it alone, you know," River continues in that low, wicked tone. "I was in that home they transferred him to and I could sense it in him—that willingness to go to any lengths to protect what's precious to him. It sang to the darkest parts of my soul."

One of River's hands slides up to caress the curve of my breast, his thumb brushing over my hardened nipple through the thin fabric of my dress. His other hand threads through my hair, twirling the strands around his fingers, tugging gently. He leans in, his lips brushing the shell of my ear as he speaks in a low, seductive rasp. "Your soul sings the same dark song as ours, little Rayne. I see it in your eyes—that flash of desire whenever we speak about getting a little...messy."

His tongue darts out, tracing the whorled ridges of my ear in a maddeningly slow circle. I shudder against him, my core clenching with need. "You're not horrified, are you?" he murmurs, his breath hot on my sensitized skin. "That we were willing to kill, even back then. That darkness within us, that capacity for violence—it doesn't repulse you. It excites you."

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