Page 64 of Hometown Touchdown
And I feel it again, that tug in my chest. That quiet, dangerous whisper that I could fall all the way in again.
Knox leans over Priscilla to brush a kiss to my temple. “I’ll make coffee. Don’t move. She’s claimed you.”
“I can’t move,” I whisper, grinning. “She’s pinning me down with affection.”
“Story of my life.”
He rolls out of bed and disappears down the hall, giving me a delicious view of flannel pajama pants slung low and a muscled back that probably causes traffic violations.
I slide out from under Priscilla’s head, earning a sleepy glare, and follow the smell of coffee downstairs.
Knox hands me a mug, still warm from the pot. “Cream’s in the fridge. Sugar’s in the cabinet. Or I can pretend to be a man who knows your coffee order.”
I smile, bumping his hip as I pass him. “If you have to pretend, then you better watch for future reference.”
He watches me from the other side of the kitchen island, sipping his own coffee, that sleepy half-smile still on his lips.
It’s…easy. Comfortable. And that’s what makes it wonderfully terrifying.
We settle on the couch, Priscilla flopping dramatically onto the rug with a sigh like she hasn’t already had the best morning of her life. Knox reaches for the remote but doesn’t turn on the TV. He just looks at me, waiting.
I hold the mug in both hands and take a slow breath. “I was thinking…”
He raises a brow.
“…about us.”
His smile fades, just a little. Not gone—just bracing.
“I think we should keep this between us. For now.”
There’s a beat of silence.
Then he sets his mug down slowly. “Okay. Define ‘for now.’”
“I mean—just while we figure this out,” I say quickly. “Before we let everyone else weigh in. Before your mom decides to plan a wedding. Or my mom starts leaving bridal magazines on my nightstand again. You know how this town is. We sneeze near each other and it’s all over social media.”
Knox leans back, stretching his arm along the back of the couch. “So you want to date me in secret? Like a small-town forbidden romance?”
I give him a look. “I’m not going to ask how you even know what that is. But I’m serious.”
“I know. I just like imagining you in sunglasses and a trench coat at Gordy’s.”
I sigh, but there’s no heat behind it. “I just want us to have room to breathe. To enjoy this without the pressure of everyone’s expectations.”
He watches me for a long moment. Not annoyed. Not even disappointed, really. Just…thinking.
Finally, he nods. “Okay. But you have until New Years. I’ll be kissing you at midnight at the ball drop”
I blink. “You’re agreeing that easily?”
“I don’t like it,” he admits, “but I get it. I’ve waited six years to have coffee with you like this. I can wait a little longer to show you off.”
My heart twists.
“And besides,” he adds, nudging my knee with his, “it’s kinda hot. Like forbidden love, but with more dog hair.”
I laugh, relief spilling through me. “You’re ridiculous.”
