My head jerked back, and it took me a few seconds to remember that he’d seen me when Ren was still there. “No. No, Collin was furious when he saw that.”
Someone pushed against the door, and my entire body went rigid. We both held our breath as we watched the person put pressure against the door a few more times before giving up, but that didn’t ease my fear.
“I need to go back out there.”
“Let me take you away from all this,” he pleaded.
“You can’t.” My voice was hoarse as I pulled out of his arms. “I’m sorry, I know you don’t understand, but you can’t. I swear to you I’m much safer staying with him than if I were to leave.”
“Harlow,” he groaned. His shoulders sagged in defeat as he ran his hands over his head. “I can’t make you leave your husband. If you think you and your family are in danger, I won’t go to the police until you give me the okay. But I’m here. After all these years I’m still here. If it ever gets to be too much, if you ever can’t handle it anymore, if you ever need someone to get you away from him, then call me and I’ll be there.”
I hesitated before nodding.
Knox’s too-perceptive eyes narrowed. “What? Do you not have my number anymore?”
I shrugged and quickly shook my head; the action contradicted my next words. “I remember it.”
There was a brief pause before he asked, “Then what, Low? Are you changing your mind? Do you want to get out n—”
“No!” I said quickly. “No, I just . . . I won’t be able to call you. He looks for things that I don’t even have, Knox. He searches the house and my car. He goes through my phone.”
“What the hell?” Knox mumbled as I continued.
“I wouldn’t put it past him to check the phone bills to see if I’m hiding something. I can’t risk contacting you.”
Knox looked lost, like he didn’t know what to do with what he knew. His head shook absentmindedly, and he blinked slowly as he stumbled over his next words. “T-then you ne—we’ll—I’ll think of something,” he promised. “I don’t know what, but I’ll think of something. Jesus . . .” he whispered, and I knew he was still trying to wrap his head around it all.
“It’s not worth it.” I appreciated what Knox wanted to do, but he still didn’t understand what Collin was capable of.
“You, and knowing that you’re ali—okay will always be worth it.” He looked around the room, then nodded toward the bathroom. “I’ll hide out in there for a few minutes just in case. If anyone sees me leave, I’ll take care of it. But I don’t want to risk it for you if he’s standing out there right now.”
“Thank you.”
Grabbing my hand, he turned me around and cupped my cheek as he had so many times before. “Please keep yourself safe,” he said through clenched teeth. Just when I thought he was about to release me, he dipped his head down and pressed his lips to mine.
The kiss started off innocent, but built slowly until he was pressing my back against the wall and I was gripping at his clothes and pulling his body closer to mine. There were three times in the years before I met Collin that Knox kissed me. The first was a promise; the last two—just weeks before I met Collin—were frenzied and unpreventable because of the chemistry that had been surging between us for years. While this one closely resembled the last two, it was so different than any of the ones before.
It was a claiming on both our parts. I was his and he was mine. The passion that rolled between us was something I’d only imagined sharing with someone. My head dropped back when his lips moved across my jaw and down my throat, and he moved his body between my legs. My body arched off the wall, a breathy moan escaped my lips when he moved his hand up my leg under my dress to hitch it around his hip, and I brought his head up to capture his mouth again.
Still fully clothed. Only kissing. Yet I was getting more of a rush from this than I’d ever gotten from sex with Collin.
“I love you,” I breathed, unable to stop the words from leaving my lips this time.
He inhaled quickly at my confession, and his mouth curved up momentarily. “To the stars, Harlow,” he whispered against my lips. “Always to the stars.”
We froze with our arms still wrapped around each other when someone tried the door again. Our eyes stayed locked on one another . . . our lips brushed with each ragged breath.
“You’re mine,” he said softly.
I smiled weakly and brushed the tips of my fingers along his jaw. “I’ve al—” I cut myself off, but my mind screamed, I’ve always belonged to you.
His eyes pleaded with me to continue, but I couldn’t—I’d already said too much.
Knowing I didn’t have long before I gave in to everything I wanted from this man, I slowly untangled myself from him, and he looked like he was going to be sick.
“I won’t pretend to understand why you chose him,” Knox whispered. “But that choice . . . these years . . . all of it, Harlow, it doesn’t matter. I said it and I mean it: I’m here. Say the word and I’ll take you away.”