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“Shocking.” Knox leans down to kiss me, probably earning me the scorn of every woman in the gym wearing just sports bras and shorts as they work on deepening the lines of their already defined abs.
I poke his chest, and there’s zero resistance there, which makes me roll my eyes. “Next time I’m staying in bed.”
He shakes his head. “You can’t stay in bed, because then I’ll stay in bed.”
“Oh, I’m gonna. And then I’ll make you waffles with syrup and whipped cream and give you a presentation on why self-inflicted torture, also know as the gym, isn’t the answer. You’ll be a believer with a big belly by the time I’m through with you.”
Knox laughs and puts an arm around me, pulling me close. “I’ll tell the guys they can come talk to you when I’m too slow to do my job anymore.”
“Or…we can compromise. We both work out together our own way and then go out for breakfast together. Manny makes a fantastic veggie omelet; you’re gonna love it.”
“Perfect.” He grabs his hoodie and car keys from the cubbie we stashed our stuff in, passing me my hoodie. “And I’m only teasing, babe. I wouldn’t change a thing about you.”
I’m quiet as we both put our sweatshirts on and walk to the parking deck where Knox left his Audi SUV. I know he means what he said. Knox is so different from Eric.
Eric used to tell me baking wasn’t a real job; Knox brags about my work to everyone we see. In bed, Eric liked the lights off and wanted me to be quiet; Knox prefers to be able to see me and he loves it when I can’t hold back my cries of pleasure. Eric made biting comments about how all the food I ate at work would catch up with me and I needed a workout regimen; Knox told me he doesn’t care what I do at the gym, he just wants my company when he goes on the days he doesn’t have practice.
Knox has never let me down, even in a small way. If he’s running late, he texts and tells me why. No matter how late it is and how tired he is, he calls me after every game he plays to say goodnight and tell me he misses me. Part of me revels in it; another part of me can’t help wondering if it’ll last. The more I come to rely on him, the more it’ll hurt if he decides to stop working so hard at this thing we’re not calling a relationship.
“You’re quiet,” Knox says as he drives out of the parking deck.
“I’m just so exhausted from that workout,” I say, grinning.
“I guarantee you burned more calories in bed last night.” He glances over at me, winks and adds, “And this morning.”
“It was a lot more fun, too.”
Knox puts his hand on my knee. “There’s one downside, though. I’m finding out I can’t lift as heavy on mornings we have sex.”
“What? Why?”
“I’m not used to getting off in the morning, and being pent up helps me with lifting.”
“So no more morning sex?”
Knox glances at me, his brows lowered. “I didn’t say that. I think I’m just gonna have to accept not lifting as heavy on those days.”
“Good.”
On our drive to Magnolia, Knox talks about the game his team is playing tomorrow night against Austin. He tells me the names of the players he’ll be watching most closely, and who’s vulnerable because they’re still not one hundred percent after being injured.
“I had no idea you followed that stuff,” I say.
“Oh, yeah. I read all the blogs and sports pages every morning, and our defensive coach stays on top of all that, too.”
“You’re really good at what you do.” I warm with pride, patting his hand, which is still on my knee.
He shrugs. “It’s self-preservation, I guess. There’s always someone waiting in the wings to take your job if you’re not playing at the highest level.”
A stab of guilt hits me. “And that’s why you work out even on your off days and you’re kinda careful about not eating sweets.”
“Yeah.”
“I wasn’t thinking about it that way. I’ll support you in those things instead of giving you shit.”
He takes my hand in his, grinning. “I like that you give me shit, Reese. Don’t ever change.”
I sigh softly. “I know what it’s like to be with someone who doesn’t see why you have to do the things you do.”
“You’re not like that.”
“Eric was always after me to get a ‘real job’ instead of baking.” I emphasize the words with air quotes. “He wanted me to go back to school to become a CPA and come work at his accounting firm.”
Knox cringes. “I can’t see you being happy doing that.”
“No. My work was my outlet then, in a big way.”
