Page 46 of Knox

“My mother doesn’t approve of anything that wasn’t her idea first.”

“She’s not wrong to worry. We barely know each other.”

I moved to stand in front of him, forcing him to look at me. “Do you want to leave?”

“No.”

“Do you regret agreeing to help me?”

“No.”

I reached for his hand. “Then ignore her. You’re the only reason I feel safe right now. So please don’t change your mind about this.” About me.

Knox pulled me into his arms. Not the gentle comfort from earlier. This was a desperate, protective embrace. His face pressed into my hair, his body solid and warm against mine.

“I don’t know what I missed this morning,” he said.

“Knox—”

“He was here. In your space. And I failed to keep him out.” The words were a quiet growl.

I pulled back enough to see his face. “This wasn’t your fault. I think it was my mother’s.”

We went outside and prodded the fountain until we found the single loose stone. The small space behind it was empty.

Knox stared at the roofline, and I saw what he did. None of the cameras pointed in our direction. He texted the new information to the sheriff.

“It’s my job to know. To anticipate.” His eyes were dark with self-recrimination. “What if he’d still been here when we got back? What if he’d ambushed us?”

“But he didn’t. And we’re okay.” I had a hard time imagining a man who could get the jump on Knox, but I knew he worried for me, not for himself.

I framed Knox’s face with my hands. “You can’t control everything. You can’t predict every move. All we can do is be prepared and work together.”

Knox’s gaze dropped to my mouth.

I felt the moment shift, and electricity crackled in the air between us.

“Sloane.” His voice was rough. A warning.

“Yeah?”

“We should get inside.” He looked away, his Adam’s apple bobbing long and slow. I watched as it traveled the strong column of his neck. “Make a game plan for tomorrow.”

“Okay.”

But neither of us moved.

His hands settled at my waist, fingers spanning my ribcage. Every point where our bodies touched zinged with energy. The heat of him reached for me, drawing me nearer. The way his chest rose and fell with each breath sent a spike of need through my center.

“This is a bad idea,” he said.

“What is?”

“The fact that I’m thinking about kissing you instead of focusing on keeping you safe.”

My pulse spiked. “You’re thinking about kissing me?”

His jaw tightened.