Hard Knox - Riley Hart Page 0,49

my bones hammered home that it was more than that, more than a kiss. I wanted Callum to be mine, wanted to touch him and explore him and walk into the bar with him laughing by my side.

The second I stepped outside, I sucked in a lungful of fresh air, and wondered if he would come after me, if I wanted him to. But I needed to think, needed to figure shit out because this, this changed everything. And there was still Logan to worry about on top of it.

I didn’t remember the drive home, but suddenly I was there, sitting on the couch with my hands in my hair, elbows on my knees, when there was a soft knock on the door.

My heart rate jumped and my hands shook because I knew it was him, knew that if I opened the door, nothing would be the same again.

Still, I pushed to my feet, took quick steps, grabbed the doorknob, tugged it open, and of course Callum was there, hands in his pockets, looking unsure. The tightness in my muscles began to loosen, the fog in my brain clearing.

“I’m sorry. I know I should have called first. I don’t even know if Logan is here and, shit—this was a bad idea. I’ll go.”

Callum went to turn away, but before I knew it, my hands were reaching out, landing on his hips and tugging him to me, and I was crushing his mouth beneath mine. Callum didn’t miss a beat, melting against me, opening his mouth for me, letting me dip my tongue inside. My whole body came alive, a lightning storm in my veins and fireworks behind my eyes.

He felt so damn good and tasted so damn good. Nothing else mattered except that he was Callum and I was Knox. That we wanted each other. That we cared about each other and liked each other.

Then his hand was against my chest, pushing slightly, so I immediately stepped back.

“Wait… I… Holy fuck, you kissed me again. I didn’t expect that, and I want that, God, do I want that, but I think we need to talk first. Is Logan here?”

Warmth spread through my chest that he confirmed where Logan was before going any further, that Logan was important to him and he wanted to be sure things were okay. “No. He’s at Dale’s. Come in.”

He did, and Frankie Blue came running, apparently just realizing he was there. A guard dog, she was not.

Callum knelt and petted her, talked to her as I closed the door, and then I could do nothing but stand there and watch him.

When he stood again, he said, “Hi.”

“Hey.” I grinned.

“So, um…that, the kiss. Jesus, Knox. That was really fucking hot. And maybe this isn’t fair, maybe I have no right to say this or expect anything from you because you’ve never been with a man before, and because of your kids, and holy shit, how did this happen? How did I fall for a straight guy with kids?” He shook his head and stepped back.

“I think it’s pretty safe to say I’m not straight. If I were, I wouldn’t want to kiss you again, right? I must be bi, and I’m still trying to make sense of it all myself.”

“I know. That’s what makes this harder and what makes me worry I don’t have the right to say this, but I can’t just be someone you’re figuring out your sexuality with. I like you, Knox, a lot, probably too much, but—”

“I like you too,” I cut him off. “Is that not obvious?”

“No… I… Well, that’s a thing. Guys who get off with other guys but could never have anything more with them. I know that’s not you, and I’m not asking for matching His and His robes or anything. And again, I know this is new for you and you have your kids to worry about, especially Logan right now, but I…I need us to either not kiss again, to decide that’s a thing we’re not going to allow to happen, but we stay friends and neither of us is immature about it…or I have to know it means something to you. That it’s more than getting off, because…” Callum shrugged. “Because you have the power to hurt me. Because I care about you and I have to protect myself. I don’t want this to be something that happens when you’re jealous I might be with someone else.”

Well, shit, when he said it like that, the