Hard Knox - Riley Hart Page 0,72

did so.

I looked around, trying to figure out if I was the only one who noticed the simmering sexual tension between Josh and Griff, but everyone else was acting business as usual, so maybe I was imagining it. The whole group was close, so I guessed those two would be no different.

A few minutes later Knox got up to go flip the chicken on the grill. I went over with him. Things had been so busy since everyone arrived, we hadn’t had any time to check in.

“How are you doing?” I asked softly. The grill was far enough from the group that they couldn’t hear us.

“I’m doing great. Happy. Feels good. I didn’t…I didn’t realize something was missing until I found it,” he said without looking at me, as if he hadn’t just said the sweetest thing I’d ever heard. God, the things this man did to me. He’d broken my heart open and filled it with him, bigger and more whole than it had been before.

“I kinda wanna drop to my knees for you after that,” I said, trying to play it smooth.

Finally, he looked at me. “Maybe not in front of everyone. You’re all mine.”

“I am. I want to be, for as long as you’ll have me.”

Knox tugged me to him, pressed a soft kiss to my lips. I loved the feel of his hard body against mine, the contrast between his gentle kisses and the roughness of his beard.

“It’s not fair. I want a boyfriend!” Natalie said, while Kellan was singing in the background, “K-I-S-S-I-N-G.”

Knox answered by pulling me tighter, taking my mouth again, and doing just as Kellan said.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

Knox

Everyone had left a while ago. Callum said he was going to shower, but he’d been in there for quite a while. I cleaned up the house a little, then found myself sitting in the backyard again, thinking about the day. It had been… Well, Callum said he wanted it to be perfect, and it had been. It felt good to be with him around my friends, to touch him and kiss him and hold him while we all laughed and chatted.

Something settled inside me since meeting Callum, this restlessness that had become such a part of me, I hadn’t realized it wasn’t normal, that something was missing, but now it was calm and it felt right.

I didn’t know what made me do it, but I pulled my phone out and called Carol.

“Hey, you,” she said.

“Hey.”

“I have to say, Knox, Logan seems different…happier. It’s like my sweet little boy is back. As hard as it is for me to say—and not because of you, but because I’m his mom—I feel like as his mom, he should be better off with me. But he’s not. He’s happy. You’re doing great with him. I wanted to make sure I told you that.”

I leaned against the house, appreciation swelling in my chest. “Thanks. That means a lot to me.”

“He really likes Callum.”

“I do too.”

“Romantically?”

“Yes.” There was no sense in denying it. I didn’t want to deny Callum.

She was quiet for a moment. I’d be lying if I didn’t admit my pulse sped up.

“Is that a problem?” I finally asked.

“No. Of course not. You know me better than that. And I had a feeling after the movie night and then hearing Logan talk about how much time you spend together. I’m surprised, but not in a bad way.”

“I was surprised too. I never saw it coming. I didn’t even realize I was bisexual before him.”

“Eh, that’s okay. We’re human. We’re all learning about who we are all the time.”

I knew she would understand. “I have to tell the kids. Logan loves him, so I’m sure he’ll be okay. I think Charlie will love him too, but it’s one thing to like Dad’s friend and another for it to be Dad’s boyfriend, ya know? Christ, even saying that word is weird to me.”

“If you’re okay, they’ll be okay. If you’re happy, they’ll be happy, even if it takes some getting used to. And it might, especially for Charlie. She’s a daddy’s girl and always has been. Plus, she hasn’t been around the two of you the way Logan has. We can talk to them together, if you want.”

“Thanks.” I was so damn lucky to have her as the mother of my kids. Still, I couldn’t stop thinking about what she said about Charlie. Deep down, I figured it was true, but I hadn’t wanted to admit it. I really did think she