Page 99 of Filthy Hot Billionaire
Knox didn’t look me in the eye. “You’ll fix it, I’m sure.”
I shook my head. “Not this, I won’t.”
We both knew I could go in there and console Emily. I could even seduce her the way we both wanted me to, but it would do nothing to salvage what Knox wanted with her. If he walked away from her this time, I feared Emily would shut down, and that wasn’t something I was willing to risk.
“I won’t be the one to tell her what they did,” Knox said firmly, finally meeting my gaze.
“I’m not expecting you to.” Sure, it would’ve been a hell of a lot easier if he would simply reveal the truth, but I understood his need to protect Emily. He didn’t want to be responsible for dissolving whatever was left of her relationship with her father. Plus, there was nothing to say Emily would believe him. We had no idea what lies Rhett and Kitty had told her already. It was obvious they’d steered the narrative in their favor, making Knox out to be the thief in the night.
“Then what do youwantfrom me, Kieran?” Knox bit out, his voice low.
“Just go with it, all right?” I stated, then sidestepped him and walked into Emily’s bedroom.
She was standing at the window, her back to us. I could see her shoulders had slumped and she was sniffling, as though she’d been crying.
I said her name as I approached, not wanting to scare her.
“You should go home,” she said, not turning around.
“I was actually thinking we could take a walk.”
That got her attention, had her turning to face me as she dabbed at the corners of her eyes.
“There’s something Knox and I want to show you,” I said.
“What?”
Ever the curious one, she was.
“Consider it a surprise,” I said, smiling in hopes of lightening the mood and redirecting her thoughts.
“I don’t like surprises,” she countered.
“You’ll learn to like them,” I assured her, stopping when I was directly in front of her.
Unable to resist touching her, I swiped my thumb over one of the tear tracks on her smooth cheek. I liked the way she leaned into my touch, as though she was starved for physical contact. Then again, it was quite possible she was. Based on the stories Knox had shared with me, Emily had been kept at arm’s length from everyone her entire life. Not even her father had shown her any sort of affection. And Emily had openly admitted that I was the first man she’d kissed since Knox, which meant she’d spent the past two years without the love and affection she deserved.
“Do you trust me?”
She tilted her head back, stared up into my face. There was so much doubt, so much pain in her gaze, but then she nodded.
“Em,” I whispered as I leaned down, sealed my mouth to hers.
I intended to be gentle, to ease rather than entice, but Emily evidently had other ideas. Her hands moved to my biceps, sliding up to my shoulders, my neck. When her fingers linked in the hair at my nape, she pulled me toward her, deepening the kiss. Never one to give up control without a very valid reason, I took the reins, put my hands on her hips. I bent my knees, bringing our bodies into alignment, then let her feel exactly what her kiss did to me.
She moaned softly when I brought our hips together, my rigid erection pressed intimately to the juncture of her thighs. She ground her hips forward, increasing the friction, which drew an elicit moan from me. This woman was going to unhinge me, of that I was certain.
Emily moaned into my mouth, her hands tightening in my hair. “Touch me, Kieran. Please.”
“Are you sure you want this?” I mumbled against her mouth.
“Never been more sure.”
For some reason, I believed her. However, I knew she wasn’t considering the fact that Knox was standing just a few feet behind us. I could feel his heated gaze.
I slid my palm down to her bare thigh, caressed smooth, warm skin. She wiggled against me, as though urging me to keep going. Gripping her hair in my other fist, I tugged lightly, pulling her mouth from mine.
“You want more?”
