Page 89 of Keep Me Close

And then the number eleven beneath it.

I look up, startled by the unexpected gift. “You got me your jersey?”

One hand rises to rub the back of his neck. There’s something almost boyishly uncertain about the gesture, and I feel it straight down to my toes.

“I’d like you at the next game.”

My heart skips a beat. “Really?”

“I talked to Evelyn, and you can sit in the suite. It’s private and security’s tighter. There won’t be random fans around, so nobody will bother you.”

Even though his tone is steady, I hear the protectiveness threaded through it. I almost can’t believe he rearranged things to make space for me in his world. Just like the zoo, it’s unexpectedly thoughtful.

My gaze drops to the jersey again, and my fingers tighten around the fabric. This isn’t just a shirt. It’s him wanting me at his game and feeling comfortable enough to ask.

It’s him putting his name in my hands and saying, without quite saying it, you belong with me.

My throat constricts.

“I figured it’d be safer,” he adds more quietly. “After everything that’s happened.”

I look back up at him and realize that it’s one thing to be wanted by someone, and quite another to feel chosen.

My chest swells, feeling so full it almost aches.

“But if you’re not cool with the crowd,” he adds, studying me carefully, “you don’t have to go. I understand.”

“No. I want to watch your game.” I step closer with the jersey clutched in my hands.

“Are you sure?”

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

The words come out sounding more heartfelt than I mean them to, and the look that crosses his face tells me he hears it too.

Before I can lose my nerve, I rise onto my toes and kiss him. It’s meant to be a quick peck. A thank-you more than anything else, but the second my mouth brushes across his, the gesture morphs into something more. His hand slides up to cup my cheek, anchoring me in place. But he doesn’t take over.

Unable to resist, I tilt my head and lean into him as his mouth strokes over mine. The kiss unfurls slowly, every brush of his lips pulling me in deeper. My fingers curl into the front of his shirt as his thumb caresses my cheekbone. When his tongue drags across the seam of my lips, a shiver dances down my spine. My mouth parts without hesitation, and the first sweep of his tongue against mine is enough to have my breath catching in my throat.

Time stretches until I lose track of it.

His other hand settles at my waist, drawing me closer until my body presses against his harder one. Heat pools in the bottom of my belly at the feel of him and the low sound he makes as I return the kiss. By the time we break apart, my lips are tingling and I can barely think straight.

I glance at the jersey and then back up at him, my pulse racing. “And this is what you want me to wear?”

A smirk ghosts over his mouth. “That was the general idea.”

I shrug. “Okay.”

He frowns slightly. “Okay… what?”

Instead of answering, I take a step in retreat. His eyes narrow with suspicion as I hook my fingers beneath the hem of my sweater and lift it. The movement isn’t fast or careless. It’s gradual enough that his gaze drops and stays fastened there. The fabric slides inch by inch over my stomach and ribs before rising higher until cool air kisses my collarbone. With a tug, I pull it over my head and let it fall to the floor beside me.

Knox stills as my pulse thrashes beneath my skin. My gaze stays locked on his as I reach for the waistband of my leggings. The thick column of his throat works as he swallows, his attention locked on my every movement as I peel the fabric down my hips. The expression on his face is enough to undo me all on its own. Hunger, restraint, and disbelief are tangled together.

I step out of the leggings, leaving them in a puddle at my feet. A hush falls over the room as my thumbs slide beneath the edge of one sock and roll it down, then the other, forcing myself to take my time even though my heart is thrashing so hard it’s almost painful. His gaze drags over me again, as if he’s trying to take in all of me at once.

When I reach behind my back for the clasp of my bra, his mouth parts.