Page 95 of Last First Date

“Thank you.”

I left the ballroom. My Cinderella moment was over. Tomorrow, it was back to the real world. I leaned against the wall of the elevator as it slowly moved upward. I wondered if Knox was asleep. Maybe I should wait and talk to him in the morning. I knew he’d been working hard the last few days.

But he had asked me to stop by. With a deep breath, I knocked, the sound echoing through the quiet hallway. The door opened and Knox stood there barefoot with his shirt unbuttoned and hanging open. He had a drink in his hand.

“Waverly,” he greeted. “Come in.”

“I could come back tomorrow.”

“No, come in. Do you want a drink?”

“Just water for me,” I said, smiling. “I’m going to have a champagne headache in the morning. Do you mind if I take off my shoes?”

He chuckled and gestured at his state of undress. “I’m not going to mind.”

I sighed with relief as I kicked off my heels. He handed me a bottled water. “You did great tonight,” he said. “Were you able to enjoy yourself?”

“I had a great time,” I told him. “It was a dream night.”

“I’m glad you enjoyed yourself.”

There was a moment of awkwardness. “What’s going on?” I asked him.

“Nothing, I just wanted to see you. Check in, you know. We’ve been running at high speed for days.”

He stepped closer. I was struggling to keep my eyes on his and not on his chest. This was our last night together. It might very well be the last time I got to see him looking so casually sexy.

“I suppose we have,” I said, my voice just a whisper. “It’s been… illuminating.”

“Has it?” He searched my face for answers.

“Yes,” I admitted. “Seeing you in your element, watching you handle situations with confidence. It’s definitely been something.”

His laugh was low and unexpectedly intimate. “You thought I was going to fall on my face?”

“No,” I said, laughing.

“And what about you?” he asked, his voice taking on a serious tone. “You’ve been thrown into the deep end of the pool and yet you’ve managed to keep your head above water. You’ve impressed everyone tonight, Waverly.”

“I did my best,” I said, shrugging slightly. He moved closer with an intense look in his eyes, one that made my pulse quicken. He reached out and gently brushed a strand of hair away from my face, the casual intimacy of the gesture sending a wave of warmth through me.

“Your best is amazing,” he said softly, his gaze holding mine captive. There was something in his eyes, a flicker of emotion that I hadn’t seen before. It was something raw and vulnerable.

My heart pounded in my chest as his fingers lightly ran down my arm, causing goosebumps to form on my skin.

“You’re captivating,” he whispered, his voice a mere breath in the quiet room. Every word he uttered touched me deeper than I’d like to admit, making my heart throb.

“Knox, I—” I began, but was stopped by his finger gently placed on my lips. A silent plea to not spoil the moment.

“No need for words, Waverly,” he murmured. His hand moved from my arm to gently encircle my waist, effectively pulling me closer to him. I could feel the heat radiating from him and it made my knees weak. I got it. Talking wasn’t necessary. It would just ruin the moment.

I surrendered to the moment, allowing my heart to guide me. Knox’s arms wrapped around me tighter, as if afraid I’d slip away if he loosened his grip. His eyes were locked onto mine with such intensity that it took my breath away. There was a mixture of uncertainty, desire, and something more profound.

His hand cradled the back of my head and slowly he tilted his face toward mine. Time seemed to stop as our lips touched for the first time. It was a soft, slow kiss, one that held the promise of more to come. Every nerve ending in my body came alive as he kissed me with a tender reverence that left no doubt of the depth of his feelings. It was a kiss that spoke volumes, marking a point of no return.

We put our drinks down and gave each other our full attention. He gently turned me around and unzipped my dress.

The fabric slowly slid down my body, pooling at my feet, leaving me bared to him. His eyes roamed over me. A shiver coursed through me from the intensity of his gaze, yet I was fearless. When he looked at me, I felt invincible. He gave me so much strength and confidence.