Page 33 of Knight’s Seduction

“We got a problem in the city. All hands on deck for this one.”

Kryos turned back to her. “I have to go.” He cupped her face, his thumb brushing over her cheek. “Will you think about what I asked?”

“Yes.” How could she think of anything else?

“Any questions, whatever you want to know—”

“We gotta go, Kryos,” Rocco called.

With one final quick kiss, he rushed out the door and left with his brother.

Meredith walked in a daze to her bed and sat heavily.

Kryos wanted an eternity…with her.

Meredith took another flight of stairs. Kryos hadn’t been in his room this morning when she’d knocked or on the fifth floor where he often was with his brothers. Which left one last place she could think of.

The large open space they used to train on the first floor.

And sure enough, as soon as she moved toward the door, the sounds of grunts and growls echoed from inside. She hadn’t seen him again, not since last night when he’d told her what he had—what he’d asked her—and she’d…missed him. That connection he spoke of, the pull to be near him was stronger than ever. How was that possible?

It had only been hours since she’d last seen him, since he rushed off with his brother to the city. But she’d woken that morning with a sense that something was missing, someone. Now here she was hunting him down.

Pushing the door open, she walked inside and stumbled to a stop.

At the edge of the room, shirtless and in only a pair of shorts, was Kryos. He was sparring with Rocco, and both males were sweating and grunting, pushing their bodies to their limits.

Gunner and Lazarus were there as well. But she barely noticed them. She couldn’t look away from her beautiful angel.

He spun, kicking out, and swept Rocco’s leg out from under him. The big knight went down on the mat with a heavy thud, and Kryos chuckled at his brother’s growl of outrage.

He twisted toward her then, like he sensed her standing there, and she gasped. Now that he was facing her, there was no hiding his bruised ribs and the dark red mark on one side. His cheek was bruised as well and a little swollen.

Kryos started toward her, that swagger of his in full effect, despite his injuries, and concern creased his forehead.

“What happened to you?” she asked as soon as he stopped in front of her, eyeing his bruised body.

He glanced down at himself as if he had no idea he was hurt, let alone how badly, then back at her. His gaze softened. “This happens when we fight sometimes. It’s okay, sweets. I’m fine. I heal fast.”

She blinked rapidly, as embarrassingly, tears sprang to her eyes. “I don’t…I don’t like seeing you like that.”

His eyes widened with alarm and he moved forward, backing her up until she was against the wall, hiding her with his massive body. “Hey now. I promise, I’m okay.”

Meredith shook her head and looked down, face hot as tears slid down her face. “I’m not sure what’s come over me. Why I’m reacting this way.”

His big, rough-skinned hand gently cupped her jaw and he tilted her head back. “You’re reacting this way because for the first time in your life, you know with one hundred percent certainty that someone you care about, cares right back, just as deeply. And it scares you.”

Her lip trembled and another tear slid down her cheek, because he was right. “I feel like an idiot.”

He smiled softly and wiped away her tears. “I hate seeing you upset, sweets. I fucking hate it. But I gotta say, having a gorgeous, sexy-as-hell female worry about me…my female, feels pretty good as well.” His thumb did another sweep of her cheek. “I’ve never felt anything like this, like I do about you, and I think it’s the same for you. I also think we both know how precious it is, and neither of us wants to lose it. Seeing me hurt, it frightened you. You’re worried you might lose me too? Does that sound about right?”

It was like he could see inside her, right to her deepest, darkest fears. “How did you do that?”

He chuckled, and the sound was as beautiful as the male himself. “I can do it because I feel exactly the same way about you. The idea of losing you isn’t something I can even contemplate.”

His words hit her in the chest, and she had to fight more tears. No one had ever said anything like that to her in her whole life.

The fear that hit her when she first saw him continued to niggle, though. “You fight all the time, don’t you? And you get hurt like this a lot?”