Craving The Wrong Brother (Sloane and Knox) novel Chapter 152

Kxox chuckles. “I’m sure you’ll be alright.”

And now it’s my turn.

I take a deep breath, trying to speak around the lump in my throat. My voice wavers, but I don’t look away from him.

“Well,” I say, “before I met you, I spent my entire life chasing things I thought I wanted. Boundless affection. Love. The kind of love that would make someone choose me over the entire world. Every time I thought I was close to getting it, it slipped away. And I had to start chasing all over again.”

I swallow, catching my breath.

“And then you came along. God, you were relentless.”

He grins but doesn’t speak.

“You didn’t wait for me to come around. You chased me like you already knew I was yours. And the truth is, I didn’t stand a chance. Not against these feelings that are constantly overwhelming. I couldn’t not fall in love with you, Knox.”

His thumb brushes mine again as I exhale, steadying myself.

“And I promise you, from this day and forever, I’ll stay. I’ll show up. I’ll keep choosing you, even on the hard days, just as you’ve chosen me. I’ll be honest with you, even when it’s not easy. I’ll call you out when you’re being a pain in my ass—”

He huffs out a small laugh.

“—and I’ll never let you go to bed without knowing how much I love you.”

I step in closer, and our foreheads almost touch.

“You’re it for me,” I whisper. “I really can’t wait to start a family with you and be called Mrs. Hartley.”

My lips tremble around the last line.

“I love you, Knox. And I’m not going anywhere.”

***

~~KNOX~~

***

I breathe in.

Then out.

Then in again.

I'm trying like hell to keep it together after hearing her vows. I won’t cry. I’m a grown-ass man. And it works. On the outside, at least. But inside? It’s a goddamn floodgate. She cracked something open in me, and now it’s all rushing out.

The officiant says a few more words. Something about unity, about the beauty of what we just promised. I’m barely hearing him now. Everything else but Sloane has gone into slow motion.

We exchange rings.

Her hand is trembling.

So is mine.

It makes it a little harder to slide the band on her finger, but I take my time. Guide it gently until it settles into place. Then she does mine, same shakiness, same carefulness.

I groan into her neck and press my face there. “I’m going to fuck you so hard, Mrs. Hartley.”

“Mmm.” She runs her lips against my ear. “Say that again. Call me Mrs. Hartley.”

I press a kiss to the hollow of her throat. “Mrs. Hartley.”

“Again.”

I come up, cup her jaw, and look into her face. Her cheeks are flushed, lips kiss-bitten, and eyes heavy with want.

“Mrs. Hartley,” I say, and then I kiss her so deep she melts against me.

Thank God the hotel’s close. A few blocks at most. If we were in traffic, this would get indecent fast.

As soon as the car stops in front of our hotel, we practically run through the entrance, hand in hand, both of us breathless and laughing like we’re being chased. I can feel the heat coming off her skin, see the wildness in her eyes, and I don’t bother hiding what’s in mine. People glance at us. Maybe it’s the suit. Maybe it’s the look on my face that says I’m a man who just got married and is about to bury himself in his wife. Either way, we make it to the elevator bank, and I press the button with a little too much urgency. The doors slide open, and she pulls me inside by the shirt.

The second the doors close behind us, leading straight up to the penthouse, I grab her again. This time, I don't hold back.

The zipper on her dress gets halfway down before I lose patience and tear the whole thing off her body. This is exactly why you book a penthouse with a private elevator, so you can start peeling your wife out of her dress before you get to the bedroom. She gasps, half laughing, but she’s just as frenzied, shoving my jacket down my arms, fingers fumbling at my buttons.

“Knox,” she breathes, “hurry—”

Her dress drops to the elevator floor, leaving her in nothing but those tall heels and ripped panties. I grip her ass, pull her into me, and lift her like she weighs nothing. Her legs wrap around my waist. She’s hot, wet, and grinding.

My fingers find her heat, and I sink two inside her.

“Oh, fuck,” she gasps, head hitting the elevator wall behind her.