Only With You (Knights #2)

26

JULIANNA

“You really don’t need to worry about it. I’m sure I’ll be able to fix it.”

He regards me with a patronizing look. “I’m sure you’ll somehow find a way to fuck it up. I’ve got it.”

“Knock yourself out, but if you fuck it up, you’re going to buy me a new one.”

I tuck my legs under me and make myself comfortable on the couch. Landon sits on the other end, attempting to fix my record player.

After I told him it wasn’t working, he made it his mission to fix it. I told him he didn’t have to, but Landon doesn’t know how to listen. Nothing I’m not used to.

What I’m not used to, though, is this . Him being here because he wants to and not because he has to.

Granted, I invited him in, but I didn’t expect him to stay long. He’s not rushing to finish his hot chocolate and got comfortable. He took off his hoodie and left his keys in the small bowl we have by the door where we keep ours.

“Why would I buy you a new one? You’re the one who dropped it.” His gaze on my record player shifts to the video playing on his phone. He’s determined to make it work because he looked up videos on YouTube on how to fix it.

I’m struggling not to smile and take a picture. He’s extremely focused. A small crease is etched between his set brows and his lips are pinched tight as he uses Gabby’s pink tool set.

It pains me to say this, but he looks cute. His hands are too big for the tools, and the pink is a stark contrast to his dark aura.

“Because I’m sure somehow you’ll mess it up more than it already is.” I hide my smile behind my brand-new mug and take a sip.

He says nothing, attention trained on the video he’s watching, but I catch his lips lift into the faintest smile.

“You should smile more often. It looks good on you,” I voice without thinking.

He tenses for a palpable second and the smile on his face withers away. “It doesn’t. I’m almost done.”

It dawns on me that maybe he thinks I’m joking. Compliments aren’t our forte, so I’m not surprised he didn’t take me seriously.

“I mean it. It looks really good on you. I really like it.” I smile at him when he finally looks at me. But the vacant look in his eyes forces my lips to turn downward.

“There’s nothing to like about it.”

“There is.”

“Okay,” he replies, his tone disbelieving.

I inch closer to him and place my hand on top of his hand to get him to stop working. He glances at our hands, then at me.

I’m not sure what possessed me to touch him, but I don’t move. “I’m not kidding. I mean it,” I sincerely say. “You really should do it more often. It makes your dimples pop out.”

His steel gray eyes are distant and bleak, but I swear behind the void, something glints in them. An emotion along with possibly a memory, but before I can determine if I’m seeing correctly, he smothers the look.

“Okay.” His voice is softer, melancholic, and a tinge of pink touches his cheeks.

There’s too much going on. I don’t know what to process first, and he must know I’m trying to figure out what that was about because he continues working as if nothing happened.

I’m not sure what that was about, but I think I made Landon blush.

“Will you do it again?” I playfully ask and remove my hand, but I don’t move away from my spot.

“Don’t start.”

I tuck my legs underneath me and tug the hoodie over my knees. “Oh, come on. It’ll make me feel special.”

I don’t miss the way he follows my movement before he directs his attention back to my record player. “More reason not to do it.”

“You know you want to,” I singsong.

“No, I really don’t,” he deadpans.

“I promise it won’t kill you to smile once in a while.”

“Julianna.” He draws in a deep breath. “If I say please, will you stop talking?”

I know it’s wrong to antagonize him, but he’s just so fun to provoke. I also kind of love how he says my name when I irritate him. His accent, accompanied with the deep timbre of his voice, does things to me.

I flash him my sweetest smile. “No.”

“You’re doing that thing where you’re pissing me off. I advise you to shut up.” Irritation laces his voice, but the corner of his lip slightly slants upward.

I arch a brow, snickering. “Oh, you’re advising me now?”

He pauses the video and assembles my record player back together. “Yes, Julianna, I am. So please, for the love of God, just stop. You’re exhausting to deal with.”

“But you willingly chose to be with me tonight.” I smugly state because he can’t deny it. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be here. “Case closed.”

“I’m here out of pity.” He doesn’t smile, but I see the pleased expression on his face and hear how satisfied he sounds. “You were alone and I felt bad for you.”

Not too long ago that would’ve hurt, but there is no malice behind his words. He even sounds a little playful. Never thought I’d enjoy our banter as much as I do now.

I mock a scoff and stand, staring down at him. “I could be with anyone I want, but I let you spend time with me. So really, if anyone is doing anything out of pity, it’s me, but now, I’m bored.” His eyes follow me as I saunter to the kitchen and set my mug on the sink. “You know where the door is.”

“Where do you think you’re going?” His rough words halt me in my tracks as I make my way to my room.

“To be with someone who doesn’t bore me.”

I wasn’t lying when I said I could be with anyone. I could reply to one of the DMs I got on Instagram or text anyone, but there’s no one I really want to be with but the guy a few feet away from me.

I can’t believe I’m saying that, but I kind of like being with him.

I slip into my room and shut the door behind me, but it doesn’t close. When I turn around, I do a double take as Landon steps inside.

“Why must you act like a fucking brat?” His eyes darken and his jaw clenches.

I should kick him out because the air between us is too hot, taut, making it hard to breathe. We’re a spark away from going off and we’re just merely looking at each other.

Folding my arms over my chest, I square my shoulders, staring at him as apathetic as I can, but his scrutinizing gaze makes it hard to stand still.

“I’m a brat?” A dry laugh expels from my lips. “For walking away from a guy who’s with me out of pity?”

“I—you didn’t throw them away?” His hardened stare bounces to the corner of my room. Where the electric blue and white half moon lobelias are sitting on the small wooden stool by the window.

I could’ve kept them in the kitchen or put them in our little patio, but I didn’t. I wanted them in my room, for only me to see.

“No, of course not, but I want to know why you threw my roses away. That was rude and an asshole thing to do.”

“I never said I wasn’t one.”

“You know what, Landon, fuck you!” My voice rises as I drop my hands to my sides and stalk over to him.

It feels as if there’s an invisible string pulling us closer to each other. The safest thing to do would be to cut it, because we’re a breath away from cutting each other’s heads off, but I don’t.

“Fuck me? Fuck you!” Staring down at me, he heaves a sharp breath, his nostrils flare, and frustration mixed with unfiltered heat swirls in the depth of his dark eyes. “You’re so bloody annoying! All you ever do is run your fucking mouth! Can you for once in your life just shut up and do as you’re told? It’s not that difficult!”

His outburst gives me déjà vu.

I sardonically laugh. “No, and I’m not sure why you assumed I’d ever listen to you.”

“Right, I should know to keep my expectations low with you because you’re an entitled, spoiled brat.”

“How original of you. If you’re done, you know where the door is.” I pivot, but I don’t make it far as he grabs my ponytail and spins me back around.

I gasp, the sudden movement catching me off guard. I’m too stunned to do anything until he tugs me closer to him, his fist firmly holding my hair.

“I’m not done talking to you.” The harsh tone of his voice and the searing look in his eyes keeps me in place, and something in my core coils, a light throbbing pulses between my legs. “You’re going to listen to me.”

The demand in his voice is enough for anyone to cower down and I almost do. But my bravado is slowly slipping, and I’m not sure how to keep up the front.

My body is wound up extremely tight and a multitude of emotions are fighting against each other inside of my head. And the throb between my legs intensifies.

“I am and I’m not sure where you’ve been these past few years, but have you not learned a thing? I don’t care what you say,” I shoot back.

I hold my ground, but it’s weak at best. The foundation is slowly crumbling beneath me. I’ve lost sight of what started this all or how we got here.

“ Well ,” he derisively remarks, hand pulling my hair so tight it should hurt, but it has the opposite effect on me. Why does this feel so good? “Things change, so you’re going to listen.”

I bear him a haughty smirk, knowing how much he hates those. “Make me.”

The second those two words slip out of my mouth, he releases my ponytail and grips the back of my neck, forcing me onto my tiptoes, and crashes his lips to mine. It all happens too fast, but it takes a second for my shock to dissolve.

Landon glides his tongue along my bottom lip, seeking permission, and the moment I part my mouth, he forces his tongue inside. It collides with mine. Hungrily, he kisses me, devouring and taking up all of my oxygen.

It’s hard to breathe, think, or do anything, but I let him take control. And holy shit, he does.

I’ve never felt hotter, never felt the throb between my thighs be this fierce, and never been this desperate and excited for more.

The kiss is short-lived, because Landon pulls back, leaving me a panting mess. My chest heaves and my lips burn.

“Fuck,” he rasps, raking his fingers through his hair with disbelief. “I?—”

“Do it again,” I hoarsely breathe and fist his shirt, tugging him back to me.

With no hesitation, Landon circles an arm around my waist, and with the other, he cups the side of my face. He connects our lips and kisses me with a savage hunger that spirals my thoughts out of control. The kiss is maddening, wild, and hot. It’s everything I’ve desired and never knew I needed.

He lifts me up, and when I wrap my legs around his torso, my back hits the wall. The sudden force pries a moan from the back of my throat.

But that sound is nothing compared to the whimper mixed with a groan that leaves my mouth when he pulls my bottom lip between his teeth and bites hard. I shouldn’t sound like that, not when he’s biting this hard, but my body relishes the pain. Though it slowly diminishes when he sucks on it again, but softly this time, as if he were soothing the ache he left.

His rough, callused palm grips my thigh and slowly, he raises it, despite our frenzied kiss, his hand is the complete opposite. I moan into his mouth, tugging the hair at the nape, encouraging him to touch more, but he doesn’t. Landon takes his sweet time, fingers softly digging into my skin like he’s trying to memorize how I feel.

He groans into my mouth, the vibration grazing my tongue and every part of my body until it reaches my core.

He’s hardly done anything, but his mouth, his hand, his body are pressed against me, making me feel delirious and on edge.

I’m definitely on it, because as much as I’m showing him how badly I want this, he’s not budging. His fingers brush the hem of my shorts, and the kiss has slowed to the point we’ve fallen into sync.

It’s maddening how badly I want this, and I hate it, but I don’t fight or pretend like I don’t.

I grind against him, feeling my thong cling to my pussy from how wet it is.

Landon groans again and finally lets go of my shorts. His hand roughly slides up to my hips and around to cup my ass. I gasp into his mouth as he squeezes it hard and presses his body as humanly possible to mine. There was already no space left between us, but now there’s no way that anyone could pull us apart.

He holds my body against him, keeping me from moving, but that only builds the pressure and my clit throbs harder. I whine into his mouth and attempt to roll my hips, but he doesn’t let up. His hold on me tightens and he stops kissing me, only to drop his lips to my sporadic pulse below my jawline. His beard scratches me, and oddly enough, I like the feeling. His teeth drag against my pulse and he nips my skin, sending a shudder to run down my spine.

“Come on, Angel.” He squeezes my ass hard again. “Show me how bad you really want it.”

“Enough with the nicknames,” I grit, cocking my head to the side, giving him more access to my neck. I’m weak, but nothing has ever felt better.

“Right,” he drawls and I swear I feel him smirk. And I’m right, because when he raises his head, I see the infuriating way his egotistical lips curve upward. “You want me to call you my little slut. You want me to degrade you, because that’s what you fantasise about. That’s what gets your pussy wet, right? That’s probably what you think about when you’re touching yourself, huh? You dream about it, don’t you? Someone calling you a whore, treating you like one, fucking you like one.”

My eyes shoot wide open and my heart careens. My face burns with humiliation, but my body reacts positively to his crude words. I want to hear them again. Still, my embarrassment trumps the need to hear him say it again, and I unhook my legs from him.

I crane my head back, staring up at him. “I don’t?—”

He tucks the few loose strands from my high ponytail behind my ear and leans down until his lips hover at the shell of my ear. “Don’t worry, no one has to know. It’ll be our secret.”

It sounds wrong to want it, but my body yearns for more. And I do trust him in a way I’ve never trusted anyone, but this could end tragically for both of us.

My silence must have prolonged longer than I thought because he speaks up.

“I want you, Julianna. I’m desperate for you.”

There are a lot of things that have shocked me tonight, but hearing those gruff words leave his lips and the desperation that seeps from them stuns me. Landon is many things, but a liar is not one of them.

It’s not just his words that seal how badly he wants me, it’s his erection. It’s hard, thick, and massive. It’s tenting his joggers, straining against the material.

My imagination runs wild, wondering how big it really is.

“Just one night.” His hand slips underneath the sweater, pulling me out of my thoughts. His fingers brush the waistband of my shorts, faintly caressing the skin above it. Goosebumps scatter, each one arousing a wildfire to ignite on my skin. “I’ll get what I want and I’ll treat you the way you’ve always fantasised about.”

I swallow hard. “And what do you want?”

“To taste you.” His gravelly voice possesses my body, and the arousal soaking my thong smears my thighs.

My lips part at his admission and the electric current holding us together combusts, making the energy between us feel galvanizing and exhilarating.

“One night,” he rasps in a desperate plea, grabbing the hem of my sweater.

“This could end disastrously.”

“I don’t care.” Landon dismisses my comment.

“I don’t think it’ll work out for me.”

“I don’t care. It’ll work for me.”

“Did I not make myself clear? I don’t think it’ll work for me ,” I argue, but my resolve has crumbled so bad, I clench my thighs to feel something, anything, but it’s not enough.

I need more.

“And did I not?” Landon cocks a brow. “I said, I. Don’t. Care. It’ll work for me .” He enunciates each word, leaving no room for me to argue.

That has no right sounding as hot as it did.

All my fight has withered away. I don’t have it in me to argue anymore.

It’s just a one-time thing. It’ll mean nothing.

“One night.” I concede.