Midnight Muse

“Hey, Princess,” Knox winks, catching my wandering eyes with his own. I can only beam, not bashful at all about checking my boyfriend out. This stroke of inspiration has really helped me come out of my shell a little more, feeling more settled in my own body than I have in years.

So what if he’s caught me admiring his chiseled torso? He’s all mine and I can stare if I want to. Although, the sudden dampness between my legs that has me shifting on my feet does make Knox’s smirk widen, those jade eyes going molten.

“Can you two stop eye-fucking for one minute?” Slate groans dramatically, acting like he’s struggling under the weight of the couch. He could probably easily carry it by himself, actually, with how ginormous he is. “This thing is fucking heavy.”

“All right, let’s put it over here,” Knox directs with a sigh, guiding them a few more feet into the room. They place the couch in front of the giant television Ace splurged on, and I know movie nights are going to be insane in here. Two words: surround sound. It will be just like we’re at a movie theater, without all of the extra bodies, and with twice as much popcorn.

A thump sounds from upstairs and the sound of Rory’s laughter drifts down the staircase.

So, maybe this new house isn’t that much more private than our old apartments.

As soon as Knox lowers his end of the couch, I’m flinging myself into his arms, wrapping mine around his neck tightly. Knox laughs and swings me around before planting me back on the ground and leaning over to kiss me silly.

The flooding warmth that spreads throughout my body only intensifies as he steps closer, pressing into me and grinding my hips against his with a firm grip around my waist. It allows me to feel how happy he is to see me, and damn, I don’t think I’ll ever tire of this.

“Hi,” I grin when we part.

Knox’s eyes glitter with amusement. “Hi, Princess. How was your morning?”

My hands snake down his chest, brushing over his nipples as I go. I don’t miss his reaction to my touch and it makes me giddy all over again. I hook my fingers into the waistband of his pants, turning my smile sultry, enjoying the way his eyes darken with need. “Much better now.”

“Is that so?” Knox quirks an eyebrow. He looks like he’s two seconds away from dragging me upstairs to his new room and breaking his bed in. He hasn’t gotten a new one but a new room calls for a new fuck, and I love that soft as fuck mattress he has. I wouldn’t mind it one bit at all if we abandoned this moving stuff and found our way up there. “Do I want to know why you’re so cheery this morning?”

“You already know,” I grin, rolling onto the tips of my toes to kiss him on the nose.

When I try to pull away, Knox growls, tightening his hold on me to keep me close.

I almost purr.

“You can’t say that and not want me to fuck you, Princess,” he replies roughly, dipping down to whisper in my ear. His breath is hot across the shell and I shiver in his arms, eyelashes fluttering at his whispers. I have to swallow back the moan crawling its way up my throat.

We startle apart at the sound of a loud crash, turning to find Slate all but glaring at the both of us, having just dropped a box of books to the ground purposefully.

“I thought we were supposed to be moving,” Slate tosses over his shoulder before yelling up the stairs. “I can’t have both roommates fucking already. There’s still so much shit to move!”

“I’m coming,” Ace shouts back and I crinkle my nose.

“Ew.” My joking reaction makes Slate crack, a smile twitching at his lips. He’s still been acting weird but won’t tell anyone why, insisting that he’s completely fine even though all four of us can see through his lie easily.

Slate props his hands on his hips, still staring down at Knox and I like he’s scolding us. “I knew I made a good decision in befriending you, Quinnie.”

“More like forced yourself into my life,” I grumble playfully, following him out to his rusty Bronco, stuffed full with boxes.

“Just for that, I’m giving you a heavy box,” he teases right back, but he isn’t kidding because my breath is nearly knocked out of my chest when he hands me the next one. It’s falsely labeled ‘Knox’s room’ because I’m pretty sure it’s actually filled with bricks.

Knox glares at his roommate as he rids me of the heavy box. I give him heart eyes and try to convey that I’m totally going to go down on him later for carrying the weight of the world—that box—for me.

His answering grin shows me that he understands exactly what I’m trying to tell him.

While Knox carries that inside, I sneakily slide out a box that says ‘couch pillows’ on it instead. It takes me back to the day Rory and I moved in to our last apartment, how the living room box had been the last one I brought inside before my very first—and very terrible—run in with Knox.

The smile I wander inside with is a nostalgic one.

“Are you ready?”

“Yes!”

“Then why are you acting like I’ve already put the needle to your skin?” Knox argues, sitting back in his chair.