uncomfortably on our porch holding a pizza.
“Hey,” he says, his eyes cutting behind me, searching for Dad.
“Hi,” I stammer back, hearing the shower turn on upstairs. Knox must hear it too because his demeanor instantly changes.
“Ripley, we have to talk,” he says, handing me the pizza. I set it down on the table inside our front door and reach for the money Dad set there. I go to hand it to him but he refuses. I crumple it into my palm, step onto the front porch, then pull the door almost closed behind me.
“About what?” I ask, trying not to imagine his lips on my neck.
“About our night together,” he whispers through gritted teeth as he glances around making sure no one can hear.
As I stand there, physically holding back from throwing myself into his arms, I make a hard decision. I cannot betray Natalie again. I have to be the kind of person that would make my mother proud.
“Knox, it was one night. I had fun, but let’s not make this a thing. I was confused and lonely.”
I swear that I can almost see the wind get knocked out of him. He just stares at me as he tries to regroup. Could our night together really have meant something to him too?
“Ripley, I want to be with you. I’ve always wanted to be with you. Please don’t tell me that you didn’t feel the same that night. That wasn’t a one night stand,” he pleads, reaching for me. I will myself to jerk back although I really just want to fall straight into his arms. Hearing him say these things is like a dream come true, but it’s a dream I can’t allow myself to have.
“Knox, we can’t be together ever again,” I force out. “We’re going to be working together and Natalie can’t suspect anything. She would hate us both.”
He drops his head and I can’t help but wonder if this is all an act. I’ve never seen Knox get wrapped up in anyone, why would he have feelings for me? It doesn’t matter, I have to be strong and do the right thing.
He looks up, his intense brown eyes searching my unsure blue ones. “Is this really what you want?” He doesn’t take his eyes off me as he slowly comes closer to me. He reaches up and puts his right palm on the back of my neck, gently pulling my face toward his. He slowly brings his lips down on mine, never breaking eye contact until our lips meet. His tongue plunges into my mouth turning the embers between my legs into a full blown fire. My tongue dives into his mouth as my hands run all over his chest and back. Memories of our night together spin around us as he clutches me tighter. It is the best kiss of my entire life and I never want it to end.
I’m literally panting when Knox pulls out of our embrace. So much for doing the right thing. His eyes are smiling, knowing that everything I said was complete shit.
“I know you want to be with me,” he says confidently.
I hate myself for what I am going to do but if that kiss showed me anything it’s that I have no control of myself around Knox. I can’t be the person I need to be to make Mom proud.
“Knox, I didn’t say that I didn’t want to be with you, I said that I couldn’t be with you. A kiss isn’t going to change that.”
I wait for him to try and change my mind but he just backs away from me, gets in his car, and drives out of my life.
******
“So, Mozzarella, huh?” Dad says, grabbing a slice out of the pizza box. He grabs another slice laying it on top of his other one and carries his paper plate over to his recliner. He sinks down in his recliner and flips on the television for background noise.
“How did you know?” I ask, tearing myself off a slice. You would think after the whole interaction with Knox that I wouldn’t be hungry but I don’t think there is a time that I would ever turn down pizza from Mozzarella.
“Natalie’s mom called to make sure it would be okay. I thought it was really nice of her. They really care about you, Ripley.”
I can’t help but wonder if Knox cares about me,
“Hey,” he says, his eyes cutting behind me, searching for Dad.
“Hi,” I stammer back, hearing the shower turn on upstairs. Knox must hear it too because his demeanor instantly changes.
“Ripley, we have to talk,” he says, handing me the pizza. I set it down on the table inside our front door and reach for the money Dad set there. I go to hand it to him but he refuses. I crumple it into my palm, step onto the front porch, then pull the door almost closed behind me.
“About what?” I ask, trying not to imagine his lips on my neck.
“About our night together,” he whispers through gritted teeth as he glances around making sure no one can hear.
As I stand there, physically holding back from throwing myself into his arms, I make a hard decision. I cannot betray Natalie again. I have to be the kind of person that would make my mother proud.
“Knox, it was one night. I had fun, but let’s not make this a thing. I was confused and lonely.”
I swear that I can almost see the wind get knocked out of him. He just stares at me as he tries to regroup. Could our night together really have meant something to him too?
“Ripley, I want to be with you. I’ve always wanted to be with you. Please don’t tell me that you didn’t feel the same that night. That wasn’t a one night stand,” he pleads, reaching for me. I will myself to jerk back although I really just want to fall straight into his arms. Hearing him say these things is like a dream come true, but it’s a dream I can’t allow myself to have.
“Knox, we can’t be together ever again,” I force out. “We’re going to be working together and Natalie can’t suspect anything. She would hate us both.”
He drops his head and I can’t help but wonder if this is all an act. I’ve never seen Knox get wrapped up in anyone, why would he have feelings for me? It doesn’t matter, I have to be strong and do the right thing.
He looks up, his intense brown eyes searching my unsure blue ones. “Is this really what you want?” He doesn’t take his eyes off me as he slowly comes closer to me. He reaches up and puts his right palm on the back of my neck, gently pulling my face toward his. He slowly brings his lips down on mine, never breaking eye contact until our lips meet. His tongue plunges into my mouth turning the embers between my legs into a full blown fire. My tongue dives into his mouth as my hands run all over his chest and back. Memories of our night together spin around us as he clutches me tighter. It is the best kiss of my entire life and I never want it to end.
I’m literally panting when Knox pulls out of our embrace. So much for doing the right thing. His eyes are smiling, knowing that everything I said was complete shit.
“I know you want to be with me,” he says confidently.
I hate myself for what I am going to do but if that kiss showed me anything it’s that I have no control of myself around Knox. I can’t be the person I need to be to make Mom proud.
“Knox, I didn’t say that I didn’t want to be with you, I said that I couldn’t be with you. A kiss isn’t going to change that.”
I wait for him to try and change my mind but he just backs away from me, gets in his car, and drives out of my life.
******
“So, Mozzarella, huh?” Dad says, grabbing a slice out of the pizza box. He grabs another slice laying it on top of his other one and carries his paper plate over to his recliner. He sinks down in his recliner and flips on the television for background noise.
“How did you know?” I ask, tearing myself off a slice. You would think after the whole interaction with Knox that I wouldn’t be hungry but I don’t think there is a time that I would ever turn down pizza from Mozzarella.
“Natalie’s mom called to make sure it would be okay. I thought it was really nice of her. They really care about you, Ripley.”
I can’t help but wonder if Knox cares about me,
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