Knox (Chicago Blaze 4)

“You shouldn’t be out walking in that.”

“You know this city, sometimes it takes a lot less time to just walk.”

I can’t help myself from staring at her. I never thought I’d see her cute little nose or her bright smile again. It’s probably not a bad thing when our food arrives and we turn our attention toward our meals.

“So what are you doing a week from Saturday?” I ask her.

“Probably just working.”

“Do you get days off?”

She hesitates before saying, “I set my own hours.”

“My teammate Victor and his wife are hosting a big cookout at their new place that afternoon. Why don’t you come with me?”

Reese gives me a polite smile. “I appreciate the invite, but—”

“Don’t blow me off,” I say. “I know there was something between us in Kauai.”

“There was, but…I don’t want to date anyone.”

I give her an amused look. “Who asked you out on a date? Just come hang out with me and my team and eat some good food.”

Her expression is knowing. “And then fuck like rabbits after?”

Our server clears his throat from beside Reese, and she flushes a deep shade of pink.

“How is everything this evening?” he asks us.

“It’s great,” I say as Reese buries her face in her hands.

As soon as he’s out of earshot, I manage to wipe the grin off my face and say, “Stop assuming I’m trying to get you in bed. I’ve never done that. In Kauai, it was your idea.”

She rolls her eyes. “Yeah, and you didn’t put up much resistance.”

“Nor would I if it happened again. But it won’t, unless you initiate it.”

“I just don’t want the complications of a relationship, or even a friends-with-benefits arrangement.”

“I’m only saying friends. No bennies.”

“Promise?” Her tone is pleading.

“Reese. I’ve never in my life pressured a woman to have sex with me.”

She shakes her head and laughs. “I’m sure you don’t have to. You just take off your shirt and give them that brooding look and suddenly their panties are on the ground.”

Now I’m the one laughing. “I don’t have a brooding look.”

Reese lets out a loud belly laugh. “Are you kidding me? You have resting broody-man face.”

I ignore her. “So you’ll come to the cookout with me?”

She stalls by sipping her water, and then says, “Okay.”

“Good.”

“But you drop me off at my door after and don’t come inside.”

I feign a look of innocence. “I promise not to come inside.”

Her lips part and a light flush rises in her cheeks. “Wait, you promise not to come inside, or…come inside?”

I shake my head. “Here I am just trying to have a wholesome friendship with you and you’re making it dirty.”

She sighs, looking both aggravated and amused. “Just friends.”

“Just friends,” I agree.

For now.Chapter TenKnox

I still can’t shake my habit of staring at Reese. As she laughs with Mia and Lindy while they share a bottle of wine, I enjoy studying all her facial expressions and mannerisms.

She likes to play with the piece of hair that didn’t make it into her ponytail. She savors each sip of wine for a bit before swallowing it. And she’s laughing with my teammates’ wives like she’s known them for years.

“I like her,” Luca says, stopping to stand next to me in the backyard.

I lower my brows and look over at him with a perplexed expression. “Yeah, me too.”

“Why are you saying it like that? You look like someone just farted right next to you.”

I scowl. “Wouldn’t be surprised if you did.”

He shrugs. “I own my farts; I’d admit it if I did it.”

“Am I a decent looking guy?” I ask him.

Now he’s the one with the lowered brows. “Yeah? I mean, I guess, in a caveman chic kind of way. Why are you asking?”

“Caveman chic…” I mutter. “Nice, asshole.”

“Did you just ask me if I think you’re attractive and tell me I have a nice asshole?”

I crack a smile. “You wish.”

He reaches into the cooler beside us and grabs two beers, passing me one. I pop my cap off and take a long swig from the bottle.

“Reese only wants to be friends with me,” I say.

“Really?”

“Yup. We met in Kauai a little over a year ago, had incredible sex, but things couldn’t go anywhere because she was on the rebound and we lived too far apart. Now she’s not on the rebound and we live in the same city, and she just wants to be friends.”

“You sure the sex was good?” Luca quips.

“Fuck yes, I’m sure.” I shake my head. “I never should have said anything. This is why I don’t talk to people.”

“Okay, no more lame jokes.” He looks over at the table on the other side of the yard where Reese, Mia and Lindy are laughing about something. “Is she seeing someone else?”

“No, she says she doesn’t want to date. Right before I met her in Kauai, her fiancé told her at the altar that he’d been cheating on her with two of her bridesmaids.”