“How do I look?”
How did she look? Like a petite, blonde goddess.
“Beautiful.” Knox and Silver had been waiting on the couch for Genevieve to emerge from the bedroom. Max liked to have family dinner served at 6:00 p.m. on the nose, so they both rushed to finish their work in order to get home, get cleaned up and get to the main house for dinner.
Genevieve looked down at her simple aqua-blue sundress with spaghetti straps. The skirt fell just above the knees, clinging to her shapely thighs which were muscular from years of horseback riding. “Are you sure? I can change.”
“No.” He loved how the aqua-blue fabric matched the intense blue of her wide-set eyes. “It’s nearly perfect.”
Her wispy long blond hair floating over her shoulders, his wife put her hands on her narrow hips with a curious frown. “Nearly perfect?”
Knox smiled. In a short amount of time he had managed to figure out how to push several of Genevieve’s buttons. “It’s a little plain.”
“Thanks a lot, Knox.” Genevieve spun around and headed back to the bedroom. “Now I do have to change.”
He jogged forward, grabbed her hand and stopped her. “Hold up, cowgirl!”
“Don’t try to fix it now, Knox. You tell a woman her dress is plain and you may as well tell her that she’s wearing a rag.”
He didn’t let go of her hand, coaxing her to face him. The honeysuckle scent of her hair enveloped his senses and he wanted to pull her close, bury his face in her neck and breathe her in. What would she do, how would she react, if he acted on his impulses to hold her, to kiss her, to make love to her? Would she push him away or pull him close?
“I was just trying to set the mood.”
“Oh, you set the mood perfectly, Knox. I was in a good mood and now I’m not.”
“I was trying to set the mood so I could give you this.” He pulled a small box out of his pocket and held it out for her to see.
Genevieve stared at the box for a moment before she looked up at him. “What’s that?”
“Something for you.”
When she didn’t take the box from him, he took her hand and placed it in her palm. “It won’t bite you, Gen.”
“Why did you get me a present?” she asked, not moving to open the box.
His eyebrows lifted. Did his wife have to stray from the norm on absolutely everything? Why couldn’t she just be a typical woman for once and be happy with a gift?
“Are you going to open it?”
“Fine.” She tugged the ribbon loose from the box. “But I don’t understand why you would get a present for me.”
Knox smiled at her; he truly liked his wife. He truly did. Gen handed him the ribbon as she carefully unwrapped the giftwrap. He would have expected her to rip the paper off but she was taking her time, slowly peeling off the tape a little at a time.
“If I had known you were going to take this long, I would have just put it in a gift bag.”
“Hush up,” she snapped, but there was playfulness in her tone that kept him right on smiling.
Finally, she handed him the paper and opened the box. Knox watched her face carefully; he wanted to remember the expression on her sweet, pretty face once she realized what was inside the box.
“Where did you get this?” She looked up at him with such surprise that he knew he had chosen well.
“I had it made for you.”
Gen was speechless as she took the custom white gold necklace out of the box. On the chain was a cluster of three farrier tool charms made of gold—a file, nippers and a horseshoe hammer. His wife held the charms in the palm of her hand, the necklace dangling down from her fingers.
“Do you like it?”
Gen slowly touched each charm. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”
“It’s one of a kind,” Knox said, pleased to see how much she liked his gift. He hesitated before he added, “Just like you.”
He helped her put the necklace on. He stood behind her, enjoying the warmth of her body so close to his, lifted the necklace over her head, and then joined the clasp. Gen went into the bathroom to look at her reflection in the mirror. When she returned, her eyes were shiny with emotion.
“Thank you, Knox. I love it.” She stood in front of him. “But you didn’t need to do this for me.”
Knox reached out and turned one of the charms so it was lying flush on her smooth, tanned skin. “I wanted you to always remember how we met.”
They stared at each other for several long seconds. There was a sincerity, and honesty, in Genevieve’s eyes when she said, “I’ll never forget how we met, Knox. Not ever.”
There was that urge again—to take her in his arms and kiss her breathless. Instead, he crossed his arms in front of his chest and smiled at her. With a nod toward the necklace, he said, “Well, since you don’t need a reminder, I suppose I could just send that necklace back?”
His wife laughed, a sound he had become accustomed to quickly, and her hand naturally moved back to the charms. “Just try it, cowboy, and you’ll draw back a nub!”
“How’s married life?” Sarah asked her after the family had moved from the dining room to the outside patio after dinner.
Genevieve couldn’t stop playing with the charms on her new necklace. Each tool had a round, brilliant diamond embedded in the gold. It was such a thoughtful gift that it made her wonder if Knox was beginning to have feelings for her that went deeper than friendship. Was her husband beginning to fall for her?
How would she feel if he did?
“I’m enjoying it,” she answered honestly. She had enjoyed being married to Knox so far. Yes, it had been a bit strange to move into his cabin, but she had adjusted more quickly than she would have thought. Every night, they both climbed into bed, exhausted from their long day of work, and with Silver curled up between them, Genevieve was lulled to sleep by the comforting sound of Knox’s breathing. She had never slept with any man—Knox was her first. She had never lived with any of her previous boyfriends and she didn’t do overnights. If she had known how wonderful it would be to have a man’s presence, a man’s heat, a man’s scent in bed with her, perhaps she would have signed up for overnights years ago.
“You look really happy,” Lily said from a nearby chair.
Genevieve smiled wordlessly. Xander’s wife wasn’t the first to mention that. She looked at her husband who was on the other side of the patio deep in conversation with Hunter and Logan and felt an odd rush of emotion. Knox was so handsome—he stood so straight and tall. She loved the way his shoulders filled out his customary button-down shirts and the way his jeans hugged his thick thighs. In truth, Knox Crawford had always set her heart to fluttering but she had been careful to guard her heart from him. But it was getting harder and harder to keep her defenses up. She knew herself well enough to know that, in spite of her best efforts, her feelings for Knox were beginning to grow and take on a life of their own.
The adorable baby was a great distraction and Genevieve smiled at Sophia, making the little girl laugh and gurgle. Genevieve reached out so Sophia could wrap a chubby hand around her finger.
“You’re so good with her.” Sarah shifted the baby on her lap. “Any plans for children in the near future, or do you want to hold off for a while?”
Genevieve had been watching Wren playing with Silver in the grass just off the patio. She had never really wanted children. She’d just never had that motherly urge that her sisters seemed to have from the time they were little girls. While they were playing with baby dolls, she was racing the boys bareback on her pony. But sometimes, when she watched Knox with Wren, or saw him helping an elderly woman carry her groceries out to the car, Genevieve wondered what it would be like to have a child with Knox’s good looks and her blue eyes. With his good heart and her daring do.
“We’re not in a hurry,” she told Sarah, preferring to keep her thoughts secret.
“The two of you are going to make beautiful babies together,” Lily, ever the romantic, said with a dreamy smile.
As if realizing that she needed to be rescued, Wilder, the youngest Crawford brother, sauntered over to her, his longish brown hair acting as the perfect frame for his mischievous dark eyes, and grabbed her hands. “Dance with me, sis!”
Wilder was always ready for a party. He had turned on the surround sound system and was piping music onto the patio. Wanting to escape from the baby conversation, Genevieve jumped out of the chair and followed her brother-in-law to the middle of the patio. Just like Knox, Wilder knew how to dance. He led her in a small circle, dipping her, twirling her, and spinning her around so fast that she started to get dizzy. Laughing, she held on to his shoulder to keep from tipping sideways.
“Go get your own woman, Wilder.” Knox showed up at their side and tapped his brother on the shoulder.
The younger brother rolled his eyes at her, spun her around a couple more times, and then let her go. Wilder held up his hands and backed away, but the grin on his face let her know that he felt good about getting Knox all riled up with jealousy. And Genevieve could see plainly on her husband’s face—he was jealous.
“He was just playing around,” she said in Wilder’s defense.
“I know,” Knox agreed easily. “But I still didn’t like it.
Knox took her in his arms. His body swayed with hers and he pulled her close so that her breasts were pressed against him. Even though they were already married, it seemed to her that Knox was laying claim to her—letting his bachelor brothers know to keep a hands-off policy where she was concerned. Genevieve wasn’t usually impressed with masculine displays or gestures born out of male irrational jealousy. In fact, it was a total turn-off for her. When Knox acted jealous, it had the opposite effect on her. For Genevieve, it meant that he actually cared for her—something beyond the scope of their bet.
The night air was balmy and there wasn’t much of a breeze, but it didn’t stop her from pressing her body more closely to her husband. She loved the feel of his arms around her waist and the way his warm, strong hands were splayed possessively on her back. They had danced together the day of their wedding; this moment was different. There was a tension in Knox’s body, in his arms, in his eyes, that made every fiber of her body crackle. His head was dipped down toward her and she had the distinct feeling that Knox was resisting the urge to kiss her with all of his family as witnesses. But, this time, it felt to her as if it wouldn’t just be to give them a show. This time, it felt as if his lips were being drawn to hers.
Knox lowered his head until his lips were hovering near her ear.
“You look so beautiful tonight, Gen.”
The sensual undertone in his voice, the feel of his breath on her skin, made her sway into his body. She titled her head up as he looked down at her face. She wanted her husband to kiss her—right there, right then. She was asking for it, not for the show, but because Genevieve wanted to feel his lips on her lips. And, for a moment, a split second really, she actually thought Knox was going to kiss her, but the song ended and her husband let her go. Even though Logan and Xander had joined them on the makeshift dance floor sometime during the song, Genevieve hadn’t noticed. All of her attention, all of her focus, had been on being cocooned in her husband’s arms. When he let her go, Genevieve wrapped her arms around her body, suddenly feeling cold when the night was so warm.
“Are you okay?” Knox asked her, his hands in his pockets.
Genevieve nodded her head silently, afraid that there would be an emotional catch in her voice if she tried to say any words. No, she wasn’t okay and she had no one to blame but herself for that.
Knox had watched all evening as his beautiful wife charmed his family without much effort at all. Even his father had begun to soften toward Genevieve, which was a miracle in its own right. His brothers—even Xander—seemed convinced that Genevieve was the best thing that had happened to him. All of them had said tonight that they’d never seen him so happy. But when he looked in the mirror, he looked exactly as he had a week ago. She fit in with Lily and Sarah and this had always been important to the brothers; they had always wanted their wives to be friends. So, everything was going according to plan. They were pulling off this fake marriage without much effort at all. He should feel triumphant. And yet, he didn’t. In fact, he felt like he’d made a pretty big mess of things.
The one woman he had wanted to date in Rust Creek Falls was his wife—and he had promised not to touch her. Now, all he thought about was touching her. Morning, noon, night he thought about kissing Genevieve, he thought about holding Genevieve. He was exhausted from lack of sleep—while she seemed to easily fall asleep. She seemed completely unbothered by his presence in bed next to her, while he ached from wanting her. The scent of her hair, the warmth of her body, and the fact that he had only to reach over to touch her drove him wild with wanting. It seemed he spent every night with a mantra echoing in his head. Forbidden. Forbidden.
He found himself thinking it too when he’d held her in his arms as they danced tonight. And again when he’d put his hand on the small of her back when he ushered her inside their cabin after the evening was over.
“That was so much fun!” Genevieve said as she opened the back door to let Silver outside. “I can’t believe I dreaded that for a second.”
His wife was a bit tipsy, so her body movements were broad and languid as if she were moving through Jell-O.
“I’m glad you had a good time.” Knox took his hat off and hung it on the rack just inside of the front door.
Silver came bolting back inside, his tail wagging and his fat paws slapping on the wooden floor. Laughing, Genevieve scooped up the growing puppy, hugged him tightly and kissed him on the head. Silver licked Gen on the face and lips.
“How is it that my dog gets more action around here than I do?” Those words sounded more bitter than he had intended. He had intended to make a joke but it didn’t exactly come out that way.
His wife set Silver down, walked directly over to him, took his face in her hands and planted a kiss on his lips. Genevieve pulled away and looked at him with a surprised look as if she were shocked at her own behavior.
“Don’t be such a grouch, Knox.” She spun away from him and headed to the bedroom.
Knox followed her into the bedroom and found her lying flat on her back, her legs dangling off the side of the bed.
“Is the room spinning?” Genevieve pressed her hands over her eyes to block out the light.
“No.” Knox tugged her cowgirl boots off and then pulled off her socks.
“Are you sure?” Genevieve giggled and wiggled her toes.
“Yes,” he said. “I’m sure.” Her dress had slipped up to the tops of her thighs and a hint of her panties could be seen where her thighs met.
Everything in his body ached to touch this woman who was his bride. Every night he had spent lying next to her, enveloped in the scent of her hair, her beautiful body not even an arm’s length away, had been torture for him. How could he avoid being aroused when Genevieve was in his bed?
Knox grit his teeth as he pulled down the hem of her dress before he turned to walk away, but Genevieve reached out and grabbed his hand to stop him.
“Hey. Where are you going?”
“You need to get undressed so you can go to bed.”
“You’re such a killjoy.” His wife pouted at him in a more playful way than he had seen from her before. “Really and truly you are.”
“Get some sleep, Gen.”
Knox forced himself to walk to the door and leave his wife. She was throwing off some pretty flirty vibes but she was also a few bottles of beer past her limit. As much as he wanted to stay and take her up on this sexy invitation, it wouldn’t be right. Of course, he had thought about making love to Genevieve. She was his wife and she was nearly naked beside him in his bed every night. But, that wasn’t the deal. He had promised to keep his hands off and he’d been a man of his word, a man of honor, on that front. But, it had been damn difficult. Damn difficult.
“Hey!” she said, catching his attention and getting him to turn around. “Do you think that I have boy hips?”
Knox turned around to find that his wife had stripped off her sundress and was standing on the bed in pretty white lacy panties and a matching strapless bra. With her strong curvy thighs, flat stomach and pert breasts, she was his youthful fantasy come to life. If he could have designed his perfect woman, he would have created Genevieve.
“No.” He heard the growl in his own voice. The growl of a man who wanted more than just to look at his wife—the growl of a man whose body was already growing and hardening just at the sight of Genevieve’s nearly naked body. “You don’t have boy hips.”
She had the hips of a woman—the type of hips a man could hold on to when he was deep inside of her.
Gen ran her hands over her stomach and hips. “I’ve heard that complaint before, you know.”
Knox took a step forward and then forced himself to stop in his tracks. He wouldn’t break their agreement. Not like this—not when her mind was fuzzy from alcohol.
“They were idiots,” he told her. He couldn’t seem to take his eyes off her nipples pressing against the thin, silky material of her bra. The desire—the need—to take those nipples into his mouth made Knox clench his teeth until it actually hurt.
She beamed at him and put her hands on her hips. “They were idiots.”
Genevieve looked down at her own body, lost her balance and fell backwards onto the pillows with a laugh. She was still giggling when Knox came over, tugged on the comforter so she could get under the covers. Once he had his sexy wife tucked safely beneath the covers, he brushed her hair back away from her forehead.
“You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen, Gen.” Knox kissed her on the forehead. “Now go to sleep.”
“Hey!” She reached out for his hand but missed. “Aren’t you going to sleep in here with me tonight?”
Knox didn’t trust himself to turn around when he shut off the light and closed the door firmly behind him. Without thought, Knox crossed the hall to the bathroom, turned on the cold water. This wasn’t the first cold shower he had taken with Genevieve in the cabin and he knew it wouldn’t be his last. With the icy water pelting his skin like tiny needles, Knox hit the shower wall in frustration.
Never in his life had he deprived himself of a woman’s company—he’d never had to. If he wanted a woman, she had always wanted him in return. If he wanted a woman, he took her to bed. This hands-off policy with Genevieve was making him feel a little bit nuts. He wanted her—and maybe, just maybe, she wanted him. But, this time, for him at least, it was more than just the physical. He wanted to make love to her. He wanted to show her, with his lips, with his hands, with his body, what he was beginning to feel for her inside of his heart. Knox stepped out of the shower and stared at his reflection in the mirror. What he was starting to feel for Genevieve was different than anything he’d felt before for another woman. There was a deep, growing affection for his wife and he was beginning to wonder...was this what falling in love really felt like?
Genevieve awakened the next morning with a bad taste in her mouth and a roaring headache. She sat up, rubbed her hands over her face, yawned loudly and then flopped back onto the pillows. It was then that she noticed she was in her bra and panties and Knox’s side of the bed hadn’t been slept in. Even Silver was nowhere to be found.
“Silver!” she called out, only to realize that the sound of her own voice was making her head pound.
Silver came tearing around the corner, bounded onto the bed and then jumped into her lap, licking her face happily. Genevieve wrapped her arms around the puppy and kissed him on his head and face.
“Good morning, you stinky little puppy face.”
Silver rolled over onto his back so she could pet his belly. She was in the middle of a very important belly rub when Knox appeared in the doorway of the bedroom holding a steaming cup of coffee in his hands.
“Mornin’.” Knox looked crisp and clean and ready for his day of work. Not to mention handsome.
“Hi.” Suddenly self-conscious of her lack of attire, she pulled the covers up and tucked them under her arms. She remembered every detail of the night before. Her inhibitions had been lowered and she had flirted shamelessly with her husband. And she had enjoyed it, every second. But for her trouble, it looked as if she had completely scared him away.
“Headache?” He handed her the coffee.
She nodded as she blew on the coffee. After taking a sip, she sighed. “Thank you.”
“I’ve got to get on the road.” Her husband seemed to be avoiding her eyes. She clutched the covers tighter to her body, wishing she had managed to at least put on a T-shirt before passing out. “I’ll see you tonight.”
“Knox?” She wanted to ask him why he had slept on the couch the night before. She wanted to apologize for shamelessly kissing him and stripping off her dress in front of him.
He turned back toward her.
“Never mind,” she said. All the words she wanted to say, all the questions she wanted to ask, got jammed up in her throat. She didn’t want to sound desperate.
Knox waved his hand without meeting her eyes and headed out the door. She wasn’t imagining it—something had changed between them. Knox usually lingered with her in the morning and shared a meal. Today, it seemed as if he couldn’t get away from her fast enough. Genevieve slumped down onto the mattress, turned onto her side and grabbed Silver for a cuddle. She had come on to her husband and he was sprinting away from her.
“Great,” she muttered. “Just great.”
Then she remembered that they had both agreed to a platonic relationship. Knox had been the one to hold up his end of the bargain. What had she been doing going around kissing him and stripping in front of him? And why did it hurt her so much to awaken to an empty bed?
Before she could ponder those questions, the phone on the nightstand was chiming, signaling that she had several texts coming in. She stretched her arm back, grabbed her phone and looked at the messages. All of them were from her mother and sisters about the plans for the reception. Genevieve groaned and pushed her phone away. The last thing that she wanted to think about right now was the reception. How could she think about a wedding reception when she was in the midst of a very real emotional crisis?
Genevieve buried her head under her pillow with another mournful groan. “Of all the men in the world, you had to go and fall for your husband.”