Incinerate

Chapter 24

Charlie

THE DAY spent with Dad and Olivia yesterday went really well, and I’m feeling happy that he and I are both in relationships with people we care about. From what I can tell Olivia is really into Dad, and he seems completely taken by her. He couldn’t stop watching her all throughout dinner, and I started to think Knox and I needed to get a different table. I’m happy for him, and I’m hoping this is the beginning of something good for him.

I know he had fun teasing Knox, but I could tell that he had a respect for him, especially when Knox gave him shit right back. When we got home, I tried to go to my own room, but Knox wouldn’t hear of it and I was too tired to argue with him. That and the thought of being in his bed were extremely appealing as opposed to the idea of sleeping in mine alone.

He’s in the shower while I’m making breakfast, and I shake my head when I can’t find the measuring cup I need. I swear, Knox never puts anything back in the right place. Finally, I find it in a random drawer, but my eyes spot a postcard that looks out of place. Pulling it out, I read the invitation just as Knox enters the room. He freezes when he sees it in my hand

“Are you going?” I ask, wondering if he’s actually considering going to a party at his parents’ place after all these years.

Sighing, he leans back against the island. “Honestly, I wasn’t even considering it until yesterday. Watching you and your dad together kind of made me miss having my family. And I don’t know. Maybe this is their way of trying to reach out. I feel like I need to at least give it a chance, you know? I mean, what happened was a casualty of my relationship with Megan, and I’m beginning to wonder if that’s worth spending the rest of my life without family.”

I’m actually amazed, because two months ago he could barely even talk about them. “Well, as long as you have Cohen with you, I’m sure it’ll be fine,” I tell him, turning back to scramble the eggs in the skillet. But at the same time, I have to wonder how good of an idea it is.

Feeling him behind me, I lean back as he wraps his arms around me. “Not just Cohen, but you, too, sweetheart. I can’t do this without you. I need you by my side. I want you with me.”

Turning around, I look up at him. “You want me to come? And meet your family?” As much as I’d love to go with him, the thought of meeting the people who discarded him so easily sounds like an awful idea. I’m not sure I’d be able to keep my cool if they treat him the way they have been since he joined the service.

“I don’t just want you there, I need you there. Until you, I never thought I could really move on with my life. But you’ve shown me that the past isn’t worth dwelling on and I need to just live for the future. I know I’ll never have the relationship with my parents like you have with Wade, but I’d like to at least be able to exchange Christmas cards or something.”

“Knox, you’re stronger than you give yourself credit for. You don’t need me to do this. But if you want me, I’ll be there with you every step of the way, for as long as you need.”

He leans down and places a kiss on my lips. “I know it’s only been two freaking days, but I feel like it’s been so much longer, and I can’t imagine doing this without you. That probably makes me sound like a pussy, but somehow I’m okay with that.”

Placing a hand on his cheek, I smile up at him. “If that makes you a pussy, then you’re my pussy. And while I never felt like swinging to the other side, for you, I think I could do it.”

Shaking his head at me, he lifts me up onto the counter and presses his hard erection in between my legs.

“As much as I like the idea of watching you with another woman, there’s no fucking way I’m sharing this,” he growls, his hand coming up to palm my breast. I’m pushing against him, ready for him to push my shorts aside and take me right here, when a burning smell fills my nose. Opening my eyes, I see the eggs smoking, and I jump down from the counter to pull them off the burner.

He’s chuckling behind me, and I turn to glare at him. “I’ve never, not once in my life, burned eggs. But you get all testosteroney on me and I lose my damn mind!”

“They’re just eggs, babe. No need to freak out,” he says, and my mind suddenly reels from the new term of endearment he’s using. It’s been two freaking days, yet I already feel like we’ve been dating for much longer than that. I guess when you’re living together, you get everything up front, and our relationship is nothing traditional. I feel so comfortable around him, and we made the transition from roommates more easily than I ever imagined possible. My whole ‘I’m keeping my own room’ stance is going to fly out the window the moment he tosses me onto his bed.

“So when do we leave?” I ask, getting back to the topic at hand.

He runs his hand over his head as he looks at the invitation and then checks the calendar hanging on the side of the refrigerator. “The party’s in two weeks, the Saturday before Labor Day. It’s only about an hour away, so we can get up and go. We’ll just make it a day trip.”

I’m relieved that we won’t have to stay there overnight, but I’m also really proud that he’s agreeing to go. I think it’ll be good for him—to either heal open wounds or get closure—and I’m both ecstatic and nervous that he wants me there with him.

“Whatever you want to do is fine with me,” I tell him as I bring our plates with overcooked eggs to the island. He smothers them with ketchup as I head to the fridge to grab some fruit. “Hey, it’s your fault I ruined the eggs.”

Leaning over, he places a kiss on my cheek when I sit down. “They’re fine, sweetheart. Eat up. You need your strength for your sparring match with your dad later on.”

Shaking my head, I grin at him as I force myself to eat. “Oh, I forgot to tell you. Before we left the restaurant last night, Dad said he didn’t want to box with me today.”

His eyebrows furrow as he drops his fork to his plate. “Why not?”

I’m trying to keep a straight face. “He said he wants to spar with you.”

KNOX’S LEG keeps shaking nervously as we make our way towards the gym. I know I’m awful for messing with him like this, and I should tell him I was just kidding, but the way he’s been acting since I said that Dad wanted to box with him has been ridiculously cute. He kept pacing the living room floor, talking to himself and then to me, wondering whether or not he should fight with all he has or take it easy on Dad. Weighing both options, he wasn’t sure what to do because he didn’t want to hurt anyone’s ego, but he also didn’t want it to seem like he didn’t respect Dad as a boxer. Watching him was cracking me up. It was also really sweet that he actually cared about how Dad would feel either way. I could be way off base, but I’m kind of taking it as a testament to the fact that he really does care about me. I mean, if he’s worried about how my dad feels about him, that’s got to mean something, right?

Instead of being a good girlfriend and telling him I was just kidding around, I let him stew over it. Pulling into the gym parking lot, he finds a spot. Shutting off the engine, he turns towards me.

“Seriously, Charlie, what should I do? If I take him down, he might hate me. But if he knows I’m going easy on him, he’ll probably be just as pissed.” He shakes his head, his eyes pleading with me to tell him to do, and now I’m really beginning to feel bad.

I’m about to tell him that he has nothing to worry about when Kale knocks on his window. Sighing, Knox opens his door and gets out. I follow, and the three of us walk into the building together.

“It’s about time, you two,” Kale says, smirking at both of us.

“What the hell are you talking about, Montgomery?” Knox asks.

He looks back and forth between Knox and me. “Lucy told me that you’re finally admitting that you’re a thing.”

Knox turns to look at me, raising his eyebrows. “A thing?” Biting my lip, I try to suppress the smile that’s threatening to cross my face.

“Hey, those are his words not mine.” I can tell that he’s still waiting for an explanation. “And I may have called Lucy yesterday from the restaurant bathroom and told her everything that happened.”

“That’s why you were in there so long?” he asks, his eyes narrowing as the rest of my comment registers. “What do you mean, everything?”

Before I can answer, Kale does for me. “She means everything. Up top, bro. I don’t even think I have stamina like that.” He lifts his hand up, waiting for Knox to give him a high-five, and I resist the urge to punch him in the stomach for that.

Dad’s voice interrupts the conversation. “Montgomery, you better not talking about my daughter, or I’ll show you how much stamina this old man has by kicking your ass.”

Placing his hand on the small of my back, Knox leans downs, his lips coming to my ear. “We’ll talk about this later, sweetheart,” he growls, sounding slightly annoyed.

I start to protest, knowing I didn’t tell Lucy anything that happened in the bedroom and that Kale’s just trying to get under his skin. “Knox—” but he cuts me off before I can even say anything else.

“Later.”

Leaving me to stand there, I glare at Kale. “I want you in the ring after my session with Dad. You’re going to pay for that.”

Grinning, he holds his hands up. “Come on, he makes it way too easy. I mean, look at him. You know he’s punching that bag pretending it’s my face.”

Looking over to where Knox is working a punching bag, I know Kale’s probably right. My guess is that Knox doesn’t like his sexual activities discussed, and I don’t blame him. I’d probably get pretty pissy if I found out I was locker room talk. When Knox says he doesn’t share, I’m pretty sure he also means the details.

“What’s his deal?” Dad asks, having changed into his sparring clothes.

Shaking my head, I pull my gloves out of my bag to put them on. When Knox sees that’s Dad’s ready to go, he walks over to us before I can answer him.

“Wade,” Knox says, nodding at him before climbing between the ropes and getting into the ring Dad and I usually use. We watch him circle the ring, letting out a few punches as he warms up. Stopping, he looks over at us. “Well?” he asks, gesturing towards Dad.

Dad looks at me and then over at him. “Well, what?”

“Are you going to stand there and watch me all day or are we going to do this?” Knox asks him, his gloved hands on his hips. While I feel bad that I instigated this, I can’t help the giggles that rise to the surface and bubble over.

“Wellington, are you challenging me? Seriously?” Dad asks, sounding surprised.

At this point, I’m doubling over. When I look up, wiping my eyes, Knox is glaring at me.

“Excuse me, sir, but your daughter told me this morning that you wanted to spar with me, not her.”

Dad looks over at me, dazed for a moment before he starts cracking up right along with me.

“Knox, I’m flattered that you think I can hold my own with you young guys, but I think my daughter was pulling your leg. I have no desire to get in that ring with you.”

Knox lets out a deep breath and then turns to look at me. He looks equal parts relieved and pissed, and the grin immediately falls from my face. I have the urge to hightail it and run, but I got myself into this, so I might as well suffer the consequences. Pressing my heels into the floor, I stand my ground as he exits the ring and crosses to me, stopping only inches away.

His thumb lifts my chin, forcing me to look up at him. I can’t read his expression, but the fiery look in his eyes sends a pool of heat between my legs. Even though Dad’s right here, I want Knox to throw me over his shoulder, take me home, and punish me Christian Grey style. It’s only been a couple of days, but I could see Knox as the spanking type in the bedroom, and I make a mental note to try and work it into a conversation later.

“Charlotte, were you fucking with me?” he asks in a soft yet gruff tone. Oh shit. The only time he’s ever called me Charlotte is when he’s been irritated with me or pissed.

Swallowing hard, I’m kicking myself for thinking this would be a good idea. I’ve seen the sensitivity underneath his hardened shell. I should’ve known not to mess with him like this, especially when it comes to wanting Dad’s approval.

I nod, and his nostrils slightly flare as his jaw tightens. And it’s honestly hot as sin. “I was just kidding, and I was going to tell you, but then I found it completely cute the way you were so worried about how to deal with Dad. I’m sorry for making you freak out. But I swear, I didn’t mean to upset you. I was about to tell you in the car but then Kale showed up.”

Dropping my chin, he steps back from me, not quite looking at me. I want him to lean in and give me a kiss on the forehead, tell me it’s fine, and smack my ass as he give me tips to take down Dad, but he doesn’t. Instead, he looks over my head and starts to walk away.

“Jace just came in, so I’m going to go find someone who’s actually going to spar with me today. I’ll see you later,” he says in passing, leaving me to stand there and watch as he walks away.

We’ve been dating for two days and I’ve already pissed off my boyfriend. Boyfriend. I smile at that word and decide to swallow my pride and follow after him. Catching up to him right before he’s about to enter the locker room, I grab his arm and try to pull him off to the side. Instead, he leads me out the side door into an alleyway. Pressing me up against the wall, I can feel the brick biting into my back as he places his left arm by the side of my head. Looking up at him, I whisper one more time, “I’m sorry, Knox.”

“What the hell am I gonna do with you, Charlie?” he asks, and it’s a small victory that he’s dropped the Charlotte.

I give him my sexiest grin. “I can think of a few things. Spanking might be high on that list.” I tease, but he doesn’t look amused.

His eyes are expressionless, his mouth set in a grim line. Shaking his head, he pushes away from me, turning his back as his hands come up and to rest behind his head.

Stepping towards him, I reach out to grab his arm, but he pulls away. He’s never resisted my touch, so I’m desperately racking my brain, trying to figure out how to make this okay.

“Knox, come on. It’s not that big of a deal. Dad didn’t care, and I wasn’t thinking it’d get this far. For what it’s worth, I really like that you care what Dad thinks about you. And trust me, he likes you. So please, let’s just go back inside and forget this happened.” I’m practically begging. I hate the way it sounds, but he’s still turned away from me, and I can’t stand not knowing what he’s thinking.

Another minute or so passes by, and there’s nothing except highway traffic to fill the air. Finally, he slowly turns around to face me and he’s…freaking grinning. Pushing me back against the wall once again, he leans downs for a kiss, ravaging my mouth as if he hasn’t kissed me in weeks. I’m breathless when he finally pulls away. Relief washes over me when I realize he isn’t actually upset with me, and I find myself enjoying this playful side of him. Even though I could smack him for making me think he was mad, I love that we can go toe-to-toe. Dad was definitely right when he said I’d met my match and I’m so glad it’s Knox.

Placing his forehead on mine, I’m still trying to catch my breath when he plants a soft kiss against my lips before he leaves a trail of them across my jawline, making his way to my ear.

“Just messin’, babe. I’m not mad.” Shoving him back, I can’t help the smile that crosses my face.

“So let me get this straight… This whole time, you weren’t mad?” I ask, seeking one hundred percent clarification, because in the beginning, I swear he looked pissed.

“Not one single bit. Hey, I may be a hothead, but I know you tried to tell me. Just giving you a little taste of your own medicine.” He leans down and kisses me on the forehead before leading me inside. “Come on. You’ve got a dad to fight.”

Knox

OKAY, SO maybe I was a little irritated that I’d been spending the last few hours trying to figure out how to approach her dad in the ring, but when Charlie looked up at me with those sad brown eyes, like she was disappointed in herself, I couldn’t stay mad. Letting her know I was just messing around with her was worth the look of relief that washed over her face, followed by that brief make-out session against the wall.

I’m still a little worked up over it, and I decide to take out my pent-up energy on Jace in the ring while Charlie has her match with Wade. Even though I won’t let her know it, part of me was a little pissed that she messed with me, but I’ll get over it. Instead of dwelling on it, channeling the irritation into my boxing has helped me go toe-to-toe with Jace, and we’re both currently tied 1-1. I haven’t felt this good about my fitness level since before the explosion. Everything in my life is finally looking up, and I couldn’t be happier.

Jace gets in a quick jab to the side of my face while I’m deep in thought. Backing up, I regroup, and he smiles at me.

“Come on, Knox. If you’re going to be distracted, I’ll just find someone else to spar with,” he says, bouncing on the balls of his feet.

Shaking my head at him, I catch his next jab attempt between my gloves and get in a front kick to his stomach as soon I release his hand.

“I couldn’t help but overhear Kale earlier. So you and Charlie, huh?” he asks, trying to move and land a left hook. I bring up my right arm at the precise moment to block him and use my left to nail him under the chin with an uppercut. He moves back a few steps, shaking it out.

“Yeah, me and Charlie. What about it?” I ask, waiting for the whole ‘I told you so.’

He just shrugs as he answers me. “Nothing about it. I just think it’s cool. She’s good for you. And vice versa. I like you two together.”

“I’m glad I have your approval. I mean, ever since you gave me that whole ‘balls of steel’ speech, I haven’t been able to get her off my mind,” I joke, even though I now know he’s right. That’s my girl. Strong, independent, and undeniably sexy.

Jace looks beyond me and a huge grin spreads over his face. “Oh yeah, HUGE balls of steel,” he laughs, pointing past me.

Turning around, I see Charlie straddling Kale, his stomach flat on the mat. She has him in a hammerlock, his left arm twisted behind his back. She’s leaning over, whispering something in his ear, and I wonder what the fuck she’s saying. He nods, and she lets him go. Looking around, he shakes his arm out before he exits the ring, making his way over to where Jace and I are.

Fuck. Jace.

The second the thought crosses my mind, I turn around. He’s only inches away, grinning at me, ready for the takedown.

“Come on, dude,” I start to protest, but it’s no use. He pounces, and before I can get my bearings, I’m flat on my back, Jace grinning over me.

“Don’t worry, buddy. I’m sure your balls are still bigger than hers.” Winking down at me, he sticks out a hand and helps me up.

“That was pretty damn cheap, Jace,” I hear Charlie call as she walks up to the ring, sending him a mock glare, which only makes him laugh.

“Hey, I was just taking advantage of him enjoying you taking Kale down. Maybe you shouldn’t be so distracting,” he says as he walks away, still chuckling.

Slipping out of the ropes, I place my arm around her as she leans into me. “Hey, Rugged. What was it you were telling me about situational awareness when you’re in the ring?”

I place a kiss on her forehead while also shaking my head at her. “When it comes to you, I can’t help myself. Especially when you’re across the gym straddling another guy and not fighting your dad.”

Grinning, she smiles up at me. “Dad and I finished early, and I wanted to spar with Kale. Speaking of…” She trails off as Kale finally approaches.

“Dude, your girlfriend’s a ball buster. I’m glad no one from the platoon was here to see that damn takedown. My arm still fucking hurts,” he says, rubbing it for effect.

I’m thinking the opposite, wishing more of the guys had been here to see her being a badass, but I understand where Kale is coming from. No guy wants to be straddled by a chick unless that means she’s lowering herself down onto his cock, and well, my girl is most definitely not doing that with anyone but me.

“Hey, man, I was just fucking around when I said Lucy told me everything. All she said was that something happened and you two were together now. I know you like your privacy, so seriously, dude, that’s all I know. And for what it’s worth, I’m happy as hell for you two.”

“I appreciate it, man. I’m a fucking lucky guy,” I tell him, and I see a pink tint spread over Charlie’s cheeks. I’m not sure if she’s flushed from her workout or my words. Either way, it causes my dick to stir to life, and I want nothing more than to get her home.

Placing my hand on the small of her back, we say our goodbyes to Kale and I lead her out of the gym and into my car, ready to get home and show her just how fucking lucky I know I am.