Free When We Fall by Kendall Ryan

behind us, I wanted to make the most of my time with Knox. We needed to be alone, to just reconnect. I loved that he’d planned a date for us, and deciding that I quite liked having a boyfriend, I wanted to return the favor. I wanted to go somewhere we could both relax and enjoy the day together. And I’d told Belinda that despite returning to Chicago after my extended leave of absence, she should give my Saturday morning sex-addict group to my replacement permanently.
    Which meant both Knox and I were free on Saturdays now. My new schedule felt positively decadent. Having time to actually pursue a relationship was something new for me. The old me would have felt guilty. The new me was going to enjoy every minute of it.
    When Knox picked me up later that afternoon, I slid into the warmth of his Jeep, inhaling his masculine scent and instantly feeling happy and secure.
    “Are you okay with me being in charge today?” I smiled at him.
    His gaze jerked over to mine and an unexpected jab of lust shot straight between my thighs at the wicked grin on his lips. “I think I can handle that. Where to, angel?”
    “ Downtown,” I answered. “Park somewhere near Lakeshore Drive.”
    He was dressed in a warm-looking thermal tee and a black fleece, and since it wasn ’t totally freezing out today, my plan should work.
    Once he ’d parallel parked on a side street just off Lakeshore Drive, I laced his fingers with mine and led him down to the walking path bordering the lake. It was the middle of January, which meant we were completely alone on the beach. Just me, Knox, and the endless blue water stretched out before us, gently lapping at the sandy shoreline.
    We huddled into our coats and almost by instinct, our joined hands squeezed tighter. It was just us. No kids. No Brian or Amanda. No drama. I breathed in a deep , refreshing lungful of fresh air and sighed happily.
    We walked side by side in silence for a few moments, and though it looked like there was something heavy on his mind, when I questioned Knox, the tension in his features fell away and he dropped a kiss to my mouth.
    “ Everything’s perfect, angel,” he assured me.
    Perhaps it was still lingering worry over Jaxon. Either way, I dismissed it. Knox was by my side and that was all that mattered. I was learning to let the past go , to stay in the moment and enjoy.
    I nestled closer into his side, inhaling his intoxicating scent.
    “ Are you cold?” he asked, leaning down to press a kiss against my temple.
    Not with his big body to shield me from the wind. “Not really, no.”
    “ So, are we gonna talk about things now that you’re back?” he asked.
    “ Like?” I prompted.
    “ Like your many volunteering jobs, where you live, and when you’re going to buy a car and stop taking the bus.” He raised an eyebrow at me.
    I remembered feeling protected and cared for right from the first time I ’d gone to Knox’s house—he was so against me taking the bus across town on my own. He’d insisted on personally escorting me home. He’d wormed his way into my heart right from the beginning, even if I didn’t see it at the time. All the signs were there. He was a good man. Or maybe I was the exception, since I was pretty sure he hadn’t always treated women with such care and respect.
    I glanced over at him to address his questions. “As for volunteering, I’m no longer leading the Saturday morning group.” I was guessing he’d figured as much since I hadn’t in a couple of months now. “A car is on my to-do list. Brian said he’d help me look.”
    “ I’ll take you, McKenna.” His look said not to argue.
    Okay then. Knox will help me get a car.
    I nodded and continued . “And what about where I live?” I paused, waiting for him to give me some clue about what he’d meant. My apartment with Brian was in a safe part of town. I didn’t see what issue he could possibly take up there.
    He stopped walking and turned to face me. The sunlight glinting in