Carlo falls out into fits of laughter and then I really see the similarity between the cousins. That uninhibited laughter is totally a family trait.
Knox opens the door without knocking and my stomach flutters. I’m actually meeting his family as his girlfriend. Surreal to say the least. There’s talking and laughter coming from another room, and Knox ushers us that way, but then I spot paintings on a photo wall in the foyer leading into the living room and freeze, holding Knox back. There’s a rendering of the tattoo on his chest and a couple other landscapes that are probably from the same area along with one of a beautiful manor house. Then there are paintings of several people. The one that brings me up short is of a beautiful woman who has to be Knox’s mother because the resemblance is striking. The only thing that throws me off is that she’s…blond.
I look at Knox, then back at the painting. “She’s gorgeous.”
He nods, sorrow creasing his brow even though he offers me a smile. “She was.”
“And you are her spitting image.” I look up at his hair and trace my fingers through the glossy strands.
“Ah, yes, except the hair.”
Carlo enters through the front door as a woman about Mama’s age strides through the living room toward us. She’s blond as well, and I look between her and Carlo who is her twin. What’s with this family’s weird genetics?
Knox drops my hand and throws both arms around his aunt, lifting her off the floor. She’s petite and pretty, although not as beautiful as her sister. When Knox lets her stand on her own again, she hits his chest. “Ah, caro. Silly boy. It’s good to see you too.” Although she uses the Italian endearment, she speaks perfectly NoCal-accented English.
She looks past him to me, and a wide smile splits her face. She looks back to Knox. “Amore?”
Matching blue eyes swing my way. Knox says, “Aunt Kara, this is my girlfriend.” He pauses, then sighs heavily, resignation tinging his voice. “Rowan Townsend.”
She gasps, placing a hand over her mouth. Then she strides to me and spreads her arms wide.
I stumble into them, thoroughly confused. “Hi, um, Ms. Kara?” Hopefully that works because Knox failed to say her last name.
She hugs me so hard and she’s so tiny, I could lay my chin on top of her head if I chose to. This embrace I know though because it’s just like Mama’s. She leans back but doesn’t let go. “I never thought I’d see this day.”
Carlo cackles on his way back to the front door, answering the doorbell.
I look back at his aunt, confusion straining my thoughts. “I don’t understand.”
Knox’s brothers join our strange foyer party, take one look at my bewilderment, Kara’s elation, and Knox’s embarrassment, and fall out laughing. Even Declan.
Knox disentangles me from his aunt and pulls me into his side, placing an arm around my shoulder. “Okay, show’s over. You’re embarrassing her.”
“I’m not embarrassed, just confused.”
Since Kara is the only one not laughing, she explains. “I’m sorry, cara. This is just a surprise because we’ve been hearing about you for years, and we never thought we’d get to meet you. We’re happy because Knox has wanted this for so long.”
I glance at Knox who’s staring at the ceiling, rubbing his free hand over his face. I center back on Kara. “Huh? Wanted what?”
She opens her mouth to reply, but Knox cuts her off. “If it’s okay, can I explain to Rowan?” He slides his hand from my shoulder, down my arm, then to my hand, leading me up the stairs.
Declan shouts from below, “Don’t stay up there too long, bro.” More laughter breaks out.
Knox returns the jab. “Shouldn’t you be worried about Kasi instead of what I’m doing?”
That silences Declan and puts a scowl on his face. He spins around and goes out the door he just came through, slamming it as hard as humanly possible.
Weston stares wide-eyed at Knox. “You haven’t heard?”
Knox curses under his breath, then sighs. “Heard what?”
“Kasi broke up with him and went back to LA. She blocked his number even.”
Knox drops my hand and walks down a few steps before Weston holds up his hand. “I’ll go. You finish with Rowan. We’ll meet you in the dining room in a few minutes. He just needs time to get it back together.”
I’m stunned in place. Who knew Declan was capable of feelings?
Knox nods once and turns back to me, shrugging. “Sorry. Where were we?”
We pass family photos, and I get a quick look at a picture of Kara, Carlo, and a girl with dark hair a couple of years younger than Carlo, and a man I can assume is Kara’s husband. His hair is jet-black. Okay, that explains their kids, but what of the Everheart brothers?
Knox strides down the hall with me in tow, then hooks a corner into an upstairs game room. This house is a lot bigger on the inside than it looked on the outside. There’s a pool table that doubles as a Ping-Pong table, a set of arcade game machines, and decorative boxes full of board games. He finally stops at the farthest couch in the room, sitting down and pulling me into his lap.
I adjust the skirt of my dress because it had ridden all the way up, nearly exposing my underwear.
If Knox notices, he doesn’t say anything. There’s no leering at me, and when I look into his eyes, they’re topaz which I’ve come to realize means love.
He places his hands on the sides of my face and pulls me down for a sweet kiss.
I smile at him, understanding finally making a blessed appearance. “You love me.”
He huffs, offering me a lopsided grin.
“How long?”
“Always, Amber. Apparently love at first sight runs in the family.”
“Say it.”
He pulls me closer into his chest and cups the back of my neck where our noses are inches apart. “I love you.”
I’m sure the smile that breaks out on my
