Knox (Wynter Hearts #5)

Chapter 1

CHAPTER ONE

“Could you arrange for my laundry to be collected from my usual dry cleaners? There should be three suits and seven shirts. I’d like a meatball sandwich from Carlo’s for lunch, light on the sauce.

I’ll also need you to work late this evening.

Probably until seven. And could you book our plane tickets for London next week?

First class. For both of us this time, Karen.

I don’t want the same fiasco as the last time.

Having you sitting in economy class meant I couldn’t work during the flight.

Oh, and could you get me a coffee right now?

I have the hangov— Who the hell are you and why are you sitting behind Karen’s desk? ”

The man speaking had come to an abrupt halt on the opposite side of the slab of black marble that was his PA’s desk.

The same man who, minutes ago, had begun talking in that rasping English accent the moment he stepped off the elevator, but had now finally looked up from scrolling through the information on his cell phone and realized he wasn’t talking to his PA at all.

Ellie would be lying if she didn’t admit to feeling grateful for having that brief time lapse after her first glance of Knox Wilder, in the flesh, when the London-born New York CEO of Wynter Security arrived on the thirtieth, and penthouse, floor of the building where the company’s offices were situated.

She had seen photographs of Knox, at the society events he had necessarily to attend as head of the company’s New York office, sometimes with a beautiful woman hanging off his muscular arm, sometimes not.

Those photographs had not done the sheer presence of the man justice.

His gruff voice, with its distinct English accent, was also sexy as sin.

The combination of that husky voice and his stark good looks was a lot, Ellie acknowledged.

There was something savage about Knox Wilder, despite the gray bespoke suit and white fitted shirt and perfectly knotted silver tie he was wearing on his four-or-five-inches-over-six-feet-tall frame, along with highly polished black leather shoes on his very large feet.

Because that tailored suit and other accoutrements to his position in this prestigious company were only a dismissive nod to what other people expected of him.

The rest of him was anything but the traditional businessman.

His head was completely shaved with a dark stubble.

His shoulders, chest, and abdomen were wide with toned muscle, his legs long, with muscular thighs.

There were also several colorful tattoos visible above the collar and beneath the cuffs of his shirt.

His hands were so big, they looked as if they could easily squeeze the life out of someone before dinner and another couple of people after he'd eaten.

He actually looked more like one of the members of the Mafia she’d seen on the covers of romance books than one of the CEOs of a worldwide security company.

Or a taller Jason Statham lookalike.

He certainly had the same gruff and sexy English voice as the actor. What he didn’t look or sound like was the CEO of a billion-dollar security company that had offices worldwide and helped actual countries with their security, as well as companies and individual people.

None of which, Ellie inwardly admonished, was of any immediate relevance to this current situation.

Having finished sending a text, Ellie now placed her cell phone on the desktop and sat up straighter in the chair situated behind the marble-topped desk that stood as sentinel outside the CEO’s office. This man’s office.

Ellie had always had every intention of explaining the situation to him from the onset. Hopefully, there would be less conflict that way.

Although, she wouldn’t count on it when Knox Wilder was already looking so combative.

Considering Ellie had avoided any sort of romantic entanglements for the past six months, when even the thought of being attracted to a man had made her feel nauseous, she couldn’t possibly have foreseen how she was going to be so instantly physically aware of Knox Wilder’s appearance.

But, at the age of forty-three, he was undoubtedly the most physically attractive man Ellie had ever set eyes on, with a slightly dangerous edge that made him even more so.

He also had the most piercing and intelligent brown eyes she had ever seen, along with a sharp and stubborn jaw beneath the dark scruff that looked as if it could literally cut glass.

Ellie’s mouth tightened. “I’ll deal with your latter comments first and then return to the former ones.

” She drew in a long breath before speaking.

“Firstly, my name is Ellie Hall. Because I haven’t yet received a call updating me on the situation, I can tell you that Karen was driven to the hospital by Geoff at two o’clock this morning, and she is probably still in the process of giving birth. ”

Those brown eyes widened. “Karen went into labor early?”

She nodded. “Only by a few weeks. Apparently, that often happens with twins.”

“Twins!”

“She didn’t tell you? Of course she didn’t,” Ellie answered her own question. “She mentioned you have been particularly…stubborn in regard to listening to updates on her condition.”

His eyes narrowed. “I—”

“A condition,” Ellie continued firmly, “that, even if she wanted to, would have prevented her from flying anywhere with you next week when she would have been in her ninth month of pregnancy.”

His cheeks flushed at the rebuke. “I hadn’t thought of that.”

“I guessed that.”

He scowled. “But you’re saying Karen is in labor right now?”

“Probably not anymore,” Ellie drawled as the cell phone sitting on top of the desk vibrated with an incoming message.

She looked down and read the message on the screen.

“Karen and Geoff are now the proud parents of a boy and a girl, weighing 5lbs and 5lbs 2 oz, respectively,” she read.

“They aren’t giving out names yet.” She chuckled.

“I think that’s maybe because they expected it would be either two girls or two boys. ”

“Why the hell didn’t I get the same message?” Knox Wilder glared down at the screen of his own cell phone.

“Probably because of your previous lack of interest—”

“I don’t have a fucking lack of interest!

” he snapped before forcing the tension from his shoulders and adding in a milder tone, “I apologize for my language. But, of course, I’m interested.

It’s just difficult for me to— Never mind.

” He dismissed whatever explanation he had been about to give.

“I’m really pleased for her and Geoff.” His gaze sharpened.

“How do you know Karen, let alone the name of her husband?”

“Because he’s my cousin and Karen is his wife,” she provided calmly.

“Your…? Okay, I’ll ask again, what are you doing here?” His glare was ferocious. The sort that probably scared the hell out of most men and women.

But not Ellie, because she wouldn’t allow herself to feel intimidated by any man.

“As I said, my name is Ellie Hall, and I’m only here temporarily because I assured Karen, purely so that she would stop worrying about you, that I would ensure the transition over to your temporary PA would go smoothly.

She also told me that, despite interviewing several qualified applicants, the reason you don’t have one in place already is because you have insisted on not admitting the need to replace Karen once the babies are born.

Although I do approve of the fact that, being an English based company, you allow expectant mothers to have six months maternity leave after they have given birth,” she complimented.

“Thanks,” he grated. “I think.”

Ellie nodded. “Before you ask any more questions, let me add a few comments of my own concerning your previous…remarks. I realize you had a good relationship with Karen and, as such, she always accommodated your requests. A temporary PA is a little different, in that collecting your laundry isn’t a normal part of their job description.

But, I’m sure that can be arranged if discussed rather than expected.

Your lunch order should be delivered rather than having a member of staff waste time going to collect it.

Accompanying you on a business trip, to London or anywhere else, is also something that would need to be negotiated rather than expected of a temporary PA. ”

“Karen does all of those things without being asked.”

She nodded. “Because Karen is your permanent PA and sets her own limits. Or not. Employees on a temporary contract and sent from an agency will work eight till six, Monday to Friday, and again, overtime is something to be discussed between the two of you.”

Tired of having him looming over her, Ellie stood up and moved to stand beside the desk rather than continuing to feel at a disadvantage sitting behind it.

But as Knox was at least a foot taller than her five feet four inches in height, she realized standing hadn’t really helped with that situation.

Unfortunately, standing closer to him had only made her even more aware of his imposing presence.

It was also impossible to ignore the insidious and expensive aroma of his aftershave.

Something with sandalwood and bergamot in it that seemed to perfectly complement the male musk she knew was all Knox Wilder.

It was a heady scent that had now invaded all of Ellie’s senses, making it a little difficult for her to breathe.

Or that could just be the man himself having that effect on her because Knox Wilder oozed sex appeal out of every pore.

Something Karen hadn’t commented on during any of the conversations where her boss had been mentioned. Or maybe, because Karen was so deeply in love with Geoff, she simply wasn’t aware of it?