Chapter 24 #2
“Standing me up so you can hook up with someone else is not my definition of integrity.”
He frowns. “Whoa, there. I hooked up with exactly no one.” He draws his brow down hard.
While he doesn’t appear angry, the flash of humor has gone silent.
“I am sorry about dinner. I’ve been meaning to text for the last hour to say I’d be really late, but between phone calls and surprise visitors…
” Massaging his jaw, he shakes his head. “It’s been wild around here.”
I chew the corner of my lip. “You were still going to come by?”
“Oh yeah.”
A gust of wind rattles the door that seems not to have a tight seal.
“Do you want to talk, Ev?” Knox’s expression gentles. His jaw is heavily shadowed, as if he hasn’t touched a razor since our date night.
My righteous anger shrivels. “I’m not sure.”
I hate the scene I walked into. I suppose there could be an explanation, and I’m feeling a bit like an unhinged shrew. Speaking before asking questions is a bad look.
His eyes hood, making for a steamy look, vague laughter returning to the crinkles around them. “Wanna make out some more instead?”
Shock noisily sucks the air from my lungs. “You’re mocking me.”
“No, what I’m doing is thinking about kissing you again—as I have been all. Week. Looong.” His head lolls back, eyes lowering on the last word.
They pop open again with an a-ha spark. He wags his finger. “Now that I think of it, it could be you’re the reason this job is going to heck in a hand basket. Bad things happen when the bossman can’t keep his head in the game.”
Me the reason a man can’t work? That’ll be the day.
“Blaming me for your troubles is mighty narcissistic of you, and for the record—”
Groaning, he throws his arms out. “Good golly, get over here, woman, and let me explain.”
I close my eyes…muddled. I’m mad at him, mad at myself.
Hearing him come off the desk, I peek. Knox stalks me until my spine melds with the door. He’s so tall and big. Solid, and on looks alone, inspires confidence and trust.
Maybe it’s the wickedly charming grin splitting his face, or maybe the memory of his kiss, but I don’t even bother fumbling for the doorknob that’s stabbing my hip.
Has he really been thinking of kissing me all week?
My heart swells for an instant, but then my smarts kick in and bat my hopes down again. Kissing and true affection can be two entirely separate things.
Little by little, his mouth comes so close I don’t have a prayer of sensible thought. “Can I tell you something?” His warm breath mixes with my exhale.
“You probably should.”
A low chuckle rumbles his chest. He touches the tip of his nose to the tip of mine. “She’s not my girlfriend.”
My eyes dart. “Um…who?”
He laughs, hard, then sobers. “You know who. And she isn’t. I promise.”
I blink repeatedly, as if clearing my eyes will help me to see him. See the truth from a lie.
He takes my hands and draws me forward. A few items rattle and his derriere tips over a cup of pens as he perches on the desk. “To be one-hundred percent honest, however, that woman was my girlfriend. That was Becca.”
I gasp and throw a glance in the direction of the door as if said ex were still there. “For real?”
“Yep.”
The goddess isn’t his girlfriend.
But she was his girlfriend.
Oh my goodness, why is he messing around with me if that’s the level of woman he can date?
When I dare a second peek, his brown eyes are frowning. “Why do I have the feeling you’re thinking thoughts you shouldn’t be?”
I bite my lip hard enough to make blood a concern. “She’s gorgeous, Knox.”
His hands slide down my arms, and he lays his forehead to mine. “No, she’s a professionally assembled avatar. Not much on her is real.” He snorts. “I think Rand has been shelling out some bucks for certain…enhancements, shall we say.”
I giggle briefly, but while I’d like to soak in relief, other questions have been raised. “And she came to see you?” I’m comforted, but not. Still feels a bit like red flag territory. “All the way from Kansas City?”
“She and Rand did, yes.”
“Wait a second.” I throw my finger over my shoulder. “Suits outside is your brother?”
He chuckles. “You got it. So I can assure you, Becca is not here for me.” The words are dry, yet Knox’s expression holds nothing but indifference.
“You two don’t look alike at all.”
Knox’s thumbs sweep along my knuckles. “He’s kind of puny, don’t you think?”
I pinch my brows. “That’s unkind.”
“But true?”
I wouldn’t go that far, but next to Knox, yes, his brother is lacking—in multiple ways. Those slick looking men aren’t all the romance novels crack them up to be.
I fist some fabric on his sleeve and jiggle it. “Be nice.”
“Like you? Storming in here and accusing little ol’ me of being a cheat?”
“Knox!” I groan his name and stomp my foot. Could we please rewind the last five minutes to where I don’t come in like gangbusters?
Laughing, he circles his work-hardened arms around my waist. “I forgive you.”
I plant my hands on his chest, bunching his shirt in my fists. “Very magnanimous of you after ignoring me all week.” I lay my head on him and listen to his heartbeat. His hands slide up to my shoulder blades, pressing me in. “Alright. Fine. I am sorry, but—oh!”
He tucks his chin onto the crown of my head. “What now?”
I bury my face in the khaki fabric that smells like him.
Well, like the fire-retardant chemicals his shirt was undoubtedly treated with, plus sweat and hard work.
“I don’t care how fake she is, Becca is gorgeous.
” It appears I’m able to neither think nor speak the word without emphasis.
She’s that striking. No way could a man go from a woman like her to…
me. I’m no dog. I’m pretty, even, but Becca? Off the charts beautiful.
“Hey.” He edges me loose and gently knuckles up my chin. “Don’t think the thoughts you’re thinking.”
“How do you know what I’m thinking?”
He studies me. “Because I’m not as dumb as I look, and because, despite our rather short acquaintance, I know you. Deep down, there’s a mushy soft spot that doesn’t completely jive with the girl-boss who took me to task for not paying for a meal.”
“Hey, I’ve apologized for that.”
His head tilts. “Did you?”
“I gave you lots of extra food, remember?”
“You tried to give me heartburn.”
I play punch his chest. “That’s not true.”
“If you say so.” He snugs me in tightly. “You know, they say food is the way to a man’s heart, and I do believe that’s where this thing with us started. The fire in your eyes when you tore into me lit me up.”
“Knox!”
“What? It’s the truth!”
Relaxing into his chest, I resolve to let him hold me for as long he’s willing. I haven’t been held like this in so long.
In fact, I’ve never been held this way. Lance wasn’t a cuddler. He had two speeds: go-mode where I felt sidelined—or let’s-see-how-far-I-can-push-things-tonight mode. It galls the ever-lovin’ daylights out of me how long it took to see what we had wasn’t real.
I uncurl only enough to look into Knox’s eyes. “Are you okay?”
“Whatdaya mean? I’m in heaven.” He smirks. “You’re all pressed up against me. How could I not be?”
“Knox…” Talk about being lit up. I’m too young for hot flashes, right? I try to back away.
“Where do you think you’re going, lady?” There’s laughter in his eyes and in his voice, where I love to hear it the most.
Um, I’m going nowhere, I guess, given how he cinches down on my arm prison when I try to wriggle backwards.
“Hey.” He relaxes his hold and falls silent until I look at him fully. “Why do you ask if I’m okay? Becca?”
“It wasn’t so long ago she hurt you.” Held his heart in her hands. And my jealous heart hurt for him when he told me what she did.
His lips press in thought. “You’re right. And up until recently, I was letting the hurt get to me. But then something happened…”
My heart thumps. “What?”
A little devilry toys with his grin, but I lose sight of it as his nose skims my cheek, blazing a humid trail for his lips to touch my ear. “Care to venture a guess?”
“Me?”
“Oh yeah.” There’s that voice-smile again as his nose moves against my ear.
I sigh like a lovesick idiot. I might melt. I could even die of Knox Fever if I don’t do something quick. “Why did they come?”
He seems to sigh his way out of the same haze I’m fumbling and stumbling around in. Hands to my waist, he puts me at a slightly more respectable distance, but his thighs still rest against mine. “Well, partly work stuff, but Rand thought it would be a good idea for he and I to clear the air.”
“And did you?”
He runs his hand over his head and grips the back of his neck. “We’re brothers…and I think he really loves her.”
“And she loves him?” The things Knox has told me make questions reasonable.
“I believe she truly does.”
“Wow, that must have been a fun conversation.”
“You could say that, but Becca went in the other room while Rand and I talked. There really isn’t much for her and me to say to each other.”
“Then why is she here?”
His chuckle is dry. “Aside from the fact that those two are pretty much glued at the hip these days…” He slides his finger under the flap of his breast pocket. Velcro scratches apart. “She came to give me this.”
From the pocket, pinched between his fingers, he produces a stunning engagement ring.
I lay my fingers to my lips. “That is…huge.” Like, is-it-real huge. It would drag my hand to the floor.
“She had to have this ring. Set me back a pretty penny, that’s for sure.”
While he studies the shimmering spectacle, I study him. People do crazy stuff for love. Payment plans and second mortgages were made for this very kind thing.
His forehead puckers with a frown at the arrangement of platinum and diamond. “Too much?”
I bobble my hand in the air. “Borderline.”
He huffs a quick laugh. “That’s what I always thought. A little gaudy for my tastes.”
I gnaw my lip and peer up.
“What?”
“I meant borderline between gigantic and colossal.” I press my fingers to my closed lids. “Oh no.”
He grips my arm. “What’s wrong?”