Chapter Twenty-Five
One week later
Nathan
O ne week has passed since Bethany’s arrest. A week since the Dallas police led her away, her confession recorded and damning. A week since Quinn looked at me with those cautious eyes that held both gratitude and hesitation. And more importantly, today is the day our bet officially ends. Since I last saw her, I decided to fulfill my end of it, staying celibate and out of view for the press. What started as a challenge has ended in truth, accountability, and vindication.
Our wager is over now, but something far more important hangs in the balance. Quinn has kept her distance this past week. I’m sure she did so to process everything that has happened, what I’d offered to her. And I’ve responded in kind by respecting her need for space, even as every cell in my body screams to close the distance between us.
I check my watch again, pacing the length of my office. Five-thirty. Too early to leave without raising eyebrows. But my mind hasn’t been here all week.
“You’ve checked that thing at least ten times in the last hour,” Jake observes from my doorway, amusement mixing with concern on his face. “Everything all right?”
“Fine,” I say. “Just…anxious to get started on something.”
Jake, with Jonathan in tow, closes my office door behind him.
“This wouldn’t happen to be about Quinn, would it?” Jonathan says, his voice low.
I stop pacing, meeting my brother’s gaze directly. “Yes.”
“You’re finally making your move.” It’s not a question from Jake.
“About damn time,” Jonathan exclaims.
Pulling my hands from my pockets, I run them through my hair. “I’ve spent the week managing press about Bethany’s arrest, but that’s just damage control for Knight Industries, not her. It’s not enough.”
“Not enough to make up for what you put her through,” Jonathan finishes for me, his tone softening the harsh reality of his words.
“No,” I agree, the familiar weight of regret settling on my shoulders. “Not even close. So tonight has to be perfect.”
“You’re setting up for something big, aren’t you?” Jake speculates. My mysterious errands during lunch all week and calls I’ve been taking in private don’t make it that hard to figure out.
I nod. “What I did to her was public, humiliating. So what better way to do this apology right than do the thing I told her I’d do if I’d lost this bet?”
Jake whistles low. “Bold move. You sure about this?”
Jonathan perks up. “Bet? What bet?”
“I’ve never been surer of anything,” I say without hesitation.
“I’ll explain later,” Jake assures his business partner. “All you need to know is that your little brother is about to own his shit.”
Jonathan nods slowly. “Oh, I like the sound of that.”
I chuckle. “Course you do. What’s important is that she knows?—”
“That you love her,” Jonathan interjects, finishing my sentence. My brother has always been able to catch on quickly to things. “That you never stopped, even when you were too stubborn to admit it.”
“Yeah. Something like that.” I don’t know what could, or will, happen when I do this, but I can’t just sit and wait any longer.
Jonathan claps a hand on my shoulder. “Then what are you waiting for? Go fix this and get her back.”
“But I can’t. It’s not even six?—”
Jake rolls his eyes. “For God’s sake, Nathan. The company won’t fall apart if you leave half an hour early on a Friday.”
Jonathan shakes his head in mock exasperation. “As your CEO, I’m begging you to use your PTO and vacation days for once.”
You know what? Fuck it.
I grab my jacket off the back of my chair and pull the small velvet box from my desk drawer, slipping it into my pocket. Not because I expect to use it tonight—that would be presumptuous beyond belief—but as a reminder of everything at stake.
The drive to Quinn’s office feels interminable, every red light an unbearable delay. I call her directly, relieved when she picks up on the third ring.
“Nathan?” Her voice carries surprise.
“Are you still at the office?” I ask, trying to keep my tone casual.
A pause. “Yes, wrapping up some client emails. Why?”
“I need to see you. It’s important.” I hesitate, then add, “Please.”
Another pause, longer this time. “I’ll be here for about thirty more minutes.”
“Thank you. I’m on my way.”
By the time I pull into the parking lot of her office building, my heart is hammering so hard I can feel it in my throat. This is it. No turning back now.
When I reach her office, I can see her through the glass walls of her modest space, phone pressed to her ear as she gestures expressively with her free hand. The sight of her hits me like a sucker punch to the gut—her blond hair catching the fading sunlight, the curve of her lips as she speaks, the way her body moves with a grace that still haunts my dreams. My mouth goes dry. My cock is in full salute, just for her.
Oh, god. Even after everything, I want her to be mine now more than I ever did before. The dreams I’ve had of her with me don’t even come close.
I’ve been fighting a losing battle trying to forget her. Because to forget her is like trying to forget to live, to breathe. All last year, I have felt nothing but pain and loneliness. At the time, I didn’t give it much thought. But feeling what I feel now—this need, this drive, to pull her in and never let go ever again—is something I don’t want to avoid anymore.
Without a moment’s hesitation, I burst into her office. Christ, the closer I am to her, the more I feel like an absolute wreck. With a gasp, she looks up at me in surprise.
“Y-you’re here.”
“Told you I’d be.” I step up to her desk.
“Tammi, let me call you back.” There’s a pause. “Yes, Monday morning. Thank you.”
When she ends the call, she stares up at me with searching eyes. “Nathan.” The way she says my name hardens my resolve further. I barely have any left by this point. “What are you?—”
“I know it’s a Friday evening and you probably have plans,” I say, fighting to keep my voice steady. “But I was hoping you might give me thirty minutes.”
Wariness is all over her features, but curiosity wins out. “What’s this about?”
“Fulfilling my end of our bet,” I reply honestly. “And hopefully making things right between us, if that’s even possible.”
I pull out my phone, my finger already hovering over the TikTok app.
Her eyes widen. “But…you didn’t lose the bet. Neither of us did.”
I shake my head. “Doesn’t matter. What I did to you was public. My apology should be too.”
Before she can respond, I tap the Live button. As the connection establishes, I position the phone so I’m the only one in frame for the moment.
“Wait—you’re doing this now?” Quinn whispers, clearly caught off guard.
I nod, watching as the viewer count begins to climb— one hundred, three hundred fifty, to over a thousand within seconds. “Hey, everyone,” I begin, my voice steadier than I feel. “This isn’t my usual type of post, but I need to set the record straight about something important.”
Quinn watches with total shock.
“A year ago, I made some accusations against someone who was very important to me.” I swallow hard, forcing myself to continue. “I believed that this person had leaked confidential information from my family’s company, and I lashed out by cutting her out of my life and, as some of you probably saw then, publicly trying to damage her reputation.”
The comment section explodes with questions, but I ignore them, focusing only on Quinn’s face as I continue.
“In the last few weeks, I realized I was wrong.” The words come easier now, relief flooding through me at finally coming clean. “I had no concrete evidence against her. But I let pride, ego, and anger blind me to what should’ve been obvious—that Quinn Sanders deserved my trust, my support, and the benefit of any doubt.”
I pause, taking a deep breath, before continuing. “The truth is, with her help, I recently discovered that someone else entirely was responsible for that leak. Quinn was innocent of any wrongdoing the whole time.”
I steal a glance toward Quinn, whose eyes gloss over with unshed tears, and both her hands are covering her mouth. She’s in complete awe of what I’m doing.
I keep my attention on her. “To Quinn Sanders, I’m sorry, baby. Beyond words.” Emotion begins to make my voice rough. “Not just for falsely accusing you, but for everything that followed—the silence, the public disrespect, all of it. Baby doll, you deserved better from me. And I failed you as a man. As your man.”
On impulse, I turn the camera slightly, bringing Quinn into frame beside me. “Everyone, this is Quinn Sanders, one of the most talented PR consultants in Dallas, and someone I wronged deeply. If you’re looking for integrity and excellence, she’s who you should call.”
The comment section goes wild, but Quinn’s expression is what captivates me—shock, confusion, and something that might almost be hope.
“That’s all I have to say. Thanks for listening.” I end the live stream, setting my phone down on her desk.
For several seconds, neither of us speak. The weight of what just happened hangs between us, seemingly changing the very air in the room.
“You didn’t have to do all that,” she finally says, her voice barely above a whisper.
“I did.” I take a step closer to her. “I owed you that and more, bet or no bet.”
“Your business endorsement was…unexpected.”
“It was the least I could do. I did tell you I wanted to help.” I reach for her hand, relief flooding through me when she doesn’t pull away.
She studies our joined hands, then looks up to meet my eyes. “But what will the public say about your live feed? You just told the whole world you were an asshole to me.”
“I don’t care about any of that. The only thing that matters to me is what’s right in front of me.” I take both her hands in mine, kissing the top of her small, feminine hands. “You.”
“Me?”
I nod. “Now I’m more afraid of never trying. Of letting you go without fighting for what we had.” I step closer, her lips inches from mine. Her body is so close I could pick her up in my arms and kiss her senseless, make love to her until the world ends. “Unless… unless you don’t want that. If you’ve moved on, if there’s no chance for us, I’ll understand.”
I don’t like saying these words, but I have to. I have to put the ball in her court. There’s no us if she doesn’t say yes to me. To us. And if she doesn’t say yes, I don’t know what I’ll do without her, but I know I’ll have to keep on living.
She frees herself from my hands and rests against my chest, pulling me into a tight hug. “I haven’t moved on. No matter how hard I’ve tried, I couldn’t. God knows I did try for so long. But…”
Hope surges through me, so powerful it’s almost dizzying. “But?”
“But you’re a hard man to forget, Nathan Knight.” A smile touches her lips as tears escape her eyes. “Even when I wanted to.”
I pull back from her to cup her face in my hands. I search her eyes. “Can we try again? Not start over, but…start something new? Something better, built on honesty, trust, and transparency.”
She leans into my touch, her eyes fluttering closed for a moment. “It won’t be easy,” she warns. “What happened between us… It broke something. Something that can’t be fixed overnight.”
“Day by day,” I agree, my thumbs gently caressing her cheeks and wiping away tears. “However long it takes.”
My eyes dart briefly to the glass walls of her office; the transparency leaves us exposed to anyone who might walk by. Without breaking our gaze, I step back and move purposefully toward the door.
"One moment," I say, my voice rough with anticipation.
I close the door with a decisive click, turning the lock before moving to the blinds. One by one, I pull them down, sealing us away from the outside world, creating a sanctuary where only we exist. The room darkens further, lit now only by the warm glow of her desk lamp.
When I turn back to Quinn, her eyes have darkened, her chest rising and falling with quickened breaths. I cross the room in three long strides, drawn to her as though she were my only lifeline.
This time when our lips meet, there's no hesitation. A year of separation—of longing, of unspoken desire—ignites between us. My hands slide from her face to her waist, fingers digging gently into the soft curves of her hips. I lift her in one fluid motion, setting her on the edge of her desk, papers scattering beneath her.
This time, I’m going to claim her as mine.
Quinn gasps against my mouth, her arms immediately wrapping around my neck, fingers threading through my hair, nails lightly scraping my scalp. Her legs part instinctively, allowing me to stand between them as our kiss deepens. Her thighs press against my sides, ankles crossing behind me to keep me close, heels digging slightly into the backs of my legs. I feel my cock close to her entrance as I grind against her.
The taste of her—sweet and alluring—is exactly as I remember yet somehow better, more intoxicating after all this time apart. When her tongue meets mine, a groan escapes me, vibrating through our bodies. My hands find the hem of her blouse, fingers slipping beneath to touch the warm skin of her lower back.
“Nathan,” she breathes against my lips, her voice trembling with need. The sound of my name on her tongue sounds like a prayer I’m desperate to answer.
I trail kisses down her jaw to her neck, lingering at the pulse point that I know drives her wild. Her head falls back, giving me better access as I worship the column of her throat. My teeth graze her skin, not hard enough to mark but to make her shiver against me.
“Tell me you want this,” I murmur against her skin.
Her fingers tighten in my hair, pulling back just enough to look into my eyes. Her vulnerability is on full display, just for me. The raw need mixed with lingering caution nearly undoes me.
“I want this,” she says in a breathy but steady voice despite the flush spreading across her face and neck. “I want you. I never stopped.”
That confession breaks something loose inside me. My mouth claims hers again, hungrier now, deeper, as my hands work at the buttons of her blouse. Each one unbuttoned shows another inch of her soft, beautiful skin. My fingertips brush against her as I go, feeling her shiver at each touch. When the last button yields, I push the fabric from her shoulders, watching it slide down her arms and pool around her on the desk.
Her black lacy bra follows moments later, and my breath catches at the sight of her pert nipples. Her breasts are stunning, perfectly symmetrical and peachy-pink. The golden glow from the desk lamp bathes her skin in warm light, highlighting every curve. Every inch of her is perfect.
“You’re beautiful,” I whisper, struggling to find words adequate for what I’m feeling. “More than before.”
A smile touches her lips, a shy yet confident expression, something that’s uniquely her. “Your turn.”
Her nimble fingers make quick work of my shirt buttons, each brush of her fingertips against my skin sending electricity all over my body. After she pushes the fabric aside, her palms slide over my chest, exploring with a soft touch. Her cool hands against my skin make me hiss between my teeth. I hold back a groan as she travels lower, her hand reaching past my waistband and grabbing my cock.
“Oh, god,” I breathe.
She starts stroking my shaft. “I’ve missed you.”
I catch her wrist, pulling her from me despite my dick’s protest, before she can undo me completely. “Not yet,” I say, my voice barely recognizable even to my own ears. “Tonight is about you.”
I cup one breast and lower my head to capture her taut pink nipple with my mouth, rolling the sensitive area on my tongue. Her back arches, pushing her body closer as a soft moan escapes her. The sound encourages me to keep going, hardening me further against the zipper of my pants. I search with my free hand for her other breast, thumb brushing over the hardened peak. I pinch it between my thumb and forefinger. She trembles beneath my touch.