Chapter Chapter Nineteen #2
“All right, everyone, come on,” Griffin announced. “We’re on a schedule here. It’s going to take a while to bake all the pizzas, and we can’t all eat together anyway, so some of us will have a long time to wait if we don’t pick up the pace.”
“Why don’t we all just share whatever comes out of the pizza oven? That way no one has to wait for a million others to be ready,” Knox suggested as everyone focused on their pizza again.
Griffin whistled. “That’s genius. Is everyone okay with eating whatever’s done first?”
There was a murmur of agreement. I looked at Knox and smiled.
“What?” he whispered.
“I’ll tell you later.”
“I want to know now.”
“No, you absolutely don’t,” Finn replied, “because what you know, we will know, and I have a hunch that Amy doesn’t want that.”
My cheeks were on fire. I didn’t reply, though, as Finn had phrased it somewhat rhetorically.
It took us no time at all to finish the pizzas, and then we all carried them outside to bake.
Or at least I attempted to before Knox swatted my hand. “Nah, I’ll take yours.”
“Knox, I can keep my balance,” I said as everyone filtered out, and it was just the two of us left.
He looked me straight in the eye. “I don’t want you to overexert yourself.”
I laughed. “By carrying pizza? Listen, I’m fine.”
“Are you? Are you enjoying this? I can’t tell.”
“Oh, look at Mr. I Know You So Well. So I can still keep you guessing, huh?”
He shook his head. “I hadn’t anticipated my brothers making a complete fool of me.”
“So what you actually want to know is if my opinion about you has changed.”
Knox rolled his shoulders back, pushing his chest out a bit. He looked hilariously delicious with his sculpted chest bracketed by a pizza in each hand. “Has it?”
“No. I still think you’re the sexiest guy I’ve ever met. And funny to boot. And super, super smart.”
“All right.” He nodded as if that was exactly what he wanted to hear.
“Satisfied?” I asked.
“Not even close.”
He pinned me with his eyes in an instant. I felt hot all over. I looked down at my lap and cleared my throat before snapping my gaze up to him.
“Fuck, I should have just taken you to my place or yours so we could spend the whole day together.”
“But we are spending it together.”
“Alone,” he emphasized.
“What? I’m enjoying this. I don’t want to be your dirty secret.”
His smile fell. “That’s not what I meant.”
I frowned. “No, that’s not how I meant it either.”
“You’re definitely not my secret, Amy.” He put the plates down on the kitchen island. “Actually, I have an idea so you can see exactly how serious I really am. I’m going to a benefit soon, and I’d love for you to come there with me as my date.”
My face slowly stretched into a grin. “That sounds great. But honestly, you don’t have to take me. I believe you when you say I’m not your secret.”
“But I want to show you off,” he said, then cupped my face with both hands. He pressed his thumbs to the corners of my mouth. “I want everyone to know how lucky I am that you’re mine.”
“I’m the one who’s lucky,” I whispered.
“I’ve never had anything like this in my life. But now I do, and I want to shout it from the fucking rooftops.”
I started to laugh. God, he really meant it. He wanted me to come with him to the benefit. That seemed huge.
“Sure. When is it?”
“Friday in two weeks. Do you have anything going on?”
“If I do, I’ll cancel, but I don’t think so.”
He kissed my forehead. I expected him to add something else, maybe something playful or sexy, but he didn’t. He just kept me there. I sighed, melting against him.
“Is it safe to come in?” Finn’s voice resounded through the kitchen.
Knox immediately stepped back. “Don’t be ridiculous.”
Finn came around the corner. “Both of you are dressed. Good.”
“Fuck, Finn,” Knox said.
“I don’t know what to expect today. I keep getting shocked, so I’m trying to assume the most shocking thing that can happen next.
” He opened the fridge and took out two jugs of juice, then said, “Unless you actually are up to something scandalous, you’d better join us outside.
Everyone was taking turns guessing what’s going on in here. ”
I was sure surprise was written across my face.
Knox just stared at Finn, then turned to me. “You know, my family is usually not this outrageous. I’m not sure what’s gotten into them today.”
“It couldn’t have anything to do with you just showing up here with me without giving them a heads-up, huh?” I teased.
“It could,” he admitted.
He grabbed the pizzas again, and we headed outside to the backyard. Griffin’s pizza oven was huge. There were tables set up outside too.
“All right, our two new lovebirds have finally joined us,” Griffin said. “Just put the pizzas on the table. As soon as one comes out of the oven, we’ll slice it, and then whoever is the hungriest can grab a slice.”
I laughed. “Very straightforward deal.”
“So, Amy, tell us,” Wyatt started, “how did this one convince you to give him the time of day after so many years?”
I pondered my reply.
“It’s the first time he asked,” I admitted.
Everyone had a good laugh, except Knox. He looked at me with a strange expression.
Did I say something wrong?
I rewound my answer. I didn’t think so. It was tongue-in-cheek, but it was also true.
I didn’t have time to overthink it, though, because the first pizza came out, and I was starving, so I reached for a slice.
“This is delicious,” I said.
It was scalding hot, too, but that just made it even more delicious. Before long, everyone had had at least one slice.
* * *
The afternoon was truly amazing. The more time I spent with the Sterlings, the more at ease I felt around them. It was well past dinnertime as we left, but we’d all had so much pizza that no one had been hungry for anything else.
As we went to the rental car, I said, “We need to return this, don’t we?”
“Yep. It’s actually rented until tomorrow morning, though, so no rush.”
I sighed. “I can’t wait to curl up on my couch with a book tonight and relax a bit.”
Knox laughed as he opened the door. “Well, that’s going to be my couch you curl up on—with a Kindle. I don’t actually have any books.”
I blinked. “Meaning?”
“I’m taking you to my house. I want to keep an eye on you all night long.”
“Oh, is that what they’re calling it these days? Or do you mean to actually keep your hands on me?”
He tilted closer and pushed a strand of hair behind my ear. “I just want to make sure you’re all right. And spend as much time with you as possible this weekend.”
“Well, then, Mr. Sterling, whisk me away. I can’t wait for you to seduce me in that sexy house of yours.”