12. "Do it in your room, not out in the open."
"Thank you... for the conference..." I said to Mr. Knight as I followed him into his penthouse. I had been trying to find words to thank him the whole ride. I didn't know why it was so hard for me to express my gratitude.
He only hummed as he kept walking, taking the staircase. In one of his hands, he carried my bag with all my things that I had packed.
"But you know, you could have avoided all the trouble and saved your funds if you had just let me go the first time." I raised a point. He still didn't respond.
I was extremely curious to know what went through that head of his.
"Also, thank you for letting me stay here..." I said to his back, watching him push the door to my room open and enter.
He turned the lights on and set my bag on the floor by the wall. "I would stay at my best friend's house, but she has a—"
His annoyed huff made me shut up instantly. When he turned around, I noticed the distressed look in his eyes that stirred up my curiosity. His eyes stayed on me for a minute, before they abandoned me and so did he, leaving me by myself in the room.
———
A knock sounded on my door an hour later, while I sat on my bed, rubbing my empty stomach that was growling for food. I went to open it and came face to face with a lady in her thirties carrying a tray of food with a delicious aroma.
"Hello there," she smiled sweetly, and I smiled back. "I'm Nina, Mr. Knight's cook. He told me to bring you dinner."
"Hi. I'm Aysel. Thank you so much for this." I gave her a grateful smile as I took the tray from her. She nodded, before leaving. I closed the door and placed the tray on the table in the room, before digging in.
After dinner, I went through some lab reports on my phone, before changing into one of my night suits I had packed. I barely controlled myself from putting on Mr. Knight's shirt again. It wasn't my fault that it was so comfortable. But I could not have him take the wrong idea seeing me in it.
Before going to bed, I got thirsty and realised that the water bottle in my room was empty.
I stepped out of my room and went up to Mr. Knight's.
I knocked on his door a few times, receiving no reply.
This time, I didn't feel like barging into his room just like that, so I decided to go look for the kitchen myself.
I went down the stairs, stepping into the lobby, before aimlessly walking ahead. When I entered what looked like a living room, my feet were forced to halt, and my eyes widened at the promiscuous sight in front of me.
Mr. Knight. Shirtless. And making out on his couch with a redhead girl who was clad in a bra and jeans. My jaw dropped to the floor at the wild scene before me. Mr. Knight wasn't exactly kissing her. It seemed like he was eating her mouth.
As his hands moved around her back to unclasp her bra, a loud gasp left my mouth, the water bottle in my hands dropping to the marbled floor, causing both of them to stop their licentious act and pull away.
An expression of shock displayed over Mr. Knight's face, before it returned to his infamous emotionless one. The girl, however, was very expressive of her irritation at my interruption. She pouted and then glared at me.
"Who is she?" She asked Mr. Knight, folding her arms across her chest.
A strange sensation knocked at my heart as I bowed my head. I felt embarrassed and... I don't know. Something. Something I had never felt before.
"Go to my room." He told her, and she instantly obeyed, picking her shirt off the floor and walking out of the living room, but not before shooting me another death stare.
"What are you doing here?" He demanded when she was out of sight.
I pressed my lips together, keeping my eyes anywhere but at him. "I'm... sorry..." I managed to utter after swallowing the lump in my throat. "I just wanted to refill my bottle."
"The kitchen is down the corridor." He said, and I nodded, scurrying out of the living room, taking the bottle and my embarrassment with me.
I practically ran back to my room after filling the bottle, without looking left or right. As I lay in bed, I couldn't help but replay the living room scene in my head again and again. It was making me feel a strange kind of exasperation.
Wasn't it inappropriate to be engaging in such activities in the middle of the house while a guest was there? But then again, it was his house. He could do whatever he wanted.
I tried falling asleep, but kept failing. My thoughts were running loose as I wondered what Mr. Knight and that girl were doing in his room, and if she was even still there.
I didn't know why I was thinking those things.
It was getting on my nerves. Mr. Knight's romantic life details were none of my concern.
But it made me wonder, was it even possible for him to have a romantic life?
Who was that girl? His girlfriend or just a one night stand?
Was a man like him capable of loving and committing to a single woman?
After tossing and turning in bed for two hours, I pushed the covers off of myself and jumped out of bed in exasperation. I paced around the room, annoyed and confused at my meaningless restlessness.
I walked to the door, opening it slightly, enough to peek outside. It was too quiet. I opened the door further, staring at the closed door of Mr. Knight's bedroom.
I kept staring it at for no reason for a few minutes, before I decided to go out of the room. I desperately needed fresh air. I started to aimlessly walk around again in search of a balcony or terrace.
"I see you're making yourself at home." A deep voice sounded from behind.
I gasped, getting startled. With my hand over my heart in an attempt to calm it, I turned around to face Mr. Knight. He was dressed in a black t-shirt and matching sweatpants, his hands in his pockets.
I averted my gaze from him as I recalled the earlier events.
"I... needed fresh air." I said quietly.
"You should be sleeping. You have a busy day at the hospital tomorrow." He said.
"I really need to step out... do you have a terrace?"
He started walking ahead of me. I blinked at his back before following him. He led me to a small terrace. I inhaled the fresh cold air as I stepped outside.
"Sit." He pointed to one of the chairs.
I sat down, watching him take the seat opposite to me. I wondered if his guest was still there. Was she in his bedroom? Had she left?
"I was wondering... if I should go stay at my friend Andrew's instead." I brought up, fiddling with my hands in my lap.
His eyebrows scrunched up. "Who's Andrew?"
"My friend... he works at the hospital. He's the guy who was feeding me that day when I passed out and ended up getting an IV."
His frown deepened. "When I'm keeping you here, then what's the need?"
I shrugged, keeping my eyes away from him. "I don't want to intrude."
"Stop overthinking." He said, leaning back in his chair and sighing heavily.
I bit my lip, still playing with my fingers on my lap. "I'm sorry for earlier..." I cringed as the words involuntarily left my mouth.
"What happened earlier?" He asked cluelessly.
"For the interruption..." I trailed off.
He ran his hand through his hair. "Doesn't matter."
I kept fiddling with my hands as I nervously asked, "is she your girlfriend?"
One of his eyebrows shot up as he looked at me judgmentally. "I don't do girlfriends."
"Oh."
"Are you jealous?" He smirked, leaning forward.
My eyes widened. "Not at all! Why would I be jealous?"
He shrugged, a playful look on his face. I averted my gaze from him once again.
"Have you ever had a boyfriend?" He asked.
"No."
"Never?" His eyebrows shot up.
"Never." I whispered.
"I'm not surprised." He taunted.
I went quiet, as a long forgotten, distant memory emerged to my head. I pushed it to the back of my head, taking deep breaths. "I've had a hard time trusting boys... and being comfortable around them." I found myself muttering.
I could feel his burning gaze on me. "And why is that?"
I licked my lips, snapping out of whatever trance I was in. "I should go sleep." I announced, standing up.
Just as I turned around, his hand wrapped around my upper arm, pulling me to his rigid chest. I looked up at him in shock, and stilled when his face neared mine.
"Are you comfortable around me?" He asked, his voice a whisper, his eyes holding an emotion they had never showed before.
"Not really." I replied.
"And what's the reason?" He inquired.
"Are you seriously asking me that? You're rude to me, you find new ways to torture me, you threaten to kill me and—"
"And I fund a whole conference for you, bring you over to my place to stay in an attempt to protect you from whatever lunatic you have instigated." He continued.
My heart fluttered in a weird way. "Well... you could try being a nice person overall."
"I'm not nice, and I never can be, little one... Now, if you're so uncomfortable, should I kick you out of my house right now?" His tone was a teasing and challenging one.
"It's your house. You make the rules." I muttered.
"Where will you go then?" His eyes pierced through my soul, holding me in a magnetic trance.
"To Andrew's." I replied, my voice low.
His grip on my arm tightened. "Not if I set his house on fire."
"You're insane," I chastised, wincing as his grip grew tighter. "And this! Your hold is always so painfully tight!"
He let go immediately, before caressing the skin with his thumb where he had grabbed me. I shuddered as his skin made contact with mine. "Sorry. I don't have experience dealing with delicate and little girls."
I gaped at him. Did he just apologise?
Did he just call me a little girl?
"I'm not a little girl." I argued, throwing him a glare.
"Are you sure?" He smirked, towering over me with his big and muscular frame.
I took a deep breath. "I really should sleep..."
"What do you want for breakfast?" He asked as I turned to leave.
I looked back at him and shrugged. "Anything."
He raised both eyebrows. "Anything? Does poison work?"
I rolled my eyes. "Sure, why not?"
"Done."
I turned around once again.
"And little one?"
"Yes?" I sighed, looking at him again.
"Try not to disturb me again when I'm trying to get laid." He said, his eyes twinkling with mischief, and a smirk proudly staining his face.
I grimaced at his words. "Do it in your room, not out in the open."
"This is my house, little one. I can have sex wherever I want. The garage, the terrace, the lobby, the bathroom, the kitchen—"
"Oh my God. Spare the kitchen!"
His smirk only grew. It was then I realised that my cheeks were burning red.
I opened my mouth to tell him something, but his phone started ringing. He took it out of his pocket with a sigh and answered.
The smirk on his face and his overall playful attitude vanished as soon as the person on the other end spoke. "And you're telling me this now?!" He yelled at the person, making me flinch at the loudness of his tone. "Do it then! Do not come back until you do!" He seethed, before hanging up.
I stood frozen in confusion.
His angry eyes met mine. "Why the fuck are you still here?!"
My eyes widened at the stark change in his behaviour.
"Aysel, go to your room!" He yelled, making me jump.
I instantly turned on my heels, rushing inside where I practically ran to my bedroom. I locked the door behind me before plopping on the bed and slipping under the covers.
I closed my eyes and forced myself to fall asleep, despite the dull ache in my heart from Mr. Knight's shouting.