Chapter 24

As I head for the shower, I turn on the water and undress, ready to wash away the remnants of the day. I catch my reflection in the mirror, my face smeared with dark brown icing, my lips the only clear spot.

I can’t help but grin at my reflection, my fingers tracing over my lips, still tingling from the heat of the moment. I step into the warm water, letting it cascade down my legs, washing away the food mask on my face and in my hair.

After what feels like ten minutes, I step out of the shower and choose an outfit—a blue and white, off-the-shoulder, pin-striped top with long sleeves, paired with dark denim jeans and white Vans. I lay my coat on the duvet, leave my hair to dry naturally, and apply a bit of makeup.

If I’m going shopping with Knox, there will be people around, cameras even, so I need to look presentable. I won’t look like the girls he’s usually photographed with, but I’m not dating him, so it doesn’t matter.

Once I’m ready, I grab my coat and sunglasses—my shield against future pictures—and saunter out of my room, heading towards the foyer. As I shuffle down the stairs, I see Knox on the phone.

Reaching the last step, I step down into the foyer. He spins around casually and smiles at me, his eyes roaming over my outfit, as if checking for his approval.

“Alright cool!... yea... yea... alright I gotta go anyway!... yea, I’ll talk to you later... bye,” he says into the phone, not taking his eyes off me. Once he’s done, he slips the phone into his pocket.

He mumbles something under his breath, but I’m too far away to catch it.

“You ready to go? We’ll take my car,” he says.

I nod in reply and reach for the door handle, opening it for both of us. We walk to his car in silence, the crunch of stones under our feet the only sound.

As I reach out to open the car door, a hand beats me to it. I turn to see Knox, those ocean blue eyes staring back at me, a faint smile playing on his lips. ~Those lips that were on mine not too long ago.~

~God, he’s a good kisser. I shouldn’t have liked it, but it was exactly how I remembered it.~

“Thanks,” I say softly, sliding into his slick black Audi. It’s a beautiful car, even more so on the inside. He closes the door and moves around to his side.

I run my hands over the soft black leather seats.

“Buckle up!” he says casually. As our seat belts click into place, he starts the car and backs out of the driveway.

“Where to first?” he asks as we drive along the smooth road.

“Um... I was thinking maybe she’d like a bag? Since you said there’s no budget... Maybe a Hermes bag? Or a Coach bag?” I suggest.

He looks at me as if I’ve grown a second head, his eyes darting between me and the road.

“Sure? To be honest I have no idea what they are other than the fact that they’re bags? So you just say where and bring me there!” He smiles at me again.

“You can’t go wrong with a bag, and I’m kind of glad you don’t know what they are, I’d be a little worried if you did.”

“You girls and your bags! You should just have one and throw all your unnecessary crap into it and there, you’re done! But no, you’ve got to have one in every color of the rainbow, don’t you?”

“Hey! Hey! Don’t be putting the bags down, they didn’t do anything to you. Unless you were hit by one...” I trail off, mumbling the last part to myself.

“I just don’t get you women and your millions of bags, shoes, and clothes? It is mind-boggling,” he says.

“Did you just say mind-boggling? Who even says that?” I tease him.

“Shhh baby doll, no need!”

“Wow, you are either getting really old now or you’ve gotten a few too many hits playing on the field,” I say, his arched brow and look telling me to zip it.

“Remind me why I brought you out with me?”

“Because of my amazing personality, beauty, the fact that you can’t stand a minute without my presence... and to find your mother a Christmas present,” I brag, leaning on my knuckles that are resting underneath my chin, my elbow on the smooth black leather armrest.

He turns to face me, lifting the corners of his mouth along with both brows.

“I’ll go with the last option, baby doll. We both know I’m the one with the amazing personality, beauty, and the fact that you can’t stand a minute without my presence. That’s why I’m on so many covers. It’s only a matter of time before you admit it.”

Throwing my words back at me, I suppress an eye roll, hidden behind my polarized lenses.

Before I know it, we’re outside Hermes in Manhattan. As we park and exit the car, I see him running around the front of it.

“I was going to get that for you, baby doll!” he says, and I notice how well he’s dressed—dark black jeans and a fitted blue jumper with the sleeves pushed up to his elbows, muscles bulging. I wish my relationship was as strong as the thread keeping his jumper together.

“Why? I’m perfectly capable of opening and closing my own door,” I protested, shaking my head at his absurd insistence.

“Why? Because my mother raised me to be a gentleman, especially for special ladies,” he retorted, winking at me as he slung my bag over his shoulder. I couldn’t help but laugh at his antics.

“Yeah, okay, Knox. Because I’m soooo special,” I shot back, my voice dripping with sarcasm. He responded with a rapid nod, his warm hand resting on the small of my back as he guided me towards the shop’s entrance.

The streets were deserted as we walked. He held the door open for me, and as I stepped inside, I lifted my sunglasses from my eyes. I was greeted by a doorman—or perhaps a security guard—and five sleek-looking women, all dressed in black.

They reminded me of flight attendants, looking so prim and proper. I offered them a warm smile, only to realize they weren’t looking at me at all.

Their gazes were fixed on the man they perceived as a Greek god standing behind me.

“Is there anything we can assist you with, Sir?” The red-headed woman purred, her eyes locked on Knox, who looked utterly out of his element.

He turned to me, clearly seeking help. She sauntered closer to him, taking in the sight before her. ~Here we go,~ I thought.

“Um, we’re looking for a Christmas present,” he informed her. She clasped her manicured hands in front of her, pushing her breasts together in a rather obvious attempt at seduction. Classy.

I wandered off to peruse the season’s bag display. Delilah would be thrilled with any of these. A Birkin Hermes bag is a coveted item for nearly every woman on the planet, myself included.

But that’s a purchase I’d make with my first paycheck someday.

“Oh, is it for anyone in particular?” She was fishing for information, trying to determine if he was shopping for a girlfriend. Judging by her tone, I doubted that would deter her from making a move.

I snorted under my breath at her blatant attempt, picking up a small bag from a dimly lit shelf.

“Um, yeah, my mother,” he responded. Hearing him, I turned around to find him standing much closer than I’d realized. I jumped a little, surprised by his proximity. He smiled at my reaction.

Ever since our little ‘incident’ this morning, I’d been on edge around him. I could hear the commotion outside the glass doors.

Glancing over his shoulder, I saw a crowd gathering outside, camera flashes sporadically illuminating the scene. I groaned aloud, and he stepped closer to me.

“It’s alright, just continue with what you’re doing. I’ll be right behind you, baby doll,” he reassured me. Nodding, I turned back to face the woman who had been blatantly ignoring me.

“We were thinking of getting her a bag, maybe a Birkin?” I asked. She pointed me in the direction of the bags. They were even more stunning in person.

I picked up a dark tan one—simple yet elegant. It seemed to scream Delilah. I held it up for Knox to see.

“What about this one?”

He shrugged. “Damn, baby doll, you’ve got expensive taste. It’s nice, but a bit boring.” I laughed in shock at his comment. Alright, Knox.

“Alright, I didn’t realize you were such a fashion expert!” I teased him. I walked past him to get a better look at the other options.

His hand found its way to the small of my back again. I turned to look up at him, finding him studying the bags. A small grin began to replace the bored expression he’d been wearing.

He was doing this on purpose. I stepped forward, hoping his hand would drop, but he simply followed, keeping it there.

Feeling the warmth of his hand through my clothes, I couldn’t help but find comfort in his touch. ~It probably means nothing, Alex,~ I reminded myself.

“What about that one?” He pointed to an orange and blue bag. ~That is gorgeous,~ I thought.

I couldn’t tear my eyes away from it. I turned back to him, impressed with his choice. “Wow, I’m a litt—”

“Excellent choice, Sir. Obviously, you have great taste!” The saleswoman interrupted, strutting over to him and stroking his arm. He thanked her with a smile. ~Here we go,~ I thought again.

I left them to their conversation, unable to tolerate the saleswoman’s helium-infused voice any longer.

I wandered over to the other Birkin bags on display, picking up a gray and mint green one. ~This is just so stunning,~ I thought, smiling down at it. I held it up to the mirror, imagining myself with it. ~Damn, this is so pretty. It kind of reminds me of the ocean.~

“Get it,” Knox’s voice startled me, causing me to squeal and jump back.

“Jesus, Knox! Stop sneaking up on me like that. You scared the crap out of me,” I scolded, placing the bag back on the shelf.

He reached over and grabbed it. “Get it, baby doll,” he repeated, offering the bag to me. I hesitated.

“What? No, are you crazy? I can’t afford that, Knox!” I laughed, taking the bag from him and returning it to its place.

“I didn’t mean you buy it, I’ll get it for you,” he shrugged, his ears turning a light shade of pink.

I noticed the redhead glaring at me with envy. I raised an eyebrow at her, daring her to say something.

“Eh, no, Knox! You’re not buying me the bag. Don’t be silly. I’d be in debt to you for years trying to pay you back, so... no,” I insisted, still in disbelief at his offer.

The only thing I needed was for the press to catch a glimpse of him buying me a bag—an expensive one at that. They’d have a field day with that. I sauntered away from the stand, pretending to browse the rest of the store as if I could actually afford anything in here.

~Maybe the receipt paper,~ I thought, ~if I stretch my budget.~ As I passed the counter displaying purses and belts, the screams from outside the doors intensified, and the flashes of cameras became more frequent.

“I can’t go anywhere with him,” I muttered to myself, catching the sound of laughter from the doorman—or was he a security guard?—beside me. I shot him a knowing smile.

“You get what I’m saying,” I whispered, a smirk playing on my lips. I glanced up to see him entertaining the five women behind the counter, who were hanging on his every word.

~Why am I even here?~ I wondered. ~He could’ve picked out the damn bag himself. Why did he need me?~

The women were all batting their eyelashes and smiling flirtatiously at him. He was paying for the bag with his card. Suddenly, he turned to me, as if sensing my gaze, and smirked.

~Shit! He caught me staring.~

I quickly averted my gaze back to the purses, waiting until I heard the soft shuffle of footsteps on the patterned carpet approaching me.

Without looking up, I felt his hands on my back and waist. I snapped my eyes up to him in shock. ~What the hell is he doing?~

“Ready to go, baby doll?” he asked in his low, husky voice. Unable to trust my voice, I simply nodded. We began to walk away, and I watched him wave goodbye to the women behind the counter.

“Where’s the bag? Didn’t you like it?” I asked when I noticed his hands were empty.

“No, I bought it. It’s just going to be delivered to my apartment. I don’t want it to look like we bought anything here. She reads the tabloids, and I don’t want her to think I bought something. I want to surprise her.”

He beamed down at me. Shrugging, we continued our walk out of the store. I slipped my sunglasses back on to shield my face from the cameras as much as possible, walking alongside Knox.

His arm came up to rest across my shoulders, pulling me closer to his body as we navigated through the crowd. The screams of his adoring fans and the incessant clicking of photographers’ cameras filled the air.

“Knox, I love you!”

“Knox, I want your babies!”

“Marry me, Knox! I want to be your Mrs. Carter!” The absurd declarations made me laugh into him, my hand covering my face as much as possible.

~Some people are way too obsessed with him.~ As we neared the end of the crowd, I started to hear my own name being called.

~Great!~

“Alex! I love your top! Where did you get it?” a young girl asked. I stopped in front of her, smiling at her genuine kindness. Her eyes widened at my response.

“Um, thanks... what’s your name?”

“S-Sarah,” she stammered.

I gave her a soft smile. “Thanks, Sarah. It’s from Zara! It’s super comfy too! Nice to meet you.” I was about to continue when Knox pulled me back to continue our walk to the car.

He opened the door for me and I slipped inside. As I waited for him, he began to answer questions and talk to fans and reporters.

“Are you official?”

“Is she your childhood sweetheart, Carter?”

“When are you popping the question?”

“How long have you been together?”

“Is she knocked up yet?”

“Are you in love?”

He ignored the questions, signing a few autographs and taking a few pictures with fans. Suddenly, I heard a knock on the window beside me. I looked out to see a young girl waving at me.

I smiled at her and pushed open the car door. “Step back, she’s just a young girl, you’re all crushing her!” I crouched down to her level and the screaming died down a bit.

“Hey there! What’s your name, sweetheart?”

“Amelia.”

“Is that a surfboard I see?”

She nodded up at me.

“You see the guy behind me? His nephew got me one just like that this morning at the Christmas fair. Does yours have your name on it, Amelia?”

Her eyes widened at the fact that I had the same surfboard. “Yes! See! There it is! I got mine at the Christmas fair too!” she beamed, flipping the small surfboard over to show me her name written in pink on the back.

“Mine says Alex and has blue writing. We can be surfboard sisters. Would that be cool?” I looked up at everyone. They were all just staring at me, entranced.

Then she hugged me, her little arms wrapping around my neck. I hugged her back.

“I’d like that!” She smiled up at me and let go. She waved at Knox, who waved back with a smile plastered on his face.

“You’re a very pretty girl! I hope you were good this year so you get lots of presents from Santa. But I’ve got to go. It was very nice to meet you, Amelia.”

I stood up and opened the car door once again. She found her parents and waved at us. I grinned at her and waved back. Knox got in, adjusting himself before we drove off.