Chapter 62

I offer him a shy smile, feeling his gaze on me as he studies my reaction. I rub my arms, discomforted by her words, and let my eyes wander around the room.

We’ve entered an open-plan condo-style apartment with the kitchen to the left. In front of me, down three steps, is the living room with a black U-shaped sofa.

Behind this, up the steps again to the left, is a dining table and a large window. I turn to look at him and then back to the window. Walking towards it, I’m met with the most breathtaking view of the city.

I feel like a kid in a candy store. This is just incredible. I’ve never been to his place, I’ve always avoided coming over when he asked.

“Wow...” is all I manage to say. I’m in awe of this view. Looking down, I see the slow-moving cars lit up and yellow cabs driving behind the towering skyscrapers of Manhattan.

I could stare out this window all day and night and never be bored.

“You like it?” He asks, standing behind me with his chest resting against my back.

I see we’re alone in this open room as I turn to face him, my eyes darting between him and the view that I can’t seem to look away from.

“It’s beautiful... I—Wow...” I laugh to myself, amazed by the view he has from his own home. We stand there for several minutes.

Then I hear a light chuckle from him, so I meet his gaze, wondering what he finds amusing.

His eyes are bright and shining from the lights of the buildings coming in through the huge window. His tan skin glows golden brown, and his hair is lighter than usual from the sun in Savannah.

But boy, he looks hot right now.

“What? Why are you laughing?” I ask, watching as a bright smile spreads across his face. His eyes scan my face, then trail down my body slowly, memorizing me as much as possible, as if I might run away again.

His eyes return to my face. He takes a deep breath in and releases it.

“I was thinking—”

“You can think?” I interrupt, my tone dripping with sarcasm. He responds with a deadpan look on his face.

Continuing with what he was saying before I interrupted, he says, “As I was saying, I was thinking about the date... We should go out tomorrow, after the conference. I have something in mind that I think you’ll like. We can go straight after, just me and you? Does that sound alright?” He asks nervously, running his hands through his hair.

I can’t suppress the smile on my face, even when I bite the inside of my cheek. I still can’t.

“Are you certain you want to—”

“Never been more certain in my life, baby doll,” he interrupts me, a grin spreading across his face.

“Okay, then... So, what do you have in mind?” I ask, curious about our plans for tomorrow.

The thought of him being there to support me at the conference is both comforting and endearing. I’m still adjusting to this side of him. It’s new and somewhat strange to me.

“It’s a surprise, baby doll. And don’t even start guessing, and don’t give me those eyes either. I won’t fall for it... I hope...”

He mumbles the last part to himself as he turns to remove his jacket, draping it over the back of a chair at the dining table.

I smirk and clasp my hands together, giving him my best puppy dog eyes, a look that Sam and I have perfected.

“But Knox, pretty please with a cherry on top,” I pout, batting my eyelashes for added effect.

“Oh no—” He quickly shuts his eyes, blocking out my face. Damn it! “Stop it, baby doll, it’s not going to work.”

I sigh and turn back to face the city view, saying, “Fine.” I see his reflection in the window as he approaches me.

He wraps his arms around my shoulders, his chest pressing against my back, his lips lightly kissing the crown of my head. Moments later, he moves to stand beside me.

“I’ll show you where you’ll be sleeping. You can rest if you want. I’ve ordered Chinese and pizza. I’ve got a few calls to make, but make yourself comfortable. The TV is the same model as the one at our house, so you know how to use it—” He walks towards a white door with glass panes that are frosted over, obscuring the view.

Did he decorate this place himself, or did he hire someone?

“...and this is where you can stay. Although my room is right there, if you ever feel needy and want a cuddle...” He teases, and I stifle a laugh as he points to the door opposite my room.

“The bathroom is through here. Pillows and sheets are in here if you need more, or if you’re cold. But you can adjust the temperature on this screen, or again, come to my room. It controls the lighting too, and there’s another one beside the bed. That’s the wardrobe, and there’s the TV. The lights turn on when you tap the metal—it took me a while to figure that out... The bath is also a jacuzzi. I highly recommend using it. I would highly recommend sharing it with another person—”

He wiggles his eyebrows at me, and I hit him in the arm, “Ow! Easy, I’m the sexiest man alive!” He teases, and I roll my eyes at his playful arrogance.

I walk around the room in awe. It’s beautifully decorated with shades of grey, white, and black dominating the space.

“Your decorator did a nice job,” I comment, admiring the sleek and classic designs. Simple, yet intricate. Eye-catching, despite the lack of color.

The bed is covered with an ice-grey duvet, crisp white sheets peeking out at the top. The headboard is black, and the walls are painted a medium shade of grey.

“Thanks, I kind of enjoyed doing it.”

“Wait, you did it? Wow—”

“Yeah, I took it on as a project during my off-season.”

“Really? Wow, I never would’ve pictured you as the type to enjoy design...”

“Yeah, I like all the art stuff. I enjoy visiting museums, galleries, and design studios. I also like photography. I find it relaxing...”

“You like art? Same here. I love going to the MET museum and the history museum. They’re my favorites. I always visit at least once when I’m here. I usually drag Hannah along, but she only enjoys it if there are cute guys around—”

I laugh, recalling a memory of a time when I brought Hannah along. He has a glint in his eyes.

“Ben was teaching me how to use my camera. I got it recently and I’m still figuring out how to use it. You’re good with the... um... camera,” I say, my gaze dropping to my feet shuffling on the light grey rug.

I have to ask him why he posted that picture. It’s been bothering me ever since he did.

“Why did you put the... um... the photo up on your Instagram? I’m just curious. Don’t get me wrong, it’s really nice and all, but why?”

As I stammer out my question, I see him shrug his broad shoulders and rub his hands together.

“I couldn’t post the one of you smiling without it looking suspicious. So I chose that one. I didn’t want people going crazy over it, but they did that anyway.”

“Why didn’t you take it down?”

“I liked it. Although it’s not my favorite one of you, I wanted to post it.”

“Favorite? You have a favorite? Knox, I looked horrible that day,” I laugh, waving my hands around as I recall the day he took the picture.

“Yeah, I have a few. I can show you sometime if you want? Once I’ve finished editing them. Baby doll, you never look horrible.”

“I’m sure you’ll be editing for a while with my photos. Just put a model’s face on mine to save you time,” I joke, causing him to glare at me seriously.

“Stop, you need to see yourself the way other people see you, baby doll.”

“And how do they see me? Nerdy? Tomboyish? Repulsive? Ugly? Annoying? Boring—”

“Beautiful,” he murmurs, his intense gaze sending a pulse of electricity through my body. His voice, deep and resonant, drowns out my own thoughts. My heart races, my breaths come in short, erratic bursts. I can’t focus on anything but him.

“What?” I manage to whisper.

~Ding dong~

The doorbell interrupts us. Neither of us moves to answer it. It rings again, and he reluctantly pulls away to answer it. I stare at the empty space he once occupied, the faint murmur of a male voice drifting in from the doorway.

I turn on my heel, noticing my suitcase on the bed. I unzip it and pull out my jersey. In the bathroom, I change into it, slipping on my glasses. My eyes are tired today, dry and blurry.

When I emerge, I find Knox and a guy holding two pizza boxes and a brown bag, presumably filled with more food. His eyes snap to mine, wide and surprised, as I approach him and Knox.

Knox smacks him on the back of the head, pulling his attention away from me. But it doesn’t last long—his gaze finds me again. I offer him a small smile and he extends his hand.

“Drake, nice to meet you. I’m Knox’s manager’s assistant.”

I shake his hand, my smile still in place. “Alex, nice to meet you too.” How many people are on this team of his? It seems like I meet someone new every hour.

“Here,” Knox pushes a pizza box towards me, a frown directed at Drake. “That’ll be all, Drake,” he orders, his gaze fixed on Drake, who is still staring at me.

This is getting uncomfortable. “Can I not stay—”

“No,” Knox cuts him off, anticipating his question. I push my glasses up my nose as they slip down. I open the pizza box to reveal a steaming hot ham and pepperoni pizza.

My favorite.

I smirk at Knox, who returns a you’re-welcome smile. I carry the box over to the dining table, but Knox redirects me to the sofa.

“What if I drop something onto the sofa?” I ask, eyeing the pristine black leather.

“Don’t worry, I’ve done it plenty of times. I have a cleaner come in every other day. She’ll take care of it,” he assures me, grabbing plates and the bag of Chinese food.

“Bye, Drake,” he calls over his shoulder. Drake huffs and heads for the door.

“Bye, Alex. It was nice meeting you! Bye, Knox.” I wave at him, my mouth full of delicious pizza.

Knox rummages through the bag, setting out the food on the coffee table in front of the TV.

“What about the calls you have to make?”

“I’ll do them later. I’m a hungry guy right now,” he jokes, reaching for the remote. He opens up the containers of starters—something my family always does when we order pizza. We get Chinese starters to pick at while eating. Ribs, noodles, chili chicken bites, and more. He slides a container across to me. I smile, thinking I know what it is.

“Is that what I think it is?”

He winks at me, confirming my suspicion and taking my breath away. Damn, get it together, Alex. I open the container to find my favorite—steaming white rice. I’ve been addicted to rice my whole life.

I could eat bowls and bowls of plain white rice and be perfectly content. I moan at the smell, spooning some into my mouth.

“Mmmm, it’s been a while, my friend. I’ve missed you,” I murmur, letting the taste melt on my tongue. My eyes roll back in my head as I savor the starchy goodness.

“You have a serious addiction to rice, baby doll. I swear you were probably Chinese in your past life,” he teases. I hear the familiar theme of Law and Order playing on the TV and open my eyes to see Olivia Benson on the screen.

I nod in agreement, chuckling. “I was probably a sumo wrestler with the amount I can eat of this stuff. It’s like my crack. Some kids grew up addicted to certain types of candy, but I grew up addicted to rice... and Twinkies.”

He chokes on his food, making me turn to him in concern. Oh shit, I know why he’s choking. My cheeks flush with embarrassment as I remember the night and the magic of his mouth. I clench my legs together subconsciously, grabbing a water bottle from the table and handing it to him.

His hand brushes against mine, sending a tingle up my arm. He taps his chest while drinking the water, and I lightly pat his back, giving him a worried look.

“Are you alright? I don’t want to be questioned for murder if you die right now. I mean, I do know CPR... but you know,” I ramble, trying to lighten the mood.

“CPR? Like mouth-to-mouth and stuff?... I think I could use some mouth-to-mouth resuscitation right now,” he leans in, and I put my hand on his face, pushing him back.

“You’re fine, Carter. You’d have to be lying down and not breathing for me to do that.” To my surprise, he lays down on the couch, closing his eyes.

“I’m lying down and not breathing. Save me,” he says, holding his breath. I stifle a laugh, looking down at him.

He is such a chancer. He opens one eye to see what’s taking me so long. I lean my head on my hand, looking down at him.

“You know, if you don’t do it now, you’ll have to soon. I’m holding my breath, and you don’t want me to die, do you?” Knox’s eyes fluttered closed as he waited for my response.

His face was slowly turning a shade of red that was starting to concern me.

“Knox, cut it out,” I pleaded, but he remained motionless, not even a twitch.

“Knox! Stop it, this isn’t funny anymore,” I hissed, lightly thumping his chest and giving him a gentle shake. But he didn’t respond.

“Knox! Jesus, you’re r—” My words were cut off as I pressed my lips to his, pinching his nose and then quickly releasing it. This guy was insane. I felt his hand slide to the back of my head, twisting it to deepen the kiss.

He nipped at my lower lip, causing me to gasp, and his tongue darted in, challenging my own. Our tongues danced together in a rhythmic ballet, my hand resting on his cheek, gently rubbing his stubble.

Butterflies erupted in my stomach, and my heart pounded against my chest. God, he was a good kisser.

I pulled back slightly, but his breath still warmed my lips.

His eyes twinkled as he looked up at me, a smile playing on his lips. “You saved my life, baby doll,” he murmured in a low tone. I snorted, pushing myself away from him. I slapped his chest lightly and leaned forward to grab another slice of pizza.

“You’re full of crap, Carter, and so cheesy,” I retorted, biting into my slice and turning my attention back to Olivia Benson on the TV screen. I ate until I was completely full.

Later, I collapsed into the new bed he’d shown me earlier, hoping to stave off the worry about tomorrow’s conference. The exhaustion from traveling was catching up to me, and my body was showing signs of fatigue.