Knight

My eyes first went to Viv to see her eyes glued to the brother and she was doing a bad job at pretending she wasn’t hyperventilating.

Then my eyes went to Knight’s window.

Then I smiled.

Huge.

* * * * *

On lemon drop five when I was bordering on tipsy, I felt a hand light on the small of my back.

It wasn’t Knight. I would smell him.

I also knew this because the touch was light and it was quick then gone.

I twisted my neck and looked up at Hulk aka Kurt.

“Yo!” I shouted, he blinked then the sides of his lips inched up a quarter of a millimeter.

Then he announced, “Knight wants you in his office.”

Oh goodie.

“You’re escorted,” he finished.

“Lead the way, my man,” I invited, still shouting.

He shook his head.

Then he led the way. I followed and when we left the VIP section, he stayed close. Sometimes, his body skimmed mine. Sometimes, his hand skimmed my waist to guide me. Sometimes, he shifted in front of me, arm out, professionally pushing people aside so I could get through.

Mr. Sebring.

God, my boyfriend was hot and cool in such a myriad of ways, it was mind-boggling.

And he was all this and he didn’t even have to be there.

The bouncer that stood beside the door to the stairs to Knight’s office saw us coming and he had it opened before we got there.

I smiled at him and went through.

The door closed behind me.

Kurt didn’t follow. I was alone on the stairs.

I walked up them, carrying my lemon drop and when I got to the top, I knocked.

The answer was Knight calling, “Anya.”

I turned the knob, pushed it open a couple of feet and stuck my head in, twisting it around the side of the door until I saw Knight standing at the chest against the wall that had all the booze.

“Okay if I come in?” I asked.

“Babe, Kurt was sent to fetch you to me. You don’t even have to knock.”

I smiled at him and came in fully, keeping my eyes on him and watching him shaking his head, lips twitching.

I closed the doors and went to him, belatedly noticing he was opening a bottle of champagne. One of those bottles that had the flowers painted on it.

Which meant an expensive bottle.

There were two sparkling clean champagne flutes sitting on the low chest.

Celebration

For me.

Okay, all right.

Okay, right.

I licked my lips.

This was it. It had happened.

God.

I was in love.

God.

The cork popped.

I stopped close, put my clutch and lemon drop glass on the chest and leaned a thigh into it as I watched him pour.

“Um… already spoiled with the party, sweetheart,” I said quietly.

“Not enough,” he muttered, still pouring.

My belly dropped.

Yep.

In.

Love.

“Okay, then, further spoiled with you hooking up my girl.”

His eyes came to me and he held the glass out to me.

“Not enough,” he said firmly, I took the glass and he went for the other one.

I shut up.

He poured.

Then he set the bottle aside and ordered, “Here.”

I was a foot and a half away.

I went there.

His arm curled around me, my free hand went to rest on his shoulder and he lifted his glass.

I did too.

He touched his to mine and caught my eyes. “Proud of you, baby, workin’ your ass off findin’ ways to make life better.”

I smiled into his eyes. “Thanks, sweetheart.”

I noticed his glass going up, I brought mine up too and we drank.

When Knight was done, he immediately put his to the chest then slid mine out of my hand and it joined it. Then he shoved his hand in the pocket of his trousers.

“Hand, babe, palm up,” he muttered.

I lifted my hand, palm up.

His hand came out and he dropped a set of keys into my palm.

My breath left me as I stared. Then I stared harder.

I thought they’d be for a car which I couldn’t accept, I loved him but he’d already done enough for me. But they weren’t.

I already had the keys to his house.

I felt my brows inch together as my eyes went from the keys to him.

“What –?” I started and he turned fully into me. I had to close my hand around the keys and put it to the chest as he pulled me to him using both arms.

“Notice,” he stated confusingly then went on. “Monday. The bossy bitch who likes to spend money is on stand-by. I’ll give you her card, you call her, sit down with her, tell her your vision but if you don’t want black, don’t mention red.”

I shook my head, still confused. “Pardon?”

“Once she does her gig,” he continued, not answering me but still talking, “she’ll inform me. The firm who does my marketing for the club will pull together a strategy. You want a one-woman show, it’ll be small. You wanna hire staff, they’ll do it up.”

“Knight, what are you talking about?”

“Own most of this block, babe, had a shop close down. Opposite corner. Those keys open the front door. That’s your new spa.”

Oh my God.

My chest seized, I pulled out of his arms, hard, heart beating, harder.

“I can’t accept that,” I whispered then finished, “And I won’t.”

His brows snapped together.

“What?”

I shook my head. Overwhelmed. Happy he’d want to do that. For me.

But it was not going to happen.

“I’m sorry,” I said louder. “That was rude, honey. What you’ve done is sweet. I appreciate it. But I can’t accept.”

His eyes narrowed.

“Why the f**k not?”

“I just…” I faltered. “I just can’t.”

He studied me then he crossed his arms on his chest.

“Why, Anya?”

“I… you wouldn’t understand.”

“Try me,” he ordered.

I pulled in a breath and looked across the room.

Then I thought maybe he would understand.

I looked back at him.

“It has to be me. It has to be mine. I have to do it on my own.”

“Love you, babe,” he said, throwaway. My stomach clenched and dropped and my heart squeezed because he meant it but said it in a way like I already knew it. “Love you,” he repeated. “But that’s f**ked.”

I powered through the fact that he loved me.

Loved me!

And I stuck with the current matter at hand.