Chapter Eight
Knox took a shower right after his conversation with Leah. He needed to feel clean again after mucking around in the warehouse.
Patrick had volunteered to deal with the cops. His tech team was probably going through the video surveillance right now. Knox needed to be back in the head office, resume everyday operations. Pretend everything was normal.
His organization was hit hard but the losses wouldn’t affect him in the long run.
Knox mulled over Leah’s question as he let the hot water cleanse his body. He punched his fist into the wall. Of course, Leah wanted to walk out. No woman in her right mind would want to remain in his world. She was an unnecessary complication in Knox’s life right now, but he’d already decided last night that she wasn’t going anywhere.
He could still feel her warmth, smell her captivating scent when she’d hugged him. A hug. Such a simple gesture and yet Leah would never understand how much it meant to Knox.
Knox seldom let anyone get close to him. His men all depended on him. Looked up to him. To them, he was a force of nature to be reckoned with. Immovable. Untouchable. With Leah, Knox let himself be weak. It wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. Some days, he needed to remind himself he was only human.
She didn’t see him as the enemy at the very least. They were more like wary allies at this point. Barely even friends but he intended to change that soon.
Knox toweled off and dressed in a crisp and fresh suit. Outside, he heard voices. The sound of Leah’s laugh, carefree and wild, jerked his cock awake. He found her speaking to Greta, his housekeeper. Greta had worked for his mother, for his family for a long time, and Knox trusted her without question.
“Knox, Greta was just telling me childhood stories of you,” Leah said.
She was leaning against the counter, nursing a mug of coffee. Knox noticed she wasn’t wearing the same clothes from the night before. Leah must’ve rummaged around his closet before heading to the kitchen, because she wore one of his old shirts and nothing else.
Knox admired the swell of her generous breasts against the thin fabric. He imagined putting his mouth to her hardening nipples and leaving his teeth marks on them.
He pulled his mind from the gutter.
“What stories?” Knox asked, intrigued. He was a little impressed she managed to win Greta over. Not an easy task to do, given the fifty-something housekeeper could be a terrifying protective hen at times.
“Like the time you stole an entire apple pie from the kitchen during Christmas Eve.”
“I remember.”
It was the last Christmas Knox had with his mother. A few months after that, she was shot full of bullets while walking out of church. Leah couldn’t have known about that. Knox didn’t want to make her sad, so Knox didn’t mention that bit.
“Your usual, Knox?” Greta asked.
“Yes, thank you.”
Greta fixed him a cup of coffee and started making his breakfast.
“Make a plate for Leah as well,” he told Greta.
“I’m not that hungry,” Leah protested. Her lower lip trembled. Knox wanted to kiss her, to abandon breakfast completely. He’d simply throw her over his shoulder and carry her back to his bedroom.
Knox looked her up and down. “Breakfast’s the key to starting every day.”
Greta set two plates on the kitchen counter. They were heaped with fresh toast, bacon, and eggs.
“It does smell amazing,” Leah said.
He grabbed their plates. “Do you want to eat by the pool again?”
Her face lit up. “Yes, please.”
“You know I love it when you beg.”
Color rose to her cheeks. “You’re in a good mood now.”
“You have that effect on me,” Knox admitted.