“Boss,” one greeted.
The other gave Leah an assessing look before opening the door for Knox.
She hesitated. Beyond that door was Knox’s private living space. Few people in this city probably managed to take a peek at what lay inside.
“Be my guest,” Knox murmured.
She took a deep breath and stepped inside. Knox turned the switch on. Her breath caught. Windows everywhere. They stretched from the floor to the ceiling. The furniture he chose were mostly made of dark cherry wood. Beyond the gigantic living room, Leah spotted double doors that led to an Olympic-sized swimming pool.
People really lived like this?
The apartment Leah shared with her brother suddenly seemed like a dump compared to this palace. Leah detached herself from Knox and wandered to the windows.
She rested her palm against the cool glass. Knox lived on the twenty-second floor. He had quite a view. She could see the city’s skyline from up here.
“What do you think?” he murmured behind her.
Leah spun, only to bump right into his massive chest. She peered at his face, tried to get a read on him, but she couldn’t. Knox remained enigmatic and closed-off to her.
She told him the truth because she had nothing else to offer. “I’m beginning to realize I’m way out of my league.”
He chuckled, like her answer amused him.
“Are you mocking me?” she demanded.
“Not at all. Your honesty is a refreshing change.”
“You told me earlier to treat this like a first date,” Leah reminded him. She needed to get her bearings. To stop letting herself be overwhelmed by him. “A date includes dinner.”
“That’s right.” Knox took off his jacket and padded to the kitchen.
He rolled up the sleeves of his shirt. Leah followed him, curious as to what he’d do next. His kitchen was like a dream. She ran her hand over his shiny appliances while Knox took out ingredients from the fridge.
“I can’t believe Knox Carter is cooking me dinner,” she commented.
It was so much easier thinking of Knox as a simple date, rather than the man her brother lost her to.
Leah trusted one man before. She’d offered him her heart on a platter only for him to return it in pieces. Brody made it hard for her to trust another man again.
Leah never had time to date, anyway. She was too busy working, paying off the rent and bills. It didn’t help that Larry had been out of a job for two years.
“Cooking for a woman. This is a first for me,” Knox said. He had some eggs, cheese, and bacon out.
“You don’t usually cook for your dates?” she asked. Leah positioned herself at the opposite side of the counter, so she wouldn’t get in the way. Knox started to boil some pasta in a pot.
“You’re the first woman I’ve brought back here,” he said, expression intense. “And I usually leave the cooking to my private chef.”
That made her feel a little special.Stop it, Leah chided. Falling for a killer, for Knox, wasn’t supposed to be on the cards. Too bad the more she spent time with him, the more she realized that Knox had complicated layers to him.
“Who taught you to cook?” she asked, watching Knox chop garlic. He clearly knew how to use the knife.
“My mother. She passed away when I was twelve. She’d been gunned down by an enemy group. My fondest memories of her were always in the kitchen. Before she married my father, she told him she understood what he did. She accepted him but she didn’t want to know what was going on with the family business.”
“I’m sorry,” Leah said, meaning it.
Knox’s mother didn’t go peacefully. She couldn’t imagine how that was like. Knox’s tone was matter of fact, but she didn’t miss the fondness in his voice when he talked about his mother.
“It’s tough to lose a parent,” she said.