Page 175 of Twisted Knight

“Time to go.”

FIFTY-SEVEN

Rowan

The evening has been magical.

And that’s coming from a woman who isn’t keen on romance and flips the channel anytime a Hallmark movie comes on.

But it has been.

The surprise trip to Manhattan. The pamper team waiting for me at the hotel. The way Holden looked at me when he saw me wearing my new dress and his sapphires.

Then there was our private dinner on the top floor of a skyscraper with nothing but a wall of windows separating us from the city beyond. The food was delicious—and real. Not the fancy-looking morsels that food magazines post images of that look like art and diners go home hungry from. It was paired with a fine wine and an incredibly cozy atmosphere. But more important than the meal was my time with Holden.

It was like we were back at the rooftop restaurant on the coast and then some. We talked about anything and everything but work. We laughed about silly stories. We cringed at embarrassing moments.

We were normal, everyday people—just Holden and Rowan—on a date. Not bazillionaire Holden Knight who is poised to take over my company, and not determined Rowan Rothschild struggling to figure out who this new version of her is who sleeps with the enemy and enjoys it.

And now we’re here, standing outside on a street in New York City. My hand is in Holden’s, and I’m beginning to think my heart might be too.

The distance between “think” and “know” is short. And I’m trying not to focus on it.

I shake the thought away and force a smile when I notice him scrutinizing me.

“What was that look for?” he asks, ever the observer.

“What look?”

He narrows his eyes. “The one you were just giving me when you were looking at me but not really seeing me.”

I was seeing you all right. In fact I was seeing you so much I was trying to put all of these emotions you create in me in check. The problem? It’s getting harder and harder to do that the more time we spend together. The more we get to know each other.

I shrug. “I was just wondering what you did with the painting.”

He barks out a laugh that makes his shoulders shake and his eyes fire to life more than they already are. “How about I haven’t done anything with it yet?”

“Oh?” I ask and he nods. “I thought that you had destructive plans for it,” I tease.

“I do. I’m taking my time with it, enjoying its ugliness for a bit before I have fun destroying it.” His eyes meet mine and narrow as the muscle in his jaw pulses.

I don’t know why that sentence has goose bumps clawing their way up my spine, but it does.

And just as quick as the feeling comes, it passes. So does the somberness of his expression. I watch as he flips a switch, his smile lightening the shadows that were just there.

“We both know that’s not what you were wondering. Lay it on me, Sunshine.”

I laugh, welcoming the shift. “Maybe I was simply wondering where we are and what we are doing … which in all fairness has been an ongoing theme tonight.”

“Perfect. That’s exactly what I was going for.” He squeezes my hand and brings it to his lips. “Good to know I succeeded.” He looks at the door. It’s as nondescript as the building itself. There is a plaque next to it that is all blacked out and offers no clues to what it holds inside. “Are you ready?”

“For?”

“You asked me why I summoned you to the jet today. I said part of the reason was to apologize, and the other part was this.”

“This?” I laugh nervously.

“Yes,” he says and opens the door for me to go through. It’s a lobby of some sort with high ceilings and a huge chandelier. It feels new but looks old with its décor and lighting. “This. An early birthday present.”