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The rest of the day I spent in and out of meetings. By the time I arrived home, all I wanted to do was kick my heels across the room and sip a crisp wine.
Bella greeted me in the kitchen. “You’re home so late. You’ve been working a lot, Ms. Martin.”
I managed a smile. “It’s part of my responsibilities.”
The sun had started to set.
“Can I bring you cocktail?” she asked.
“Yes. Wine in the pool courtyard, please.”
“I’ll be out in a few minutes.”
I changed into a swimsuit. It was a red one-piece with a deep V that stopped just below my navel. The sides had been strategically cut away. I was hot, and I thought about swimming laps tonight.
I emerged on the pool deck, followed by Bella. She brought a wine chiller as well as a cheese plate.
“Just in case you get hungry.”
“Thank you.”
I made sure the volume on my phone was turned up. I didn’t want to miss Renee’s call.
I tasted the wine and leaned back, staring up at a starry sky.
“Carpe noctem?” The growl invaded my ears and rattled my spine. “Your company is carpe fucking noctem? I still can’t believe it. I’ve heard it. Read it. Seen the doc and I still don’t believe it.”
I almost shattered the glass at the sound of his voice. My eyes opened.
“How did you get in here?”
Knight grinned. “I just told them who I was at the front door. I was even given condolences by your butler. Seems my father used to pay you visits here.”
“You should go.” I swung my legs around, but Knight was there, blocking them. His solid body an obstacle to any movement I made.
All I could think about was this moment five years ago. Here. Him chasing me down. Kissing my lips.
“I’ll call Kimble,” I warned.
He huffed. “I’m surprised about a lot of things since I’ve been back. Keeping him on your payroll is at the top of my list.”
“You don’t have the right to judge anything I’ve done while you’ve been gone.”
The look in his eyes said otherwise.
19
Knight
The suit. She was wearing a red bathing suit. At night. Under the fucking starry sky like a damn siren. Who wears a fucking bathing suit when the sun goes down?
“Kennedy.” My jaw clenched. So did my fist and in it the notice I had received from her office. Scrawled across the top in embossed gold were the words Carpe Noctem, LLC. “What is this?” I demanded.
Her eyes fell to my fist. It gave me a brief second to scan her breasts. To admire the way the dip between them made my mouth water. She’d always had the most beautiful skin. Skin that should be licked and tasted. Worshipped.
“Oh, I’m sorry.” She tried to reach for the paper, but I recoiled. “If that’s from my accountant, it’s only a routine letter. You can throw it out. We’ll set up a new payment plan. I meant to tell him to extend the grace period since, well, since your father…”
My eyes narrowed. “The interest rates on these loans are absurd.”
