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“Hey.” He placed his hand on my shoulder, his tone soothing even though his touch was electrifying. “It’s not a big deal. Are you okay?”
I hesitated a moment, distracted by the way he stroked his thumb back and forth over my skin. But when the officer pounded on the door again, I jumped.
Knox frowned, gently taking the hockey stick from me and leaning it against the wall. “Give me just a sec, and then we’ll get you settled.”
Getmesettled?I wanted to laugh. This washishouse. I was here to do a job—for him.
Knox spent a few minutes talking with Vincent and the police. He was as calm and charismatic as I’d remembered. He explained the situation, and then they talked soccer. I grabbed a blanket to cover myself. And when the officers left, I could hear the smiles in their voices.
“You okay?” Knox asked, returning to me.
I nodded, though I felt like a Coke bottle that had been shaken up.
“Come on,” he said, steering me toward the kitchen. “You look like you could use a drink.”
I clutched the blanket to my chest, feeling exposed. Adrenaline was still flooding my system, and my heart was racing.
The intruder had turned out to be the homeowner, and someone I knew. But as the prospect of danger faded, my quick pulse didn’t. And I realized that perhaps it had more to do with being near Knox than anything else.
CHAPTERFOUR
Icouldn’t believe it.
Kendall was seated on one of the barstools—one ofmybarstools—her legs crossed. She had a blanket wrapped around her, but it had slipped from one of her shoulders, tantalizing me with that small bit of bare skin. Her hair was mussed and her face devoid of makeup. She was stunning.
She always had been.
My mind went back, as it often did, to the first time I saw Kendall. She’d walked across the deck of my yacht like she owned it. Like she belonged there.
She’d been wearing a neon-green bikini that left little to the imagination. A thin string connecting two small triangles that scarcely covered her tanned skin. The strings wrapped around her waist, forming an X, as if to mark the spot. The bottoms had barely covered her ass. And what an ass it was.
But it wasn’t solely her physical appearance that captivated me. She was knowledgeable and passionate about soccer. And that had been just as much of a turn-on.
At the time, she hadn’t been dating Jude. And if I could travel back in time, I would’ve done things differently. I wouldn’t have hesitated to make her mine. But despite all my money, I couldn’t buy a time machine. I couldn’t change the past.
I also couldn’t stop staring at her. Part of me was afraid she’d vanish if I looked away.
She’d always had a quiet confidence. A…strength and resilience that I both respected and admired. Probably because it reminded me a lot of myself.
It was what had first drawn me to her. Her eyes had been focused on the horizon while everyone else partied around her. She didn’t seek anyone’s attention, though she certainly attracted it. She undoubtedly commanded mine—not just that night, but ever since.
“I feel awful about scaring you,” I said, still trying to wrap my head around the fact that she was here. That it was really her.
Kendall waved a hand through the air. “I’m just glad it was you.”
I tried not to read too much into that. Just because I’d always felt a connection to her didn’t mean she felt the same. She’d dated my son, for chrissakes.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” I asked, loosening my tie and dropping it on the counter before undoing the top two buttons of my shirt.
She watched me, rapt. For a moment, I allowed myself to imagine that she was attracted to me. That she wanted me. But then I realized she was probably still stunned from the entire ordeal.
While I was impressed with how she’d handled the situation, I felt terrible for ever putting her in that position. For doing anything to make her feel unsafe, especially around me.
If anything, I’d always gone out of my way to make sure she was comfortable. Even when Jude should’ve been the one to notice that she was cold or not enjoying an activity.
Kendall nodded. “Yeah. I’m okay. Thanks.”
Even though she spoke in a calm tone, her shoulders remained tight. I ached to massage them, to soothe away her concern. I wanted nothing more than to wrap my arms around her, even as impossible as that seemed. To make her feel safe once more.
