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“Thanks, but I’ll probably just have something light.”
“You sure?” he asked.
I’d never felt so cared for, and I knew a big part of that was thanks to Knox. Looking back, I realized he’d always tried to make me feel welcome.
Any time we’d gone on the yacht last summer, he’d always ensured that my favorite snacks were stocked. One time, he’d had the chef at a Michelin-star restaurant change the entire tasting menu to accommodate my dairy sensitivity. Knox had always gone out of his way to make sure I was comfortable and enjoying myself. In the past, I’d told myself it was because I was dating his son. But now…I wasn’t so sure.
“Positive,” I said. “You should enjoy yourself.”
“I know how much you love their flourless chocolate cake.” He arched one eyebrow, tempting me—and not just with the promise of cake.
I moaned, thinking of the decadent dessert. “I just can’t figure out their secret. There’s no dairy, but it’s so rich.”
When I realized he was staring at my lips, I added, “Sorry. I shouldn’t keep you. I’d hate to make you late for dinner.”
“Does that mean you’ve picked a tie?”
“This one,” I said, holding up the winner.
He took it from me and went over to my floor-length mirror, buttoning the top button of his shirt and then setting to work tying the tie. I studied his hands, his movements fluid and dexterous. Sexy.
Even though his attention was on the tie, I could feel his eyes on me. Watching me in the mirror as he finished dressing. It felt…strangely intimate.
“All right,” he said, turning to face me. “Good?”
“Good,” I said, though it was so much more than good. “I’ll walk you out.”
He placed his hand on my lower back, ushering me down the hall. As I admired the newly hung artwork, I realized how comfortable I’d become. Every day, this felt more like my home and less like a job.
I knew I’d have to move out at some point, and I knew that day was coming sooner than later. But the idea filled me with a sense of dread. I’d miss this beautiful house and all the wonderful staff who had become my friends. More than anything else, I’d miss Knox.
“Thank you for sorting the mail,” Knox said.
“Of course.”
I liked doing little things to make his life easier. He was always doing things for others, even if they didn’t realize it. For the longest time, I’d thought Jude was behind the peonies—my favorite—in our hotel rooms when we stayed at Huxley Grand properties for the Leatherback’s away games. And while it had seemed slightly out of character for Jude, I would’ve never guessed his dad was behind them.
It was only more recently that I’d made the connection. Knox had done so many kind and considerate things for me. But it was when the pink peonies—and only ever pink peonies—had started showing up on the dining table here at the house that I’d put it together. Knox had been behind it all along.
And in some small way, taking care of the house, helping him, felt like paying him back. Not that he’d ever made me feel like I owed him anything. More that…I’d realized Knox was so busy taking care of others that I wondered if he knew what it was like to have someone do something nice for him. Take care of him.
And the more things I did for Knox, the more I realized that pleasing him pleased me. I could envision other ways to give Knox pleasure, but I quickly shut down that line of thought.
Knox was my boss. And my ex’s father. Hoping for anything more was wildly unrealistic and inappropriate, not to mention wrong.
* * *
A few days passed,and nothing had changed. Knox’s dinner with Jude and Chrissy had gone well. And I was still crushing on my boss.
I headed inside and opened a few packages before checking the inventory on some of the household products. With Knox spending more time at the house, I’d wanted to make sure he was comfortable. And since I was doing less actual house-sitting, I’d taken it upon myself to adopt more of a house manager role to compensate for it. Plus, I was still tutoring him in Spanish, though that was fun.
I taught a few classes online, but there’d been a drop in enrollment the past few weeks. Students had complained about the website not working. I wished I had answers for them, but I was just as frustrated as they were.
After I’d finished, I headed down to Knox’s office. The door was open, and he sat behind his desk, concentrating on the computer screen. The late-afternoon sunlight glinted off his hair, especially the silver strands near his temples and in his beard.
I studied him, thinking about how he was always leaving his mark. Whether it was on a personal level—all the nice things he did for me—or through the Leatherbacks.
After purchasing the team years ago, he’d changed the name and revamped the entire brand so it would be more inclusive. As part of its mission, the team donated a portion of its ticket sales to a conservation fund that helped both leatherback turtles and other marine wildlife.
