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And then there were the community outreach projects. Since moving in, I’d gained even more insight about Knox and the team, and he was just as active off the field as the players were on it. He regularly attended charity functions, and not just fancy galas that raised money. He went on hospital visits with the players. He organized for the unsold concessions from the stadium to be donated to local food banks.
The man was incredible. A powerhouse. And I’d never met anyone quite like him.
“Are you just going to stand there and watch me?” he teased, smiling as his eyes remained focused on the screen.
In the past, his question would’ve made me jump. But during the time we’d spent together, something had shifted. I felt more comfortable teasing him. I found myself pushing back. Pushing the boundaries in ways I wouldn’t have before or with anyone else.
“Maybe.” I grinned, placing the mail and the keys to the Range Rover on his desk.
He regarded me over his laptop then removed his glasses and set them on the desk with a sigh. “I thought I told you to keep these,” he said, referring to the keys.
I’d started driving his SUV a few weeks ago. He’d asked me to pick something up across town, and he didn’t think the item would fit in my trunk. Since then, he’d told me to take the Range Rover every time I went out, and not just when I was running errands for him.
“I know.” I left the keys where they were. “But I have a car.”
He eyed me skeptically.
“What?” I asked, unafraid to challenge him. I enjoyed doing it—just to see how he’d respond.
During the time I’d spent with Knox, I’d realized a few things. Yes, maybe Emmy was right that I didn’t let people—okay, men—in. But I’d never met a man who made me feel safe enough to do so. Not fully.
Things hadn’t worked out with Jude, not because I’d planned to move. That was simply the excuse. The true reason was that I’d never felt secure in our relationship, partly because of my past. But a big part of that was Jude’s personality. He was flirtatious. And when I’d finally broached the subject, he’d been dismissive of my comments.
But Knox… Knox encouraged me to speak my mind. He made me feel safe to express my opinion and not just about rugs or things that affected the team. About everything. Which was why I wasn’t afraid to stand my ground on the car or anything else when it came to him.
“Kendall…” He leaned back in his chair, resting his ankle on his knee. “We talked about this. Your car is barely running, and it isn’t safe.”
It wasn’t the first time he’d said as much.
“You’ll take the Range Rover,” he said in a tone that left no room for argument.
“But it’s yours,” I said, not backing down.
“Not anymore.”
I tilted my head. “What are you talking about?”
He smirked just as the sound of a large truck backing up caught my attention. I frowned and rushed over to the window, watching as a tow truck started to drive off with my car attached to it.
My eyes went wide. “What the hell?”
I ran for the door, but Knox said, “It’s too late.”
“You can’t just…” I sputtered, hands on my hips. “You can’t just take my car. You stole my car!”
“No.” He regarded me slowly, like a lion watching its prey. “I replaced the hunk of scrap metal you called a car with something much safer and more reliable.”
“But it was mine.” I stared at the empty driveway still in disbelief. “And what about…” I shook my head. “What about the stuff I had inside?”
Not that it had been much, but still.
“I personally removed everything of yours,” he said. “And I put it in your new car.”
“But…” I squeezed my eyes shut, wondering when he’d taken my keys. How long had he been planning this? “You had no right to do that,” I sputtered, simultaneously annoyed by his actions and overwhelmed by his generosity. “I didn’t ask you to do that.”
“I know.” The corner of his mouth tilted upward. “But I wanted to.”
He removed a piece of paper from the drawer to his desk and slid it and the keys across the surface to me. When I looked at the paper, I realized it was the car title. He’d literally given me the Range Rover.
