Page 21 of Knight's Desire

“Let it go, Gen.” His voice dipped in a low tone of warning that only made her laugh.

“All I’m saying is you’re attracted to her. She has a dick for a boyfriend. You have the perfect excuse to show up and check on her, show her what a nice guy you are, how you are way better than the boyfriend, and steal her away from the jerk. It’s like the perfect plot to every chick flick ever made.”

Brick pulled into the parking lot at KSI and switched off the engine once he was in his parking spot. He shifted his frame around to face her, the streetlamps shining through the windshield to illuminate them.

“Did she tell you what restaurant they were eating at tonight?”

Gennessey stared at him like he was crazy, but she answered anyway. “I think the dick said he left a client at Mama Bella’s, so I assumed that’s where she was.”

“Mama Bella’s,” he repeated. “Not the diner or the grille at Torch. Those are my two go-to places.”

“You take girls you like to the diner or the bar? No wonder you’re still single.”

Brick ignored the insult. “Did you notice what she was wearing?”

She shrugged. “Slacks, blouse, heels. Business attire. She operates a bridal boutique, so what else would you expect her to wear?”

“Exactly. I wear jeans and boots to work. I’m guessing she had red wine with dinner. I had a beer with my footlong sub. She sells wedding dresses for a living. I take down criminals.”

“So what does that have to do with anything?”

“Hope Robertson is beautiful and classy. I am rough around the edges without the first clue how to make a relationship work. That’s why I’m still single. Someone like her is in a whole other league from someone like me. So save your matchmaking attempts for someone who actually stands a chance.”

Brick should have guessed his lecture would fall on deaf ears. Gennessey just grinned like she knew a secret that Brick would never be privy to.

“She may be red wine to your beer, but I haven’t met a woman yet who wouldn’t drop her panties for a bad boy.”

Her laugh rang in her wake as she stepped from the SUV. Brick scowled as he watched her disappear into the building. His SUV and her car were the only two in the parking lot. Everyone else had called it a day, and the business was locked up for the night. Gennessey was likely running upstairs to close out her office, and then she would head out. Though he knew she could handle herself, he waited to make sure she got to her car without incident. Gennessey soon stepped from the building, waved at him, and climbed in her car to speed off as if she was in a car chase instead of going home.

He shook his head and followed suit. He briefly considered stopping by his favorite hangout, Torch, but he wasn’t in the mood to be around a crowd or to suffer through the flirtations of the bar bunnies who were always there. As much as he wanted to, he couldn’t forget Gennessey’s parting words about him and Hope.

Somehow he didn’t think the bad boy cliché applied to someone as classy as Hope Robertson. But Gennessey wasn’t wrong about one thing. Hope had gotten under his skin, and he wasn’t sure how to escape the spell she placed on him.

Chapter Nine

Hope stared at her reflection in the full-length mirror. Her attire today was meant to empower her, to make her feel like she was in control when she felt anything but. Her favorite black pencil skirt fell at a modest length, but paired with her stylish heels, it made her legs seem long and her figure more hourglass. Her matching top had puffed sleeves and fell off one shoulder to give a professional but sexy look. She wore her hair long and straight with only diamond stud earrings to complete the outfit.

If only she felt as put together as her outfit. Instead, she was shaken and exhausted after a night of tossing and turning and second guessing herself and what she knew in her heart was true. She kept replaying her encounter with Parker after Gen left them alone. He had accused her of being dramatic and exaggerating the details of what happened to make him feel guilty about their date. She knew his previous girlfriend had been manipulative, but Hope had shown Parker time and again that she was better than that. His accusation had been the last straw in an already terrifying night. She’d kicked Parker out of her house then spent the next hour curled in the fetal position on her couch and sobbed.

After her meltdown, she had picked herself up, showered and readied for bed. She’d had a text waiting for her from Parker, apologizing and asking her to call him. She didn’t. She would on her way to the Shoppe, but for now, she wanted to leave him guessing. It was a childish move, but she’d been hurt by his behavior. She wanted to believe that the longer she left him on the hook, the more shame he would feel.

Any other morning, she’d been out the door as soon as she dressed. Today, she wasn’t anxious to leave her sanctuary. She had no idea what waited for her outside. Would she be followed this morning? Would someone grab her before she made it to her car? She never considered herself as someone ruled by fear, but she’d never experienced the fear for her life that she had last night. She needed time to gather her courage, and she hoped a cup or two of her favorite brew would provide her with enough caffeinated momentum to make it to work. Once she was busy with her sketches and her clients, she could push what happened out of her mind.

She took her time with her second cup when her cell rang. Expecting it to be Parker, she stiffened to see an unknown number pop up on her screen. She almost ignored the call, but curiosity had her answering with an unsure “hello.”

“Is this Hope? It’s Gen. From last night.”

Hope placed her cup on the counter, blinking in surprise. “Oh. Yes, hi. What can I do for you?”

“I just wanted to check in and make sure you were alright after what you went through. And to make sure nothing else out of the ordinary happened after you got home.”

Hope smiled, her eyes welling up from the sweet gesture. “Thank you for checking in. I appreciate that and everything you and your friends did for me last night. Nothing else happened, and I wish I could say I was back to normal. I hate to admit it, but I’m a little…skittish about getting in my car again.”

“Would you like for us to come by? We can follow you to work and make sure no one is tailing you.”

“Oh, no. I don’t think that’s necessary. I just have to pull on my big girl panties, as they say, and drive to work myself. If I let fear dictate what I do now, then I let whoever harassed me win. He doesn’t deserve to have the satisfaction.”

Gen chuckled. “Good girl. Well, you have my number now. If you need anything, just call me, or call the office. Anytime.”

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