Page 104 of Fighting Mr. Knight

It turns out Kate didn’t know about Max cheating on me. I should never have doubted my best friend. She swears she won’t tell Sean until I’ve confronted Max. I have to think about this because Max has the power to fuck up my promotion.

To calm the worriers, I’m providing them with blow-by-blow details on how the night is unfolding.

Me:Getting a takeaway. Pizza. X

There’s no need to add that I’ve polished off three-quarters of a bottle of wine as an aperitif.

It’s the perfect night for takeout. In true stinking British-weather style, it’s bucketed down all day with no relief. I feel much safer on the sofa in my vest, oversized fluffy terry cloth loungewear and large socks.

Not like Michelle Allard, forced to wear a backless shimmery evening gown. The poor woman must be freezing.

My chest tightens.

The doorbell buzzes. The delivery guy is here with my pizza.

“Just a minute,” I call over the intercom, grabbing my cardigan so he doesn’t get an eyeful of bra-less breasts. Although delivery guys are like nurses: they’ve seen it all before.

Wrapping the cardigan around me, I walk as fast as the large socks will allow me down the stairs. The rain is so loud, it sounds like it’s inside the building.

I yank open the door. It’s not a delivery guy with my caramelised onion and goat’s cheese pizza.

Dark brown eyes burn into mine.

Jack is absolutely drenched. His tuxedo jacket is gone and he’s only in his white shirt, stuck to his chest and biceps. His hands grip the door on either side, his large frame dwarfs the doorway.

I stare up at him, my heart in my throat. Too stunned to care that spits of rain are belting down on me.

He stares right back at me. “I half expected you to be in your wedding dress. Are you going to let me in or just let me drown?”

“Ja-ack?” I stutter as if he might be a hallucination from the Malbec. “What are you doing here?”

He leans in until his forehead nearly touches mine. Droplets of rain drip from his face onto me. “Making new memories. I couldn’t let you remember today as your cancelled wedding day.”

“No?” I ask breathlessly, blinking in shock. “What am I going to remember it as?”

He grins, a full-voltage grin stretching across his face. “Best night of your life.”

A girly laugh erupts from my throat. I might be a little hysterical. “You’re so full of yourself, Jack Knight. I don’t understand. You’re supposed to be at the awards ceremony. With Michelle.”

“I left after the speech. I had better places to be.”

My heart jumps and I laugh nervously again because it’s all I’m capable of. “But you rejected me. I don’t understand.”

“I rejected your offer of a one-night stand.” His eyes darken. “We’re not doing a one-night stand, darlin’. You think you put yourself out there? That isn’t putting yourself out there.” Before I can react, he scoops me up off the ground in one easy hitch, balancing my ass on his arms.

I let out a surprised yelp. My communication abilities no longer extend to anything beyond “Oh.”

His dilated pupils darken to almost black. “Thisis putting yourself out there.”

Weeks of pent-up tension explode inside me, and I instinctively wrap my arms and legs around his drenched body, knowing I’ll die if I don’t feel every inch of him.

I don’t care that I’m in my PJs in the street.

I don’t care that it’s hailing down from the heavens, and I’m soaked.

I don’t care if I look like a massive hoe straddling a hot guy as people walk past to the chicken shop.

I’m exactly where I need to be, doing exactly what I need to be doing.

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