CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

KNOX

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I wake for the secondtime today. This time Payton is lying over my chest with her little hand wrapped around my bicep.

Shit.

Shit, shit shit.

I wasn’t drunk. Three drinks. I wasn’t drunk. I certainly wasn’t stoned—although the passive smoke probably could be used as some kind of excuse.

But that’s bullshit.

I have wanted Payton for weeks. If it wasn’t for my father stepping down, I would have fucked her after the Gala.

But he is.

I’m not going to regret this for a second. She was absolutely incredible. I don’t think I’ve ever come that hard in my life. At least three of the times.

I’ve certainly never showered with a woman.

Or watched her pee.

Twice.

There’s something so real and open about Payton that I’m addicted to.

For example, I should’ve put Payton in an Uber after our shower. I didn’t. I reached out, and she curled up against me on the bed, and we fell asleep.

I should be climbing out now and putting the coffee on, making noise, and encouraging her out the door.

I’m not.

Is it because I want more of her body?

No—although yes.

Is it because we need to talk and get our stories straight so that no one in existence ever knows about this?

Also yes.

But I’d be lying to myself if I said that was all.

I like her lying on top of me.

I like knowing she is safe and watching her little lips almost flutter as she sleeps.

I love the softness of her body against mine and that when she wakes, I can ask if she needs a bath. Or painkillers.

Or my mouth on her sweet pink folds again.

I want to make sure she has something healthy to eat before she leaves after such a big night.

I want to see the glow on her cheeks because I put it there. With my body. My cock. My mouth.

I move to catch the time on my watch, which is on my nightstand.

It’s almost ten.

Payton stretches her legs, and her toes slide down my calves. Then she blinks and smiles at me.

I’m dead.

This woman has a power over me with those green globes that no one ever has.

“Morning,” she says and yawns.

“Hungry?” I ask, pulling her back to me and cupping her bottom.

Her soft, feminine bottom that I was inside early this morning. Pretty sure I used up a month of semen in one night.

No regrets.

She nods.

We climb out of bed, and she pulls on one of my shirts. That’s it. Then skips out to the kitchen.

“What do you have?”

“I’ll have you,” I reply, pulling her up against me and sliding my hands under my shirt. “You cannot walk about my house with no panties on.”

“Or.”

“Or I will slide my cock inside you again.”

“Oh, nooo,” she fake cries.

I shake my head and kiss her firmly. “Eggs. Coffee. Ciabatta bread.”

“Sold.”

Together we prepare our meal, obviously ravenous for some sustenance, and then sit on a couple of stools at the kitchen bench.

“This place is stunning, Knox,” Payton says, then takes another bite of her eggs.

I sip my coffee and look around.

“Bella, my not girlfriend helped me decorate,” I say, shooting her a smirk.

“It’s much more homey than Atlas’ place. Warmer. Probably all the cushions and softer colors.” Payton nods. “And the female touch by your sister.”

I let out a small laugh.

“Sorry, I got all jealous.”

I liked it, but I can’t say that. Last night it was relevant. Now it’s not.

Payton slides her plate away and sips the last of her coffee. I spin on my stool, so my arm is resting on the marble countertop, and watch her.

She reaches out and tugs on my t-shirt and I kiss her.

But it’s different and she notices. When I straighten, big questioning eyes hold mine.

“What?”

“Absolutely nothing. Last night was incredible,” I tell her.

That glow on her face fades before my eyes.

Fuck.

“Payton.”

Now she’s pale.

Fuck, fuck,I don’t want to do this, but we have no choice. We can’t be together. I know Alexandra will lose her shit—she has always been strict about her staff not getting involved with any of her clients—and of course, there is my own situation.

Payton doesn’t know the details but...

“But you regret it?” she says quietly, glancing away.

“Not for a second.” I tip her chin. “I will remember this, you, for a long damn time.”

Her brows shoot up and she drops her coffee mug to the counter. Hard.

“So, that’s it. I should go. Thanks for all the fucking and see you Monday?”

“Payt—”

“No.” She climbs off the stool. “Don’t do that. Don’t lie to me and give me any one-liners.”

I get to my feet.

“What did you think this was, Payton?” I ask angrily because it’s not like we went on some romantic date and... whatever the fuck people do.

She glares at me, and god damn, she looks so sexy in my shirt with it bunched around her breasts as she crosses her arms.

“More than just a fuck and brunch. That’s what I thought.”

I plant my hands on my hips. God damn her, I don’t want her to fucking go.

“Then stay for another fuck and lunch,” I grunt out angrily.

She closes the distance and pushes at my chest.

I wrap my arms around her.

“That is a stupid answer,” Payton whispers, and my mouth drops to hers as she melts into me.

“You like me, Knox Montgomery,” she says against my mouth when we stop for air.

“Stop talking,” I say, scooping her up and carrying her back into the bedroom.

God damn her.

I STARE AT the tv andthen down at the sexy woman curled up under my arm. We spent the day together. Not all of it having sex.

I made her a bath and climbed in behind her.

“Who are you closest to?” Payton asked me while we soaked. “Which one of your brothers or is it Bella?”

I blew out a breath as she played with my fingers—which were trying to play with her nipples—and tried to answer the question.

I couldn’t.

“It’s different with each of them. Atlas is closest in age to me and a guy. Levi is our little brother, but there’s only two years, give or take. I’ve always been protective of Bella. I don’t know. Just different.”

“You love them a lot.”

“I would do anything for them. For any of my family,” I said and told her about my cousins who live in New York.

“Now that Bella has married into the Dufort family, they’re like an extension and the same goes for them.”

She turned to me. “You are very loyal.”

I nodded, kissed her, and tried to grab a nipple.

“Stop, they are sore.”

I kissed her head and turned the water on to make it warmer for her.

“What about you?” I asked, having an almost out-of-body experience knowing I’ve never asked a woman questions like this before. “Do you have siblings?”

Payton shook her head.

“No. My parents just had me. I was a surprise—a good one, they tell me—but both of them are lawyers and very career focused.”

I remember her comment in the limo the other night.

“They wanted you to be one, too.”

“Yup,” she said, moving the bubbles around on my knee. “Hence, needing this job. I did a year at law school, hated it, and then changed subjects.”

“And they were pissed,” I assumed.

“Dad was. He said I had to complete the marketing degree and stay in a job for two years or I would pay my entire cost of my studies back.”

“Ouch,” I replied.

“Yale.” She turned to me. “Three years of Yale, Knox. A lot. Hundreds of thousands.”

It would take the average person a fucking long time to pay that back. I hate that I was going to finish Payton up after the launch because I couldn’t keep my dick from wanting her.

I’m glad she told me.

Any temptation to do that is now off the table, obviously, but because it’s given me another piece of vital information. Payton was as invested in keeping our night together confidential as I was.

“Your dad must be proud of you,” she said.

“Yeah.” I laughed. “He is, but if he learned you were here right now, he’d be unimpressed.”

An understatement.

She turned to face me. “He’s hardly going to fire you.”

I brushed a strand of hair from her forehead. “Payton, my father is stepping down. Sleeping with beautiful young women at work is not exactly the behavior he expects from the future CEO.”

“Which is you.”

“Which... may be me,” I said, and my phone beeped interrupting us. I climbed out of the tub to check it.

I didn’t want to go into more detail than that with Payton. Who knew if she would gossip with her WME coworkers?

I hope she will keep all of this confidential and I’m sure she will after I understand what is at stake for her personally.

“Atlas got Molly home last night. Two seasons of The Simpsons and two plates of nachos later,” I told her.

We had a nap after our soak, and then I ordered pizza. The remains are sitting on the coffee table in front of us while the tv drones away.

I run my hand over her long, blonde hair.

“Hey. You still awake?” I ask.

She nods and rearranges herself so we can look at one another. “Yes. I was just thinking about how we do this. You know. When we are at work.”

Oh.

Yeah, no, fuck. We don’t. We are not...

Shit. I’m terrible at this when it comes to this woman. This is a game I am not familiar with.

Professional women have always known the rules but with Payton, it”s different.

I’m to blame. I should have been clear last night and this morning.

I don’t want to hurt her.

“Payton.” I lay my hand on her face. “We can’t. I told you I don’t date. This can’t become anything.”

She moves away from me. “You asked me to stay. You wanted to have lunch.”

I shake my head.

“I know, I like you... we just—”

“We had a BATH.” She climbs to her feet. “What was that?”

I follow her and stand, angry. It’s not like I proposed, for god’s sake.

“A bath. It was a fucking bath.”

She throws her hands up and I see the tears in her eyes. I’m unsure what to do. I hate seeing her upset. But I am not going to promise anything, and the stakes are just too damn big here.

“No, it wasn’t. You like me. You told me you like me,” she says more quietly.

“I do fucking like you, Payton. Too fucking much. I never have women stay over like this. They fuck. They go.”

Her face falls further.

“So what? Lucky for me? I could have got kicked out at two am instead of now.”

“Yes!” I yell.

Then regret it.

Tears fall down her face, and she spins on her heels. I follow her, but she slams my bedroom door in my face. Then locks it.

“Payton. That is my bedroom.”

“Get out,” she yells.

I turn around as if looking for someone to show my exasperation to but I’m obviously alone.

“This is my house.”

“So then tell me to get out,” she yells at me.

I go quiet.

I’m not saying that to her. Is she out of her god damn mind? I could never...

Fucking hell.

“See?” she says.

“Payton. Open the door,” I say more gently.

It takes her about thirty seconds, but she does, and I glance down at her beautiful hurt face.

“If it was up to me, I would....”

Wake up with you every day and make you eggs. Bathe you. Make love to you. Watch you sleep as your beautiful lips flutter.

I can’t say any of those things.

“Tell me why,” she asks, brushing away a tear.

“My father has resigned.” I reach out and tug my t-shirt she is wearing, and she trips her way closer to me. “In a few months, he’ll step down and his replacement will be announced.”

“You.” Payton nods. “I get it. You have big responsibilities.”

I shake my head.

“No, sweetheart. I have to apply like everyone else. Part of proving myself is not sleeping with the women we do business with.” I curse. “And yes, I’ve done a bit of that.”

“A lot. I heard the rumors.”

God damn. How does everyone know?

“So sleeping together puts both our futures at risk,” she says, nodding at the floor.

I lift her chin. “Yes. With substantial implications.”

Payton lets out a sigh, and I pull her against my chest, where she rests her head.

“No one can know. No one,” I say into her hair.

She nods against my chest as I fight the urge to ask her to wait for me.

It would be ten weeks.

But I don’t date. I’ve never had a relationship and there is every chance I will wake up tomorrow and be cured of the Payton-itis that I’ve had the past two weeks.

She straightens and runs her hand up over my chest and then cups my face.

“At least we had this,” she says with a sad smile.

A pain I’ve never felt before slices through my chest and all I can do is kiss her forehead.

“Get dressed and I’ll drive you home.”