“Damn, Savi! You look fucking amazing. If things don’t work out with Knox…”
“I wouldn’t finish that sentence if I were you,” Knox growls, cutting Jett off as he appears at his side.
“You’ve got to stop teasing him,” I laugh. “He’s going to have an aneurysm one day.”
“I don’t think I can stop. It’s too much fun.” His blue eyes twinkle with amusement.
“Try, dammit,” Knox mutters.
The rest of the lineup appear one by one, and I feel like I’m suddenly surrounded by GQ models as they each give me a hug. No wonder the tickets sold out. Most girls would pay twice the amount just to spend the evening with these six in their tuxedos.
“How’s Scarlett doing?” I ask, turning to Cayden at my side.
His vivid green eyes light up when he hears his daughter’s name. Knox had mentioned going over to his place and havingdinner there soon. I’m looking forward to meeting this cutie who has Knox wrapped around her little finger.
“She’s perfect,” he grins. “Hey, since you grew up here, I wanted to ask you if you knew of any ballet classes in the area that you would recommend? It’s all she talks about, and I want to get her into some dance lessons.”
“I do actually. One of my friends has a younger sister who teaches ballet in Crystal Isle. I’ll have Knox give you her number. She’s really good and great with kids. Scarlett will love her.”
“That would be great. I will feel better knowing that you know her. I’m very protective of her,” he smiles and takes a sip of his drink before turning toward Hunter to join in on a conversation the rest of them are having.
I remember the day I heard about his wife’s tragic accident on the news. Everyone in town was heartbroken, especially knowing that a little girl had lost her mother.
From what I’ve heard, he hasn’t dated since. He’s focused on two things and two things only. His daughter and hockey. Everything else is just noise and something he doesn’t have time for.
“I see your family has found our table,” Knox says, putting his arm around my waist. “Let’s grab some drinks and join them. Dinner should be starting soon.”
I nod as he takes my hand, leading us to the bar. We get stopped numerous times as Knox briefly makes small talk and introduces me to people as we go. We finally get our drinks and appear at the table just as dinner is being served.
“God, I forgot how exhausting talking is,” he mutters, pulling at his bowtie like it’s suddenly too hot in here.
“You’re doing good,” I reassure him.
He puts his hand on my thigh like last time, and his palm warms my skin. “I’m doing better now.” His lips lift at the corner as he caresses my bare leg through the slit of my dress. “I knewI chose this dress for a reason,” he says under his breath as he takes a sip of his bourbon.
“Wait until you see what I’m wearing underneath,” I innocently say, taking a drink of my white wine. “You chose that too.”
“Tell me it’s the red one,” he swallows slowly.
“Guess you’ll have to find out later,” I smile, taking a bite of my salad.
Leaning closer to my ear, I feel his breath tickle my skin. “You know I’m not patient, sunshine.”
His hand skims up my dress, and I feel his finger hook the side of my thong before he tugs it down to the slit, showing the barest of red before he snaps it back in place. I jolt in my chair and hear a small chuckle next to me.
“Red,” he says. “Good choice. Very good choice.”
Thank God the chatter around us is loud, and it’s dimly lit from the chandeliers for no one to notice my reddened face or the fact that I’m breathing a little harder than normal.
“I can’t believe you just did that,” I whisper.
“You’re lucky that’s all I did because I want to do so much more,” he grins wickedly before taking a bite of steak.
Just then, the spokesperson for the foundation turns our attention to the stage as he gives a welcome speech, disrupting my thoughts of dragging Knox away, so he can show what this ‘more’of his entails.
We listen through dinner as they explain the heart of The Grace Foundation and what donating means to these children.
A few families join him on stage to share their stories about how much the foundation has changed their lives. I can’t help but get emotional when I see the children on stage who are truly being touched by Knox’s hard work and giving heart.
