The smell of paint would be a small price to pay to have things back to normal. Well…as normal as Ellie’s life could be when Andrew was so determined to make things difficult for her.
She hadn’t shared with Knox that the two men had appeared to use a valid security pass when they entered the building. Mainly because she wasn’t yet sure how that was possible when she had changed all their passes as soon as Andrew left the company. Andrew was—had been—the tech expert of the company, so she could only assume he’d found a way to bypass the building security so that his men could let themselves in.
It made her feel uneasy about returning to her new apartment later today. She had moved into it after she and Andrew had broken up. She’d had to, because she hadn’t been able to stand the thought of staying in the apartment the two of them had lived in and shared for so long.
Andrew, of course, had demanded half the money she received when she sold that apartment. Her lawyer had advised her not to pay him, but Ellie had hoped that by doing so, Andrew would finally get on with his life rather than continuing to ruin hers.
She only had to look at the mess in her offices to see how well that had turned out.
The new apartment had become her refuge, an oasis of peace at the end of the working day and during the weekends.
But if Andrew could bypass the security into HERA, allowing those men to enter, she had no reason to feel safe from his vindictiveness in regard to her new apartment either.
She was blinking back tears as she turned toward Knox. “You still haven’t told me whether Joan is working out for you.”
Sally had returned to the HERA offices after spending just one morning as Knox’s PA. But she had been full of how attractive Knox was. She had been especially full of praise for Knox’s “fine ass.”
Ellie had quickly shut that conversation down, but inwardly, she had to agree with the younger woman: Knox really did have a firm and delicious ass, and it looked just as fine today in a dark tailored suit as it had on Monday.
“I was, understandably, distracted the moment I arrived,” he said dryly. “But Joan is doing just fine. The reason I’m here is to invite you out to lunch and then to join me when I visit Karen, Geoff, and the babies this afternoon. Karen said you haven’t been to see them yet.”
Ellie had intended to visit the other couple and say hello to the babies this next weekend. But the mess in her office made her long to do something normal right now.
But having lunch with Knox before visiting Karen and Geoff wasn’t exactly normal for her.
Not only was he an attractive and articulate man, but the moment she’d heard him speak, she had once again felt that inexplicable calm settling deep inside her.
But she also distrusted every single one of those things. Not Knox himself, just her own reaction to him.
At the same time as the idea of having lunch with him, of spending more time with this dangerously attractive man, especially after the horrible morning she’d just had, made Ellie ache to accept Knox’s invitation.
The other side of her brain reminded her of what had happened the last time she had allowed herself to trust and feel comfortable in a man’s company.
Better by far not to leave herself vulnerable?—
“You would be doing me a favor,” Knox revealed.
She blinked. “Why?”
A nerve pulsed in his cheek. “I’ll explain over lunch.” He didn’t look at either Sally or Benny, but the implication that he would rather they talked away from here was clear in his tone.
“Please just take the rest of the day for yourself, Ellie,” Sally said warmly. “We’ve canceled all appointments for today anyway. Benny and I can finish cleaning up here, and then the painters will be in this afternoon. There’s no reason for you to even come back to the office after lunch. We can all start afresh in the morning.”
“Yes, you really should go and have some fun, Ells,” Benny seconded with a pointed glance in Knox’s direction.
Ellie studied Knox for several seconds, easily noting the tightness of his jaw and unsmiling lips, and the lack of the usual humor in his eyes.
He didn’t appear to be inviting her out to lunch with seduction in mind. And she was hardly looking her best, in any case.
She nodded. “Just give me a minute or so to tidy myself.”
The tension visibly eased from his shoulders. “Take all the time you need,” he invited. “I’ll go back downstairs and wait for you in the main reception area.”
Ellie saw the brief disappointment on Benny’s face at the knowledge he wasn’t about to spend any more time in Knox’s company. Not that Benny would have any real aspirations in that direction; he’d been with the same partner for two years now, and he really wasn’t the type to stray. Looking, however, was another matter.
Ellie couldn’t blame him for having a passing attraction to Knox Wilder. The other man projected an air of power and confidence that would be irresistible to anyone with a pulse.
Including her?
