“It’s not far, right?” Emily looked between us. “We could walk.”
I glanced at Knox, waited for his response. He offered a curt nod in agreement.
Like I had when we went to the park, I threaded Emily’s arm through mine, wanting to be close to her. More so now, after I’d had the pleasure of tasting her for the first time. I could still hear the lingering echo of her moans and sighs. It took effort to keep my composure, to not become a slave to my cock.
Granted, I really wished we had moved our foray to the bed. A Sunday morning ménage à trois, perhaps. Afterward, I wouldn’t be opposed to a postcoital nap, either.
Yet here we were, and strangely enough, I was just as content to do this as I would’ve been with other activities.
“I read somewhere that you built a similar showroom in California,” Emily said as we walked.
“I did, yes,” Knox confirmed, his tone as casual as his gait. “And a fourth is coming to Las Vegas.”
“Fourth?”
He peered down at her. “I’ve kept the original in Austin. Revamped it some. Right now, that location’s focused mainly on online auctions, clearing out the inventory that was amassed over the years.”
“I always wondered why my father refused to do business online,” Emily mused, her hand caressing my forearm. “I couldn’t ask, of course. It wasn’t my place, but I knew if he would broaden his mind, the options would be endless.”
“It’s steady,” Knox confirmed. “And yes, it’s an avenue we’ll keep open in the future. I intend to convert Austin to the main headquarters. They’ll continue to handle payroll, accounting, and the like. Each showroom will be responsible for its own hiring, inventory, and of course, the auctions.”
We continued our stroll past Columbus Circle then on to Central Park West. I could feel the tension in Emily’s body grow the closer we got to the Delta June’s showroom. She’d mentioned she had seen it in passing, but I hadn’t asked her what she thought of it. I wouldn’t need to now, but I still wondered if her hesitation was from the fact she thought Knox had stolen it or if her ambivalence was from something else.
The three of us stopped in front of the building, stared at the solid charcoal-glass front.
When designing the exterior, Knox had informed me that he wanted it to reflect Emily’s legacy, as well as Emily herself. Unfortunately, because of his mother’s superhuman abilities to keep Emily from actually enjoying anything on her own, we hadn’t had much to go on. Since Knox had looked to me for ideas—something I hadn’t known would ultimately lead to me being a part of this new empire—I’d made the suggestion of giving it the old-school Broadway vibe.
Although we’d kept the external design simplistic due to the location, from the outside, it looked like a theater, right down to the marquee that denoted Delta June’s in large letters that glowed softly at night. Even the window dressings reflected the same, as well as the mock movie posters set in the windows that reflected new and upcoming auction items, including a car that had been in one of Tom Cruise’s films.
“You ready?” Knox prompted Emily.
“Sure.” She said it so casually, but I could tell she wasn’t as confident as she would like us to believe.
Knox peered at me over her head and I released her arm. He then placed his hand at the small of her back, guiding her toward the building.
We were greeted by a doorman who was wearing a finely tailored three-piece black suit, offset by a blinding white shirt beneath. He opened the door to allow us entry, greeting me and Knox by name. Knox being Knox took a moment to greet him as well as introduce Emily. The man clearly recognized her name, because his eyes lit up and a smile pulled at his mouth.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Campbell.”
“Likewise, Henry,” she answered politely, having collected his name from Knox’s greeting.
“Enjoy your show,” he said with a laugh.
When we stepped inside, Emily’s eyes widened as she took in the space. The lobby was open and airy, the ceilings three floors high overhead, complete with ornate ceiling tiles and large, dangling chandeliers.
“It’s open on a Sunday?” Emily asked, her gaze skimming the decorative fixtures overhead.
“It’s open to the public seven days a week,” Knox explained. “We put some of the newer items we acquire on display initially, give people a chance to see them, talk about them, post them on social media. It’s a form of—”
“Free advertising,” Emily mused. “That’s brilliant.”
Knox again looked at me over her head. I could see that her response had pleased him greatly.
“Where do we start?” Emily asked, her full attention on Knox.
For the next half hour, I moved alongside them as Knox led the way through the displays downstairs. There were only a handful of people there, so we strolled through easily. Every so often, Emily would ask about the history of an item and Knox would explain. I hadn’t realized he’d been so involved in the setup until now. I shouldn’t have been surprised considering his obsession with Emily. He wanted to make her happy however he could, and he’d known all along that Delta June’s would be the way to her heart.
“Is that a restaurant?” Emily’s tone bordered on impressed.
