Page 108 of Twisted Knight

How did each interaction—the banter, the verbal sparring, the professional discussions, the dirty talking—build a bridge of mutual respect? The attraction was there from that first night. There was no mistaking it then or now. But now, it’s fueled by a desire of knowing what his kiss tastes like. What his hands feel like. The type of lover he is.

I groan in frustration, making Winnie angle her head to the side and stare at me.

I don’t catch feelings for people. I don’t like to. I don’t want to. I’m too damn busy and have too many things to accomplish before deciding that it’s okay to start focusing on someone else. To prioritize another person.

We haven’t even been on a date yet, and I don’t want to. That’s just a setup for a fall over a cliff.

We have office banter. We have bathroom kisses. We have diner conversations over milkshakes. We have elevator seductions.

That’s it.

That’s all.

Yet … it feels like Holden is suddenly everywhere in my life. My office, my gym, my thoughts, my space. And even with all of that, I still like him, a man who knows way too much about me and doesn’t give much away about himself.

Sleeping with the enemy.

Isn’t that what my friends called it earlier?

With a shake of my head, I walk over to the earrings, snap the box shut, and make the decision to indulge in a bit more wine.

It’s not every day I throw caution to the wind and contemplate going for it.

I raise my glass to nobody.

Here’s to having fun.

To some good sex with a wickedly handsome man.

To jumping feetfirst into the gray.

Nothing less.

Nothing more.

THIRTY-THREE

Holden

I stare at the expanse of land. Tall grass stretches for as far as the eye can see while clumps of trees dot it in several locations.

“You’re taking care of yourself then?” my mom asks, her voice booming around me on the car Bluetooth, pulling my back to the present.

“Of course I am. Everything is fine.”

“No, it’s not,” she says. “You’ve been avoiding my calls. That’s how I know.”

“I haven’t been avoiding them, I’ve just been busy.”

“I still don’t understand why you up and decided to buy a company there, of all places.”

I give a nod she can’t see. Her knowledge of my plans is limited, as I prefer it to be until all is said and done. “You know me. Nothing I do makes sense until it does.”

“I’m not your employee nor your corporate enemy, Hold.” She laughs it off, but I can tell it bugs her that I’ve been so vague. She didn’t want me coming back here. She didn’t want me reopening old wounds. “It’s not like you have to keep secrets from me.”

“Is it hot there?”

Her laugh, deep and rich, comes through the line. To this day the sound of it still makes me stop and listen. It had vanished for so long after everything that it was almost like she’d forgotten how to use it.