Page 27 of Stay with Me

“Sounds good to me. I forgot your garlic bread anyway.”

“How could you?” I mock gasp.

“Hey, I was under a lot of pressure. Someone didn’t have everything I needed after boasting about this shopper I’m now beginning to think isn’t real.”

“Oh, shut up. I forgot she took a week off.”

He chuckles and kisses the top of my head. He’s been doing a lot of sweet gestures like that today. Rubbing his nose against mine, grabbing my fingers as I walk by, and kissing the side of my neck like he just did now.

If I’m not careful, he’s going to make this harder for me to break away from when it’s time. Eventually, my senses will come back to me. They always do.

There’s so much about Knight that’s perfect in theory. If I didn’t know better, he would check all the boxes. It’s how I end up here over and over again.

Then the shoe drops. Reality sets in, and the knowledge of how unsafe he is kicks in. For now, I want to remain suspended in this bubble.

Knight picks up my plate and holds his hand out to me. I grab my wine glass and place my palm in his. Warmth spreads through me.

“Want to catch a movie with me this week? I can come by the office and pick you up. I haven’t been to a movie in a while,” he says as we move to my dining room.

“Maybe, I haven’t been to one in a while either. I’ll let you know.”

“You don’t have to wait for me. I don’t want your food to get cold. I’ll make mine and be right back,” he says as he places my plate on the table, then pulls my chair.

I sit and tuck my hair behind my ear. My mouth waters as I look down at the pasta dish. I learned a long time ago that Knight is actually an exceptional cook.

It doesn’t take long for him to return with my garlic bread, his plate, and the bottle of wine. He tops my glass up and then sits with his food. He gives me a stern look as I wait for him to settle despite his words for me to start eating.

I take my first bite and moan. The flavors burst in my mouth and bring a smile to my face. He’s gotten better. This is delicious.

“This is so good,” I say after swallowing.

“Really? I’ve been experimenting with some new spices.”

I rip a piece of bread and dip it into the sauce. Oh my God, this is so good. I look at him and smile.

“Stick with those spices. They’re a hit.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. How’s the wine? I didn’t see your usual,” he says nodding to my glass.

“It’s fantastic. I’ll have to stock up on this one. My usual was discontinued.

“That’s probably why you couldn’t find it. I bought the last bottles I could find. I hadn’t noticed I went through them all.”

“Maybe we should pop into a few vineyards. We can find you something to add to your favorites.”

My heart leaps with excitement from the suggestion, but I tamp those feelings down. This is starting to feel like a relationship. A relationship I really want.

CHAPTER 11

Fun At Mine

Reminisce

I send off an email while I wait for Sunny to arrive. She called my office to ask if I was up for lunch and some shopping. I wrapped up a few cases early, so I had some time and figured, why not.

I take a sip of my water, then place my glass down and start to absentmindedly rub my fingertip over the rim of my glass. I get lost in thought about Knight. It’s weird how I’ve gotten so used to him being in my space.

This morning when I woke in his arms, it felt like exactly where I belonged. I felt safe. I had to tell myself it was all an illusion.

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