Page 110 of The Unplanned Wedding

I stare at him, dumbfounded.

He gives me a look that conveys his opinion—You knobhead.He rolls his eyes and continues, "No matter, it took them a while to admit it. And it’s not a big jump from there to conclude you did the same thing." He reaches for the bottle of Macallan and pours a little into a tumbler. "It’s why I came here, to tell you not to squander the chance you’ve been given." He looks down into his glass.

I take in the hardness of his features. The lines around his eyes. The grey at his temples, which wasn’t there before. He’s suffered since hiswife’s death. And clearly, he’s been working out even more, for he’s become a behemoth.

"Thanks," I murmur.

He raises his glass. "I know you’ll do the right thing. You?—"

"Knox?" My wife’s voice reaches me from the doorway.

47

June

Ryot nods in my direction, then turns to my husband. A look I can't decipher passes between them. Then, Ryott jerks his head, and walks past me, toward the elevator.

"Everything okay?" My husband walks over to me.

"I woke up and thought I heard voices." It’s why I changed into a pair of yoga pants and a sweatshirt before I came to investigate.

The elevator doors swish shut behind me.

"He decided to drop in with some brotherly advice." My husband tucks a strand of hair behind my ear. "You hungry? You want something to eat?"

"I’m not really hungry," I demur.

"You need to eat something." He leads me into the kitchen.

"Brotherly advice, you say?" I lean a hip against the island and watch him pull the ingredients for a sandwich from the fridge. He’s wearing his pants and a button-down but has lost the jacket and tie. He’s also barefoot, and his hair is mussed. With the shadow of a beard on his chin, he’s so sexy. So delightfully rumpled. My pussy clenches. I grip the edge of thecounter to stop myself from doing something stupid like walking over and wrapping my arms about his waist and pressing my nose into his back and drawing in his heady masculine smell.Give the man some space, will ya?

"Mm-hmm." He cuts open a couple of avocados, dices them and adds them onto two of the bread slices. He slathers on peanut butter and jelly, then proceeds to crush some potato crisps and sprinkle them on top. He places fresh slices on top, slides one of the resulting sandwiches onto a plate, and offers it to me.

"Umm, I’m not sure—" I begin but he cuts me off.

"Don’t mock it until you try it. "He pours orange juice into two glasses and places them between us. Then, he grabs a stool, picks up his sandwich, and bites into it. He chews, then swallows. "Delicious."

I slip onto another stool and take a small bite. "Not bad," I concede.

"It’s bloody good." He takes another giant bite from his sandwich, washing it down with the juice.

I follow his example, finding I'm hungrier than I realized. Before I’m halfway done with the sandwich, he’s finished his. I place the sandwich down and take a small sip of the juice.

"When did you learn to make this combination?"

"It was late one evening, when I was still in high school. I got home at midnight felt hungry and raided the refrigerator, and by the time I’d started assembling the sandwich, Ryot had joined me. I found whatever was available and decided to throw it together. Ryot was the first to taste it, and when he polished it off, I realized I had a hit on my hands."

"The two of you are close."

"We used to be closer. But after his wife died, he withdrew into himself. Good thing, he’s found a new assignment. Might help take his mind off the past."

"Assignment?" I pick up my sandwich again and take another bite. It really does taste better than what I expected.

"He’s joining Quentin’s security agency. Apparently, he’s been allocated to a very confidential detail."

"That’s good, right?"

I nod. "I hope it helps keep his mind occupied and gives him a chance to re-discover his spirit."

---