Page 20 of The Darkest Knight

I’ve noticed that she’s been especially prickly towards me lately. She hasn’t handled me as well as she usually does.

I’m a demanding boss. A little obnoxious and arrogant. I’m too much like my father in that respect, but that’s where the comparison ends. Lately I’ve been stressed. It’s because of the Vanhelm deal and the pressure for it to go well. My father’s waiting for me to fail, and I’ve come down hard on Cari because she has so much to do to help with the administration side.

Maybe she’s prickly because of her mom.

I do understand that, but lately things have been uneasy. The air between us is charged sometimes with something that is thick and heavy.

Like now.

Her smile fades, and for a moment, we just look at each other. I know I should step away, put distance between usbefore I say or do something I’ll regret. But I can’t. Not when she’s looking at me like that—like I’m more than her boss, more than the man who brought her home.

“Get some sleep,” I say finally, my voice quieter. “I’ll be here if you need me.”

She nods, her gaze lingering on me as she sinks back against the pillows. “Goodnight, Jett.”

“Get some sleep, Cari. I’m not going anywhere.” But the words feel too small for what I’m feeling.

I walk over to the corner of the room again and settle into the chair, determined to stay until morning. She turns away, and slowly her breathing evens out, soft and steady. I still can’t relax.

The room is warm, faintly scented with something floral—her perfume, maybe. It’s everywhere, clinging to me, reminding me of all the reasons I should leave and all the reasons I can’t.

Chapter 9

JETT

Dinner with Dina was supposed to be relaxing—a chance to reset. Instead, the mood is fraught, uptight. Every word loaded with unspoken accusations. She stabs at her salad like it’s personally offended her.

“It’s always work with you, isn’t it?” she snaps, breaking the silence. Her tone is sharp, brittle. She expected me to come over to her place last night after the party.

“I had things to do,” I say carefully. I was taking care of Cari, though I don’t tell her that. Something in the back of my mind rankles, the reason why I’m keeping this piece of information away from her.

“On a Friday night!”

I set my fork down, taking a moment before responding. I know where this is going, and I’m not in the mood for it. “You were out with your girlfriends,” I point out.

“I was waiting for you at home.”

“I told you I had something important to handle.”

“Something important,” she echoes, her lips twisting into a bitter smile. “Let me guess—work? Or was it your precious assistant again?”

The accusation catches me off guard, but I don’t show it. At least, I try not to. She’s obviously picked up on something. “What are you talking about?” I lean back in my chair, try to keep my voice steady.

She pushes her plate away like the conversation has already ruined her appetite. “You’re too close to her, Jett,” she scoffs. “You always have been.”

I blink, genuinely baffled. “Cari? She’s my assistant, Dina. She’s handling all of the details on the Vanhelm deal. Do you know how many moving parts there are? Board approvals, legal reviews, and a looming deadline for—”

She looks at me as if I’ve grown a plant on my head. “I don’t need you to regurgitate her job description to me. I couldn’t care less what she does for you—”

“But that’s the point. She’s my assistant and she organizes my calendar, makes sure I don’t miss flights—things like that. She does a lot for me.”

“That’s not all she does, is it?” Dina leans forward, her eyes narrowing. “Did you …”

My body stiffens. “Did I what?”

“I’m going to come right out and ask you. Did you go home with her last night?”

My mouth opens in shock. “What?” There’s an accusation in that sentence that I don’t like. But I can’t lie. “I did go home with her, but not how you think.” I hold my hand up, urging her to listen. “This isn’t what you think. She was drunk. Her friends were gone. I wasn’t going to leave her like that.”

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