Page 32 of My Knight

Pirate stepped inside, and like clockwork, my heart did this slow, uncontrollable flip. I didn’t even try to stop it. His eyes scanned the room once—just once—and landed right on me.

Another stomach flip.

God.

He didn’t look tired, though I knew he’d been working all day. His jeans were dusty, his boots scuffed, and his hair was a tousled mess, but none of it mattered. Not when he looked at me like I was the only thing he could see.

He walked straight toward me, his pace easy but his focus sharp. Like every step was deliberate. Like nothing in the room existed but me.

When he stopped in front of me, he didn’t touch—just close enough that I could feel the heat coming off his skin. Just far enough that I had to resist the urge to lean into him.

“Um, hi,” I whispered, my voice suddenly catching in my throat.

“You good, baby?” he asked as his eyes swept over me like he was checking for any new bruises.

I nodded. “Yup. I helped Adalee bake cupcakes. Nothing too strenuous.”

He nodded back, slow and approving, but his gaze lingered on my face like he didn’t quite believe I was okay until he saw it for himself.

“Miss me?” he asked, voice lower now, just for me.

My breath caught. I had missed him. But did I want him to know that?

“Uh…”

Before I could finish the awkward stumble of a reply, Adalee’s voice rang out from across the kitchen.

“Boy, get out of my kitchen unless you’re gonna help with these dishes.”

Pirate smirked but was still looking at me. “I’m just trying to check on my girl.”

Adalee didn’t miss a beat. She snapped a dish towel at him with practiced precision. “You’ve had her for the past five days. You can share her with us.”

Meanwhile, I was trying to calm my racing heart after he said my girl.

Pirate lifted his hands like he was surrendering and backed up a step. “All right, all right. I’ll get my time with her later.”

He turned to head toward the fridge, but not before glancing over his shoulder and giving me a look.

That look.

The one that made my skin heat up, my stomach twist, and every thought in my head short-circuit at the same time.

I swallowed hard and turned back toward the cupcakes like they were the most interesting things in the world.

God help me.

Today had been good. Really good. It felt amazing to do something normal—to laugh, to joke, to move around instead of lying in bed feeling helpless.

But as much as I’d loved every second of being surrounded by everyone, of baking and storytelling and a kitchen full of chaos…

I was really looking forward to tonight.

Just me and Pirate.

Our room.

No distractions.

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