Page 37 of Knight's Desire

Hope thought Brick was about to say something but seemed to change his mind. She eyed him curiously. “What? What were you going to say?”

He shook his head. “It’s nothing. You go do what you have to do, and remember to call me if things start to get out of hand.”

Hope smiled her thanks before moving to the kitchen to confront her boyfriend. Parker paced the floor by her kitchen table, incensed. She stopped by the kitchen island to keep distance between them. She didn’t fear Parker. Something about his reaction to Brick put her on edge, so she decided not to beat around the bush.

“My Shoppe was broken into again. This time the person left proof, so there’s no question about whether I’m imagining what happened. In case you’re wondering, that is. Whoever broke in took a knife or box cutter or something to one of my designs and shredded it to ruins. I took matters into my own hands and hired private investigators and a security detail.”

As minutes ticked by, she watched Parker’s anger disappear, and he circled the table to approach her. His arms outstretched as he attempted to speak words of concern, but she held up a hand to stop him.

“I understand why you had doubts, Parker. I had a moment or two where I wondered if I was imagining things. I told myself your doubts were the reason I didn’t tell you about the latest break-in, but I realized that wasn’t it at all. I’m not sure I can explain this, but I don’t think we should be together anymore.”

In the blink of an eye, Parker’s anger returned. His eyes narrowed, his arms crossing over his chest. “Are you serious? If you had told me what happened, I would have been here for you. You know that. What’s this really about? Is there someone else?”

She sighed. “No. When would I have time for there to be someone else? That’s the problem, Parker. We aren’t priorities for each other. We’re just filling up free time while we focus on our careers, and in the beginning, that was enough. But now, we both need something out of this relationship that neither of us wants to give. I need someone to share my life with, and you need someone who doesn’t mind taking a back seat to your clients and your job, someone who can be your occasional dinner companion.”

“Why now, Hope? None of this bothered you before. Why do you suddenly want more?”

She hesitated, an answer not readily falling from her lips. She saw his anger mingle with pain, and she felt a pang in her chest. Their relationship had been based on convenience, so she hadn’t expected him to be hurt by her decision. She wrestled with her own hurt when she realized what she had to do, but this was for the best. Recalling her conversation with her father, she realized the answer to his question.

“I need someone to celebrate the good and support me through the bad, and I want to do that in return. I want to be someone’s priority as much as he’s mine. It’s what I’ve always wanted, but I believed I couldn’t have it while I was building my career.”

Hope took a deep breath. “I’m sorry, Parker, but we both deserve more. We can’t be that for each other.”

“You’re wrong. What we have is perfect. We understand each other. We have the same goals. We have a good time. You’re making a mistake giving that up. This is a rough patch. All couples have them. Give us a chance to work through this before deciding you can do better.”

“But we don’t want the same things anymore. What I want has changed.” Hope touched his arm, her eyes imploring him to understand. “This may seem like something I’ve decided on a whim, but it’s only because I’ve tried to pretend what we have was what I wanted. I like you, Parker. I have a good time with you, and I wanted this to work. Please understand that I don’t want to hurt you, but I believe this is for the best.”

“That’s it then.” He shook his head as he started retreating. “You’re making a mistake. I’ll respect your decision, but don’t call me if you change your mind. I don’t have time to waste on second chances. Once I walk out that door, this is it. We’re done.”

“Parker…” Her voice trailed off as his expression hardened. He walked out of the kitchen, and seconds later, she heard the front door slam behind him.

She released a shaky breath, waiting for the meltdown that usually accompanied a break-up. But while she felt drained, she didn’t feel sadness or regret or anger. She’d hoped to remain friends with him, but it was probably best they weren’t.

“Everything okay?”

Her head jerked up when she heard Brick’s gentle tone. She had no idea if he’d heard any of the conversation or if he saw or spoke to Parker as he left, but the softness in his eyes told her he was clued into what happened. She couldn’t bring herself to smile and reassure him, so she just nodded.

“It will be.”

He moved from inside the doorway to stand closer to her. “What can I do?”

“Take me to get coffee and pastries. Lots of coffee and pastries.”

Brick cracked a grin. “That I can do. I’ll just have Gen meet us at the Shoppe instead.”

“What kind of pastries do you recommend?” She moved passed him to retrieve her purse from the living room.

He opened the front door for her to step through. “All of them. I never tasted a bad one, and there are so many varieties, you can have anything your heart desires.”

As she waited for Brick to lock the door, she considered his words.Her heart’s desires.Yes, that’s exactly what she wanted, and not just in breakfast pastries. She wanted her career and her personal life to be everything her heart desired. She only had to decide what that may be.

Chapter Sixteen

He was obsessed, and it was taking a toll.

After Brick dropped Hope off at the Shoppe in Gennessey’s capable care, he had only intended to step into his office long enough to have Sydney or Kat dig for intel on Hope’s case. He needed sleep, so he could do that night’s security detail at her house. But instead of heading back to his apartment, he sat in his office, pretending to work at his laptop while he thought of nothing but his client.

She broke up with her boyfriend. The revelation had thrown him for a loop. He believed he hid his reaction well when she shared the news as they occupied a table at the diner. He’d convinced her to take a few moments to enjoy her breakfast before going to the Shoppe. In the short time he knew her, he’d deduced she was a workaholic, and a person could only keep up that kind of schedule for a while before they crashed and burned. He didn’t want that for her.

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