Page 41 of Knight's Desire

“Yes, of course.”

Hope resisted the urge to look back at Brick as she moved to the main salon, but she could feel his eyes on her as she did.

Chapter Seventeen

Hope slammed her phone receiver back on the desk unit. She buried her face in her hands and released a frustrated scream. The sound was muffled against her palms, but it felt good to release it. She tilted her neck to one side and then the other, trying to ease the tension making her muscles ache. That’s when she smelled a delicious aroma wafting from outside her office. Her stomach rumbled in response, and she pushed herself up from her desk.

She felt a bit like an old cartoon character following the white cloud of smells leading to a plate of delicious food. Her steps took her through the lobby to the main salon, where Brick’s muscular frame dwarfed the sofa. He carefully removed takeout containers from a plastic bag and placed them on the end tables moved in front of him to create a makeshift dinner table.

“I hope some of that is for me,” she quipped, though she knew it was. He believed she never ate enough, especially when she was working, so he took every opportunity to feed her. She was thankful to be on the move throughout the day otherwise her waistline would be paying the price.

His grin gave a peek of his teeth, straight enough to make her wonder if he’d ever worn braces. “It is. I was about to come and interrupt whoever had you on the phone for so long.”

She crossed in front of him and sat on the other end of the sofa, venting her frustration with more of a sigh this time than a scream. “Mrs. Ellen O’Leary. Her daughter Tally is getting married, and they are probably the most high-maintenance customers I’ve ever had. I think Mrs. O’Leary invents reasons to call and complain because she’s annoyed that Tally won’t listen to her. She acts like this wedding is hers and not her daughter’s. I’m only in charge of the wedding dresses. I can only imagine how the photographer and caterer are feeling.”

Hope clamped her mouth shut when she realized Brick had stopped what he was doing and gave her his undivided attention. She was aware of how close they sat on the small sofa. Their thighs brushed against each other, warmth from his body breaking through the thin layer of her skirt, branding her skin in the most delicious way.

“Did you say dresses? As in more than one?”

She cleared the sudden lump in her throat. “Yeah. It’s not uncommon these days for brides to have a ceremony dress and a reception dress. Usually one is more traditional to make the mom happy while the other is sexier to make the groom happy. But it doesn’t matter now. So, what’s on the menu?” She shook her head as she breathed in the delicious aromas. “Who am I kidding? I’m so hungry I’d probably eat anything you put in front of me.”

He chuckled, and she felt the sound reverberate in her chest. “I wasn’t sure what you’d be hungry for. I took a chance and ordered steak and baked potatoes, but if you want something else, I can have Gen make a stop for you.”

Her mouth watered as she shook her head again. “Steak sounds perfect. I hope you’re adding my share of all these dinners to my tab. You should make meal service part of the security package because you have spoiled me since you’ve been guarding me.”

“Well, someone should.” He placed a container in front of her and handed her real utensils, not the plastic ones she expected with takeout. He caught her gaze with his bright blue eyes, and she wildly wondered if her sister was right about Brick. But her feminine intuition told her Brick was no rebound. If she gave into her attraction for him, it could only end in one of two ways — with total abandon or total destruction. She had a feeling taking the chance would be worth either result, and the notion frightened her.

Her fingers brushed against his when she accepted the silverware, and electricity streaked up her arm. Her body reacted to Brick more than any man she’d ever met, and she wished she could know if he felt the same. She dropped her gaze and opened her to-go container.

“I saw you straightening up the Shoppe earlier while Kayla and I were busy. Thank you for that. I usually tackle that at the end of the day, so I appreciate you saving me the trouble.”

“I wanted to keep busy. I hope I had everything the way you like it.”

She smirked. “So you noticed that I like things a certain way. My brothers like to tease me about it. They call me obsessive.”

“The military is all about order and precision. I’m used to things having their place. I’m guessing even if you didn’t like order, your brothers would tease you about something else. That’s what brothers are for.”

Hope cut into her steak, grilled to a perfect medium. “Do you have brothers?”

“One. Kason.” He lifted a bite of steak to his mouth, and she became fascinated with watching his jaw work and his neck flex as he chewed.

Wow, he was even hot when he ate. She was in trouble.

“Mason and Kason. Did your mom choose rhyming names on purpose? Does Kason have a nickname too?”

“No. Mine came from the military. Kason didn’t serve. And the names were on purpose. My mom liked the idea of having matching names.”

“I do, too, actually. Are you and Kason close?”

He shrugged. “We were closer as kids than we are now. He lives in Italy close to our parents, so we don’t see each other a lot.”

Her fork, holding a small piece of steak, hung just inches from her mouth as she stared incredulously at Brick. “Your family lives in Italy? Really? Wow. Are you from Italy originally?”

“Nope. My mom always wanted to live there, so when Dad retired, he moved her to Florence. Kason went to visit, met a girl, married, and moved there too. I try to visit once or twice a year, but it depends on the cases I’m working at the time. What about you? Are you close with your brothers?”

“I shouldn’t let you change the subject like that. I haven’t traveled very much, so my mind is spinning with questions about Florence. But I think I would rather pick your brain when I’m not too tired to remember your answers. Anyway, my brothers, sister and I are all close. If it wasn’t for my dad, my brothers would be here now helping you find out who is harassing me. When you find the person, be prepared for Henry and Adam to show up to beat him down.”

“They’ll have to stand in line,” he growled, and her stomach dipped.

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