Page 88 of Knot That Serious

“I really will have you back at a decent hour, then,” he promised.

“Beckett was there when I got home.”

Was he, now? How interesting. “Did he ask you questions, too?”

“No,” Eli answered. “He gave me a foot rub and… okay, fine, I ended up venting to him about Jack, and may or may not have told him about you, too.”

That was genius. Beckett would report to Jack and the jealousy would grow.

“Smart alpha, using foot rubs to get his way.”

Eli sputtered and swatted at his arm. “Oh, stop. Beckett is nice.”

“I’m sure he’s a fine alpha,” Raj concurred.

His lips twitched, and he felt Eli’s glare, but he focused on the road and didn’t give in to the urge to glance over.

The drive didn’t take too long, but he could’ve spent eternity watching Eli try to find a radio station that wasn’t ads, a radio host’s annoyingly chipper voice, or the end of a song before a commercial break.

“There’s got to be something,” she said, exasperated.

Raj chuckled and weaved throughout the terrible drivers in the city. By the time the tall, metal arches of the building he was searching for came into view, he was relieved.

“Here?” she asked, as he parked right out front by the glass doors.

“Here,” Raj agreed, and pushed open his door.

He waved the doorman off, plucking the handle on Eli’s side of the car, and helping her onto the sidewalk. Not that she needed it, her amused little grin seemed to say.

Her fingers threaded through his, and he breathed a silent sigh of relief before leading her to the building.

“Frank,” he nodded in greeting.

“Hey, Raj,” the doorman returned, and opened the doors for them. “Have a good evening.”

Raj patted him on the shoulder as he passed, but once they crossed into the lobby of the Vine Tower, he only had eyes for Eli.

She gasped as they walked in. The high ceilings were glass and clear, all natural-looking stained cedar wood with embellishments. The hanging light fixtures were definitely overkill, but this was the lobby, and the client had been all about first impressions. Their shoes squeaked softly over the tile as Raj led her to the bank of elevators.

“This is really pretty. I’ve never been inside here.”

The glass doors on the elevators slid open and he followed Eli in. They shut with a soft hiss and Eli hummed as she stared out at the lobby through the door. “Hmm, no making out in these, I guess,” she mused softly.

Raj cleared his throat. “Watch this,” he said, and pressed the number for the top floor.

Before the elevator began the move, the privacy glass turned on.

Eli gasped, and turned to him. “No way!”

“Yeah. The owner always hated the feeling of being watched in those glass elevators, so he had the privacy glass installed.”

“That’s an insane use of money,” Eli said, shaking her head.

“I know,” Raj agreed with a chuckle. “Money can buy anything.”

“Even necking privacy, apparently,” Eli drawled.

Raj laughed again, and she bumped her shoulder into his side. “Especially that.”

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