Page 51 of Protecting Nicole

After saving her songbook from near disaster—and spending far too many minutes staring at the perfect details of her unblemished face—I head for the door for the second time in the past ten minutes.

Partway out, I hear whispered voices coming from the living room of the suite. Assuming it’s River seeking where I disappeared to for the umpteenth time the past week, I head in that direction instead of walking deeper down the hallway where the rooms sprout off.

My heart beats at an unusual rhythm when I spot Knox in the entryway.

He isn’t returning to the suite after running an errand.

He’s showing a busty redhead out.

His hand hovering on the small of her back announces this, not to mention the sloppy farewell kiss he plants on her lips a second after opening the door.

What the?

After telling her he’ll be in touch soon, he watches her stalk to the elevator, before removing her lipstick from his face in the entryway mirror. It isn’t solely smeared on his lips, and it has my anger reaching a point where I can’t hold back the groan rumbling up my chest.

“Laken… ah... hey,” he pushes out when he hears my grumble. His eyes dart to the door the redhead just walked through before they return to me. “How long have you been there?”

“Long enough,” I reply, certain if I don’t start matching his lies with some of my own, I’ll never get a truth out of him.

“Fuck.” He rakes his fingers over his scalp before giving me the most pathetic excuse in the book. “It isn’t as it seems.” When Ipffthim, he backtracks quicker than I can snap my fingers. “Well, it is. Clearly, you recognize Candy from Ravenshoe. Howcould any man forget that face? So there’s no use denying what she does for a profession.” He always rambles when nervous, but I don’t call him out on it since it also makes him the most honest. “After a frantic few days, I needed to blow off some steam. I figured since I was too worked up for my usual outlets, I should take it out on someone paid to handle it.” He speaks as if hiring a prostitute is as normal as ordering takeout. “Is everything okay? Is Nicole—”

“She’s sleeping,” I interrupt, hating that he brings her up so soon after walking a sex worker to the door, but also hopeful. Maybe Nicole said what she said because she’s had enough of Knox’s crap. “And most likely going to be hungover in the morning. Have you seen the stuff they’re writing about her online?” When he nods, I breathe out a long, tedious breath. “The comments are brutal. They’re tearing her to shreds.”

“I know,” Knox replies, shocking me further. “It is a fucking shit show.”

“Then why weren’t you there for her? Why hire a hooker when your girl needed you more?”

He throws his hands up like we’re in a boxing ring and not the living room of one of the flashy suites he stays in like he has to prove something. “Are you really trying to give me relationship advice? You once thought a Valentine’s Day gift was flavored condoms.”

“In high school. I’ve matured the fuck up since then.”

He laughs at me like I’m a sucker before sidestepping me to enter his office. As he cleans up evidence of his cheating ways, I stare at him like I don’t know who the hell he is. Nicole is the best thing that’s ever happened to him. She’s intelligent, funny, and outstandingly beautiful.

Even with their wealth not on par, she iswayabove Knox’s league. Yet, he’s going to throw it away for a woman who charges by the hour.

When I say that to Knox, he dumps an open box of condoms into the top drawer of his desk, rights a wayward keyboard and mouse, then enters the attached bathroom to spray some aftershave around.

It is the same aftershave I found next to Nicole’s earring.

He squirts the pricy bottle in the air until the scent of sex is replaced with spices and wood, then spins to face me. “There. Crisis averted.”

I’m too shocked to speak.

Does he really think so little of Nicole that he believes a bit of aftershave will hide the hickeys on his neck?

“She’s gonna find out,” I eventually murmur, my tone hinting that I’m more hopeful than fretful.

Nicole deserves better, and she asked me only minutes ago to help ensure that occurs, so I refuse to stand down this time.

“No, she won’t,” Knox denies, walking me to the door. “Because you’re not going to say anything.” My back is already up, but it reaches a new level when he mutters, “Bros before hoes and all that shit.”

“Knox—”

“I’ll stop, all right? I promise. I just…” He scrubs at his face before reminding me that things could be worse. “Wouldn’t you rather me choke out a prostitute than harm the voice of the woman who will make us rich?”

I don’t give a fuck about the money, but the thought of him with Nicole like that makes me want to rip off his nuts. I hate that she’s being disrespected, but if I had to pick between Nicole or a prostitute soothing Knox’s edginess, I’d always choose the latter.

Knox mistakes my expression. “That’s what I fucking thought.” He slaps my back like nothing will ever come between us, before barging me toward my room. “Now get the fuck out of my room so I can get some shuteye. It might be a rest day for the crew tomorrow, but there’s no rest for the wicked.”

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