KNOX: Volume 2 (6 page)

He gazes into my eyes, waiting for me to confirm this. And I can think of no better way to do that than with the kind of kiss we shared eight years ago.

Despite the fact that I have to get up at the crack of dawn to be at work the next day, I can’t let Knox go home without showing him how much I appreciate everything he did for me tonight. When we enter my apartment, I almost expect to find August or Lenny waiting for me. I never told Knox about my conversation with Lenny. I’ll tell him tomorrow.

13

It’s a few days late, but I decide to take Lita to brunch on Tuesday. I ask for a personal day and head down to the Financial District. Lita works for an investment firm where she makes in her words, “pretty decent money.” She doesn’t have to take a day off when she wants to take a three-hour lunch.

We meet at the only place I know in this neighborhood with good brunch. It’s the same place where I met August and his mother for brunch about seven months ago. The food was fantastic, though the company was a bit stiff.

After sitting at my table for more than ten minutes, I call Lita to see where she is. I get her voicemail, but I don’t bother leaving a message. Instead, I send her a text.

I set my phone on the table and pull out my face powder to do a touchup. The sound of August’s voice makes my shoulders lock up.

“Rebecca, what are you doing here? I thought you were working today.”

Rebecca?

“I have the day off,” I say, standing up. “So nice to see you again, Mimi.”

August’s mother, Mimi, is standing next to him in a baby-blue Chanel pantsuit. His right eye is twitching, almost winking at me. I take that to mean that his mother doesn’t know we’re broken up yet. And he doesn’t want me to tell her.

Mimi reaches her bony arms toward me and bumps her cheekbone against mine. Even her flowing blonde hair smells like Chanel No. 5. She steps back and looks down her nose at me with the usual phony smile.

“This isn’t your usual hangout. Is it, Becky?”

I smile and pause for effect. “No, actually I’m meeting a friend.”

August’s eyes flash with horror. He’s expecting me to say that I’m meeting Knox.

“Well, don’t be rude, August.” Mimi elbows him in the arm. “Offer to pick up their tab or something. Whatever it is you kids with blogs do these days.”

I cover my mouth as I chuckle and August rolls his eyes.

“I’m just meeting my friend Lita,” I clarify for August’s sake. “But she’s late. I think I may just head on out. I have errands to run.”

“Oh, nonsense. Join us in the garden room,” Mimi insists.

“I really can’t. But thank you for the offer. You two have a beautiful brunch.”
 

I take one last sip of my iced water and I’m suddenly overcome with a wave of nausea. I lean over kiss to August on the cheek.
 

He takes the opportunity to whisper in my ear. “Thank you, Rebecca.”
 

I try not to look as if I’m running out of there, but it’s hard when I’m practically running out of there. I explode out the entrance doors onto the sidewalk and release a small spew of bile onto the pavement.

August appears at my side. “Are you okay?”

“What are you doing out here? Go back in there with your mom.” I swipe the back of my hand across my mouth then push his hand off the small of my back. “Go, August.”

“Are you sure you’re okay?”

I look into his green eyes. Then I look at the black SUV across the street. Why do August and I keep running into each other? Well, technically, this is the first time. The last time wasn’t really a run-in. Still, I can’t help but feel as though August is watching me.

“I have to go.”

I take off toward the CVS on Fulton as I silently do the math in my head. I got my period the week after I met Knox. It’s been about three weeks since then. Is it possible for me to be pregnant?

Knox said he couldn’t impregnate me. Did I really make such a rookie mistake?

14

I enter CVS and immediately head for the feminine products aisle. I find the pregnancy tests and, instinctively, I look around me to see if anyone is watching. Sure enough, a man in a dark suit passes by the mouth of the aisle slowly. His sunglasses pointed straight at me.

Did Knox lie to me? Or did I just misunderstand him?

I grab six different tests and power walk to the checkout lane. The clerk pretends not to judge me as she scans my items and asks if I have a discount card I’d like to use.

“No,” I reply curtly.
Obviously, I’m in a hurry, lady,
I almost say.

I almost expect Knox to be waiting in a black SUV outside the store. Ready to whisk me away to a location where I can pee on a stick in private. But I can’t even see the security car anymore. I walk around the corner toward the subway station and head home.

16

I’ve been staring at the six boxes lined up on my bathroom counter for more than an hour. I’ve read the back of each box twice. But I still can’t decide which one to open first. Or if I should open any of them.

Knox wouldn’t lie to me about something like this. I’m only one day late. That’s nothing to worry about.

An hour later, I toss all the tests back into the CVS bag and head for Knox’s office.

No one tries to stop me when I insist on seeing Knox today. He’s not expecting me this time. And I’m keeping my cool with everyone; even the weird redheaded receptionist on the top level. She allows me to escort myself to the last office down the long, gray corridor.

I knock on the door and the sound of Knox’s laughter makes my skin prickle. Is his laughter genuine? Is any part of Knox real?

I wait a little more than a minute before he barks at the door. “Come in.”

Good. He doesn’t know it’s me. I finally get to catch him by surprise.

I enter his office and he smiles as he leans back in his chair. His gaze falls to the plastic bag dangling from my hand and he nods. He
does
know why I’m here. Of course he does. One of his guys saw me buying the damn tests.

“You think this is amusing?” I say, holding up the bag.

“I think you’re overreacting. I told you I’m not capable of getting you pregnant.”

“What do you mean by
not capable
?”

“I mean that I had a fucking vasectomy last year!”

I swallow another pocket of bile. “You
what
?”

“I was in a dark place. I thought I’d never find a way to get you back in my life. You had your new preppy boyfriend and I had nothing but one-night-stands. Every girl I fucked was just a stepping stone on my way to you, but I felt like those stones were leading me farther away.”
 

He leans forward and rests his head in his hands as he stares at the surface of the glass desk. “I didn’t see any point in taking chances. If I accidentally got a girl pregnant while wearing a condom, I knew I’d never love that child the way I’d love our child. Then I’d be just like my fucking father. For all I know, that’s why my father left. Because my mom and I were only second-best. And he couldn’t stand the sight of us.”

I set the bag down on one of the chairs and round the desk. I kneel next to his chair. “Knox, look at me.”

“No, I’m not done.” He heaves a deep sigh. “When I found you last year, I asked the doctor to reverse the vasectomy. He told me that there was a chance I might still not be able to have children, but I didn’t care. I told him to go ahead with the procedure.” He finally turns his chair and grabs my face. “He said that my body was making antibodies that were killing off my little swimmers. I’d never be able to have children of my own.”

I shake my head. “So, it’s possible that you’re no longer creating antibodies, right?”

“I don’t think so. But maybe you should take one of those tests before you jump to any conclusions.”

I glance at the chair on the other side of his desk where I set down the bag of tests. “Can you take me home?”

We enter the apartment at half past noon. The summer sun is shining through my sheer curtains. It’s at least ten degrees hotter inside than it was outside. I switch on the window air conditioning unit and grab the bag of tests to head for the bathroom, when my phone rings.

I don’t recognize the phone number, but I recognize the area code. Someone’s calling me from Poughkeepsie.
 

“Hello?”

“Lita — I mean — Becky. This is Lita’s mom, Carrie Matthews.”
 

This had to be the biological mother I’d never met.
 

“Hi, Carrie! Have you heard from Lita? She was supposed to meet me for brunch an hour ago.”

“Becky … Lita’s been abducted!”

Other books by Cassia Leo

EROTIC ROMANCE

KNOX Series
 

LUKE Series
 

CHASE Series
 

CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE

Relentless
(
Shattered Hearts #1)

Pieces of You
(Shattered Hearts #2)

Bring Me Home
(Shattered Hearts #3)

Abandon
(Shattered Hearts #3.5)

Black Box
(stand-alone novel)

PARANORMAL ROMANCE

Parallel Spirits
(
Carrier Spirits #1)

About the Author

New York Times
and
USA Today
bestselling author Cassia Leo loves her coffee, chocolate, and margaritas with salt. When she’s not writing, she spends way too much time watching old reruns of
Friends
and
Sex and the City
. When she’s not watching reruns, she’s usually enjoying the California sunshine or reading – sometimes both.

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KNOX: VOLUME 2

by Cassia Leo

http://cassialeo.com
 

Copyright © 2014 by Cassia Leo

All rights reserved.

Cover art by Cassia Leo.

This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without expressed written permission from the author; exceptions are made for brief excerpts used in published reviews.

All characters and events appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real events or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.