Abso-fucking-lutely not!
CHAPTER ELEVEN
It was the latter part of Knox’s comment that had hit Ellie in the chest with enough force to cause her to draw in a deep and sharp breath before finally accepting his invitation.
I want you to feel safe returning to your own apartment.
Because she didn’t. Feel safe. Anywhere. In fact, she genuinely feared Andrew’s reaction to Knox having paid him a visit earlier today.
Having to come out of her office and face Sally and Benny, after Knox left, had been awkward to say the least. But neither of them mentioned the fact that Ellie visibly had beard burn on the side of her neck and on her chin, that the buttons on her blouse weren’t fastened properly, or that she smelled faintly of sex.
Neither of them mentioned any of those things, so Ellie chose not to either. Instead, she went to the bathroom and tidied herself as much as possible before going down in the elevator to the lingerie store on the second floor.
As she’d told Knox, she had a meeting with her lawyer that afternoon, and that wasn’t going to take place with her not wearing panties. She’d half expected Knox to insist on being present during the meeting with her lawyer once he knew about it, although she was pleased that he hadn’t.
Whatever was between her and Knox, it was still very new, and she needed to continue to make her own decisions and maintain her hard-won independence.
Besides, she didn’t want to come off as someone whose life was an absolute nightmare, with her dangerous ex-partner still harassing her. It didn’t exactly scream that she was date-worthy material.
Although, from the intimacy the two of them had shared in her office after Knox had spoken to Andrew, Knox didn’t seem to be deterred by that complication.
Yet.
Ellie already knew that Knox was a patient and controlled man, but even he might grow tired of having to deal with her problematic ex if it continued.
Once her lawyer arrived, she had told him the circumstances and put forward the idea of a restraining order against Andrew. Once she’d shown her lawyer the medical reports, he’d assured her he had absolutely no problem going to a judge with the records of her two visits to the hospital. She had also provided him with the photographs she had taken on her cell phone of the wreckage Andrew had made of both her office and her apartment. Her lawyer was sure they would be enough to get an immediate temporary restraining order against Andrew, with a court date to be arranged at a later date to take it further.
Thankfully, he called Ellie before the end of his workday to let her know that the temporary order had been issued and the papers had been served on Andrew.
Ellie had immediately switched off her cell phone, knowing Andrew well enough to realize that he wouldn’t obey the injunction forbidding him to contact her or go to her office or home.
Hours later, her cell phone still off, and sitting in the passenger seat of Knox’s car, without having either sight or sound of Andrew, Ellie found herself feeling more relaxed than she had for a very long time. And she knew that was all down to how Knox made her feel.
He had picked her up from her office at six o’clock, as he’d said he would, and then driven them both to Ellie’s apartment. Her small suitcase, containing three changes of work clothes and enough casual clothing for the same number of days, plus her new underwear, was in the trunk of the car. She hadn’t wanted to assume she would be staying with him for any longer than the weekend and maybe a couple of days after. It was dependent upon how soon Linus could check and improve the security in her apartment building. She would start looking for a new apartment in the meantime.
She had also packed a box of ingredients for their dinner this evening, which Knox had put in the trunk with her suitcase.
She had no idea what make of car Knox was driving, only that it was a black sports car that could no doubt go from zero to sixty in a matter of seconds. Except it couldn’t, not in New York City, the roads being too congested for cars to even reach the city speed limit.
Knox was no longer wearing the formal suit, shirt, and tie he had worn earlier today, evidence that he had been home and changed before coming to collect her at six o’clock. He now wore a thin navy-blue cashmere sweater, the sleeves pushed up to just beneath his elbows, along with faded blue jeans that molded to the taut lines of his waist and that firm butt. The beginning of a sleeve of heavy tattoos was visible on his left arm.
Having offered to share a shower with her when they reached her apartment and having been refused, Knox had instead lounged in one of the armchairs in Ellie’s sitting room, scrolling through stuff on his cell phone while she showered and changed.
She was now wearing a burnt-orange sweater with slim black jeans. She had decided to leave her hair loose after washing and drying it. She was also wearing the large-lens glasses, still feeling the need to have them between her and the outside world.
One very passionate encounter with Knox hadn’t changed that!
It was because of what happened earlier today that she hadn’t quite known how to behave toward him when he came to pick her up at the HERA offices. Knox hadn’t felt any such qualms, stepping into the reception area before taking her in his arms and very soundly kissing her. Making her doubly grateful that Benny and Sally had already left for the day.
“You’re very quiet.” Knox now broke the silence between them.
Ellie turned from looking out the side window of the car at the shops they were driving past. “I’ve never been a chatterbox.”
“Your silence is peaceful.”
“As opposed to…?”
“People who think they have to fill every moment of silence, even if it’s only to spout nonsense, usually because they like the sound of their own voice. Day is one of those people,” he added grimly.