Tipping The Scales: Knox (Mate Craze)(10)

“Because you know anything about my dating life,” I countered, poorly. A debate team star I wouldn’t be. Not on this subject anyway.

“Sadly, I know all and you are boring as can be.”

Stupid truth bomb.

“What you call boring, I call motivated and responsible.” Responsible. Not a word that would win anything with Rhi, but true nonetheless. “Listen. I need to go. Call you later?”

She nodded in defeat, and I hightailed it out of there faster than I thought possible. The entire conversation had me on edge, and mixed with my worry over this morning, I was a hot mess of a mess. I needed to see files that were public access, but more than that, I needed unfettered access to all files related to the case in town hall, where the courthouse/post office/clerk’s office/police station all lived. Small towns, they were efficient in some ways to be sure.

My butt started to vibrate. I knew I should have turned it off to prevent Rhi from pestering me, but I promised my mom I would keep the line of communication open, so responsible daughter gave Rhi the edge on this one. Only when I looked down, it wasn’t her.

This is Knox

Holy crap on a cracker. Knox. On my phone. After last night. I stopped dead in my tracks.

How did he… never mind.

Of course she gave him my number when she made the reservation, and of course she was late. For a brief moment there I thought he was calling for me, something I liked far more than I should’ve.

Rhi will be there soon. Woke up late.

I typed in the excuse and began to walk again. The sooner I got to work, the sooner my brain could focus on something, anything else.

And you?

I have work to do

My fingers trembled as they typed, my pace but a crawl. My heart wanted to say I would be right there, but I couldn’t go down that path. I had things to do to create the future I needed. He was a distraction. A yummy distraction, but a distraction.

For?

Work.

I felt guilty being so curt. I stunk at messaging.

Fine I’ll let it drop. Have a good day.

Brilliant. I’d pissed him off. It was probably for the best. Yeah. For the best. I lied to myself so many times today I really would have burning pants.

You too.

And Kallie?

Yes?

I’m sorry I freaked you out yesterday. I’d like another chance with you.

Just like that, he melted away part of my resolve. Good thing he wasn’t here. I might have taken him up on his wilderness whatever. No. I was a strong woman… Still lying.

Me too, but I truly need to get work done.

“Kallie?” His voice was so close. I spun around and almost wacked into him. Darn man was like a cat.

“How did you find me?” Thank you for finding me. I want you here even though you shouldn’t be here. You look better than yesterday. “Ah yes, the fabulous Rhi.” He nodded with a smirk. “So the real question is: why are you here?”

“I need to be near you…” He felt it too. What the hey? “So I can help you with your research.” Or he was nice. My hope deflated. Not that I should have any hope because all my focus was work. Yep. Work.

“I don’t need help.” It was true, but in that moment I kind of wished I did because working with him would be magical. Probably far from productive given my desire to run my hands over him, but magical.

“Fine.” He slid both of his hands in his front jean pockets in defeat, and I just stared at them. The jeans, not his hands. I was acting like a… like Rhi. My eyes strayed to the way his faded jeans curved around his hips like they were made for him… I closed my eyes and shook of the spell they had placed on me. “If you do need help, now you have my number.”

With that he pivoted on his heel and walked away.

A half a block later, I was at the court house feeling I had already lost for the day. I made it just through the doorway before I was greeted by security, which seemed plum crazy for a town this size. After half an hour of begging and pleading to be let in, Garrick, the guard, gently guided me to the door mumbling something about my kind not being wanted. Not sure if my kind was city girl, nosy student, or potential undercover reporter, but whichever way, the net result was the same. I couldn’t get to the data I needed.

I slumped on the bottom step as Knox’s words came flooding back. He told me to call him if I needed him. I had no idea if he could help me get past Garrick and to the Liam listed on the wall as the person it looked like I needed to talk to. Most likely it would be a dead end, but the compulsion to call him was great and I broke down instantaneously.

“Hello?”

Before I could chicken out… once again, I spit out the words in such a speed that they melded together as one. “This is Kallie, I do need you.”





5





Knox





Just the sound of her voice made me want to go up all the three flights of stairs in one leap.

Her eyebrows jumped a little when I hit the top of the stairs. I thought maybe I’d scared her a little—and maybe I had.

“Did you run?” She smart-mouthed me. I wasn’t sure which one I liked most, the sweet blushing Kallie or the smartass one. I liked the mouth on both of them.

“I like to be prompt when a lady calls. Sue me.”

Her hand moved up and she whispered her pointer finger around the rim of her adorably curved ear. “Suing you for being prompt would be the very definition of frivolous lawsuit. Trust me. You, um, you didn’t wear glasses yesterday.”