Tipping The Scales: Knox (Mate Craze)(20)



I quickly put everything back into the file and put the stack back together in the same hodge podge fashion it had been in earlier. The last thing I wanted to do was to alert Liam than he had messed up and that I knew he messed up. I had no idea why he was covering for Knox’s family, but I was sure as daylights going to figure it out, starting with Knox.

I walked back in and crossed my fingers that the middle school play I had been in gave me enough skill to pull this off.

“Here, I need to go.”

“Wait, what? I took all of those out and you are done?”

“I need to return Knox’s truck. I read one page of one file five times and remember none of it. I don’t know if it is the guilt for stranding him or the worry of possessing a truck that isn’t mine, but I need to get it back to him. Want to follow me and drive me back?” I crossed my fingers I read him correctly and he’d decline the offer, but knew the offer on the table gave credibility to my story.

“I’ll just leave these here for when you come back.” He grabbed the files and plopped them on the shelf beside him.

“No new requisition forms?” I teased.

“Just go.”

I didn’t need to be asked twice. As I scurried down the steps, I was shocked to see the increase in people on the streets, all of them with their eyes on either me or the truck. Freaking awesome.

I climbed in and pulled out of my spot as quickly as I could without letting on that they frazzled me to the core. That was the last thing I needed. The ride to his home took far less time than I remembered and all of the argument planning I usually did in my head was only halfway done. Oh well, winging it was a strategy I needed to strengthen anyway.

The door opened before I even made it out of the truck, but no one filled the doorway. I was expecting to have an angry Knox at the door, but as I got closer and closer, the reality of the situation hit me. He opened the door letting me know I was welcome, but he sat on the couch as if it were no big deal. Knox forgave me. What the heck. I had stomped out with his truck keys in tow and he was forgiving me.

“I brought your car back,” I called into the home unsure if I should enter. He waved me in as if sensing my unsureness. I took a few steps in the door and closed it behind me and watched as his shoulders relaxed slightly. At least I wasn’t the only one whose emotions were all over the stupid place.

“Truck,” he corrected with a teasing lilt.

“Fine.” I took the remaining steps between us and held his keys out. When he didn’t grab them, I added, “I brought your truck back.” And his hand opened up below mine and I dropped in the keys.

“Are you done for the day or feeling guilty?” His eyes met mine just as his words brought me back to reality. I was here for answers, not to flirt. But all thoughts of the case had fled the moment I saw him sitting on the couch, giving me room to work my way out of the mess I found myself in. What was it about this man? He tilted his head to the side, indicating the seat beside himself.

There was absolutely, without a doubt, zero decent reasons to sit there. Close proximity to him had my body overruling my brain and that was not acceptable. I had far more at stake than a spring break fling. I had a future to prepare for. A future that included a career and… ugh, why was my brain leading me back to kissing him, because right now all I wanted to do was to feel his lips against mine. Using every last stupid bit of willpower I had, I broke the spell I was under and sat at the seat as far away from him as the seating arrangement allowed. I had things to discuss, and if I stayed where I was those things would become moot and fast.

“Guilt for sure.” It was true, the guilt of leaving him stranded, even if it were only a few miles away, didn’t sit well with me. It was far from the entire story, but not a lie. “I did steal your truck.” Looking down, I avoided his eyes. I knew from his actions he held no anger about it, but that didn’t make my actions right.

“I gave you blanket approval.”

I bent down to tie my already tied shoe, giving me a valid break from the conversations. Just a bit of time to recoup my mission out of my far too fuzzy hormone driven brain.

“As a joke,” I huffed out and forced myself to bring my eyes back up to meet his face.

“Or guised as a joke so you wouldn’t worry about it if it became necessary.” The honesty that his voice held, mixed with the sincerity in his eyes had me about to jump over the coffee table and into the seat beside him or on his lap, whichever I could get to first. “Guilt is only half the reason I’m here,” I said in a voice that was one hundred percent stage voice and not at all my own. If I allowed this moment to morph into anything other than I intentionally planned, I would kick myself as my dreams of law school plummeted.

“Why are you here then?” He cocked his head and I caught a shimmer of something. Was he wearing an earring? I always liked the bad boy. Not the actual, real bad boy, because in my dream world my life would end with my own law firm, a white picket fence, 2.5 kids and a husband who adored me. No, I liked the look of a bad boy with the heart of good guy. They had to exist, right?

Scolding myself for my wayward thoughts, I found myself twisting slightly to get a better look. My perusal after grand theft auto was unwelcomed if his quick head turn and hair shake was any indication. It was bad enough I was ogling him. Now that he knew, I wanted to crawl in a hole.

“Because of Liam.”

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