Unexpected Eva (Triple Trouble #3)(8)

“Oh God, Knox, I need you.” It’s been so long since anyone has shown me any affection; my body needs the release, and I want him to be the one to do it. I want him to shake off the last year. I want to feel free and desired once more, to feel joy and to be fucked right, like I know Knox will. He’ll look after me.

“Stay with me tonight, Eva.”

I snap my eyes open to find him staring back at me with deep, apprehensive eyes.

“Okay.”

He gifts me a rare knockout smile and I practically melt into him.

He’s gorgeous.

I want him.

For one night only.

That’s all I need.

No one ever needs to know.

It’s just one night.

Right?





CHAPTER THREE





Eva

Without another word, Knox threads his long, thick fingers into mine, and leads me along the pristine white-paneled corridor of his hotel. Every door is painted jet-black. It screams innocence meets devil—him and I, like thunderstorms and clear skies. A faint warm glow from the silver spotlights overhead illuminates our path, welcoming us, as each one automatically flickers on as we pass by.

I have no clue where he’s taking me, but I don’t question him. My feet are carrying me, but I’m not sure my brain is making them work. On autopilot, I feel like I’m floating in a weird bubble, as if twice removed from my body.

Am I actually doing this?

I’ve never been with anyone else apart from Ewan.

A thousand doubts zoom through my brain.

What about my C-section scar with Hamish? And the slithers of faint silver stretch marks above it?

And, oh, God, what about the fact I had to be cut down below when I had Archie and had to have an emergency vacuum assisted delivery?

Ewan always reassured me and said because I was stitched inside and out, I now have what he called a designer vagina, and he informed me I felt as tight as a virgin.

I didn’t exactly have it easy in the birthing of children department. Hence my utter fear of childbirth.

I’m not having any more babies. Nope, not doing that. Never again. Nuh-uh.

Knox senses me tense. “Hey, are you sure you want to do this?”

I flick a tendril of hair off my face. “Mmmmm.”

He stops us in our tracks, then faces me directly.

“Talk to me, Eva.”

I can’t look him in the eyes. I’m not exactly inexperienced. Ewan and I always had a healthy sex life in the beginning. But I’ve never been intimate with another man. That scares the living shit out of me. Is there such a thing as one-night-stand etiquette? If so, I don’t know the rules. I bet Knox does this kind of thing all the time. He’s experienced.

Aw, crapatooee. What am I doing?

Knox tilts my face up, demanding an answer with his cavernous eyes. So dark you can’t tell what part is iris or pupil.

I internally cringe. “It’s, I, I’ve only ever been with one man. And I’ve had two babies.”

“Right, and?”

“I know I have an okay dancer body, but it’s not what it used to be since I had the boys.” I fiddle with my evening purse.

“And do you actually think I give a shit about any of that, Eva? Because I don’t.”

Knox reaches out, moves in close, and for the first time, what I feel like I’ve waited a lifetime for, he plants a soft kiss to my lips and holds me there. It’s gentle.

Reassuring.

Unexpected.

And beautiful.

He leans back slightly.

“You don’t have to come home with me, Eva.”

He holds his gaze.

Oh, we’re going to his house? I kind of assumed he’d take me to one of his hotel suites here.

He continues in his deep velvet tone. “But I will look after you if you do. I will pay homage to your glorious body. I want to memorize everything about you.”

“Oh-kaaaaay.”

“Is that a yes?”

“Yes,” I whisper.

He offers a sudden smile. “We can always just cuddle.”

I snort. “Cuddle? Why do I get the impression you are not a cuddler?”

His smile drops. “There's a lot you don’t know about me, Eva.”

Does Mr. Dark and Aloof like cuddles? Interesting.

“Show me then, Knox. Show me all of you.”

Like he’s been waiting for me to say that, he closes his eyes and on a deep inhale, he turns on his heels, guiding me through the maze of corridors.

Rounding the next corner, Knox instructs me to wait where I am, and he’ll be back to get me in two minutes. I watch him disappear out of sight through a heavy door at the end of the corridor.

Before I know it, he’s back, appearing from a secret white pocket door on the opposite side of the wall I’m leaning against.

“Oh, that’s magic.” I smile.

“There’s lots of these throughout the hotel.”

“It’s like Harry Potter,” I say in a hushed tone.

“I know,” he whispers back against my ear, causing a gentle flurry of goosebumps to break out across my skin.

I teeter through the doorway.

Like a pair of conspirators, he slides the pocket door shut again, as if it doesn’t exist behind us. He ushers me straight through the steel and concrete staff corridor, out the other side, through the fire exit door into the cold November Scottish evening.