Silver Spoons Inc. 1

Billionaire Boss

[Siren Publishing: The Stormy Glenn ManLove Collection: Erotic Romance, Alternative, Contemporary, MM, HEA]

Working for billionaire Colton Knox is both a blessing and a curse.

A blessing because the guy is a great boss. I'd been flown all over the world on his private jet and seen places I could only dream about, all on his dime. I'd met kings and queens, rubbed elbows with the socially elite, and been gifted with bonuses that would make most people swoon with envy.

It's a curse because my boss is drop dead, catch your breath, gorgeous from the top of his six foot three inch blond head to the bottom of his perfectly formed feet. He has vivid blue eyes and a cocky grin that brought mortal men and women to their knees.

And he is woefully, horribly straight.

When someone attacks me in a bid to get to Knox, my life changes in ways I never could have imagined. When Knox announces to the world that he's gay and we're engaged, I don't know whether to strangle him or run for cover. My anger wars with my desire for the sexy man. I deserve better and Knox can't have me until he can prove this isn't just a publicity stunt.

Length: 43,000 words

BILLIONAIRE BOSS

Silver Spoons Inc. 1

Stormy Glenn

Siren Publishing, Inc.

www.SirenPublishing.com

A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK

Billionaire Boss

Copyright © 2020 by Stormy Glenn

ISBN: 978-1-64637-234-8

First Publication: August 2020

Cover design by Jess Buffett

All art and logo copyright © 2020 by Siren Publishing, Inc.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.

All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

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PUBLISHER

Siren Publishing, Inc.

www.SirenPublishing.com

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Stormy believes the only thing sexier than a man in cowboy boots is two or three men in cowboy boots. She also believes in love at first sight, soul mates, true love, and happy endings.

You can usually find her cuddled in bed with a book in her hand and a puppy in her lap, or on her laptop, creating the next sexy man for one of her stories. Stormy welcomes comments from readers. You can find her website at www.stormyglenn.com.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

BILLIONAIRE BOSS. 7

Chapter One. 7

Chapter Two. 17

Chapter Three. 27

Chapter Four 37

Chapter Five. 47

Chapter Six. 56

Chapter Seven. 64

Chapter Eight 74

Chapter Nine. 83

Chapter Ten. 92

Chapter Eleven. 99

Chapter Twelve. 108

Chapter Thirteen. 116

Chapter Fourteen. 127

Chapter Fifteen. 133

Chapter Sixteen. 142

BILLIONAIRE BOSS

Silver Spoons Inc. 1

STORMY GLENN

Copyright © 2020

Chapter One

Newton

Working for Colton Knox was both a blessing and a curse.

A blessing because the guy was a great boss. I'd been flown all over the world on his private jet and seen places I could only dream about, all on his dime. I'd met kings and queens, rubbed elbows with the socially elite, and been gifted with bonuses that would make most people swoon with envy.

It was a curse because my boss was drop-dead, catch-your-breath gorgeous from the top of his six-foot-three-inch muscular frame to the bottom of his perfectly formed feet. He had luscious blond hair, soul-deep blue eyes, and a cocky grin that brought mortal men and women to their knees.

And he was woefully, horribly straight.

I was Knox's right hand, his executive assistant. I was supposed to be an extension of the great man, the one who kept his world in order. I did everything from organizing his schedule to picking up his dry cleaning to bringing him soup when he was sick.

I'd been his executive assistant for coming up on five years, longer than anyone had ever lasted with the man. I'd seen him do wild things, crazy things, but I'd also seen him to wonderful things like buy a burned out building in a poor neighborhood and turn it into a park and community garden. I'd seen him take a profit loss just so he could make sure all the workers in a factory he'd bought had jobs.

I'd seen him to a lot of things that the public never saw.

To the world, Colton Knox was a playboy and business tycoon. To those loyal to him—like me—he was like one of the Gods of Olympus come down to mix with mere mortals. He had the Midas touch. Everything he touched turned to gold.

He was a billionaire with a drop-dead gorgeous smile and a body made for sin.

And he was still so very, very straight.

Which brought me back to why today was a curse. One of my jobs as Knox's executive assistant was to make sure his hook-ups knew that was all it was. A one-night stand. Knox was not shopping for a bride, despite what his mother thought.

Pricilla Knox was the embodiment of a society matron. She'd been Daddy's little princess, a debutant, Miss America, and then the wife of a prominent senator. She attended social functions, charity events, and worked on her husband's campaigns.

Her one remaining goal in her life was to see her only son married off so he could give her grandchildren, which was apparently part of the whole society matron package, one she was currently missing out on.

The perfect little senator's wife.

And she saw me as a roadblock keeping her from reaching that goal.

Normally, Pricilla equated me to a piece of functional furniture. Most of the time, she ignored me, except for when she was trying to get in touch with her son and felt I was in her way. Over the last five years, I'd learned how to keep my mouth shut, no matter how much I wanted to tell her to go stuff it.

"No, ma'am," I said as I let myself into the executive suite of the Knox Grand Hotel. "I haven't seen him since he left for the charity ball last night. If I do, I'll be sure to let him know you called."

"I must talk to him, Newton," Pricilla said. "It's imperative."

"I'll pass on the message, ma'am."

I heard a soft chuckle when I rolled my eyes. I didn't turn my head to look simply because I did not want to lie to Knox's mother. I hadn't seen him since last night, even if I knew he was standing just to the left of me.

Pricilla hung up without saying goodbye.

I slid my phone into my pocket. "Do I see you or not?"

Amusement was clear to hear in the man's voice when he replied, "You see me, Newt."

I turned to look at the great man, and then wished I hadn't. He was dressed in his tuxedo slacks from the previous night, and nothing else. His only accessories were the watch his father had given him when he turned twenty-five and a cup of coffee.

All that glorious skin.

Damn.

"Your mother called, sir," I said as I walked over and handed him a suit bag.

Knox arched one perfectly manicured eyebrow. "You don't say."

"She wants you to call her. She says it's imperative."

"Thank you for passing on the message."

I glanced toward the double doors that led to the bedroom. "Breakfast or no breakfast?"

"No breakfast. I'll be on the balcony having coffee."

Knox turned and walked out through the double glass doors that led to the balcony, shutting the doors behind him. His absence from the room told me all I needed to know.

I walked through the bedroom doors then paused at the bottom of the bed and looked down at the sleeping socialite splayed out on the mattress.

Norah Bradley. I should have known. She'd been trying for ages to get her hooks into Knox. I seriously doubted she understood the position she was in. By denying her breakfast, Knox was basically saying he didn't want to be around her a second more than he had to and she would not get a repeat performance.

I almost felt sorry for her.

Not.

"Ms. Bradley." I walked to the side of the bed and reached down to give her a little shake. "Ms. Bradley."

I rolled my eyes when she grunted and rolled over. I'd love nothing more than to rip that sheet off her naked body and drag her out by her hair, but that was a big no-no. She was a socialite after all. Her father owned one of the biggest steel mill companies in the state.

"Ms. Bradley," I said loudly. "It is time to get up and go home."

The woman gasped as she jackknifed into a sitting position before scrambling to hold the sheet to her boobs. "Who are you? What are you doing in here?"

"I am Mr. Knox's executive assistant. I'm here to make sure you make it home okay."

Ms. Bradley glanced around, her brow wrinkling.

Must have missed her weekly dose of Botox.

"Where's Colton?"

"I'm afraid Mr. Knox is unavailable at the moment. He asked me to see to you." He actually asked me to get rid of her, but I had to be polite about it.

I bent down and scooped up the clothes the woman had been wearing the night before and tossed them at her. "I'll wait outside while you dress. I've called your driver and he is waiting for you downstairs."

I had no desire to see the woman naked.

I had no desire to see any woman naked. I was gay right down to the center of my rainbow-colored heart. That might actually be why I was the only executive assistant to last as long as I had. Knox was into woman, which placed me decidedly off his radar of available one-night stands.

If only he knew.

I stepped outside the bedroom and closed the doors behind me, then called downstairs to make sure Ms. Bradley's driver was waiting for her. I told him to meet her at the employee's entrance. I doubted the woman wanted to be paraded through one of the best hotels in the city wearing the clothes she'd worn the night before. It would be all over social media in minutes.

Then again, maybe she did. Sleeping with Colton Knox seemed to be a badge of honor among some of these women. I suppose I could understand that. I'd certainly shout it from the rooftops if I ever got the chance. Not that it would ever happen, but I did fantasize about it once or twice or maybe a million times.

When the doors slammed open and Ms. Bradley stormed out, I plastered a smile on my face and waved my hand toward the door. "Ma'am—"

"Where is Colton?" she snapped. "I demand you tell me this instant."

Not a chance in hell.

"I'm afraid Mr. Knox is unavailable at the moment, but I will be sure to pass along your desire to speak with him." I walked over to the door and held it open. "If you'll come this way, Ms. Bradley, I've arranged for your driver to meet you at the employee entrance. I understand there is a reporter in the lobby."

As I expected, Ms. Bradley gasped and look down at her evening gown. "I can't be seen like this."

"No, ma'am. If you'll come right this way?"

The quick clomp of her stiletto heels across the marble floor as she hurried toward me had to be music to Knox's ears, assuming he could hear us from the balcony. I knew he had to be relieved Ms. Bradley was leaving without too much of a fuss. I doubt that would be true if she knew this had been her one and only shot with the man.

I escorted Ms. Bradley to the employee elevator. Using my keycard, I took us down to the parking garage level then led her to her waiting car and driver. I stayed put until I saw the taillights of her limo fade away then walked back to the elevator and went back up to the penthouse executive suite.

When I walked in, Knox had moved back to the main room. He was fully dressed now in the clean suit I'd brought him. He was still drinking a cup of coffee.

I walked across the room and gathered up his dirty clothes, made sure the condom he'd used was appropriately disposed of—you never knew when someone might try a dirty trick to trap Knox—then grabbed the suit bag and placed everything inside of it.

"You'll probably have a good two days of dodging your mother's calls before she shows up to your office. Shall I have her favorite flowers delivered for your apology?"

Knox chuckled. "Yes, that might be a good idea. She wants me to attend the Manhattan Gala next Saturday with the daughter of one of her friends. Ms. Brittany Fox."

I pulled out my tablet and quickly brought up Knox's schedule. "And are you going to attend?"

"No." Knox shook his head. "I have no intention of attending anything with Ms. Fox."

I quickly made note of that. "Understood, sir."

"She's Burke's ex."

"The pregnant one, sir?" I'd heard the rumors.

Knox grimaced as he nodded. "The non-pregnant one, thank god. If Burke hadn't demanded she get a pregnancy test at a lab, she would have had him."

And that explained it.

Alexander Burke and Decker Crosby were Knox's best friends and had been since their college days. They were probably closer than brothers. If there was one of them, there was another right next to him. Everyone had called them the Three Musketeers.

After Harvard, the three of them had gone into business together and taken the world by storm. Silver Spoons Inc. was one of the hottest acquisitions corporations on the Dow Jones. Knox had a waiting list six months long of people who wanted to do business with him. I suspected Burke and Crosby did as well.

I never could figure out why they named their company Silver Spoons Inc., and they weren't talking. They said it was a trade secret that only the three of them knew. I always assumed it was because they each had been born into money, but that didn't explain why they would name their company something so weird.

But, if Ms. Fox was Burke's ex, then Knox wouldn't go within ten feet of her.

"One of these days I'm going to make a flow chart of all the women the three of you have slept with just so I can keep them all straight."

Knox chuckled again, a deep, rich sound. "That would be interesting to see."

I widened my eyes comically. "The bragging rights would be insane."

Knox's laughter warmed me down to my soul. Not many people got to see him this relaxed. I was one of the lucky few.

"Your schedule is pretty light today, sir," I said as we walked toward the door. "You have an appointment with Mr. Jenkins at ten then lunch with Ms. Dennison at one and racquetball with Mr. Burke at three."

"Anything else?"

"You need to sign the contracts for the Jenkins merger before he gets to your office at ten. You've already approved them, so all they need is your signature. I also left the report on your desk you wanted me to compile for your board meeting tomorrow."

"Did you add the five-year buy-back clause?"

"I did, and let me tell you, Jenkins junior was not happy. He didn't want his father to go into business with Silver Spoons Inc. in the first place, and he's pissed that once his father signs the contract, they can't even try and buy their company back for five years."

"He does realize his company is about to go under, right?"

I frowned. "I think he was trying to get financial support through someone else, and his father put a stop to it."

"What makes you think that?"

I snorted. "Like I wouldn't do a background search on these guys before you went into business with them. What kind of executive assistant do you think I am?"

Knox smiled. "What would I do without you, Newt?"

"Forget to bring me those chocolate croissants from Paris, and you'll find out."

We had a long standing agreement from a bet Knox had lost. He had bet me that the wife of one of his associates was happily married. I'd bet he'd find the woman in his bed after a dinner party he'd thrown at his penthouse. Knox bet me anything I wanted from Paris if I won, and I bet my next bonus.

I had won.

When he asked me what I wanted, anything my little heart desired, my reply had been a lot simpler than he'd expected. Chocolate croissants from my favorite French Bakery every time he went to Paris.

"I won't forget," Knox replied.

He never did. Considering the bet had been made two years ago and he'd brought me croissants every single time he visited Paris—which was more often than you'd think—I knew he was a man of his word.

When the door opened and we stepped out into the hallway, Ivan Zhukov was waiting. I smiled at the man. "Hello, Ivan."

"Newton. Mr. Knox." He gave a curt nod before falling into place on Knox's left.

If I was Knox's right hand man, then Ivan was his left. He'd been hired to be Knox's personal bodyguard before I'd even come on the scene. He went everywhere Knox did, except the bedroom. Unfortunately, that was my domain, and not in the way I'd like.

"Got any plans for this weekend, Newt?"

I frowned as I glanced at my boss. He never asked me about my weekend plans. "Are you feeling okay, sir?"

I'd need to know if he wasn't.

"I'm fine."

"Then why ask me that?"

He never asked me anything personal.

"Fuck, Newt, it was just a question."

Now I felt bad.

"A friend of mine is coming to town on Saturday and I'm going to show him around and then I'm going to see my dad on Sunday."

"How is your dad?"

I smiled. "He's doing better. He still has to use a cane when getting around, but at least he can walk on his own two legs now." He'd been in a nasty car accident a year ago. It had broken both his legs and he'd had to learn to walk again, but at least he was alive. That was the important part for me.

"I'm glad he's doing better."

"Yeah, me, too." My father had raised me as a single parent after my mother died of cancer when I was ten. He was my biggest fan and so proud that I had a job working for one of the richest men in the country.

It was a job I both loved and hated.

When we reached the car, the three of us slid into the back. Ivan knocked on the glass separating us from the driver, and the car got underway. It was still pretty early in the day, so the morning rush hour was pretty heavy. It took us twenty minutes to reach the office.

The Silver Building was a towering twenty-five-story office building. Silver Spoons Inc. inhabited the top ten floors. The very top floor was split into three penthouses divided up between Knox, Burke, and Crosby. The rest of the building was split between individual businesses, restaurants, and retail spaces.

The car pulled into the underground parking garage then drove through to Knox's private express elevator. It would take us directly to the floor of his office in under a minute. The ride was fast, but the public elevator took ten minutes, assuming there were no stops along the way.

I settled back against the wall when we got inside the elevator. I always felt a little queasy when we traveled up to Knox's office. By the time we reached his floor, I was glad it had been a couple of hours since I'd eaten breakfast.

The receptionist wasn't in yet, but I didn't expect her to be. Knox and I always got to the office before she did. I suspected he arrived earlier because he wanted to avoid her. She kind of gushed over him. I arrived earlier because Knox did.

"I'll be in my office," Knox said as he walked in.

"Don't forget to sign those contracts," I called out.

Knox waved and shut the door.

I sighed as I sat down at my desk.

"Another day, another dollar."

I wonder how long that would be enough.

Chapter Two

Knox

I signed the last of the contracts just like Newt wanted and then set them aside. I'd have to take them in with me to the Jenkins meeting. The merger would be most beneficial to Jenkins, and we both knew that.

Silver Spoons Inc. was buying fifty-one percent of his company with the understanding that he could buy me out after five years. During that time, I would guide him and help him rebuild his company from the inside.

I tapped my intercom. "Newt, bring me some coffee."

"Right away, Mr. Knox."

I was always amused by the fact that he called me Knox when in private, but Mr. Knox when we were at the office or in any public venue. It was a little weird, but I'd never been able to convince Newt to call me anything else.

I picked up my phone and dialed Burke. "Are we still on for racquetball?"

"You know it."

I smiled even though my best friend couldn't see it. We had a standing appointment for racquetball once a week. As busy as were both were, it was one of the few times we could actually get together.

I leaned back in my chair and propped my legs up on the edge of my desk. "My mother is trying to set me up with Brittany Fox."

I heard Burke's shaky inhale.

"Better you than me," the man replied.

"Not going to happen." I'd been there for the nightmare of their brief dating history and the nasty aftermath. I knew what that woman was capable of and she scared me to death. "You're just lucky the pregnancy test came back negative."

Burke snorted. "You're telling me."

The woman was a money-grubbing bitch from hell who intended to get her hooks into whatever eligible bachelor was dumb enough to fall for her perky boobs and slim hips, and she'd use whatever devious, underhanded acts she had at her disposal.

When she'd tried to say she was pregnant with Burke's child after they broke up, he'd demanded a pregnancy test. She readily agreed and produced a positive test. I'd suggested Burke get one from a reputable lab, one where she was monitored the entire time the test was being given.

At first, Brittany had refused, stating she'd given Burke a test. She'd only given in when he threatened to get a court order to compel her to take the test. When the test had come back negative, Brittany had thrown a fit and Burke had thrown a party.

Brittany had not been invited.

I had then given him a lesson in how to protect himself from money-grubbing bitches, including making sure he personally disposed of all used condoms, making any woman he seriously dated sign an NDA, and an agreement that they understood they were not entitled to his money in any shape or form.

It cut down on the bullshit.

It also cut down on the dates because women who were looking to hitch a ride with a rich man wanted their money. If they were cut off from the money, they tended to look elsewhere. Although, I was still amazed at the number of women who thought they could change my mind.

Not happening.

I guess I was old-fashioned. I wanted to get married because of love, not the number of zeros in my bank account. My parents had married for political and social reasons, but it had quickly turned into love, and as much as they both made me insane, I never doubted their devotion to each other.

That's what I wanted.

Which is why it drove me crazy when my mother kept trying to hook me up with people she felt were acceptable. Her idea of who was an acceptable match and mine were completely different.

Miles apart.

I glanced up when I heard a knock on my door. "Come."

The door opened and Newt walked in with my cup of coffee. I smiled at him as I took the cup and set it down then picked up the contracts and handed them to him.

I covered the mouthpiece of the phone. "All signed."

"I'll make copies for Mr. Jenkins."

I nodded then removed my hand and continued speaking to Burke. "My mother is not going to drop it about Brittany unless she has someone else in her crosshairs. Any suggestions? She wants me to have a date to that Manhattan Gala next week."

Burke snorted again. "Take Newt."

I rolled my eyes, but waited until Newt had left my office before replying. "I am not taking my executive assistant as my plus one to a gala event."

"Why not?" Burke asked. "It would drive your mother insane."

Oh, it would. I had no doubt about that, but it would also send a message to the world that I was gay, and I was not. I had nothing against men, but dick did nothing for me. Boobs did.

"It's not going to happen, Burke, so drop it."

"Okay, but I think that's the best way possible to get your mother off your back."

"Are you kidding? She'll just start introducing me to all her gay friends." My mother was determined if nothing else. She wanted grandchildren, and the only way to get them was if I married someone and had them.

I wasn't ready to get married.

I absently glanced at the clock on my wall and realized I had less than ten minutes before my meeting. "Hey, man, I need to go. I have a meeting in ten minutes. I'll see you on the racquetball court."

"Okay, see you then."

I hung up and then stood. I made a quick trip to my bathroom to make sure I looked okay and then walked back into my office and headed for the conference table on the far side of the room.

Newt walked in a couple of minutes later. He set a file down in front of me and then set his tablet down in the spot directly to my right. I sat down and flipped through the file as Newt moved about the room.

I was never quite sure how he did the things he did, but by the time the receptionist called to say Mr. Jenkins had arrived, there was a fresh pot of coffee and a platter of pastries on the sideboard along with bucket of ice and bottled water.

Newt seemed to have an uncanny ability to know when something was going to happen. He walked over and opened the door just as Mr. Jenkins arrived. I put a smile on my face as I stood and walked over to shake the man's hand.

"Well, Mr. Jenkins, shall we get down to business?"

* * * *

Knox

I rubbed my temples when my head began to throb. I felt as if I'd been looking at the same line of numbers for so long, they were starting to blend together.

A hand appeared in my line of vision. Lying in the palm of that hand were two little white pills. I glanced up and connected the hand with a face.

"Something for your headache, sir."

"Thank you, Newt." I took the pills and put them in my mouth and then washed them down with the glass of water he handed me. "You always seem to know when my head hurts."

Newt had become invaluable to me over the years he'd worked for me. Not only did he keep my life organized, but sometimes I thought he knew me better than I knew myself.

"You always rub your temples when your head hurts."

Well, that explained it.

"I've been looking at these numbers for so long, they are starting to blur together. There's something wrong here, but damned if I can figure it out."

"Want me to take a look, sir?"

I eagerly pushed the stack of papers over to Newt. He sat down next to me and began reading them over. I leaned back in my chair and watched him work. Newt wasn't a bad-looking man. I was sure many even thought him handsome.

He had a lush head of dark brown hair and deep chocolate-brown eyes. His build was slim, but I knew he was strong. He'd played racquetball with me once when Burke was out of town. He hadn't won, but he'd held his own.

His brain was what fascinated me the most. Newt was a genius. How he ended up working for me I would never know. I was just glad he did. I had benefited from his high level of intelligence more times than I could count.

I lifted an eyebrow when Newt frowned. "Did you find something?"

"Yes, the annual percentage rate is wrong. It messed up all the numbers. If you'll give me a few minutes, I can fix this for you."

I glanced at the clock on the wall. "No, don't worry about it now. It's almost time for me to go to lunch. We can work on them when I get back from my meeting with Burke."

"I can have this for you by the time you get back, sir."

"You need your lunch, too, Newt." I patted him on the shoulder as I stood. "We can work on this when I get back to the office."

"Yes, sir." When Newt gathered up all the papers, stuck them in the file, and then carried them out of the room, I knew he'd be working through lunch to have those numbers for me when I got back.

I chuckled as I shook my head. Newt never failed to surprise me.

I grabbed my suit jacket and pulled it on and then smoothed down my tie. I had a lunch meeting with Amanda Dresden. Luckily, it was not a date. She had information I wanted, and I had the money to take her to the fanciest restaurant in town where she'd be seen having lunch with one of the city's most eligible bachelors.

It was an equal trade for both of us.

I walked out of my office with a purposeful stride, waving to Newt as I passed his desk. "I'll be back after my meeting with Burke."

"Enjoy your lunch, sir," Newt called out.

Ivan fell in place on my left the second I stepped out of my office. "Have Yuri bring the car around. I have a lunch date at—"

"Newton informed me, sir," Ivan said as we climbed onto the elevator. "Yuri is waiting downstairs and Newton confirmed your reservations."

"Excellent." I liked having people work for me who knew what they were doing.

Besides my two best friends, there were six people in my life that I knew I could trust unquestionably. Newton, my executive assistant. Ivan, my bodyguard. Yuri, my driver and sometimes bodyguard. Sergei, the man in charge of my security at home. Jerome, my butler and manservant, and Mary, my cook. Beyond them, and my two best friends, I trusted very few.

It was a small circle, but it kept me safe and helped make me the man I was today. A successful businessman with a net worth over several billion dollars.

When we got downstairs, I climbed into the back of the car with Ivan and then we were off. Luckily, the restaurant I'd chosen was only a few blocks away. When we pulled up, I waited while Ivan got out and checked the area then climbed out.

Having the amount of money I did plus being the son of a US senator meant that I could not go wherever I wanted whenever I wanted to. Precautions had to be taken at all times.

I walked into the upscale restaurant and nodded to the hostess. "Colton Knox."

She smiled brightly. "Of course, Mr. Knox, come right this way."

I nodded to a few people I knew and ignored others as I was led through the restaurant to one of the tables near the window. It was what I called a showcase window. It would showcase everything that was happening at the table to the entire room.

Which was kind of the purpose of this lunch meeting.

"I'm expecting a guest. Ms. Amanda Dresden. Please show her to my table when she arrives."

"Of course, Mr. Knox." The woman smiled again. "Your waiter will be right with you."

I had enough time to order a glass of wine before a statuesque blonde took the seat across from me. I smiled just as brightly as the waitress had, grabbed the woman's hand, and brought it to my lips.

"Amanda, I am so delighted you were able to join me for lunch today."

I was well versed in how this game was played.

"When I said lunch, I wasn't expecting Esquires."

"Yes, you were."

Again, I knew how this game was played.

Amanda laughed. "Yes, I was."

"Would you like some wine?"

"Yes, please."

I raised my hand and the waiter hurried over. "A glass of red wine for the lady."

"Of course, sir." The waiter gave me a quick bow of his head and then hurried away. He was back mere moments later with a glass of wine for my lunch date. "Would you like to hear the chef special?"

"No, I'm sure whatever Pierre is fixing will be fine."

"And you, madame?" he asked Amanda.

"I'll have the fresh salmon salad, no tomatoes, and a side of dressing."

"Very good, madame."

Amanda rolled her eyes when the waiter hurried away. "I wish he wouldn't call me madame. Makes me feel like I own a brothel."

"You do own a brothel, Amanda."

Well, she did.

"Escort service, thank you very much."

Whatever.

"Did you get that information I requested?"

"Of course, darling." She opened up her small clutch bag and pulled a flash stick out and then slid it across the table to me. "There are all the names, ages, and contact information for the girls in question."

"Excellent." I put the flash stick into my pocket. "And they know the score?"

"They do. They are expecting your call."

"Excellent." Just what I'd been hoping for. I flashed Amanda one of my winning smiles. "Now that business is out of the way, shall we enjoy our lunch?"

Amanda smirked. "You are a suave businessman, Mr. Knox."

"I try."

* * * *

Knox

I was surprised at how much I enjoyed my lunch with Amanda. She wasn't someone I normally would have had a meal with, but we both wanted something and, with that lunch, we'd both gotten what we wanted.

When I got back into the car, I called my father. "I got those names you wanted."

"She actually gave them to you?" Senator Arthur Knox asked.

"She did," I replied. "That was my agreement with her."

"And you're sure none of this will come back on you?"

"No, Dad, I'm good. I made sure we went and sat right out in the open while we had lunch. Amanda arrived after I did and left before I did. Everyone could see us."

"Okay, good."

"I'll have Newt send you the file just as soon as I get back to the office."

"Thank you, son. I'm sorry I had to ask you to do this."

"It was for a good cause, Dad."

"I know, but I'd hate to think any of this will come back on you. People are going to talk, you know. You had lunch with Amanda Dresden, a woman most people suspect is exactly what she is."

I chuckled. "If anything, meeting with a famous madame will only enhance my reputation as a billionaire playboy."

It truly had been the only way my father could get the information he needed. He certainly couldn't be seen meeting with Amanda. He was a senator.

"I hope this helps your case."

"If those girls can name names, it will."

Through some contacts my father had on the hill, he'd learned that there was a ring of lobbyists using an underage escort service to pander to federal employees with a perverted kink.

My father didn't want to embarrass anyone or make them ashamed for having regular sexual urges. He didn't care about the regular patrons of the escort services here in the city. He wanted to know the names of the men who would use underage girls to meet those sexual kinks.

As Amanda was a madame of one of the premier escort services in the city, she knew people who knew people who knew the girls in question. What she had given me was a basic dossier on each of the underage girls who had been abused and how to get in touch with them, with the understanding that they would need to testify in court against the man who had abused them.

"I have to go, Dad. We're pulling up to my next meeting."

"Okay, son. Tell Burke hello for me."

I smiled. "I will."

"And call your mother."

"Not a chance in hell."

I was still chuckling when I hung up.

Chapter Three

Newton

I groaned when my alarm sounded. I couldn't believe I had forgotten to turn if off before I went to bed. Today was my day off. I was supposed to have this weekend off so I could show my friend Sean around town, but he'd had to change his plans, so I took today instead. I was hoping to sleep in.

Except now that I was awake.

I rolled over and tried to go back to sleep, but after a few minutes, my brain kicked in. I sighed as I flipped back the covers and climbed out of bed. I headed to the bathroom and took a quick shower to start my day.

If I was going to be awake, I might as well get a few things done.

After climbing out of the shower, I dried off then brushed my teeth and fixed my hair. Back in the bedroom, I chose a simple pair of khaki-colored chinos and a cream-colored sweater. Spring was here, but there was still enough of a nip in the air to warrant a shirt and a jacket or a sweater. I chose a sweater so I wouldn't have to carry a jacket around with me if it warmed up.

I decided I was going to treat myself for breakfast. I grabbed my cell phone and wallet and then made my way out of my brownstone and down the street. There was a wonderful little bakery two blocks down that served the best pastries and coffee.

The hairs on the back of my neck started to stand on end as I walked down the sidewalk. I glanced into one of the windows to try and see if anyone was following me, but I didn't see anything out of place.

Maybe it was the cool breeze blowing through the area.

But I didn't think so.

Ivan had taught me some things I'd need to defend myself. Nothing to do any real damage. Just a few moves I could use to escape and run. He always told me to run. I felt like running, but I didn't want to look like an idiot if no one was there.

Besides, the bakery was just a block away.

Just to be on the safe side, I pulled out my cell phone and dialed Ivan. I prayed he didn't think I was a complete idiot by calling him this early in the morning. He had probably spent half the night guarding Knox at some club.

"Da?"

"Ivan?"

"Newton?"

"Yeah, it's me."

"Why are you calling so early? Did something happen?"

"No, not exactly."

"What exactly did happen then?"

"I'm probably being stupid."

"Newton," the man growled. "Speak."

"Okay, so I got up this morning and decided to treat myself down at that little bakery a couple of blocks from my house. You know the one—"

"Da, I know."

"Okay, this is going to sound weird, but I—aaahhh!" I screamed as I was shoved from behind, right into oncoming traffic. I felt a passing car clip my hip, but it was almost surreal as I went flying through the air before landing on the cement.

My head hit hard on the unforgiving road. I heard tires screech and a bunch of shouting, and then someone knelt next to me. My face was gripped and forced up to meet a pair of brown eyes so emotionless, they might as well have been dead.

"Tell Knox we're not fucking around," the man snarled. "The next time, it'll be a bullet."

My head swam as I dropped my eyes. I absently noted dark-colored ink spreading out over the side of the man's neck.

My face was let go with such force, it slammed back into the pavement. I saw a tall, bald-headed man in a mid-thigh black leather coat walking away and blending into the crowd as my vision faded.

The next time I opened my eyes I was still on my back, but I was being jiggled around. When I tried to sit up, a gloved hand pushed me back down.

"Don't move, Mr. Bridger," a woman in a paramedic's uniform told me. "You've been in an accident. We're taking you to the hospital."

God, was I dying?

"O-Okay?"

"Nothing seems broken, but I'm pretty sure you have a concussion. The doctors at the hospital will run some tests and be able to tell you."

"Ne-Need p-phone."

"I'm afraid I don't know where it is, Mr. Bridger. I didn't see it at the scene."

Damn.

Ivan was going to be pissed.

"P-Pushed."

The woman's eyebrows shot up. "You were pushed?"

I tried to nod, but it hurt too damn much to lift my head. "Yesss."

"I'll let the attending physician know and they'll call the police."

The rest of the ride to the hospital was kind of a blur. I remembered the ambulance stopping and then the gurney I was on was pulled out. Lights flashed overhead as I was wheeled into the emergency room.

The poking and prodding started the second the gurney came to a stop. My vitals were taken, and then a man in a white coat started asking me questions and flashing a light in my eyes. I tried to answer them as best as I could, but things were still a bit fuzzy.

By the time I'd been checked from one end to the other and had a crap ton of tests run, I was so damn tired all I wanted to do was close my eyes and sleep for a week. My head was thundering. Considering the doctor said I had a concussion, that made sense.

The rest of me wasn't that much better off. I had a nice collection of bruises, scratches, and abrasions, especially on my hip, but I felt as if my entire body had been put through a blender and then run over by a steam roller.

Or a car.

The doctor seemed particularly interested in the two bruises in the center of my back. I knew they came from when I'd been pushed. The doctor said it would make breathing painful over the next few days.

He had no idea.

Between the aches and pains, the blurred vision, and the elephant sitting on my back digging claws into my chest every time I inhaled, I pretty much felt like death warmed over. I knew tomorrow was going to be even worse. I remember how my father had felt after his car accident.

God, I needed to call my father.

And then I had to call Ivan back before he scrambled the National Guard. And it wouldn't hurt to call Knox and let him know I was going to need a couple of days off. I also had a message to pass on to him which I needed to get to him before someone tried to hurt him.

And then I wanted to go home and sleep.

I jumped when the curtain of my cubicle was pulled back. I didn't settle until I realized two police officers were walking in. One of the officers pulled the curtain back into place.

"Mr. Bridger?" the other one asked.

"Newton Bridger."

"Any relation to Harold Bridger?"

I smiled weakly. "My father."

"He's a good man and he was a phenomenal cop."

He had been.

"Thank you."

There was no way I could manage a smile.

"The paramedic who brought you in said you told her someone pushed you?" he asked.

"Yes." I wasn't stupid enough to try and nod. "Right before I fell, I felt someone shove me from behind."

"Okay, did you see anyone?"

"Not then, but after I got hit by the car, a man grabbed me by my face and told me to tell me boss, Colton Knox, that they weren't fucking around and that the next time it would be a bullet."

The officer's eyebrows lifted swiftly. "You work for Colton Knox?"

"Yes."

"Do you know the man who spoke to you?"

"Never seen him before."

The officer pulled out a pad of paper and a pen. "Can you describe him?"

"Tall, bald, brown eyes, wearing a thigh-length black leather coat." I frowned as I tried to remember more. "His eyes were dead."

"Dead?" the officer asked. "His eyes were dead?"

"No emotion in them. They were dead, hard."

"Okay, anything else?"

"He had a tattoo on his neck. Like a spider's web or something."

"Okay, if we brought you down to the station, do you think you could identify him if we showed you some pictures?"

"Maybe." I was willing to look.

"The doc said he wanted to keep you overnight," the officer said as he tucked his pad back in his shirt. "Can you come down tomorrow morning?"

"Yes."

The man handed me a business card. "If you remember anything else before then, give me a call."

"Thank you." I set the card on the stand next to my bed. "Can you—"

"Newt!"

I perked up at the loud, demanding shout. "Never mind."

The curtain was jerked back again and Knox stood there.

"Hey, boss." God, I couldn't believe how glad I was to see him. I was even glad to see Ivan and Yuri, both of whom stood close behind Knox. "I think I'm going to need a couple of days off."

"What the hell happened to you?"

"Mr. Knox," one of the officers started. "Mr. Bridger was involved in a—"

The man snapped his mouth closed when Knox held up his hand. He obviously knew who he was dealing with.

Knox pushed past the officers and walked over to the side of my bed. His brow creased with a deep frown as he looked me up and down. "Tell me what happened from the very beginning, from when you called Ivan."

Oh right. I'd forgotten to tell the police about that part.

"I forgot to unset my alarm before I went to bed last night so it went off early, and you know once I wake up, I can't go back to sleep."

Knox nodded.

"Well, I decided to splurge for breakfast. I was walking down the street to that bakery I like when the hairs on the back of my neck started standing up. I felt as if I was being watched, but I couldn't spot anyone looking at me."

"Is that when you called Ivan?"

"I felt funny doing it, but I just thought someone should know what was going on, just in case."

"You always call," Knox directed, "even if you feel stupid."

I wondered if Knox realized he was stroking my arm. I wasn't going to inform him. It felt too nice, and right then, I needed a connection with someone I knew cared about me, even if I was just his employee.

"I was on the phone with Ivan when I was pushed out into the road. I was hit by a passing car."

"Bloody hell."

I reached out and grabbed Knox's wrist. "That's not the important part."

Knox's blond eyebrows shot up. "That's not the important part?" he snapped. "Someone pushed you and you were hit by a car, Newt. How is that not important?"

"While I was lying on the ground, a man grabbed my face and told me to tell you that they weren't fucking around and that the next time, it would be a bullet."

Knox's face drained of color. "He actually told you that?"

"Yes."

Again, not nodding.

"Do you know what they were referring to, Mr. Knox?" the officer asked.

I wouldn't have wanted to be him when Knox turned and pinned him with a hard stare. "My lawyer will be in touch."

The officer stared for a moment before nodding. "Yes, sir."

"Please send in the doctor when you leave." Knox turned his attention back to me, dismissing the officers. "How badly are you hurt?"

I didn't want Knox to worry when he had other things to think about. "Concussion, bruises, a few scrapes and scratches. The doctor said I'll be hurting for a little while, but nothing that time won't heal."

"I want my doctor to look at you. I've already called him."

"You didn't have to do that, Knox."

"Yes, I did." He glanced up as if to make sure the officers had left. Ivan nodded then pulled the curtain back into place, leaving me and Knox alone. "I met with Amanda Dresden a few days ago to—"

"Yes, you had lunch with her."

I already knew this. I'd made the reservations at Esquires.

"Yes, I did, but only to get some information she was gathering for me. Having lunch together was the easiest way she could pass that flash stick to me."

"Was that the information you had me forward to your father?"

"Yes."

I remained silent, unsure if Knox was going to share that information or not.

"I'll tell you about it once you're out of here," Knox said. He must have seen the curiosity brimming in my eyes. "These walls have too many ears."

Okay, that answered that question.

"When can I go home?"

Knox snorted. "It'll be a while before you see your little brownstone again, Newt. You're coming to stay with me until we catch the asshole who did this."

"Knox—"

Knox held up his hand. "It's not up for debate. I'm not losing the best executive assistant I've ever had just because you're stubborn." He glanced toward the curtain. "Ivan!"

The curtain was instantly moved out of the way, and Ivan stepped into the room. "Call in extra security for here and at the penthouse."

"Already done, sir. Sergei is rounding up the boys and will meet us out front with the SUV. I have another team going to the penthouse."

"I want around-the-clock security on Newt."

"Knox," I groaned. I hated around-the-clock security. It had happened before when Knox had received some threats in the mail. It was like being grounded in a convent.

Knox's jaw was clenched when he glanced back to me. "It's not up for debate, Newt."

I tucked my lips in and didn't say what was really on my mind. I knew there was no arguing with Knox when he was rigid and unwilling to listen to reason.

Thankfully, he didn't get like this very often.

I rolled my eyes when Knox's personal physician arrived. The man was in private practice. He catered to society's elite. It felt weird having him look at me. I grew up the son of a police officer. I was far removed from elite, even if I did tend to rub elbows with them occasionally.

Knox's physician checked me over and then gave the same prognosis as the ER doctor.

Surprise, surprise.

"Can I go home now?"

I really wanted to go home.

"I told you, you're coming to my place."

I groaned. "Knox, I'm tired. I want my bed." And my comfy quilt and my pillows and all the stuff that made my brownstone home. "I don't want to go to your place. I don't like your penthouse."

I knew that the drugs they'd given me had to be kicking in if I had the guts to admit that.

I just didn't care.

They were some really great drugs.

Knox's lips twitched. "Why don't you like my penthouse?"

"It's cold."

Knox's eyebrow arched up. "I'll turn up the heat."

"With all that metal and glass, it'll still be cold."

"Are you saying you don't like the way my penthouse is decorated, Newt?"

"No, it's cold. A home should be comfortable and welcoming, not a showpiece. If you want to show something off, rent an exhibit hall. Home is where you're supposed to be able to put up your feet and relax."

"And do you relax in your little brownstone, Newt?"

I smiled. "I love my brownstone."

It had been the first major purchase I had ever made after I received my first bonus, and I intended to hold on to it for the rest of my life. It hadn't been much when I first bought it, but I'd worked for a couple of years to restore it to its former glory and decorate it just the way I liked. It was my private space where I could unwind and just be me.

"Maybe you should invite me there one of these days so I can see it for myself."

I frowned, unsure if I wanted my boss in my private space.

Knox chuckled. "Or not."

I tugged the blanket up to my neck and closed my eyes. "I'll have you over for a beer, but none of that fancy crap you like to drink with Burke and Crosby. Just a regular working-class beer."

That fancy beer Knox liked was imported and tasted like crap.

"We can barbecue on the back deck." I smiled as I envisioned Knox at a barbecue. I doubted he'd ever been to one. It would be funny to see. "But you can't wear a suit."

Did he even own a pair of jeans?

Knox chuckled again as he brushed the hair back from my face. "Sounds like a plan, Newt."

Didn't it, though?

Chapter Four

Knox

It was hard to watch sleep overtake Newt when I knew he was injured. I wanted the doctors to fix him so he wouldn't hurt, and I was pissed that they couldn't.

I was enraged that he was in this condition in the first place. Newt never should have been hurt or involved in this situation, and I was going to make the people who involved him pay with their lives.

I stepped away from the bed where Newt was sleeping and pulled out my cell phone. I sent out a simple text to two phone numbers. "Silver Spoons SOS." Burke and Crosby would know what the meant and come running.

When the curtain started to move, I quickly stepped over in front of the bed Newt was sleeping in. It was a gut reaction. I knew Ivan would never let anyone who wasn't supposed to be here, but at the moment, I didn't know who to trust.

Well, I trusted my people, which was why I wanted to get Newt to my penthouse where I knew he'd be safe. Nothing short of a missile could damage my penthouse. The structure was reinforced, earthquake-proof, and soundproof. The floor-to-ceiling windows were made of bulletproof glass, and the security system was so high tech, you almost needed a degree in rocket science to program it.

There were four sections to the top floor. The lobby and three penthouse suites. Two elevators arrived in the large lobby, one for guests and one that was our private express elevator. From there, the rest of the top floor was divided into the three separate penthouse suites for Burke, Crosby, and me.

Large sliding doors separated each penthouse. We could pull them back to allow access between all three places. This was useful for when we threw large parties. Otherwise, they stayed closed and we each had our privacy.

Members of Silver Spoons Inc. security lived on the floor directly beneath us, along with everyone who worked exclusively in the penthouses. I'd been trying for ages to convince Newt to move into one of the apartments below mine, but he steadfastly refused. He said he loved his little brownstone.

I was pretty sure my walk-in closet was bigger than his brownstone.

Ivan stepped into view. "The car is ready, sir." He held up a set of papers and two small bottles of pills. "I have Newton's release papers and the muscle relaxants and pain pills the doctor prescribed. Sergei is waiting for us out front."

"Good." I slid my phone back into my pocket and then walked over to the bed. I scooped Newt up in my arms, blanket and all, and started carrying him out of the room.

They could bill me for the damn blanket.

As soon as I stepped out of the little cubicle, I was surrounded by four men in dark suits. Ivan led the way as we walked out of the emergency room. My black bulletproof SUV was waiting right outside the emergency room doors.

Sergei stood holding the back door open. I set Newt onto the backseat then climbed in beside him, pulling him up until his head rested on my lap. It wasn't easy getting the seatbelt around his waist with him lying down, but he wasn't in a position to sit up, and he was sleeping.

Right now, sleep was the best thing for him.

Although, I was a little worried about him having a concussion. "What does the doctor's direction say about Newt's care? Is it okay for him to sleep?"

"He needs to be woken up every two hours for the next twelve hours, and then he can sleep. We also need to apply an ice pack to his head every couple of hours for about twenty minutes. He might be nauseous, so he should eat light, but mostly he just needs to rest. If he starts having headaches or blurred vision, we're supposed to take him back to the ER."

"Have my doctor come by in the morning to give him a physical."

Ivan nodded.

Usually, I would have had Newt make an appointment for me with the doctor, but this time, Newt was the one who needed the doctor.

"He'll need to go back at the end of the week for a follow-up appointment."

"My doctor can do that."

I didn't want Newt to go back to that hospital. It wasn't the worst I'd seen, but it wasn't the best either, and Newt needed the best.

"Call ahead and have Mary make him some potato pierogi. He likes those, and they shouldn't be too rough on his stomach."

Ivan nodded as he pulled out his phone and did what I ordered.

I turned to look at Sergei. I was always a little amazed that the three brothers worked so closely together. Ivan was my bodyguard, Yuri was my driver, and Sergei took care of my security at home. Together, the three Russian brothers made an unbeatable team.

"I want you to send someone down to the accident scene to take pictures and then find out anything you can from the police. I want to know who did this to Newt, and then I want them destroyed."

"Completely destroyed, sir?"

"Obliterated."

Sergei's smile was evil, and I was proud of that fact. There was a reason I employed him and his two brothers. "Da, it will be done."

I pulled my cell phone out and dialed my father. He also needed to know what was going on, especially if this was connected to his case.

"I need a secure line," I said as soon as he answered.

I heard a click and then a soft hum, and then my father spoke. "What's going on?"

"Someone went after Newton. They shoved him in front of an oncoming car."

"Bloody hell. Is he okay?"

"He'll live, but he's pretty banged up."

"Do you have your security with you?"

I rolled my eyes. "I'm covered, Dad. I called to let you know that the man who hurt Newt gave him a message for me. He told him to tell me that they were not fucking around and the next time, it would be a bullet."

"Fuck."

"Dad?" I asked after a moment of silence.

"Do you think this has anything to do with those files Newt sent me?"

"I don't know, but I'm not discounting anything at the moment. I have my people on it, and once I find whoever did this, they are going to wish they never heard my name."

"Do what you need to do, son. I'll look into things on my end."

"You also might want to check to see if anyone is monitoring your calls. Very few people knew I was sending you those files." Four, actually. Me, Amanda Dresden, Newt, and my father, and I was pretty sure none of us had told anyone.

"I'll look into it. If you need anything, call me on this line so it’s secure."

"I will."

"Take care of Newt. I know he means a lot to you."

He did. "He's a good friend."

"I need to go, son. Call me if you find anything out."

"I will." I hung up and slid my phone back into my pocket, which was good. We had just pulled up in the parking garage.

I waited until we stopped and Sergei opened the door before unbuckling Newt and myself. I slid out of the car then reached back inside for Newt, lifting him into my arms. I was once again surrounded by security as I headed to the elevators.

Luckily, it was a large elevator.

They were up to the top floor and striding through the lobby in a matter of minutes. Sergei walked ahead and opened the door for us. Mary and Jerome were waiting.

"I've prepared the guest room, sir."

"Thank you, Mary." I carried Newt through the penthouse to one of two spare bedrooms in the place. My master bedroom was the only other one. I also had an office, living room, formal dining room, and large gourmet kitchen.

An enclosed outdoor space ran around the entire building. It was part of the roof for the floor below us and had a reinforced glass partition to keep people from plummeting to their deaths, but still be able to take in the extraordinary view.

When I reached the guestroom, I laid Newt on the bed then shook out the blanket folded at the bottom and pulled it up over him. I stared down at him for a moment, my brow furrowing.

We weren't friends on the level I was with Burke and Crosby, but I still considered Newt a friend. I didn't like seeing him injured. It didn't sit well with me. He was usually so in control of the world around him.

Bloody and bruised was not a good look on him.

I walked out of the guestroom with a new determination. Someone had hurt Newt, and could have easily killed him, because of me.

That was not acceptable.

"Ivan has Newt's prescriptions and his aftercare instructions," I told Mary. "He's to get whatever he wants when he wakes up."

"Of course, sir."

"I'll be in my office. If there's any problem, come get me. And I mean anything."

"Yes, sir."

I walked away, knowing I was leaving Newt in good hands. Mary adored my executive assistant. They didn't see each other much as I did most of my business in the office, but there were occasions when I was needed here, which meant Newt was needed here.

It would solve a lot of my problems if he would just move in. Maybe I'd see about making sure one of the apartments below was made available for him, at least until we caught whoever had hurt him.

I knew I'd feel better in he was in a more secure location. The security at his brownstone was crap. A child with a toothpick could break in there.

I walked directly to my desk and picked up the phone. "I'm home."

I hung up just as quickly as I'd made the phone call and then walked over to my sideboard and grabbed two glasses and my best bottle of whiskey. I was back at my desk and pouring two drinks when the door opened and Burke walked in. I lifted one and handed it to him and then grabbed the other for myself.

I took a small sip before walking over to stare out my window to the city below. I was having a hard time getting past my rage that someone had harmed my executive assistant to get to me.

If they wanted to piss me off, they had succeeded. If they wanted to get my attention, they had succeeded. If they wanted to see what it felt like to have me breathing down their necks, they'd succeeded in that, too. I was going to use every avenue at my disposal to find them and then take them down.

And I had a lot of avenues.

"We need to call Crosby home," I said as I turned to look at Burke. I hated to do it, but I was pretty sure we were going to need his particular brand of knowhow.

Silver Spoons Inc. was divided into three sections, much like our penthouses. I oversaw business and acquisitions. Burke handled all our finances. Crosby was our man on the ground. He flew all over the world to implement our systems and fix issues that might arise.

Together, the three of us had been unbeatable from day one. Once we established Silver Spoons Inc. there had been no stopping us from each becoming millionaires and then billionaires, all without the assistance of the rich families we'd been born into.

Silver Spoons Inc. was something to be proud of, and I was, but right now I needed my best friends, not my business partners.

"He's in London," Burke replied. "It's going to take him a bit to get here."

"I know, but I really think we're going to need him for this one."

Burke tossed back the rest of his whiskey and then reached down and grabbed the remote for the TV. He changed it to the appropriate channel before reaching for the phone. He dialed a number we both knew by heart, but no one else did, and then crossed his arms and leaned back against the edge of my desk.

I smirked when the screen went live and I found myself looking at a very sleepy Crosby. There was a naked body curled up in bed next to him. All I could see was a full head of long brunette curls, a slim naked back, and a rounded ass.

"Do you have any idea what fucking time it is?" Decker Crosby asked as he flipped the covers up, hiding the person in bed with him from our view.

Too bad. That had been a great ass.

"Have you looked at your phone lately?" I countered.

Crosby frowned and looked around then reached over and grabbed his phone. His eyebrows drew down deeper over his eyes as he read the message I had sent.

"What's going on?" he asked as he looked up at me.

"Someone went after Newt trying to get to me."

"Is he alive?"

"He is, but only because he's the luckiest bastard I've ever met. He has a concussion and some nasty bruises from where he got hit by a car after being pushed into traffic."

Crosby grimaced as he glanced down at the brunette snuggled under the covers next to him. "You know this is a very inconvenient time. I'm in the middle of some very delicate business negotiations."

I chuckled. "We can see that."

Crosby's eyes rolled. "I'm serious, Knox."

My amusement slid away. "So am I, Crosby. They told Newt the next time, it would be a bullet."

Crosby sat up straighter. "A bullet? They actually said next time, it would be a bullet?"

"I believe his exact words were 'Tell Knox we're not fucking around. The next time, it'll be a bullet.' The message seemed pretty clear to me."

"Fuck!" Crosby rubbed a hand down his face. "I'll call my pilot and have him get my plane ready. I should be home in a few hours."

"I have Newt here with me at the penthouse, so meet us here."

"See you soon."

The screen went blank.

"Well," Burke said, "that went better than I thought it would."

True.

"Crosby doesn't like being home. You know that."

"If he'd stop calling her when he came home, she wouldn't find out he was here and she'd leave him alone."

Burke snorted. "Do you really believe that he calls that bitch?"

My shoulders slumped. "No."

I didn't know how Crosby's mother seemed to always know when he was in town, but every time he came home, she was on his doorstep, hitting him up for money. She seemed to think that Crosby owed her something because she had given birth to him. If she had ever been any type of mother to him, that might have been true, but she had spent most of her life bouncing from one rich husband to next. When her looks started to go, she'd turned to Crosby.

"I think she's paying someone to let her know whenever he's in town," Burke said. "There's no way she could know every time he's home unless she's tracking him or paying someone to feed her information."

Burke was probably right, and I'd need to talk to Crosby about that. The man deserved a life without that hell spawn dogging his every step. "I'll talk to him when he gets home, but he really needs to consider taking out a restraining order on that bitch."

I knew no matter how many times his mother tried to screw him over, he wouldn't stop answering her calls, but I wouldn't stop suggesting it until he did. He deserved better than that crazy-ass bitch.

I reached over and hit the button on my intercom when it buzzed. "Yes?"

"Sir, your mother is in the lobby."

I hung my head.

Crap.

There was no way I could avoid this. "Let her in, Jerome."

"I'll be right back," I told Burke as I walked out of my office. I was actually kind of surprised it had taken her this long to track me down. I expected her a couple of days ago.

I reached the living room just as Jerome opened the front door. My mother walked in as if she owned the place instead of me. She handed over her coat and gloves to Jerome. It wasn't until she started walking toward me that I realized she wasn't alone.

"What's she doing here?" I could barely keep my tone civil.

"Now, darling, don't be like that," my mother said. "I've been trying for ages to introduce you to Brittany, and you keep avoiding me."

"I am well acquainted with Ms. Fox, Mother."

And I'd like to strangle her.

My mother brightened. "Why that's wonderful, Colton. Since you already know each other, I'm sure you won't mind escorting her to the Manhattan Gala tomorrow night."

I made a snap decision that one second that I knew would come back to haunt me at some point.

I was willing to risk it.

"I'm afraid I will be unable to escort Ms. Fox to the gala, or any event for the foreseeable future," I smiled at my mother. "I already have a date."

Chapter Five

Knox

"You already have a date?"

"Yes, Mother, with a stunning brunette."

It was true. Newt had very nice hair.

"Is it someone I know?"

"Quite possibly." Most definitely. "But why ruin the surprise? You'll meet my date at the gala." I cocked an eyebrow as I looked beyond my mother to the statuesque blonde behind her. "You'll have to find someone else to blackmail into marriage, Ms. Fox. I'm afraid I'm unavailable."

Brittany smirked when my mother gasped, but the moment my mother turned toward her, big crocodile tears welled up in her eyes. It might have been due to the fact that she stuck her finger in her eye when she covered her mouth with her hand.

But I was just guessing.

Still, I'd just about had all I could take of this woman and her manipulative ways. I'd been there to see what kind of crap she had put Burke through. I wasn't about to let her do that to me. I didn't even like her being friends with my mother.

"Colton, I raised you better than this."

"You also raised me to recognize a gold digger when I saw one, and Brittany is the queen of gold diggers." I narrowed my eyes when she sniffled. "When she was trying to convince you to bring her here, did Brittany tell you she tried to trap Burke into marriage by telling him she was pregnant?"

"What?" My mother turned to look at Brittany.

"It's all lies, Pricilla," Brittany cried. "I would never do that. Alexander was just so mad at me when I miscarried, he started spreading those horrible rumors."

"Bullshit!" someone snapped behind me.

Damn, I'd really been hoping he'd never find out Brittany was here. I winced when I saw the rage on Burke's face as he walked up to stand next to me.

This was not a happy man.

Burke crossed his arms and leveled a hard glare at Brittany. "Do you want me to get the doctor's avadavat and the medical reports that state you were never pregnant with my child, despite what you told everybody?"

"There's a medical report?" Pricilla asked. "Brittany, what is all of this about?"

"Nothing," Brittany snapped. "He's lying."

"After I broke up with Brittany because I caught her in bed with another man, she told me she was pregnant and that it was my child. When I asked for proof, she handed me a pregnancy test, one of those over-the-counter ones. I demanded she take a test given by a reputable lab. She refused until I threatened to get a court order. Not only was she not pregnant, but she had never been pregnant."

"That's not true," Brittany cried out. "I was pregnant and you abandoned me."

"You were never pregnant, Brittany, and I have the medical reports to prove it."

"Medical reports can be forged," Brittany insisted.

"Not these ones," Burke replied. "I had them confirmed by three different labs."

"Oh, Burke." Pricilla covered her mouth for a moment, her eyes darting from Brittany to Burke. "I'm so sorry. I had no idea."

"You weren't supposed to know, and you never would have if Brittany hadn't tried to get her hooks in Knox." Burke's eyes narrowed. "I'm not going to let her do to him what she did to me, even if I have to tell the whole world what a shmuck I was when I listened to her lies."

"You swore you wouldn't tell anyone," Brittany shouted in a high pitched screech.

"That was before you continued to try and convince everyone that you were pregnant with my kid and I was a heartless bastard. So, you basically have one choice here. You either go away and never let me see you again, and stop telling lies, or I call Channel Six news and tell them I have an exclusive for them."

I almost chuckled when Brittany paled.

"You wouldn't!"

"In a heartbeat."

Brittany let out a loud yell and stomped her foot. "I hate you!"

"The feeling is completely mutual."

"Oh!" Brittany spun and stormed off.

Jerome was there to open the door and let her out. "Shall I escort Ms. Fox out, sir?"

I shook my head. "Just make sure security confirms that she leaves the building, and let them know she is not allowed back on the premises for any reason."

"Of course, sir."

"I'm sorry you had to witness that, Mrs. Knox," Burke said. "I've strived to put this situation behind me and have not spoken of it to anyone except Colton and Decker. As long as Brittany stayed out of my life, I didn't much care what she did. Coming after Colton, however…"

"You have nothing to apologize for, Alexander," Pricilla replied. "I was unaware of the situation. If I had known, I never would have pressed so hard for Colton to take her to the Manhattan Gala." Her smiled wobbled a bit. "I suppose it's a good thing you found your own date to the gala."

Crap! I'd forgotten I'd told her I already had a date.

I plastered a smile on my face. "I do appreciate you looking out for me, Mother, but I can find my own dates. I promise." I didn't want my mother to go off and try and find me another date. Her idea of an appropriate date and mine were worlds apart.

"You're not getting any younger, Colton, and neither am I," Pricilla said. "I'd like to have grandchildren while I'm still young enough to enjoy them."

"Do you want me to have children with just anyone or would you prefer that I found someone I wanted to spend the rest of my life with, someone I want to have kids with?"

Pricilla frowned. "I have to choose?"

I chuckled. "No, but you have to let me choose. You can't pick someone for me."

Pricilla huffed. "Your father was chosen for me, and I've never been happier."

"You were lucky." Damn lucky. My parents might have had an arranged marriage between political families, but they had made the best of it and eventually fallen in love. I deserved nothing less.

"And this date you're bringing to the gala? This mysterious brunette?" Pricilla asked. "This person makes you happy?"

Well, he didn't make me unhappy.

I just didn't think Mom and I were thinking of the same thing.

I latched onto my best friend. "Burke recommended this brunette, and I have every confidence in him. He wouldn't steer me wrong."

Burke jerked before slowly turning to look at me.

Pricilla pinned her eyes on him. "Colton will tell me nothing of this mysterious brunette. What can you tell me? Is she from a good family?"

Burke swallowed tightly before glancing at my mother. "I believe so."

My mother started to smile. "Well, that's wonderful."

I could hear Burke's teeth grind together before he replied, "Yes, isn't it?"

I needed to get my mother out of there before the blood vessel pulsing on Burke's temple burst. I grabbed her arm and started leading her toward the door. "I appreciate you stopping by, Mother, but Burke and I have some business to conduct."

"Oh, yes, of course."

Jerome was there to open the door when we reached it.

I leaned in and pressed a kiss to my mother's cheek. "I'll see you tomorrow night."

"With your date."

"Yes, Mother, with my date."

She patted her cheek before turning and walking out. "Call for my car, Jerome."

"Already done, ma'am."

"Thank you, Jerome."

The tension in the room dropped by several degrees when the door closed behind my mother.

Until I turned and found Burke glaring at me. I quickly held up my hands. "I can explain."

"Want to bet?"

I groaned as I dropped my head back to stare up at the ceiling. "She came in with Brittany and started going on and on about how she wanted us to meet so I could take Brittany to the gala, and your suggestion that I take Newt just slipped into my mind and then out of my mouth."

"It should have stayed in your mouth," Burke snapped. "How in the hell are you going to get away with taking a man as your plus one?"

I lowered my head to stare at Burke. "You were the one to suggest it."

"You weren't supposed to take that suggestion seriously."

I shrugged.

"Do you know what's going to happen if you show up to that gala with a man? And I'm not even talking about the brain aneurysm your mother is going to have. I'm talking about every media outlet on the planet broadcasting the fact that you're gay."

I frowned. "I am not gay."

"You will be if you take Newt to that gala."

I groaned again and then reached up to rub the tense muscles at the nape of my neck. "Look, taking Newt with me solves two problems. It keeps my mother off my back about taking a date to that stupid event, and it allows me to keep an eye on Newt. I'll be damned if I let someone hurt him again because of me."

"And you think pushing him into the limelight will do that?"

Not really, but I was kind of winging it here.

"Okay, look," Burke said. "Here's what we're going to do. You can take Newt to the gala, but Crosby and I will be going with you. He can be my plus one. If anyone asks, we're just a bunch of friends going stag."

"And when my mother asks where my date is?"

Because she would.

"Call your dad before tomorrow night and explain to him what's going on. Tell him why you're taking Newt to the gala with you and ask him to head your mother off."

Oh yeah, that was going to work.

Not.

"You do remember who my mother is, right?" Pricilla Knox did not do anything she did not want to do.

"Then call her back up here and explain the situation to her."

I shook my head. "She'll just insist that I hire more security for Newt then take a real date with me to the gala."

"So, why don't you?"

It was an honest question. A good one, and one I didn't exactly have an answer for. I couldn't explain it, but I just knew in my gut that Newt needed to be with me tomorrow night.

Maybe it was just that he needed to be in my line of sight?

"The stag thing might work if I can head my mother off." I knew Burke had just suggested that, but it sounded better when I said it.

Sort of.

Burke shrugged. "Just tell her you can't discuss it for security reasons."

"That will never fly with her and you know it." My mother was too tenacious to be fobbed off with something like security measures. I'd have to call my dad like Burke suggested.

I so didn't want to do that.

"How do I explain to her about the mysterious brunette?"

Burke snorted. "That's your hole. You get to climb out of it all by yourself."

"Gee, thanks." I pulled out my phone and dialed my father.

"Colton."

"Is this line secure?" I asked.

"Of course."

"Okay, look, I'm bringing Newt with me tomorrow night as my plus one. I need you to keep Mom off my back about it."

"You're bringing your executive assistant to the gala?"

"I have to. With his life in danger, I don't want to let him out of my sight. Burke and Crosby are going to come with us, so we'll all be going stag. I just need you to keep Mom off my back."

"Do you think this is a good idea, Colton?"

"It's the only one I have at the moment."

"Can't you hire more security?"

"My security team is already working on trying to find out who is after me and Newt. I'd rather keep them working on that than escorting me to some party I'd rather not attend. That is more important."

"Yes, I agree." My father sighed. "Okay, son. I'll do my best to keep your mother occupied, but you know how she is when she gets an idea in her head. Your best bet is to just avoid her as much as possible."

Oh, I intended to.

"Thanks, Dad."

I hung up and looked toward Burke. "Okay, so that's one hurdle down. Now I just have to convince Newt to be my plus one."

Burke snorted. "Yeah, good luck with that."

Yeah, that was going to be a barrel of laughs.

"I'll just tell him it's a work assignment."

It could work.

Maybe.

I glanced toward the guestroom. "I should check on him."

"You're really worried about him."

I frowned as I glanced at Burke, not liking the astonished tone in his voice. "Someone tried to kill him because of me. Of course I'm fucking worried."

"Someone was just trying to send you a message, Knox. They weren't actually trying to kill him."

"And what happens next time they decide to send me a message? They said it would be a bullet, remember?"

Burke grimaced. "You really think this has to do with the files you got for your dad?"

"What else could it be?" I'd told Burke, but hadn't had a chance to talk to Crosby about my meeting with Amanda Dresden and the files she'd given me. I hadn't gone into great detail, but Burke knew the basics.

"I suppose it could be anyone," Burke replied. "Amanda Dresden, the people involved in that mess with your father, a spurned lover. Hell, for all I know, it could be Brittany. I certainly wouldn't put it past her."

"The thing that confuses me about all of this is that they didn't make any demands." That had been bothering me for a while. "They just said they were not fucking around, but fucking around with what? Do they want the files back? Do they want money? What?"

"Well, they obviously want something."

"Yes, but what?"

That's the part I couldn't figure out.

"I guess you'll just have to ask them the next time they try to kill Newt."

I growled, having the sudden urge to ram my fist into Burke's smirking face. I was a little shocked by the feelings of rage that swept through me at the mere thought of anyone harming a hair on Newt's head. Yeah, I liked the guy. He was a good worker, a hard worker, and he certainly made my life easier.

That did not explain wanting to rip off my best friend's face.

"No one is going to hurt Newt."

I'd make sure of it.

Chapter Six

Newton

My head ached from the moment I cracked open my eyes and saw sunlight streaming in through the window. Whoever said that morning was the start of a new day obviously had never been hit by a car.

I was still feeling yesterday.

"How are you?"

I turned my head then blinked in confusion. "Knox?"

The man was sitting in a chair by my bed.

Why was he sitting in a chair by my bed?

"Is something wrong?"

Knox chuckled as he shook his head. "No."

I didn't believe him.

I tried to scoot myself up into a sitting position, but my head instantly began to swim. I whimpered as I pressed my hand to my temple and settled back against the pillows.

"Careful," Knox said as he stood and moved to sit on the side of the bed. "Your head's probably going to be pretty achy for a while."

No kidding.

"What time is it?"

"About eight thirty."

"Okay." I frowned. "What day is it?"

Knox chuckled again. "It's Thursday morning."

Well, that would explain why Knox was in a different suit since the last time I'd seen him. Although it was weird to see him without a suit jacket or a tie, the open collar showing off a bit of skin was nice.

"How long have I been asleep?" My mind couldn't process the hours that had passed.

"I brought you home from the hospital about twenty hours ago. We woke you up every two hours for the first twelve hours like the doctor told us to, but you've been really asleep for the last eight or so."

Knox reached over to the nightstand and grabbed a glass of water and two white pills before holding them out to me. "Here, this will help to keep your head from throbbing."

I eagerly took them. I was all for my head not throbbing.

"Are you hungry?"

I started to shake my head until I realized that I was hungry. "Yes."

Knox smiled as he patted my thigh. "Why don't you get dressed and I'll go tell Mary you're awake? Ivan went over to your house and grabbed some of your things." Knox pointed to a bag sitting on the chair by the dresser. "I'm also having him install one of our best security systems. It should be ready by the time you go home."

Indignation filled me to the brim. "Knox, you can't do that."

"I can and I did."

"Look, I know you mean well, but that's my house."

"And you're my executive assistant. If I want to install a security system in your house to keep you safe, I will."

I rolled my eyes. Knox was never going to change. There was a part of me that appreciated the things Knox did, but there was another part that wanted to throttle him.

"Look, Newt, until I know who is after me, I'd prefer if you let me keep you safe."

I sighed. "All right, Knox."

Knox's wide smile was a great reward for not telling the man to go shove it.

"Listen, there's something else I need you to do for me."

"Of course, sir." I didn't think there was much I wouldn't do for Colton Knox.

"Saturday night is the Manhattan Gala."

I knew this.

"Do you still need to find a date?" I asked as I started looking around. Where was my tablet?

"No, I'm good."

I frowned when Knox grimaced. "What's wrong?"

"You're going as my plus one."

My jaw dropped, and elation filled me before I could stop it.

"Burke is taking Crosby as his plus one. We're all going stag, so it'll be okay. No one will think it's weird or anything."

My bubble popped.

"I'd just feel better if you stayed where I can keep an eye on you."

Knox didn't want me attending the gala because he wanted me to be his date. It had been stupid to ever dream about that. But for one second, I had felt as if every fantasy I'd had about the man had been answered.

I swallowed tightly before saying, "Of course, sir."

"Great, great." Knox patted my thigh again before standing. "I'm going to go tell Mary you're awake and hungry."

"Actually, I think I'm going to sleep a little bit more. My head is still throbbing."

It was, so that wasn't a lie, but being with Knox at the moment wasn't something I thought I could handle. I felt a bit raw. One of these days I was going to give up on my fantasies that Knox might actually see me as a real person.

One of these days…I needed to really think about making that day come sooner rather than later because one of these days, if I still fantasized about Knox wanting me, my heart was going to be ripped to shreds and I couldn't honestly say I'd recover from that.

I pulled the blankets up and turned onto my side away from Knox. "I'm just going to sleep a little longer."

"Okay, Newt, I'll wake you in a couple of hours. Do you need anything?"

Nothing he could give me.

"No."

I didn't give in to my tears until the overhead light went off and I heard the bedroom door close.

I really was a stupid bastard. Colton Knox was as straight as they came, and I needed to get that through my thick skull. He was never going to look at me with love in his eyes. He wasn't even going to look at me with want in his eyes.

If I wanted to be honest with myself, he didn't even look at me. I was his executive assistant. I was paid to keep his life in order. I mean, seriously, how many women had I roused out of his bed and gotten rid of? That right there was enough to let me know he most definitely wasn't into men, and even if he was, why would he ever be interested in me?

I didn't think I was a dog or anything. I was actually quite happy with my looks. I stood at a respectful five foot ten inches tall, had good muscle definition—which I worked very hard at attaining—deep brown eyes, and a gorgeous head of dark brown hair. I was slender, but fit. I was strong, but not overly muscular. I was smart, witty, and I could even be flirty when the right occasion presented itself.

I had a college education, good job, and a nice house. I'd never done drugs, only drank occasionally, and I had no criminal record.

Frankly, I was a catch.

Just not for the man I wanted.

So, maybe it was time to really put in an effort to find a man who would appreciate what I had to offer instead of daydreaming over a man I couldn't have.

Resolved to my new choice, I wiped my tears away and then closed my eyes and allowed sleep to take me somewhere Colton Knox didn't exist.

Too bad he was waiting for me in my dreams.

* * * *

I wasn't feeling much better by the time I woke up and my empty stomach forced me out of bed. My head wasn't aching anymore, but my heart sure was. I grabbed my clothes out of the bag Ivan had packed for me and carried them into the bathroom.

As guest bathrooms went, this had to be one of the better ones I'd ever seen. Considering how many hotel suites I'd been in to rescue Knox from his one-night stands, that was saying something.

Marble countertops, double sinks, walk in glass shower with white tiled walls and a rain forest showerhead. Deep, jetted, soaking tub. And spacious. The bathroom might actually be bigger than my living room at my brownstone.

I loved every inch of it.

I loved standing under the rain forest showerhead even more. I wasn't sure how long I actually stood there in the center of the large walk in shower, but it felt like forever.

I was okay with that.

I washed my hair then scrubbed the last twenty-four hours off my body. By the time I stepped out of the bathroom and reached for a towel, I felt so much better. I wasn't at a hundred percent yet, but I was getting there.

I dried off then dressed in the clothes I'd taken out of my bag. There was a wrapped toothbrush on the counter and I eagerly used it, thankful to have the grime off my teeth as well. I was pretty sure they'd grown fur.

After brushing my teeth and my hair, I grabbed my dirty clothes and carried them back into the bedroom. Even though they were dirty, I folded them and set them on the chair next to my bag. I didn't want to place them in the bag with the rest of my clean clothes. That would just be nasty.

I was still a little unsettled about my dreams, so I drew in a deep breath before plastering a smile on my face and opening the bedroom door. It took a few steps down the hallway before I heard voices, and then I followed that sound to the living room.

I was surprised to find one of the three men sitting there drinking coffee, but not the other two. "Mr. Crosby, you're back."

Decker Crosby didn't smile when he looked up, but then he never did. "Hello, Newton. How are you feeling?"

"I'm good," I replied. "Thank you for asking, sir."

"It's just us here, Newton. You can call me Crosby."

"Yes, sir."

"How's the head?"

"Tender, but it's not throbbing anymore."

"Newt, can you come sit down and tell us exactly what happened when you were attacked?" Knox asked. "I'll arrange for Mary to bring you something to eat in the meantime."

I frowned in confusion. "I already told you at the hospital."

"Yes, but I want Burke and Crosby to hear it."

"Oh, okay."

Whatever.

I walked over and sat down in a chair across from the three men. Knox got up and walked out of the room, so I turned my attention to Crosby and Burke and began to relay everything that had occurred the day I was attacked.

It was hard to believe it had been over twenty-four hours. On the other hand, it felt as if it had just happened. I could still feel the fear that had swamped me the moment those hands slammed into my back and I'd gone flying right into the path of an oncoming car.

"A spider tattoo on his neck?" Crosby asked. "Are you sure?"

"I saw it clear as day." I nodded. "He was right up in my face when he was threatening Knox."

"And you've never seen this man before?" Burke asked.

"No."

I would have remembered.

"One more thing." I wasn't sure if it was important, but it felt important to me. "His eyes were dead."

Crosby's eyebrows lifted. "Dead?"

"Yes, there was no emotion in them whatsoever. He could have been reciting a grocery list when he threatened Knox."

"You think he's done this sort of shit before?" Burke asked.

"Oh yes, he knew what he was doing." I had no doubt about that.

"If I showed you some pictures, do you think you could point him out?"

My eyes rounded. "I'm supposed to go down to the police department and try to identify this guy."

Burke instantly shook his head. "No, we'll take care of this without involving the police. They can have this asshole after we're done with him."

Okay then.

Mary walked into the living room carrying a tray of food before I could say anything more. Knox walked in after her and went to sit back down in his chair. Mary set the tray down on the end table next to my chair.

"I expect you to eat every bite."

I smiled up at the woman. "Yes, ma'am."

I knew better than to argue with her. Knox might own the building, but Mary ruled the kitchen. That was her domain and she was very good at ruling it. No one argued with her, not even Knox.

I picked up the plate of eggs and bacon and started eating, half listening to what Knox, Burke, and Crosby were discussing until they mentioned the gala, and then all the food I'd just eaten soured in my stomach.

I set my plate down and reached for the glass of orange juice still on the tray. It didn't settle in my stomach any better. I set the glass down and folded my arms around myself.

"Are you cold?"

I turned to look at Knox. "Huh?"

"Are you cold?" he repeated.

"Oh, um…yes, a little bit."

"Jerome," Knox called out, "bring Newt a blanket."

Jerome appeared a few moments later with a blanket in his hands. I gave him a small smile as I took the blanket and shook it out over me. "Thank you, Jerome."

"You're welcome, sir."

I felt better after snuggling under the blanket, less exposed.

I really needed to think about getting a different job if I was feeling exposed in front of my boss and his friends. My heart sank at the thought, but it might be the only way to save myself. I was becoming too embroiled in Knox's life, hoping too much.

I needed to cut him free.

I needed to cut me free.

I needed a date.

Chapter Seven

Knox

I was worried about Newt. He was more subdued than usual. I knew he had been scared by what had happened to him a couple of days ago, and he had every right to be, but I worried it might be more than that.

As far as I could tell, and from what my personal physician had told me after examining Newt, his injuries were healing nicely. He might suffer from a few more headaches, but he should make a full recovery.

I was still unsettled.

Maybe it was because we hadn't been able to figure out who had hurt Newt or who was threatening me. Except for that one incident when Newt had been pushed, there had been no other threats. There hadn't even been any hints at threats. Nothing.

My security team hadn't been able to find anything, and neither had Crosby or Burke. They had used all of their contacts as had I, and still nothing.

That was worrisome in itself.

If someone took enough interest to attack Newt, then why hadn't I heard another word? I didn't doubt Newt's words. The man didn't lie. Ever. But I had to wonder if he'd heard things wrong or if whoever attacked him meant something else by their threat.

"You ready?"

I looked up to see Burke and Crosby standing in the living room. Both men were dressed in black tuxedos with white shirts and black bowties. "You two clean up well."

It was good to see Crosby here. I knew it was his job in our corporation to fly to wherever we were having issues and fix them. That was kind of his job description. He was the "fixer." But I'd missed having him around.

Burke chuckled. "You don't look so bad yourself, Mr. Knox."

I straightened my bow tie. "Yeah, you think I'll do?"

"I think you'll have all the ladies panting after you as soon as you walk in the door."

I visibly shuddered. "God, I hope not."

I didn't need the headache, and strangely enough, I had no desire to hook up with anyone tonight. I hadn't in several days, not since Newt cleared Norah Bradley out of my hotel suite.

Had it been that long?

I wasn't known for going long between one-night stands.

"Where's Newt?" Crosby asked.

"I'm here," Newt said as he walked into the room.

I turned then caught my breath. I'd seen Newt in a tux before, but for some reason, he looked different this time, better. The simple black Armani tux seemed to give his milky complexion an extra glow and made his dark brown eyes stand out more than usual.

Maybe it was because I was thinking a lot about him these days, worried about his safety, but I had an overwhelming urge to pull him to my side and pin him there.

"How are you feeling?" I asked when I finally found my voice.

"I'm good." Newt smiled. "I haven't had a headache since yesterday morning."

"That's good." I hated when Newt was in pain. "If you start to develop one, let me know.” I reached into my pocket and pulled out a bottle of pills. "I have pain pills for you if you need them."

"I'm good."

I tried not to look as if I was looking at Newt, but I was looking. He was stunning. I felt my face flush when I finally pulled my gaze away and realized Burke and Crosby were staring at me.

"Everyone ready?" I asked, hoping to throw their curious stares off of me. "You all remember the game plan?"

"We're going stag," Burke said after giving me a knowing smirk. "No girls and no Newt being left on his own."

"I've assigned Sergei as his protection for the night."

Newt groaned. "Really?"

"Yes," I said firmly. "You are not allowed to go anywhere without him, not even to the bathroom."

"You don't think maybe you're making more of this than it really is?" Newt asked.

"No." I started for the door, refusing to listen to Newt try to talk me out of having him guarded. I wasn't going to allow something to happen to him again. I didn't care how many bodyguards it took.

By the time I reached the elevator, Crosby, Burke, and Newt were right behind me. We rode down to the parking garage in silence. When the door slide open, Ivan, Sergei, and Yuri were waiting for us.

I walked directly to the limousine and climbed inside. Newt climbed in and sat next to me. Sergei sat on the other side of Newt. Ivan, Burke, and Crosby sat across from us with Yuri in the front seat.

The silence hung heavy in the back of the limo.

It wasn't a comfortable sensation, but I wasn't sure what to do about it. I refused to let Newt be unprotected tonight or any other night. He was not going to be hurt again even if I had to hire an entire team of bodyguards and lock him in a hermetically sealed room. It just wasn't going to happen.

"Is it finger foods tonight?" Newt asked. "Or a sit down?"

"Finger foods," Ivan replied. "You won't be having any of them. I have nutrition bars for you." He pulled a couple of out his pocket and held them up for a moment before sliding them back into his pocket.

I smiled when Newt groaned, and reached over to pat his thigh. "We can't take any chances that someone won't try and poison you."

Newt swallowed hard. "You think someone is going to try and poison me?"

"No," I said because I didn't want to scare him, "but we're not taking any chances."

Until I knew who was after me and what lengths they would go to get to me, I wasn't going to put Newt in any more danger.

"Can I drink anything?" Newt asked.

Ivan pulled a small bottle of sparkling apple cider out of his other pocket. "I will put it into a champagne flute for you."

Newt signed. "I probably shouldn't have alcohol anyway."

I was glad Newt was being so agreeable, but I wasn't buying it. "Please, Newt, let me do this for you, let me keep you safe." I knew it really wasn't going to happen unless Newt agreed to it.

Newt stared at me for a moment before nodding and then glancing away. I watched him for a moment before looking across at Burke and Crosby. Burke shrugged, but didn't say anything.

No one said anything until we arrived at the gala.

I waited for Ivan to climb out and assess the area before getting out of the limo myself. Crosby, Burke, and Newt climbed out after me and then started down the red carpet toward the main doors.

The place was lit up with huge skyward spotlights, and reporters lined each side of the red carpet, separated by a red rope fence. I didn't wave to anyone even when they called out my name. I did plaster a smile on my face and walked toward the doors.

"I've never been on this side of things before," Newt whispered. "It's a little like being in a shiny fish bowl, isn't it?"

I chuckled as I leaned my head down toward him so he could hear me over the chaos. "Just remember to smile, and if anyone asks you a question you don't want to answer, smile bigger and tell them no comment."

"Like I want to talk to any of these vultures."

I was meaning more the people inside art gallery than those outside, but whatever. "Don't forget that you are an invited guest tonight, not an employee. Don't let any of these fancy clothes and snobby attitudes keep you from enjoying yourself."

When cameras started flashing and one of the reporters leaned closer, I placed my hand in the middle of Newt's back and ushered him inside. I didn't want to answer any questions either, and I wasn't thrilled with Newt being out there in the open when he'd been threatened with a bullet.

When we got inside, I grabbed a champagne flute from one of the passing waiters. Ivan appeared a moment later with a flute of apple cider for Newt.

I shot Newt a smile. "Time to mingle, and smile. We're having fun, remember?"

"Fun, right."

Ivan and Sergei faded into the background as they were supposed to do. Burke and Crosby walked with me and Newt as we made our way through the art gallery. I nodded to several people and stopped to talk to a few, but what I really wanted to do was be seen so we could leave without me feeling guilty for not attending tonight's event.

"Colton, darling."

Oh god. It was Norah Bradley.

When she went to hug me, Newt slid between us.

"My, Ms. Bradley, that is a stunning dress."

Man, he was good.

"Oh, I…" Norah glanced down at her red sequined dress, which was way, way too short. I could almost see her pubes, and I doubted she was wearing underwear. "Thank you."

"Norah, how are you?" I asked.

I had to be polite after all.

"I was hoping to…speak to you later tonight."

I knew what she was hoping for and speaking had no part of it. "I'm afraid I won't be here very long tonight, Norah. I have a business meeting first thing in the morning." I smiled, flashing my white teeth. "I'll call you."

Or not.

I could see the disappointment on Norah's face as I placed my hand in the middle of Newt's back and started leading him away. She was a nice girl, but she wasn't for me. Whatever little fantasies she had in her head about the two of us getting together on a more permanent basis, she needed to forget.

It was never going to happen.

I groaned when I spotted a woman in a fancy white silk dress waving at me. "Oh god, there's my mother."

Newt snickered. "You forgot to send the flowers, didn't you?"

"I might have." In my defense, I'd been too worried about Newt.

"How's she going to feel about you going to stag tonight?"

"I don't know, but I think we're about to find out."

My mother was headed right for us.

I plastered a big smile on my face. "Hello, Mother," I said when she reached us and then bent down to press a kiss to her cheek. "You're looking wonderful tonight."

"Thank you, darling." She smiled then nodded to Newt. Even if she felt he was merely one of the help, she would never be so rude as to ignore him. "Where's your date tonight, my dear? The mysterious brunette you told me about?"

I grabbed Newt's arm and pulled him forward. "Newt is my date tonight."

Pricilla's eyebrows rose as she glanced at my executive assistant. "Newton is your…date?"

"Mr. Knox is actually going stag with Burke and Crosby tonight, Mrs. Knox," Newt said. "I filled in to make up the empty spot."

Pricilla's brow flickered. "I don't understand."

"It's a security matter, Mother. I didn't bring a real date because I didn't want to involve anyone else." There was only such much I could tell my mother without freaking her out, and that's the last thing I wanted.

"Are you in trouble, son?"

"No, but Newt is, which is why he's here with me tonight. Until I know who is after him, he's not leaving my sight." I left out the little bit about Newt being in danger because of me. She didn't need to know that part of things. She'd freak.

"Really, Colton," she said. "You could have hired more security and left him at your penthouse. You didn't need to bring him as your date."

"Oh, no, it's not a date," Newt said quickly. "He's—"

"Enough, Mother." I knew I'd spoken rather sternly when her eyes rounded. I didn't mean to, but she needed to understand how things were going to be. "I am not going to put Newt's life in danger any more than it already is, and that means he stays with me. If that also means I have to go to this thing stag, then I will."

"What is going on, Colton?"

"I can't discuss it right now, but I will as soon as I can. For right now, we need to mingle." I bent down and kiss my mother on the cheek again and then started leading Newt away.

"Well, that was interesting," Burke mused. "I can't wait to see how my mother is going to react when she learns I brought Crosby as my plus one."

"Well," I said, "on the upside, I doubt Crosby's mother is here tonight."

"Want to bet?" Crosby snapped. "She's on the other side of the dance floor sitting with Senator Baines."

I grimaced when I glanced across the room and spotted the woman in question. I knew her name wouldn't be on the guest list, so she had to have come as someone's plus one.

As much as she would like to think otherwise, she was not one of the socially elite. She'd married more than a few rich men, but she'd always been so catty, her desperation and her ability to make connections to people with money had failed.

Crosby sighed heavily. "I need to go make sure she didn't get in here using my name."

I wouldn't put it past her.

I watched Crosby walk across the room with a sinking heart. He deserved so much better than that woman. He worked hard, he didn't break too many laws, and he always had my back. I wasn't sure what I could do make sure he knew I had his back as well.

"Newt?"

"Yes, sir?"

"When we get back to the office on Monday, look into what it would take to get Crosby's mother off his back permanently. I know she has a price. I want to know what it is."

"Yes, sir."

"Maybe we can send her on a permanent cruise around the world," Burke said. "One of those old people dating cruises."

I snorted. "Knowing her, she'd end up married to the entire cruise."

God, Crosby really had gotten screwed in the parent department.

I snagged another champagne flute when a waiter walked by. "Let's make a few more rounds and then get out of here. I've had about all the drama I can stand for the night."

No sooner had those words left my mouth when I spotted Brittany Fox making a beeline for us. "Heads up, trouble at one o'clock."

"Shit!" Burke snarled. "What's she doing here?"

I had no idea.

I frowned when the statuesque blonde walked straight for us. From the sly, calculating look on her face, she was up to something, but for the life of me, I couldn't figure out what it was.

I just knew it wasn't going to be good.

"Colton, darling," she said in a rather loud voice. "I'm so sorry I'm late. Traffic was dreadful."

What the hell?

"What are you doing, Brittany?" I asked in a much quieter voice, but I could already see people looking in our direction.

If Brittany was looking for drama, she was getting it.

She opened her gold-colored clutch purse and pulled out a slim black and white photo. "I brought the picture of our little peanut that obstetrician gave us just like you wanted." She stared at the photo for a moment before clutching it to her chest. "I was so excited to get it before the gala tonight. I just knew you'd want to show your mother."

What the hell was she talking about?

When Brittany took a step toward me, her arms raised as if she was going to hug me, I took a quick step back. Brittany's eyes flooded with tears.

"Darling, aren't you happy about our little peanut? You told me how much you wanted a baby."

I narrowed my eyes. "I never told you that."

"But you did," Brittany insisted. "You whispered it in my ear after we…well…after we…" Brittany tucked in her lips and glanced around as if she just realized we had an audience.

Including my mother.

Freaking perfect.

"We have never had sex, Brittany," I stated firmly. "And, even though I seriously doubt you're pregnant, if you are, it is not my kid."

Brittany gasped and pressed her hand to her chest. "How can you say that? After everything we meant to each other?" Big tears began to trickle down her cheeks. "You told me you loved me."

"Trying to blackmail someone else into marriage, Brittany?" Burke asked. "Knox is smarter than me. He'll kick you to the curb before he fucks you."

Brittany gasped again. "How can you let him talk to me like that, Colton?"

"You brought this on yourself with this crap, Brittany," Burke snapped. "Knox knows all about your little"—Burke made quote marks in the air—"pregnancies. He's not going to buy your shit."

Brittany sniffled before turning to look at me. "He is not invited to the wedding, Colton."

My eyebrows lifted in complete surprise. Just how far was this woman willing to go with her little charade? "What wedding?"

"Our wedding, of course."

Oh, hell, no!

I'd rather give up pussy than marry Brittany.

The preverbal light bulb went off over my head.

"I can't marry you, Brittany." I grabbed Newt and pulled him to my side. "I'm marrying Newton."

Chapter Eight

Newton

I tried to keep my complete shock off my face, but damn, it was hard. I knew Knox was just trying to avoid a scene with Brittany, but I wasn't sure he understood the can of worms he'd just opened.

Opened.

Right.

He'd just blown the damn thing up.

Brittany's face had turned pasty white. "You…you're marrying a man?"

I knew this was Knox's big chance to say it was all a big joke, so I was surprised when the man gave me a squeeze before planting a kiss on the top of my head.

"You heard me correctly, Brittany. I'm marrying Newton, so there's no way I could be planning to marry you. We've already started making plans and everything. In fact, Newton has already started moving in with me. He's been there the last several nights. Isn't that right, love?"

I grit my teeth and forced a smile. "Yes."

I wasn't lying.

"Crosby and I can both confirm that Newton has been at Knox's penthouse since Wednesday," Burke said. "And if you don't believe me, you can check with Knox's butler, housekeeper, and his security detail. I imagine the surveillance tapes will also show Newton's arrival and the fact that he hasn't left the penthouse until tonight."

Oh god, now Burke was in on it.

This nightmare was never going to die.

Brittany's eyes narrowed. "If you two are getting married, then why does he look so sick?"

"How would you feel if you were in the middle of planning a wedding to the man you fell in love with and some woman came in spouting off that she's pregnant and wanted to get married?" Knox asked. "You'd be sick, too."

"You can't be gay," Brittany whispered as if she was watching all of her dreams go up in smoke.

I almost felt sorry for her.

Almost.

Before another thought could float through my head, I was turned and then Knox's hands cupped my face and his lips were on mine, and then there weren't any thoughts in my head at all. There was nothing but the soft press of his lips against mine and the heady taste of the man as his tongue pushed past my lips then brushed against my tongue.

I groaned as I gave in to every fantasy I'd ever had about Colton Knox. Some part of my mind was screaming that this was a very, very bad idea, but that part was growing quieter by the second.

I curled my fingers into Knox's shirt. I knew this was going to be my one and only chance to kiss the man. At some point, he was going to come to his senses and go back to women, and I'd have to go back to fantasizing.

I wanted to enjoy this while I could.

When Knox finally pulled back, I whimpered. I opened my eyes, not even realizing I'd closed them. Knox just stared down at me for the longest time. It could have been seconds. It could have been centuries.

The look in his vivid blue eyes was one I doubted I'd ever forget.

Hunger.

"That's disgusting!"

I sucked in a breath when the world around us came blaring back. I quickly dropped my arms to my sides and ducked my head, wishing I was anywhere except where I was. I don't think I'd ever been so embarrassed in my life.

"Your little plan to trick someone into marrying you isn't going to work, Brittany," Knox said. "It didn't work for Burke, and it's not going to work for me. Now, I don't know who got you knocked up, if you are indeed pregnant and not lying this time, but I suggest you go get him to marry you if you want to be married so damn bad. I'm not available."

Brittany's screech probably shattered all of the champagne flutes. I might have seen it if I hadn't been looking down, but I was. It also allowed me to see her grab something out of her little clutch purse before tossing the purse to the floor.

The flash of metal was all I needed to see to compel me into moving.

"Gun!" I shouted as I pushed Knox out of the way and dove at the woman, reaching for her arm. The loud retort of the gun going off so close to me wasn't as shocking as the feeling of a bullet grazing my arm.

The agony made spots flash in front of my eyes. Only my need to ensure nothing happened to Knox kept me holding on to Brittany's arm, even when she tried to struggle away.

"I've got her, Newton."

I released the breath I'd been holding when Ivan's face came into my line of vision. "Gun," I whispered hoarsely. "Get her gun."

I couldn't take the chance that she'd try and shook Knox again.

"Sergei has her gun."

Fantastic.

I let go of Brittany once Ivan had a hold of her and collapsed back against the floor. Each breath I drew in hurt. I desperately wanted to close my eyes. It had been several days of insanity and I was ready to get off the crazy train.

"Bloody hell, Newt," Knox said as he dropped down beside me. He pressed a cloth against the wound on my arm. "You never rush someone with a gun."

"I couldn't let you get shot."

Knox smiled, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. "Getting shot is not in your job description."

I tried to laugh, but it hurt too damn much. "I was hoping for a promotion anyway."

"I'll make you CEO if you promise never to try to stop a bullet again."

"No, I think I'll keep being an executive assistant. I don't think executive life is for me. Too dangerous." Curling up with a good book and a cup of hot chocolate sounded much better than attending a gala event.

Safer, too.

"Guess we don't have to worry about someone trying to hurt me anymore, huh?"

"What?" Knox's eyes shot to mine. "What are you talking about?"

"Next time it will be a bullet?" I nodded to my arm. "Guess she was telling the truth."

Knox frowned. "You think Brittany was the one who attacked you?"

"No, I think Brittany hired someone to attack me."

"Why would she do that?" Knox asked.

"Who knows?" I asked. I didn't really care. I was just glad it was over. "She's crazy."

"Colton?"

I groaned when I heard Knox's father. After the show we'd just put on, he was one of the last people I wanted to see. Knox's mother would be at the top of the list.

I really wanted to go home.

"Hey, Dad," Knox said.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, but Brittany shot Newt."

I smiled weakly when the older man's gaze settled on me. "Hello, Senator Knox."

"How are you feeling, son?"

"Truthfully, I've been better."

"He stopped Brittany before she could shoot me, Dad." Knox glared down at me. "He got shot instead."

I groaned.

I was really hoping to miss this scene.

"I was just doing my job," I insisted.

"Your job is not to keep me safe, Newt. That's Ivan's job."

"My job is to make sure your life runs smoothly and without chaos." I waved my hand toward where police officers were handcuffing Brittany. "That is chaos."

Senator Knox chuckled. "He's got you there, son."

Knox glanced over to where the police were reading Brittany her rights. "What in the hell was Brittany thinking to pull a gun like that?"

"I think she's desperate," Burke replied. "After that scene at your penthouse a couple of days ago, she saw her chances at marrying a billionaire slipping through her fingers. She had to do something to get your attention."

"Hey, Mr. Burke."

The man smiled down at me. "Hey, Newt." He patted my uninjured arm. "Good job."

"Thank you." I sent Knox a glare. "At least someone appreciates me trying to save his life."

Knox's eyes rolled. "Newt—"

"The paramedics are here, son."

Knox stood back when a paramedic knelt down next to me. The glower on his face made me wonder if my job was in jeopardy.

"Your mother wants to talk to you about the wedding," the senator said. "She's very upset that you didn't tell her you were getting married."

I expected Knox to explain to his father it was all a joke to get Brittany off his tail. My jaw dropped when the man simply shrugged.

"I wanted to tell her, but I haven't bought a ring for Newt yet. I felt that was more important."

"You know she's going to want to throw you an engagement party."

"Of course," Knox replied. "I'd expect nothing less."

A frown moved over the senator's face before he smiled. "I didn't know you and Newton were involved."

I glared when Knox glanced at me.

"It's a recent thing," Knox replied.

When was he going to drop this lie?

"We’re going to transfer you to the hospital now, Mr. Bridger," the paramedic replied as a gurney was wheeled up next to me.

I nodded my understanding, but cried out when I was lifted onto the gurney. Only my arm was injured, so I didn't understand why it hurt so much. It would have been easier to just let me walk to the ambulance. Less painful, too.

"I'll be along to the hospital just as soon as I get done talking with the police, Newt," Knox said. "Sergei, go with him."

"Brittany is in cuffs," I pointed out. "I don't need a bodyguard anymore."

"You're the fiancé of a very rich man, son," the senator said. "A bodyguard is a way of life for you now."

But I wasn't, not really.

The ride out to the ambulance was a blur of camera flashes and loud voices. The police had moved the crowd back, thank god, but they were still close enough to shout out questions.

Questions I had no answers to.

I just closed my eyes and prayed it all went away.

We reached the hospital relatively quickly, but I was pretty sure that was due to the police escort. Once we stopped in front of the emergency room doors, I was wheeled out and taken directly to a cubicle where Knox's personal doctor was waiting.

Why was I not surprised?

"Hello, Mr. Bridger," the doctor said. "I understand you had a little accident tonight."

"Yes, something like that."

"Well, not to worry. Mr. Knox said to make sure you had the best care."

Considering I had gotten shot trying to save the man's life, it was the least he could do. "Thank you."

The next couple of hours were more of a blur than the trip out to the ambulance. I was poked and prodded, given X-rays, and then finally sewn up before being taken to a very nice single-occupancy hospital room. It was nicer than some hotels I'd stayed in.

"Do you need anything, Newton?" Sergei asked.

"No, I'm good." I could feel the pain pills the doctor gave me starting to take effect, and all I wanted to do was sleep.

"Okay, I'll be just outside the door."

I waited until the door closed behind Sergei before reaching for the phone on the stand beside my bed. It took me a couple of tries to dial the number I wanted. I closed my eyes as I held the phone to my ear, listening to it ring.

"Hello?"

"Dad?"

"Hey, son, how are you?"

"I got shot."

I opened my eyes and smiled when my father shouted, "You got what?"

It was actually good to hear his voice, especially when he was so upset on my behalf.

"Some psycho woman pulled a gun on Mr. Knox while we were attending a gala event. I grabbed her arm to keep her from shooting Knox and got shot. It's just a flesh wound. Only needed about ten stitches, but I'm in the hospital for the night. I don't think I'm going to make dinner tomorrow night."

"Jeez, Newton, you never grab for the gun."

"Yeah, well, it was kind of a split-second decision when she pulled the gun. I couldn't let Knox get shot."

"Are you sure you're going to be okay?"

"Yes, the doc said I'll make a full recovery. They're just holding me overnight because Knox is kind of a big deal and he called in his doctor and everything."

"Do you want me to come to you?"

"No." I drew in a deep breath. "That's probably not a good idea. There are a lot of reporters downstairs, and I'm pretty sure the police are going to be here soon to question me about the incident."

"At least tell me that caught her."

"Yes." I actually chuckled. "I held Brittany down until Ivan could take over, and then he turned her over to the police. They hauled her away in handcuffs while the paramedics were patching me up."

"What station?" my father asked. "Maybe I can call down and find out what's going on."

"We were at the Manhattan Gala, so whichever station is closest to that."

"I'll let you know what I find out."

"Okay."

"You get some rest, son."

"I will." I bit my lower lip for a moment, nervous about what else I needed to tell my father. He hated lying as much as I did, probably more. "Hey, you might see some news or a story in the paper tomorrow about me and Mr. Knox."

"What sort of news?"

"Brittany came to the gala with an ultrasound picture talking about how thrilled she was that she'd been able to get it so she could show Knox's mother their baby and that they were going to get married. Knox was trying to throw her off, so he told her he couldn't marry her because we were getting married."

"He told this psycho that you two were getting married?"

"He told everyone, Dad, and I mean everyone. If it's not splashed all over the gossip mags by midnight that Colton Knox is gay and marrying his executive assistant, I'll eat Aunt Bettie's shoes."

"I see."

I knew my father was disappointed that they'd lied. "She wasn't pregnant with Knox's baby, Dad. She tried the exact same scam on one of Knox's best friends. When he demanded a pregnancy test, they found out she'd never even been pregnant. She lied, Dad."

"Well, I'm not sure lying to her was a good choice, but I can see where your boss was coming from. Just remember that two wrongs don't make a right, Newton. Just because she lied to Knox is no reason for him to lie to her."

"No, I know that." I really did. "I think he was just trying to calm the situation down however he could."

"And you ended up getting shot."

I winced. "Yes."

"Maybe if he'd tried another tactic, you wouldn't have been shot."

"No, I don't think so. I think she intended to become violent no matter what he said. I mean, she did bring a gun to the event. Why would she do that unless she was planning something?"

"I understand what you're saying, Newton, and you're probably right, but I still don't like lying."

"I know." I smiled. "I promise not to lie anymore."

"Okay, son, you get some rest now. I'll call you when I have some information."

"Okay, Dad. Love you."

"I love you, too, Newton."

I hung up the phone and then closed my eyes again.

I couldn't wait to go home.

Chapter Nine

Knox

I brushed a hand through my hair as I listened to the detective assigned to this shit storm explain to my senator father what was happening to the case. It had already been three hours since Newt had been taken away by ambulance, and I had a burning need to check on him.

Sergei had called and told me Newt was fine.

My personal physician had called to tell me Newt was fine.

The officer assigned to guard his room had called me to tell me Newt was fine.

I wouldn't believe any of them until I saw the man for myself, and I had no idea when that would happen. It felt as if a million years had passed since they wheeled Newt out on a gurney.

"Was I just an experiment?"

I barely contained my groan when I glanced up and found Norah standing in front of me. "Hello, Norah." I so didn't want to deal with her. Not right now.

"Was I just an experiment?"

"An experiment?"

"Yes, did you sleep with me as some sort of experiment to see if you were gay or straight?"

Oh man.

"You weren't an experiment, Norah. I just…Newt is special."

I was still reeling from the kiss we'd shared. It had been meant to throw Brittany off, but it had turned into so much more. I'd never kissed another man before or even wanted to, but I wanted to kiss Newt again.

I wanted to do all sorts of things to Newton Bridger.

And that confused the hell out of me.

There had been times over the years when I'd looked at a man and been able to appreciate their looks, but I'd never had an overwhelming desire to bend one over the nearest table and sink my dick into them.

I was still shocked at how badly I wanted that.

"Look." I took Norah's hands with mine. "You are a beautiful woman who would be the perfect wife for almost any man."

"Just not you."

I shook my head. "No, not me."

"You're really gay?"

I didn't know what I was.

"I—"

"Knox," Burke said as he walked up quickly. "Can I speak to you for a moment?"

"Of course." I leaned in and pressed a kiss to Norah's cheek. "Take care, Norah."

I blew out a relieved breath as I walked away with Burke. "Thanks, man."

"You looked like you needed saving."

"Yeah, I made the mistake of sleeping with Norah last weekend. She wanted to know if she was just an experiment to figure out if I was gay or not."

"Was she?"

"If you'd asked me that last weekend, I probably would have punched you."

"And now?" Burke's eyes rounded when I didn't say anything. "Shit, Knox, are you gay?"

That was the big question.

I shook my head before meeting my best friend's eyes. "I don't know."

"Fuck."

"Fuck what?" Crosby asked as he joined us. He glanced between me and Burke. "What's going on?"

"Knox doesn't know if he's gay or not."

Crosby squinted at me. "Is this about that kiss you laid on Newt?"

"Maybe?" I rubbed the back of my neck, my muscles so tense, I felt as if they were on the edge of breaking. "I don't know. I mean, I've never even thought of another man in those terms, but that kiss…"

Crosby smirked. "That good, huh?"

"It was unlike anything I'd ever experienced before." I widened my eyes when the truth of my statement hit me. "One kiss from Newt was better than all the women I've slept with in the last ten years combined."

"That good, huh?"

I glared at Crosby. "You already asked that."

"Yeah, yeah, I know, but I've never seen you so flustered before."

"I've never been this flustered before." I thrust my hand through my hair again. "All I can think about is how soft Newt's lips were and how much I want to kiss him again." I shot my two friends a quick look. "Is that normal?"

It didn't sound normal to me.

"It is if you're gay or bisexual," Crosby said. "Look, instead of freaking out, maybe you should try to kiss Newt again and see if it was a fluke."

I really didn't think it was.

"What if I'm gay?"

Crosby shrugged. "What if you are?"

I kind of thought it changed everything. Could I be wrong?

Crosby heaved a heavy sigh. "Look, Knox, if you're gay, you're gay. Who gives a fuck?"

"There would be a lot of people who'd give a fuck."

"I don't care, Burke doesn't care, and I'm pretty sure your parents don't care. Who else matters?"

"What about Silver Spoons Inc.? There are a lot of people out there that won't do business with us if I come out as gay."

"So the fuck what?" Burke snapped. "If you never made another dollar in your life, you'd have enough money to live like a king for ten lifetimes."

That was true.

"If we lose a little business, then we lose a little business," Burke continued. "We're big enough that most people won't care. Those that do, I wouldn't want to do business with anyway. Besides, having a gay CEO might actually help our business. I hear sexual diversity in the workplace is all the rage nowadays."

I frowned at the man. "I am not coming out as gay to help our bottom line."

"You're not coming out as gay now," Burke insisted. "You kissed a guy and he knocked your socks off. That doesn't mean it's going to happen again, or even if you will feel the same if you kiss Newt again."

I was pretty sure I would.

"You think I should try and kiss Newt again?" I only asked because I had no idea what to do and these were my best friends. They'd never steered me wrong before.

"I think you should marry him," Burke said. "Or at least stay engaged to him for a while."

"Have you lost your mind?" I snapped even as the idea took root in my mind.

"You already told everyone here you were going to marry Newt, which is basically like telling the whole world. By morning, it's going to be in every newspaper from here to Hong Kong. If you're engaged to Newt, not only will it give you the time to figure out if you're actually interested in guys, but it'll keep your mother and all your little hook-ups from going after you."

"You need time, Knox," Crosby added in. "What Burke is basically saying is that if you stay engaged to Newt, even if it's just for a little while, it will give you the time you need to figure things out without everyone breathing down your back."

"I'm not sure Newt would agree to that." In fact, I was pretty sure he wouldn't. "He has this weird thing about not lying."

"So, buy him a ring and make it a real engagement until you figure things out. If it doesn't work out, no harm, no foul. If it does, you've already got the hard part out of the way."

"The hard part?"

Crosby chuckled. "Proposing."

This just might work.

All I had to do was get Newt to agree to it.

"Where can I get a ring this late at night?"

Crosby smirked as he pulled out his cell phone. "I know a guy."

Of course he did. Crosby's usual kiss-off to a girl almost always involved jewelry.

I glanced at Burke while Crosby made his phone call, curious as to how my friend was taking all of this. I winced at the stone-hard look on his face. I didn't want to lose one of my best friends because I couldn't figure out if I liked guys or not.

Well, Newt.

"Is this going to be a problem for us?"

"Why did you never say anything before now?" Burke asked.

"I didn't know before now." I narrowed my eyes when Burke swallowed hard and glanced away. "Why?"

Burke swallowed again before meeting my eyes. "There's this guy…"

"Not Newt."

I had to be sure.

"No." Burke laughed nervously. "Not Newt."

"Who then?"

"Just this guy I met a while back." Burke shrugged. "It didn't work out."

"Why not?"

"Honestly? I think I'm too much like you."

I lifted my eyebrows. "Too much like me?"

What in the hell did that mean?

"I wasn't ready to acknowledge what was between us, so I let him go."

Damn.

I could see how that decision was ripping my best friend apart by the anguish in his eyes. I'd only ever seen that look on his face once before. When Brittany had pulled her shit on him and he learned that the baby she swore was his didn't exist.

"Any chance you can go after him?" I asked. If this man made Burke happy, I wanted him for my friend.

"I'd have to find him first."

"Get Sergei on it. He can find anyone."

"You're okay with this?"

"Are you okay with me being with Newt if this turns out to be real?"

And I was starting to think it was.

"As long as he doesn't screw you over like Brittany did me, what do I care who you sleep with?"

"And if this turns into something more meaningful?"

Burke shrugged. "Like I said, as long as he doesn't screw you over, what do I care?"

I glanced over my shoulder to where Crosby was still talking on the phone. "Do you think he's going to care?"

"Crosby is gay."

My head whipped around so fast, my neck cracked. "He's what?"

How did I not know this?

"That sexy little brunette we saw him in bed with when we contacted him in London? That was a guy."

My eyebrows shot up to my hairline. "No shit?"

I had been sure it was a girl.

"How long has he been gay?"

"I don't know, since he was like fifteen or something. That's when I found out anyway."

"Why didn't he say anything to me?"

"You were a horn dog, Knox, even back then. You had women hanging off you everywhere you went. Crosby was afraid of what you'd think. He made me promise not to tell you. Hell, he made me promise not to tell anyone."

"Then why are you telling me?"

"I figure we've all been hiding from each other, and we need to stop. We're supposed to be best friends, and best friends don't hide stuff from each other. It's bad for business and it's bad for us. Maybe if we can stop being afraid of what each other might think, we can find happiness with the ones we really want instead of who others think we should be with."

"That's pretty profound."

Burke chuckled. "I know, right?"

"So." I shoved my hands into my pockets. "I guess that means Silver Spoons Inc. just became one of those LGBTQ companies."

"Looks that way," Burke replied.

"It's going to be interesting seeing how the world deals with this."

"I could care less how the world deals with it. I want to see how we deal with it."

"I think we need to stop hiding from each other like you said. I want to bring Newt to the penthouse, but I want him sleeping in my bed. I'd like to help you find the man you let go, and I'm hoping at some point, Crosby will be comfortable enough to bring someone home, too."

"So, you're really going to do this then?"

"Yeah, I'm really going to do this."

I just hoped it didn't blow up in my face.

"Hey," Crosby said as he walked back over. "My guy will meet you, but he can't do it until tomorrow morning. He's out of town, but he said he'd head back. He just won't be here until tomorrow."

"Okay, thanks." I shot Burke a quick look before turning to confront Crosby. "You planning to being that guy home from London?"

"Uh…" Pure panic graced Crosby's face.

"I could only see the backside of him, but what I could see was pretty hot."

Crosby's face darkened almost instantly. "I thought you were interested in Newt?"

"I am."

"Then why are you looking at other men?"

I shrugged, but I had a smile slowly curving my lips up. "He was kind of right there, Crosby. How could I not look?"

Crosby glared at me. "Well, don't."

It took me a moment, but then it dawned on me that Crosby was jealous. I quickly held up my hands. "I have no designs on whoever you are sleeping with, Crosby. I was just curious if you were going to stop trying to hide it from me."

Crosby sent Burke a glare so hard, it had to be painful. "You promised you wouldn't say anything."

"He doesn't care, Crosby," Burke said.

Crosby's eyebrows were significantly higher on his face when he turned back to me. "You don't care?"

"I care that you felt you couldn't say something to me before this, but beyond that, no, I don't care. Sleep with whoever you want to…as long as it's not my Newt."

Look at me, already claiming Newt as mine.

Crosby's face flushed. "Newt is cute and all, but I tend to lean more toward guys who are not so…straight-laced."

I chuckled. "I like him straight-laced. Makes me want to ruffle him up."

His bow ties drove me insane and had for a while. I'd just never connected it to wanting the guy.

That might not be true. I knew there were times when I got hard when Newt walked into the room, but I'd always chalked that up to normal horniness. Now, I had to wonder if it was due to Newt.

"So, I'm going to head to the hospital to check on Newt, and then I'll meet with your guy tomorrow to get a ring for him. For now, we're going to let the engagement stand and see where things go. Burke, you need to get together with Sergei when he gets back to the office and give him everything you have on that guy."

"What guy?" Crosby asked as he glanced between me and Burke.

Burke's face tinged with color. "There was this guy a while back. Things didn't work out at the time, but I'm thinking now they might. Only, I don't know where he is. Knox suggested I get Sergei to help me find him."

"Man." Crosby chuckled. "We're idiots."

I could not disagree.

Chapter Ten

Knox

I nodded to Sergei when I reached the room assigned to Newt. "Go ahead and head back," I told the man. "Burke needs to talk to you so get in touch with him before you go home for the night."

I didn't want to forget Burke in all this.

"You do not need me, sir?" Sergei asked.

I shook my head. "Ivan can watch us."

I was positive of it.

Sergei nodded once and then walked over to talk to his brother. I briefly acknowledged the officer standing at the door with a nod of my own before pushing the door open and walking into the hospital room.

The lights were turned down low, but I could still see Newt curled up in the bed. I stood at the bottom of his bed for a while and just stared down at him. My thoughts were a tumbling mess of want and need and fear and the knowledge that if I took this step, my entire life would change.

As much as I wanted it—wanted Newt—I was terrified.

I'd never had an issue with gay people, male or female. I didn't much care who slept with who. Frankly, it was none of my business. I didn't have sex in front of a roomful of people, and I expected others not to have sex in front of me. Beyond that, who the fuck cared?

As long as they were consenting adults, it was their business.

So, why this man?

Why did Newton Bridger have me so mesmerized when other men didn't? What was so different about him? Yes, he was stunning and very easy on the eyes. And yes, I loved seeing him all slicked up so I could fantasize about making him messy.

He made me laugh.

He made me think.

He made me wonder about things I'd never thought about before.

But why? I was considering a step with Newt I'd never made with anyone. Marriage, or even an engagement, was serious business. I'd always run in the opposite direction when someone brought it up, so why was I the one running after someone else like this?

I slid my hands into my pockets of my slacks as I walked over to stare out the window. Darkness had faded and the sun was just starting to come up. Soon, people would be moving around and going about their daily lives.

No one would be aware of the life-changing decision I was facing.

I wondered if anyone would even care.

Maybe Crosby's suggestion that we do a trial engagement was the best idea. It would give me and Newt time to get to know each other better and me the time I needed to figure out what in the hell was going on with me.

I reached up and rubbed my eyes. They felt gritty and achy. I knew it was because I was overly tired and stressed.

Boy, was I stressed.

I turned and walked back over to the bed, going to the side this time. I brushed the hair back from Newt's face. He really was a stunning man. Straight Roman nose, high cheekbones, beautiful brown eyes, and slim manicured eyebrows.

He stood a few inches shorter than I did, but I'd never noticed until I kissed him how perfectly he fit against me. I had no doubt if I held him close, his head would fit under my chin. We were like two halves of a whole.

Something to think about.

I had no idea what made me lean over and press a kiss to Newt's forehead, but it felt right. It would feel even better if he were leaving with me, but I supposed he needed his rest. Morning would come soon enough.

After tucking the blanket around Newt's shoulders, I walked out of the room. Ivan stood against the opposite wall waiting for me. I turned to the office assigned to watch Newt's door.

"I will be back in a few hours. I will be very upset if anything happens to the man in that room before I return. And if I'm upset, your captain is going to be upset."

The officer nodded. "Yes, sir, Mr. Knox."

I started walking toward the elevator.

"Do you want me to call in more security for Newton until morning?" Ivan asked as he fell into step beside me.

"Do you have anyone on duty?"

"I always have someone on duty."

"Then yes, call someone. I want Newt guarded around the clock."

Ivan pulled out his cell phone as we entered the elevator. I listened with half an ear as he ordered two of his men to come down and guard Newt until they received new orders or were relieved by other bodyguards.

I waited until we got on the road before broaching the same subject I had with Crosby and Burke. "There's probably going to be some changes around Silver Spoons Inc. that I wanted to make you aware of since you're the head of my security."

"I suspect I already know what changes you are referring to, sir, and I believe we have enough men to handle the job."

That wasn't quite what I meant.

"If I get my way, Newt will become more than just my executive assistant." I couldn't have a man guarding my back that hated what I was or who I was involved with. "Is that something you can deal with?"

Ivan smirked.

I'd seen him smirk many times since I hired him several years ago, but this one seemed more human, almost amused.

"Relax, sir. I'm gay."

My eyebrows shot up. "You're gay?"

Ivan was built like a brick shithouse. Thick muscles over a six-foot-four frame. Everything from his closely shaven head to his tattoos showed a man overflowing with an abundance of male testosterone.

I never would have pegged him as gay.

"My brothers and I all prefer men. It is one of the reasons we came to this country from Russia. It is not widely accepted there, and we didn't want to live in a country where who we loved was more important than what we did with our lives."

I shook my head. "I'm learning a whole lot about the world that I never knew. First, I find out kissing Newt is like kissing a light socket, and then, I discover my two best friends are gay and they never told me, and now you and your brothers."

"Is that going to be a problem, sir?"

"No." I chuckled softly as I shook my head. "No, I just feel as though I've been walking around with my head in the sand."

"We often do not see what we are afraid of, sir."

"I'm not afraid exactly."

But I was.

I was terrified.

"I'm going to ask Newt to marry me."

Ivan's eyes rounded. "You're getting married?"

"I'm getting engaged. If things work out, then I'll get married."

"Does Newt know this?"

"I haven't asked him yet. I'll be picking up the engagement ring after I go home and get a few hours of sleep." I drew in a deep breath then slowly let it out. "And then we'll see how Newt feels about being engaged to me."

That terrified me even more.

I turned to look out the window, my mind falling into deep thought. I wasn't sure exactly what I was thinking, but I knew what I was feeling. Excitement was a small kernel in my chest that was expanding with each passing moment.

When we reached the Silver Building, I rode up to my penthouse. All seemed quiet in the other penthouses, and it was the same inside mine. I knew Jerome and Mary were probably still sleeping. It was very early in the morning.

I'd have to wait until later to talk to both of them.

Instead of heading to my bedroom to sleep, I walked to my office. After pouring myself a drink, I sat down in my office chair and spun it around to face the floor-to-ceiling windows behind my desk.

I slowly sipped my scotch as I watched the sun come up over the city. It was promising to be a beautiful day. I just hoped that promise held true for the rest of the day.

I don't know how long I sat there staring out the window before I noticed Jerome standing next to me. "Jerome."

"Forgive the intrusion, sir, but there is a Mr. Federov requesting entrance. He says Mr. Crosby sent him."

I smiled as I turned. "Please send him in and have Mary bring us some coffee."

"Right away, sir."

I handed my empty glass to Jerome and then watched him walk out of the room. He was back a few minutes later with a tall, skinny man in a dark suit.

"Mr. Knox." The man snapped his feet together and bowed his head. "I am Petre Federov."

"Please come in, Mr. Federov." I waved my hand to one of the empty seats in front of my desk. "Crosby said you might have some engagement rings I could look at."

"Yes, of course, sir." Federov set his briefcase down on my desk and opened it up. He pulled out two black satin trays of rings and set them on the desk in front of me. "I have other designs if you wish to see them, sir, but I'd have to retrieve them from my shop."

"Did you create these yourself?"

"Yes, sir. I have a shop down on Fifth Street. I can, of course, provide certificates of authenticities for all the gems used in my work. I get them all from reputable dealers in Amsterdam."

I carefully perused the rings Federov had laid out before me. They were all stunning rings, some in gold, some in silver, and some even in platinum. Many had gems. Diamonds, rubies, emeralds. Thousands of dollars’ worth of jewelry lay before me.

Only one caught my interest. Gold, with three square cut diamonds set in the top, one large one and two smaller ones on either side. The design was simple, but its beauty lay in its simplicity.

Newt wouldn't want over-the-top fancy.

"This one." I picked up the ring and held it up to the light. "This one will do nicely."

"It has a matching wedding band, sir." Federov picked up another band that had been sitting next to it. It was a much larger band with a single square cut diamond.

"I'll take them both."

"Very good, sir." Federov didn't even smile as he began replacing the satin trays in his briefcase. Once he was done, he snapped the briefcase closed. "How would you like to arrange payment, sir?"

"Can you do an account transfer?"

"Of course, sir."

I flipped my laptop open and logged into my bank. After settling on a price, one which was much lower than I would have expected for such craftsmanship, I sent payment through my account to Mr. Federov.

Mr. Federov supplied me with a black ring box to place the engagement ring in and a black velvet bag for the larger one. My hope was that if things worked out with Newt, one day he would be sliding the larger ring on my finger.

After Federov left, I placed the black velvet bag in my safe and carried the black box into my bedroom. I took a quick shower and then put on my best suit. I wanted to look my best when I gave the ring to Newt.

I walked out of the bedroom and called for Jerome. "Tell Yuri and Ivan to have the car brought around. I need to head back to the hospital for Newt."

"Right away, sir."

"Tell them I'll meet them downstairs."

"Of course, sir."

I headed for the elevator with a pep in my step. I had a smile on my face by the time the elevator reached the parking garage where Ivan and Yuri were waiting for me. I climbed into the backseat, Ivan joining me.

"Where to, sir?" Yuri asked after he climbed into the front seat.

"We're headed back to the hospital, Yuri. It's time to bring Newt home."

I liked how those words sounded.

Chapter Eleven

Knox

"Newton has left the hospital, sir," Ivan said. "The bodyguards I placed on him escorted him back to his brownstone. Newton refused them entry, so they are watching the place from a car on the street."

"He can be so pigheaded sometimes." I chuckled. "Although that is one of his more redeeming qualities."

"I suspect so, sir."

"Okay." I glanced at Yuri. "I guess we are headed for Newt's brownstone then."

"Very good, sir," Yuri said before starting the car.

I patted the little black box in my pocket. With any luck, this would be the last time I'd being going to Newt's brownstone to retrieve him.

When we pulled up in front of Newt's brownstone twenty minutes later, I didn't even wait for Yuri or Ivan to open the door. I jumped out and started up the steps. I could hear Ivan shouting behind me, but I didn't care.

I had one mission right now.

Newt.

I knocked on the door. When it opened, I had one of my award-winning smiles on my face. "Hey, Newt."

"Knox."

I frowned for a moment, unsure of my welcome. Newt didn't seem that happy to see me. "Can I come in?"

Newt stared at me again then stepped back, holding the door open.

I don't know what I expected when I stepped into Newt's brownstone, but what I found was a place that was warm and inviting and something that felt as if its sole purpose was to make someone relax and feel welcome.

A large overstuffed cream-colored couch was situated in front of a white brick fireplace with an ornately carved wooden mantel. Several pillows were stacked at one end with a blanket tossed over the back, giving the impression that Newt had been curled up there, hopefully resting. The cup and book on the small wooden coffee table next to the couch backed up that idea. The rest of the room was a mired collection of paintings, bookshelves, and potted plants.

I turned to look at Newt when I heard the door close. "How are you feeling?"

"A little sore, but I can work tomorrow."

"No, no, you should take a couple of days off."

Newt snorted as he brushed past me. "After your grand announcement at the gala last night, taking a few days off is the last thing I should do. The media is going to be all over you. I need to get with the PR department to see if we can minimize the damage."

This wasn't going like I had planned.

"What damage is there to minimize?"

"Seriously?" Newt waved his hand in the air as if needed to make some sort of gesture. "You told the whole world we were getting married."

"So? Let's get married."

Newt shot me a steel-hard glare. "I'm not going to play this little game with you anymore, Knox. If you want to continue to lie to people, that's on you."

"What if it wasn't a lie?"

I might have forgotten to breathe as I waited for Newt's response to my words.

The guy squinted at me. "What?"

I pulled out the small black box I'd picked up on the way over here and then flipped the lid open. "Marry me, Newt."

When Newt just stared at the ring I'd picked out for him, I wondered if I was supposed to be on one knee. I'd never done this before. I had no idea how it was done. "Newt?"

Newt tore his eyes away from the ring and looked up at me. His brown eyes were turbulent, a mix of want, need, and sadness. "Why?"

"Why?"

"Yes, why do you want to marry me?"

"We work well together."

"We do," Newt admitted. "What does that have to do with marriage? We don't have to get married. I already work for you."

"I like you."

"You…like me?"

"Yes, I consider you a friend."

"A friend." Newt's voice was getting quieter with each response.

"Yes, a friend. Aren't all good marriages based on friendship?"

My parents' marriage had been.

"I've always believed good marriages were based on love."

"People fall in and out of love all the time," I responded. "Friendship is stronger."

I was sure of it.

Newt closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them, he glanced away from me and the ring. "I think you should go now, Knox. I'd like to get some rest."

"No, just listen to me." I stepped closer to Newt. "I've been thinking about this since Brittany confronted us. Getting married is the right choice. I know you're not after my money. You're not going to try and force me into anything. That's what makes this so perfect."

"And what do I get out of this so-called marriage?"

I frowned. "What do you want?"

Newt chuckled, but it wasn't a happy sound. "Man, you really are something else."

Was that a good thing or not?

"You'll be the…the hu…the spouse of one of the richest men in the country."

"You can't even say it, Knox. Husband. It's a word to describe two men who are married to each other. Husband."

"I know that."

"Do you?" Newt asked. "Do you really?"

"Of course."

"Then say it."

I clenched my jaw for a moment before saying, "You'll be my husband."

There.

I'd said it.

Was he happy now?

I held the ring out again. "So, will you marry me or not?"

"Not."

My jaw dropped. "You don't want to marry me?"

I didn't like the agonizing stab to my chest those words brought me. I'd never truly considered that Newt would turn me down.

"I've worked for you for five years, Knox. I've watched so many women move in and out of your bed, I'm surprised there aren't skid marks on your sheets. And now you come in here with some bullshit story about us being friends and working well together and expect me to be thankful you proposed? I don't care how much money you have. You don't deserve to be my husband." Newt walked over and jerked the door open. "Please leave."

Anger—no, rage—swamped me as I stared at Newt. No one turned me down. Ever. "You're turning me down?"

"Oh yes, I am most definitely turning you down."

My jaw clenched again as I snapped the ring box closed and slid it into my pocket. I walked over to stand in front of him, my anger not appeased in the slightest even when I saw him lean back from me. "You know I can have anyone I want. I didn't have to ask you to marry me."

"I hear Brittany is available."

My nostrils flared with more outrage. Burning outrage. I turned and stormed out of the house. I wasn't even halfway down the steps before I heard the door slam and lock behind me. Ivan opened the door as soon as I reached the car.

"Take me home," I ordered as I climbed into the back. Ivan climbed in and sat across from me, not saying anything. Which was good. I was too caught up in my own thoughts to reply if he had.

I couldn't believe Newt had turned me down.

* * * *

Newton

I couldn't believe I had turned Knox down.

I leaned my forehead against the door until I heard Knox's limousine pull away then slowly slid down to sit on the floor. The tears I'd been working so hard to keep at bay while Knox was talking to me flooded my eyes and trailed down my cheeks.

My heart felt as if it had been hollowed out. My soul was aching. I wasn't sure I'd survive this. Knox had been handing me my wildest dreams, but he'd been doing it for all the wrong reasons.

I could think of only one thing that I wanted more than I wanted to marry Colton Knox, and that was his love, but he wasn't offering that. He was only offering marriage. I knew if I accepted his proposal, I'd eventually grow to hate him when he couldn't love me the way I loved him.

And I knew now that I did indeed love him. If I didn't, I wouldn't be feeling so gutted. I wanted to scream for him to come back, that I would take anything he offered me just so I had a piece of him.

That's why I kept my mouth closed.

I wanted all of him, not just a part.

I wasn't lying when I said I deserved better. I did. I deserved to be loved and not just married because…damn, I had no idea why Knox wanted to marry me, but it couldn't be good. He wasn't into men.

Maybe he was trying to hide. If he was engaged to me, women wouldn't be climbing all over him. I'd heard of gay men marrying women and using them as "beards" to hide the fact that they were gay. I had no idea what it was called when a straight man married a gay man to hide that he was straight.

Was that even a thing?

My heart leapt into my throat when someone knocked on the door. I jumped to my feet and pulled the door open, positive it was Knox coming back for me.

Just as quickly as I'd opened the door, I shoved it closed.

It wasn't Knox.

"Mr. Bridger," the reporter on the other side of the door said rather loudly. "Mr. Bridger, do you have a comment on your engagement to Colton Knox? How does it feel to be married to one of the city's most eligible bachelors? Mr. Bridger?"

"No comment!" I shouted through the door.

The reporter continued to shout his questions through the door. I groaned when I saw another news van pull up in front of my brownstone and the house phone started ringing. Apparently, I had just become the hottest story in the city.

Thank you, Knox.

I was going to kick his ass when I saw him again.

I made sure the door was locked then ran around and locked all the windows and pulled down the drapes closed. My neighbors were going to be pissed.

My phone stopped ringing for a moment and then started right back up again. I wasn't stupid enough to answer it. I knew it had to be a reporter.

I walked over and curled up on the couch, pulling my throw blanket over me. I reached over to the remote and turned on the TV. I flipped to one of the news channels. I wasn't glutton for punishment, but I needed to know how bad this was.

I watched for a moment before flipping to another news channel and then another and another. By the time I'd gone through all the channels offered by my cable service, I was sick to my stomach.

The news of me getting shot and Brittany Foxx losing her ever-loving mind had hit right along with Knox's statement that he and I were getting married. The news was making it sound like some sort of love triangle gone wrong.

As if.

I'd never even seen Brittany naked and I never wanted to. I knew Knox didn't either.

At least, I didn't think he did.

I could be wrong.

I was starting to think I didn't know everything I thought I did. I thought Knox and I were on good enough terms that he wouldn't have even considered using me to play his little game.

Hell, I didn't think Knox played games.

Boy, was I wrong.

More news vans pulled up in front of my brownstone over the next few hours, and the knocks on the door became almost constant. I wanted to scream at them all to go away, to leave me alone.

I didn't think it was going to happen.

I picked up my phone and dialed the head of the PR department. I had no doubt she would be in her office today, even if it was a Sunday. The world had basically imploded, and she needed to do damage control.

"Sylvia, it's Newt."

"Oh, Newt, now is not a good time. My phone is ringing off the hook. Can I call you back in a few minutes?"

"I need to know what you are doing for Mr. Knox. Has he given you a statement to release to the media yet?"

"I was told all official statements would be coming from you."

"Me?"

Was he insane?

A slow-burning anger ignited in my gut. Was this Knox's way of paying me back for turning down his marriage proposal?

Jackass.

"My official statement is that I have none."

"Is that what you want me to say?" she asked.

"No." I groaned. "If anyone calls, tell them that at this time, we are unable to comment on an ongoing investigation. All other questions can be referred to our in-house counsel."

"Very good," Sylvia replied. "And any comment on your engagement?"

"No." I swallowed the hard lump in my throat. "Not at this time."

I'd still have to think on that one. I wasn't going to marry Knox, but there had to be some way to spin this without making Knox look bad.

"Okay, got it," Sylvia said.

I could hear her typing away, so I knew she was probably typing out a statement to send to all the media outlets. Hopefully, it would get them to leave me alone.

"At this time, neither Colton Knox, Newton Bridger, and Silver Spoons Inc. have no comment on the incident that took place at the Manhattan Gala or any reports of an engagement between Mr. Knox and Mr. Bridger due to the ongoing police investigation. All questions should be referred to Mr. Andrew Lancaster, Silver Spoons Inc. in-house counsel. How does that sound?"

"Sounds good, Sylvia. Thank you."

"I'm sure going to miss you, Newt."

"Miss me?"

What the hell was Sylvia talking about?

"Well, yeah. I know you still have to work out the last two weeks before your resignation takes effect, but it's just not going to be the same around here without you."

Bile rose up in my throat. "My resignation?"

"Oh, was I not supposed to say anything?"

A sinking sensation in my gut made me swallowed hard to keep from throwing up. "No, that's okay. I just…how did you know?"

I certainly hadn't said anything.

"Mr. Knox sent out a companywide memo this morning. He said you were resigning your position as his executive assistant and would be spending your last two weeks training your replacement."

"Actually, that's not going to be possible, Sylvia. You might want to let HR know that they need to find someone to fill the position immediately. I will be using my vacation time for my last two weeks."

There wasn't a chance in hell I was stepping foot back in Silver Spoons Inc., not after this.

I didn't even care if I never got my stuff back.

"Oh." Sylvia laughed. "Well, I guess you have a lot to do with planning the wedding and all."

"Something like that."

"Well, we're sure going to miss you."

"I'll miss you, too. Hey, look, don't forget to get that statement out to everyone immediately. You also might want to drop a bug in Ivan's ear about upping security until this blows over. I'm pretty every news outlet on the planet is parked in front of my house. I can't imagine what it looks like at work."

"It's pretty insane," Sylvia replied. "They've doubled the guards in the lobby, and you can only get inside if you have business in the building."

That was pretty insane.

"Hey, look, Sylvia, I need to go. I'll chat with you later." I hung up before she could say anymore and then immediately dialed another number. "Dad, I need some help. My life just imploded."

"Whatever you need, son."

"I need a place to hide."

And lick my wounds.

Chapter Twelve

Knox

"Enough is enough, Knox."

I frowned as I turned away from the view out my window to find my two best friends standing behind me. "What?" I asked. "What are you talking about?"

"You've been drunk for a week," Burke said. "It's time to get sober."

"What?"

"You've had enough time to get over what has you trying to drown your liver," Crosby said. "You need a shower, get some food, and to start dealing with the shit storm you started."

I frowned in confusion. "What shit storm?"

It was interesting watching both Burke and Crosby's eyes widen.

Crosby waved his hand back toward my office door as if gesturing to something unseen. "The media is still parked out in front of the building, waiting for a comment from you. Your mother has been calling every ten minutes, and now your father is calling wanting to know what in the hell is going on."

"Nothing is going on." I started to reach for the bottle of scotch on my desk, but it was empty. I glanced toward my liquor cabinet. There was just one bottle left on the shelf. I got up and started staggering toward it.

Burke got to it first and grabbed the bottle before I could. "Nope. You're done."

"Fine." I walked past the man, but quickly wobbled on my feet and had to grab the edge of the desk to keep from falling over.

Maybe I had had a little too much to drink.

"Come on, man." Crosby grabbed my arm and started leading me toward the door. "Let's get you cleaned up a bit. Burke will have Mary make you something to eat."

I was taken to my bedroom, stripped down, and shoved into the shower. I knew I should have felt a little funny about my best friend handing me a washcloth with soap on it and then just standing there on the other side of the glass as I scrubbed up, but I didn't.

My mind hadn't engaged yet. I wasn't really thinking about anything. Everything was pretty much an alcohol-infused blur.

After scrubbing a week's worth of stink off my body, washing my hair, and rinsing off, I stepped out of the shower into the towel Crosby had waiting for me. I dried off automatically then reached for the clothes he held out for me.

By the time he escorted me to the dining room, I was feeling better and the cells in my brain were starting to fire. I sat down at the table and reached for the coffee sitting at my spot. I was pretty sure I needed that more than I needed air.

When Mary set a plate down in front of me, I smiled up at her. "Thank you, Mary."

"Hmph." Mary turned and walked away.

I frowned as I stared after the woman. "What's wrong with her?"

"I think she's pissed at you," Burke said.

"Why?" I couldn't remember anything I'd done that would piss Mary off. Even though it had been a week according to Burke and Crosby, Mary had seen me drunk before. Granted, I didn't get drunk often, but it did happen.

"I'd say it's because she can't leave the building without getting swamped with reporters," Crosby said. "Vultures, all of them."

My mind instantly went into business mode. "Has an official statement been released?"

"About a week ago," Burke replied, "but it was basically a no-comment comment."

"Since there's been nothing from you directly, people are still clamoring for a statement."

"Where's Newt?"

He usually handled this shit.

"He's gone, man," Burke said.

"Gone?" I echoed as fear froze me in place.

Had someone hurt him again?

"You fired him," Crosby said as he squinted at me. "Don't you remember?"

"What in the hell are you talking about?" I snapped. "I never fired Newt."

I wouldn't do that.

"You did, Knox," Crosby insisted. "You sent out a companywide memo stating that he would be resigning his position in two weeks, which was like a week ago."

"I wasn't firing him. I was promoting him."

"Did he know that?"

I frowned as I tried to remember. "I don't know. Maybe."

Maybe not.

"Things are a little fuzzy."

A lot fuzzy.

"What do you remember?" Burke asked.

I swallowed tightly. "Newt refused my proposal."

I doubted I'd ever forget that.

"And that would be why you've been drunk for a week," Crosby said.

I couldn't deny it.

"Did he say why he refused your proposal?" Burke asked.

I didn't think I'd ever forget.

"He said he deserved better than me."

Burke glanced at Crosby before asking, "Why would he say that? What did you say to him when you proposed?"

"I got the ring like Crosby suggested and took it over to him. Newt said he didn't want to lie anymore, and I said we didn't have to lie. I asked him to marry me and told him I thought we'd work out well together. I told him I liked him and I considered him a friend and we'd be a good match because I knew he wasn't after my money or anything."

"Well, fuck, Knox," Burke said. "I would have turned you down, too."

"What? Why?" I flicked out my fingers one at a time as I said, "I told him we wouldn't have to lie anymore. We're friends. We work well together. And even though he'd be marrying a billionaire, I know he's not after my money. He's not trying to force me into anything I don't want. We'd be a good fit. Getting married would be a good choice for both of us."

Burke dropped his head into his hand, slowly turning it back and forth. "You're such a fucking idiot, Knox, sometimes I wonder how you made it this far in the business world."

"That's the problem," Crosby said. "In the business world, he's a shark, and he tried to propose like it was a business merger and not a marriage. That's where he screwed up."

Anger rumbled through me like a freight train. "What in the hell are you talking about?"

"Newt is in love with you, you moron," Crosby argued. "When you proposed to him like you were negotiating a business contract, you probably broke his heart."

My body froze as my heart leapt into my throat. "Newt is in love with me?"

"He's been in love with you for years," Crosby insisted. "Burke and I have watched him mooning over you for years. He has stars in his eyes every time he looks at you."

"Why didn't he say anything?" I asked as my mind spun with bewilderment.

Newt loved me?

"Because, until you kissed him at the gala, he thought you were straight."

"I'm pretty sure he still thinks Knox is straight," Burke added in. "And then you went and proposed to him like it was a business deal, offering him something he probably only dreamed about then making it sound cold and calculating."

A war of emotions waged inside of me. Hope, joy, doubt, fear, guilt, shame. I didn't know which one to deal with first.

"No wonder he said I didn't deserve him," I whispered. A cold knot formed in my stomach. "I don't."

"You really don't," Crosby said, "but if you want him, we need to make a plan."

I felt as if a hand had closed around my throat. "Do you think I really have a chance?"

"If it was me, no," Burke said, "but I'm not Newt. His heart is a lot more generous than mine."

That was true.

"I want him." I gathered my strength as I spoke. "What do I need to do?"

"What are you willing to do?" Crosby asked.

"Anything."

Crosby and Burke both grinned.

"Good answer," Burke replied.

"Before you start planning, you need to know that I don't just want to be engaged to Newt while I figure things out. I did that while I was drunk."

I'd had a lot of time to think about Newt and how I felt about him. I don't know how the man had done it, but he'd wormed his way into my heart, and I doubted there was anything in the world that could dig him back out again.

Not to mention the fact that I would fight anyone who tried.

"I'm going to marry him."

I was surprised by the wide smiles that crossed Burke and Crosby's faces. I could see that my two best friends were happy for me, but I'd really thought they'd try to talk me out of marrying Newt.

"The first thing you need to do is eat that food before Mary gets really growly." Burke got up and walked over to the sideboard to grab a pad of paper and a pen out of the drawer. "While you eat, Crosby and I will work up a statement for the media."

"I thought we already gave the media a statement."

"We did, but this is one about your engagement to Newt and his promotion. What position were you going to give him in the company?"

I felt a flush heat my cheeks. "Chief Operating Officer."

Burke chuckled as he wrote that down. "So, basically, he gets a new title, a raise, and an office, but he's still working directly for you?"

"Yes." I was the Chief Executive Officer of Silver Spoons Inc. As COO, Newt would report directly to me just as he did as he did when he was my executive assistant. It was his job to manage all the daily organizational operations as directed by CEO.

"I plan to sign over half my interest in the business to him when we get married. I need to know how you two will feel about that." My heart sank when Burke set the pen down. "I won't do it if you two are against it."

I would never do that to them. They had been there from the very beginning, building Silver Spoons Inc. right along with me.

"Do you love Newt?" Burke asked.

I swallowed hard, lifted my chin, and boldly met Burke's gaze. "Yes, I do."

"Then I'm onboard." Burke turned to look at the man sitting next to him. "Crosby?"

I imposed an iron control on myself as I glanced at Crosby.

"Newt won't accept it," Crosby said. "You know that. He has too much pride for that."

"I do, but I want him to know how serious I am. This isn't a game for me."

It was also why I was making Newt COO of the company. I knew if he had an interest in the business, he'd work hard for it. He wouldn't accept anything he didn't work for. It was a redeeming quality in the man, and a frustrating one.

"If you're serious about marrying Newt and not trying to dick him around while you figure things out, then I'm onboard, too."

I took a quick breath of utter astonishment. I hadn't expected them both to agree.

Why were they agreeing?

"Why are you two so willing to let me sign over half my interest in the company to Newt? I expected some argument out of one of you at least."

"Well, for one, we've watched you over the last week," Crosby said, "and it hasn't been pretty. Any man that can mess up the great Colton Knox that much just by turning his proposal down has to mean something to you."

"Both of us also know how much Newt cares about you, Knox," Burke said. "You might not have seen the long looks he gave you when you weren't looking, but we did. That man is crazy about you."

"Add that to the fact that Newt is better at running your life than anyone I've ever met, including you, plus the fact that he doesn't care a damn about your money, and I think he's the perfect fit for you."

"He's not going to spend all of his time shopping and socializing with his girlfriends," Burke said, "or spending all your hard-earned cash while you work your fingers to the bone. He's going to be right next to you working until the wee hours of the night."

"You already take him everywhere you go," Crosby added in. "Only this time, he'll be sleeping in your bed when you finally tumble into it."

I frowned. "Now, you two are making this sound like a business merger."

"No," Burke said, "we're just trying to point out how perfect Newt is for you."

My mood seemed suddenly buoyant. "He is perfect for me."

Burke picked up his pen again. "So, let's see what we have to do to get him to see how perfect you are for him."

I wasn't sure that was possible.

Chapter Thirteen

Newton

My eyes strayed to the television when I heard the newscaster state that they had a special report. One of the large conference rooms at Silver Spoons Inc. came into focus. I became instantly wide awake when I saw Knox step in front of a microphone in a room full of reporters, Burke and Crosby flanking him on either side.

"Good morning," Knox said. "I'd like to address a few things that have been on the news lately, and then I'll answer some questions. The first thing I'd like to address was the incident at the Manhattan Gala. I want to be perfectly clear on this. At no time have I ever been involved with Ms. Fox either socially or in a business capacity. We have never dated, slept together, nor were we ever engaged. Ms. Fox is not pregnant with my child. Unfortunately, Ms. Fox seemed to be under some illusion that we were involved. I am sure as the police investigation continues, the authorities will be able to attest to that fact. I would like to give my condolences to the Fox family during this trying time and only wish the best to Ms. Fox in her recovery."

Knox didn't smile as he switched out his note cards then addressed the reporters again, and I didn't expect him to. This was not the time for that.

"Now, as for the reports concerning Newton Bridger."

I gulped.

"Mr. Bridger has worked for me for over five years. During that time, I have come to know him as a smart, dedicated, hard-working man. He has proven time and again that he is honest to a fault, and my trust in him is without doubt."

My jaw dropped.

"To that end, and with the full support of my partners, Alexander Burke and Decker Crosby, I will be making Newton Chief Operating Officer of Silver Spoon Inc., effective immediately. I have every faith that Newton will be an asset to Silver Spoons Inc. and help us make it even more of a success than it already is."

He was insane.

He had to be.

I'd already turned his proposal down.

"On a personal note," Knox continued, "reports of my engagement to Newton Bridger are absolutely correct."

Reporters started shouting out questions, lights flashed. Knox held up his hands to quiet everyone. I just stared, my mouth hanging open.

"While learning what a hard-working employee Newton was, I also discovered that he had a wicked sense of humor, a generous heart, and a forgiving nature. Accepting that I was gay was only made easier by the knowledge that I was being given a chance to hold the heart of such an astounding man. I don't deserve Newton Bridger, but I love him and I am keeping him."

I drew in a deep breath and forbade myself to give into the tears gathering in my eyes. If this was some elaborate plan of Knox's to force me to accept his proposal, he was going to be very disappointed.

"While I understand that there will be those who no longer wish to do business with Silver Spoons Inc. after learning I am gay, I task them to remember that they were doing business with us while I was falling in love and it never affected my ability to work or conduct business. I refuse to hide my relationship with Newton in order to make more money. Who I sleep with should only be of concern to my fiancé. If anyone feels they have a right to dictate who I have in my bed, I suggest they do business elsewhere. Silver Spoons Inc. doesn't want their business, nor do we need it."

Holy shit!

Knox was going to lose his entire company if he continued with his speech.

I had to stop him.

I reached for the phone just as someone knocked on the door. I quickly dialed Knox's private line as I got up off my father's couch to answer the door. I was listening to the phone go to voicemail as I opened the door.

I slowly lowered the phone. "Knox?"

How was he on my father's front porch and on the news at the same time?

"What are you doing here?"

"I realize what I forgot to tell you when I proposed." Knox dropped to his knees and then pulled that stupid black box out of his pocket and held it up to me. "I forgot to tell you that I love you."

I was momentarily speechless in my surprise.

"In my defense, I didn't realize it until I'd already lost you. It took a week of me being stinking-ass drunk to admit what I was feeling. I've never loved anyone before. I didn't know that was what I was feeling."

I followed Knox's vivid blue eyes as he stood and stepped closer. I couldn't deny myself when he pressed a hand to the side of my face. I closed my eyes and leaned into the gentle touch.

"I missed you, Newt," Knox whispered. "I was so angry at you when I left until I realized that anger wasn't really anger, but heartache. I felt as if my heart was being ripped out of my chest. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't think. I couldn't function without you. I want you, Newt, but more than that, I need you."

I opened my eyes. My breath caught when I saw the ring Knox held in the palm of his hand.

"I picked this out for you the morning I proposed," Knox said. "I want you to marry me, Newt. Not because it will make a statement to the media or because I'm trying to convince Brittany Fox that she's a crazy psycho bitch from hell. I want you to marry me because you can't live a second more without me." Knox swallowed tightly. "Kind of like I can't live another second without you. I meant it when I said I loved you, Newt. I want to marry you for real and spend the rest of my life with you."

Oh man, he was good.

"I told the world that I was going to marry you, Newt. Are you going to make a liar out of me?"

I should, I really should, but I obviously had no resistance to Colton Knox when he was being all romantic like.

"If I say yes and this turns out to be some media bullshit, I will sue you for everything you're worth."

I had expected an argument. Knox's wide grin took me for surprise. So did the papers that suddenly appeared in front of him. I hadn't realized we weren't alone until I spotted Burke and Crosby standing behind Knox.

"Mr. Burke. Mr. Crosby." I gave both men a nod.

"I think you can call us Burke and Crosby now," Burke said. "We'll be working together, after all."

I glanced back at Knox. "That promotion was real?"

"It was, along with half my interest in Silver Spoons Inc."

"What?" I took the papers Knox held out to me. Even if I didn't understand all the legalese in the document, I recognized what they were immediately. "You can't give me half your company."

"Half my interest in Silver Spoons Inc., which is actually only half of a third of the company," Knox replied. "And yes, I can."

"Knox—"

"I've already signed the papers, Newt, as have Burke and Crosby. It's done."

"I don't want it."

"I know, but I wanted you to know how serious I am about this. This isn't a game for me, Newt. This isn't a publicity stunt or a way to get the Brittany Foxes of the world off my back. This is about me loving you and wanting to spend the rest of my life with you. And if it takes half my interest in the company, then that's what it takes."

"I don't want your company, Knox."

"Then what do you want?" Knox asked. "What do I have to do to convince you to give me a chance?"

The shadows that had been weighing on my heart faded away.

"You've already done it."

Surprise momentarily widened Knox's eyes. "So, you'll marry me?"

"Yes, Knox." I nodded. "I'll marry you."

Knox slid the ring on my finger then grabbed me in a kiss that made me forget the two men standing on the porch behind him. There was no hesitation to it. It was a full-on, lips-to-lips, earth-shattering kiss that rocked me to my very core.

I parted my lips and raised myself up. The press of Knox's tongue against mine sent shivers of desire racing through me.

I wanted more.

I needed more.

I needed a flat surface.

I pulled Knox into the house and heard laughing when I slammed the door closed. I didn't care how rude it was. I had something to celebrate, and I wanted to do it naked. I couldn't do it while standing on my father's front porch.

I ripped my mouth away from Knox's and looked into his deep blue eyes. "Are you sure you're ready for this?"

"I'm sure, Newt."

I grabbed Knox and started dragging him down the hallway to the room I'd had growing up. My father had never changed it. He'd just turned it into a guest room, but it was still mine for whenever I needed it, and right now, I needed it.

"Is this your room?" Knox asked when we walked in. "Is this where you grew up?"

I shut the door then turned to look at it. "It is."

I walked over to stand in front of Knox. I fingered the collar of Knox's shirt and then slowly unbuttoned it. I'd seen Knox without a shirt before, but not like this. Not when I could touch. I licked my lips as I trailed my hand down the front of Knox's chest.

I could almost smell the man's growing arousal. Knox's vivid blue eyes flickered with hunger as he watched the tiny movement of my tongue.

"Have you ever done something like this before?"

"Yes, Newt, I've had sex before."

I narrowed my eyes.

Knox chuckled, apparently amused by me. "No, I have never been with a man before. You'll be my first, and it has been a very long time since I've been able to say that." Knox's hand brushed the side of my face in a soft caress. "I'm glad it's you."

I was, too, but I was also a little intimidated. I wasn't a virgin by any stretch of the imagination, but I was a bit concerned about being someone's "first," especially someone I loved.

I pushed Knox back onto the bed.

I didn't say a word as I straddled his thighs. From the desire I could see burning in Knox's eyes, no words were needed. Knox knew exactly what I wanted. I could feel it in the hard cock pressing up against my ass.

An involuntary shiver raced through my body when the Knox's large hands closed around my waist.

I pulled my simple cotton shirt over my head and sent it sailing across the room. It was a little disconcerting to be half-naked when Knox wasn't. That uncertainty faded away when I felt Knox's delicious hands move over my naked chest, settling on my nipples to pluck and pull at them.

I dropped my head back on my shoulders and groaned. It was an unintelligible sound, but crystal clear in its volume. A deep groan of need, my need. Knox seemed to know just how much to tug, to pull, how much pressure to use to bring me to the very edge of bliss.

"I'm going to give you everything you've ever dreamed of."

"You already have, Newt."

Oh, that deserved a reward.

I couldn't help grinning as I scooted back. I quickly lowered the man's zipper and reached in to pull his cock out. My heart skipped a beat before my hand had fully pulled Knox's cock free from his pants.

The man was hung like a fucking horse.

His thickly veined shaft was so thick that my hand wouldn't even fully close around it, and I seriously doubted I could cover every inch of his length if I had four hands. Knox had to be at least ten inches long.

I was going to have so much fun with this.

When I glanced up, Knox's blond eyebrow was arched as if he were challenging me. I grinned, almost feeling sorry for the man.

I had no gag reflex.

Keeping my eyes locked with tall, handsome CEO, I carefully lowered my mouth and swallowed just the tip of the man's cock. My lips burned as they stretched around Knox's wide girth.

The drops of pre-cum pooling on the head of Knox's cock trickled over my tongue, bathing me in the most exotic flavors I had ever tasted in my life. I could seriously get addicted to sucking this guy off on a regular basis. I might even beg for the chance.

I stroked my tongue over the head of Knox's cock as I waited for my lips to get used to the burn as they stretched enough to swallow him. It was obvious that it was going to take a little more effort than normal for me to suck Knox off.

Once my mouth had adjusted to Knox's size, I licked a long path from the tip of Knox's cock down to the root and then down just a bit further. I felt Knox's hand fist in my hair when I sucked one of his balls into my mouth.

Oh yeah, he liked that.

I could tell.

I took the time to suck the other ball into my mouth, rolling it around with my tongue before licking a line back up the thickly veined sides. By the time I reached the slit on the head of Knox's cock, another pool of pre-cum had gathered and started dripping down the sides. I eagerly licked at each drop.

A deep groan fell from Knox's lips as I slowly sucked his shaft down my throat. I got about halfway down the man's impressive erection before I had to pause and draw in a deep breath through my nose.

Once I had more air in my lungs, I continued.

The lust that flared in Knox's vivid blue eyes as I swallowed him down until my nose was nestled in pubic hair was the biggest ego boost I had ever received. It made me feel as if I could conquer the world.

I wanted more.

I started to bob my head, sucking in my cheeks as I moved my mouth over Knox's thick cock. I wanted to savor every last inch. The more I moved up and down, the easier it became to swallow Knox down. I could still feel drops of luscious-tasting pre-cum splattering over my tongue every time I swallowed, and god, it was fucking fantastic.

When Knox's balls started to pull up tight to his body, I increased the speed of my movements, sucking Knox's length down my throat faster and faster each time, hollowing my cheeks out as I moved back up to the tip.

I knew Knox was getting close, and I wanted him to remember this blow job as the best one he'd ever received. I breathed through my nose, but it was buried in Knox's pubic hair as Knox shoved his cock all of the way down my throat and came with a low rumble.

Load after load of cum shot into my mouth. I swallowed as fast as I was able to, but I could still feel drops of it slide out of the edges of my mouth. I ached to swallow every drop, but I just couldn't. There was just too much of it.

When the pressure on the back of my head released, I lifted my head, Knox's cock falling from my mouth with a loud plop, and went about licking up every drop of cum I could find.

My eyebrows rose when I realized he was still hard.

I was suddenly rolled over onto my back, Knox coming over the top of me.

"My turn," Knox growled.

My pants were yanked down and tossed away and then my legs were pushed apart. My eyebrows rose when Knox pulled a single-use lube packet and a condom out of his pocket.

"Don't I have to stretch you out first?"

I nodded. "Do you know how to do that?"

Knox nodded. "I might not have been with a man before, but this isn't the first time I've had anal sex."

I wasn't sure it was the same. I'd never been with a woman before. Didn't plan on ever being with a woman either. "Just go slowly."

Knox chuckled as he popped the lid on the lube and poured a sufficient amount of slick out onto his fingers, and then snapped the lid closed. He dropped the lube onto the mattress. My high-pitched grunt as Knox's fingers pushed into my ass echoed through the room. I stiffened for a moment and then shuddered.

My heart thundered against my chest when Knox started thrusting his fingers into my ass over and over again, until I felt the little ring of muscles stretch and pulse against Knox's fingers.

"Need you, Newt," Knox whispered. "Can I have you like this or do you need to be on your hands and knees? I want to be able to see your face when I take you for the first time."

It was sweet that he asked.

I smiled at him. "We can do it like this."

Knox pulled his fingers free, and he scooted up between my thighs. I heard something tear, and then a moment later a big thick cock was pushed into my ass, the burning so intense that for a moment, I thought I might pass out. I was pretty sure my ass was being speared in two as Knox slowly pushed forward, sinking his huge cock into my tight hole.

By the time I felt Knox's thighs brush up against my ass, I thought I might be able to taste the man's cock in my throat. I gripped the sheets and tried not to wince when Knox stilled inside of me. I might have needed just a bit more stretching.

I breathed for several moments, then nodded. "I'm okay."

My legs were spread until they draped over Knox's arms. As Knox's body settled over mine, the cock in my ass slid in even further, which surprised the hell out of me. I didn't think Knox could sink any further inside of me.

When the man started to move, a loud cry of ecstasy flew out of my throat. Every inch of Knox's massive cock dragged across my sweet spot as the man pulled out and pushed back in. For one crazy second, I wondered if Knox's cock had been specifically designed just for my ass. It felt as if he filled every inch of me, as if Knox was supposed to ignite every nerve in my ass.

It was fucking fantastic, better than I had even hoped.

My ass was being pummeled as the man pounded into me at a rate that was, frankly, very astonishing. I could barely register the fact that Knox had pulled out before he was pushing back in.

All thoughts and breathing in general faded from my mind when I felt a hand close around my cock. I was so sensitive, I swore I could feel a tickling on my balls as Knox started to stroke me.

Maybe it was sweat.

I didn't care.

Really.

I just needed that magnificent cock to not stop filling me. I was so close I could practically taste it. I needed so fucking bad. Every inch of my skin tingled. I was flushed with heat and getting hotter.

"Knox!"

No one had ever fucked me like this. Blood pounded through my body as I was impaled on Knox's cock over and over again.

It felt so damn good.

"Knox!" My loud cry of completion shook the shook the windows as my release filled Knox's hand. Knox's roar echoed my ears as the man shoved his thick cock as deep into my ass as he could possibly go.

He'd never come out if I had my way.

Knox's hand stroked down my chest as my rapid panting slowed to a low rise and fall. I smiled when Knox reached up and brushed the sweat-dampened hair back from my face.

"I love you, Newt."

More satisfied than I ever remember feeling, I smiled up at the man who had stolen my heart. "I love you, too."

Chapter Fourteen

Knox

"Any idea what you want to do about your brownstone?"

Newt slowly turned to look at me. "My brownstone?"

I shrugged. "I was kind of hoping you'd move in with me."

Married people lived together.

"I don't like your penthouse, Knox. You know that."

"I do, but it's where we really need to be." I winced when Newt's eyes clouded. "I was thinking maybe you could redecorate it and make it look more like your brownstone."

Newt's eyebrows lifted. "You'd let me redecorate your penthouse?"

"Our penthouse, and yes, I would. I like your house much better, but like I said, we really need to be at the penthouse. Besides the fact that it's closer to work, it's safer." I hated bringing this part into the harmony that had settled between us. "You're now a very rich man and you're engaged to a very rich man. You have to think about your security."

Newt's shoulders slumped.

"I'm sorry."

"No." Newt shook his head. "I should have considered this. I guess I just didn't think of how all of this was going to change my life."

"If we could live at the brownstone, we would."

"I know." Newt's lower lip slid out. "I just love my brownstone so much."

I sat down on the bed next to Newt and wrapped an arm around his waist. "We don't have to get rid of it, you know. We can use it as our hideaway from the world from when things become too crazy."

"Yeah?"

"I just have to have Ivan go over the security there."

"I thought he already did."

I shrugged. "A better security system."

Newt groaned and flopped back on the mattress. "This security stuff is going to drive me insane. You know that, right?"

I stretched out next to Newt and fiddled with the collar of his shirt. I much preferred him naked. "I do know that, but it's something you'll get used to. It's not that bad, really. You just kind of have this shadow that follows you everywhere."

Newt shot up so fast, I nearly got knocked in the head.

"Ivan is here?"

"Yes." I was here. Where else would he be?

Newt's face flushed. "He's been here this entire time?"

I chuckled. "You know I don't go anywhere without him."

"Where is he?"

"I imagine he's on the front porch." That was the last place I'd seen him anyway. Knowing Ivan, he had walked the entire perimeter of the property and assessed the potential safety issues. I was sure by the time I saw him again, he'd have a security plan in mind for this place.

Newt jumped up and headed for the door. "How could you leave him outside this entire time?"

"Newt, love, he's used to it."

The glare Newt shot me almost burned off the first layer of skin.

I quickly held up my hands. "What I meant is that Ivan is never far from my side. You know that."

"I can't believe you left him on the front porch."

I chuckled again as I got up and followed Newt out of the bedroom. Ivan was waiting for us in the living room. I smiled and waved a hand toward him. "See, Newt. Ivan wasn't waiting on the front porch."

Ivan arched an eyebrow, but didn't say anything.

I quickly shook my head.

"Do you take creamer, Ivan?" someone called out from another room.

And that would be why Ivan was inside the house instead of on the porch.

"Dad," Newt called out as he headed in that direction.

An older and taller version of Newt leaned out of a room to the left side of the room. "Hello, son." He nodded toward Ivan. "This fella here says he knows you."

"He does, Dad. This is Ivan, Knox's personal bodyguard."

"That's what he said. I figured I'd keep him company while you were busy with your friend."

The flush in Newt's cheeks deepened as he shot me another glare.

I couldn't keep the smile off my face. I walked forward, holding my hand out. "Colton Knox, sir." I glanced at Newt. "Newton's fiancé."

Newt gasped.

Harold Bridger glanced between me and Newt. "Does he know that, son?"

"I'm pretty sure he figured it out when I put a ring on his finger."

"Is that true, Newton?"

"It's true, Dad." Newt held up the hand with my ring on it, wiggling his fingers. "He asked me to marry him." A small smile came over his lips when he turned to look at me. "He was quite convincing."

"Well done, boss," Ivan said.

I grinned.

"Well." Harold smiled as he patted my shoulder. "That's okay then."

Newt walked over and curled into my side. "He loves me, Dad."

"And now I understand the ring," Harold replied. He shook my hand. "Welcome to the family, son."

"Thank you, sir."

"None of that 'sir' stuff. Call me Harry."

"Harry it is," I replied. "And please, call me Knox."

"So you're going to marry my son, huh?"

"That's the plan." I shot Newt a quick glance. "Assuming he doesn't kick me to the curb before I can get him to a preacher."

Luckily, Harry chuckled and nodded his head toward the kitchen. "Come make coffee with me and I'll tell you how to hold on to my son."

"Dad!"

I followed the older man into the kitchen, eager to learn more about Newt, but when I got there, Harry was no longer smiling.

"I'm going to say this just once, Mr. Knox," Harry began as he reached into the cupboard for several coffee cups, setting them on a tray next to a cup of sugar cubes and creamer. "I love my son more than the air I breathe. He is all I have left of my beloved wife. If you hurt him, all your money and all your power will not keep you safe from me. I may be a retired cop, but I know enough people. I can make you disappear before your fancy bodyguard in there even knew you were missing."

I swallowed tightly. "Yes, sir."

"If Newton has decided to give you his heart, he's giving you something more precious than all the gems in the world. If you break it, I'll break you."

Honestly, I believed him.

"It took me a while to admit to myself that I loved Newt," I admitted. "This last week when I thought I'd lost him has been hell, and I never want to go through that again."

"Just you remember how that felt."

I grimaced. "I don't think I'll ever forget."

"As long as you take good care of my boy, you and I won't have a problem."

"I will. I have to. Seeing him upset guts me."

Harry chuckled, and some of the tension in the room lowered. "His mama was the same way. One little tear and I'd feel like I'd been stabbed."

I rubbed my stomach, which knotted just thinking about the time away from Newt. "Yeah, that was kind of how it felt."

"Well, remember how that felt, too. I don't know all what happened between the two of you this last week, but I don't ever want to see my son so upset again."

I didn't either.

I thought about it for a moment and then decided to be honest with the man. He was Newt's father after all. "I was having a hard time accepting the fact that I'm gay, and I'm afraid Newt paid the price for my confusion. After my best friends sobered me up, I realized not having Newt in my life was worse than being confused about what I wanted."

Harry poured coffee into the cups he'd pulled down then set the coffee carafe back on the coffee pot. "I'll admit I don't understand wanting another man, but I don't have to. It's none of my business. What I do understand is loving someone. Newt's mama and I married young, but we were happy right up until the day she died. She's still the love of my life."

He turned to look at me, leaning back against the counter. "If he loves you and you love him, nothing else matters, and it's no one's business but yours. If people give you trouble, you send them down my way and I'll set them straight."

I grinned. "Yes, sir."

I was pretty sure I was going to like this man.

"Here, let me get that," I said quickly when Harry lifted the tray of coffee cups.

"I got it, I got it." Harry pulled the tray away from me. "My physical therapist says I need to exercise my legs as much as possible."

I still didn't think Harry carrying the tray was a good idea, but I wasn't going to argue with the guy. Not while I was in his good graces, or at least in his okay graces. I think he was holding back until he saw how things really were between me and Newt in the long term. I understand that. After the way I'd freaked out, I needed to prove myself, both to Newt and to Harry.

When I glanced across to Newt as we entered the living room, and saw the man's sweet smile, I knew I had a very good reason for doing just that.

The next couple of hours were unlike anything I'd ever experienced before. I sat on the couch with the man I loved cuddled to my side while we all listened to embarrassing stories from Newt's childhood.

By the time we got up to leave, I hated to see it end.

"I'm working on convincing Newt to redecorate our penthouse so it's more homey like his brownstone," I said as I shook Harry's hand. "I hope once it's done, you'll come to dinner with us."

"So, you're staying at the penthouse and not the brownstone?"

"I know Newt hates it, but the penthouse is more secure. Now that he's engaged to me and is half owner in my share of the business, his safety is something he needs to consider."

Harry's eyebrows lifted. "This isn't something you told me, son."

Newt glared at me. "I'm still trying to talk him out of it."

"The business or the engagement?" Harry asked.

I chuckled when Newt's eyes rolled and hugged him close to my side. "I can be just as stubborn as you, love."

Newt smirked. "Wanna bet?"

I'm pretty sure that was a challenge.

Chapter Fifteen

Newton

"Are you ready to head home, sweetheart?"

"Yes, but I need to stop by my…our…brownstone first. I need to pick up a few things for work tomorrow."

When I'd left the brownstone, I'd only packed a small bag. I hadn't known how long I'd be gone. It felt like forever.

"I hope the reporters are gone. I really don't want to deal with them."

Knox grunted. "Were there a lot of them?"

"There were tons, and the phone wouldn't stop ringing off the hook. That's why I went to my dad's place, to get away from it all."

"I'm sorry you had to deal with that on your own." Knox's lips pressed against the top of his head.

"I guess it's something I'll have to get used to." Knox's life was regularly plastered all over the gossip magazines.

"Once they get their teeth into another scandal, they'll forget all about us."

Somehow, I doubted that.

"Hey, if the reporters were surrounding your brownstone, how come there weren't any at your dad's place?"

I chuckled. "Dad called one of his cop buddies. They came and picked me up in a squad car, made it look like I was being arrested, and then drove me away with the lights flashing. I'm pretty sure those reporters all hop footed it down to the local precinct." I turned to look at Knox. "I'm surprised you didn't see it on the local news."

"I spent the last week drunk, Newt. I couldn't have seen the TV screen even if I was looking at it."

I winced. "Oh."

"Not to worry. It's not something I do often, but this time it took me to a good place."

"Here with me?"

Knox grinned. "Exactly."

It was a good place to be.

"You know I'm going to max out your credit cards redecorating that monstrosity you call a penthouse, don't you?"

"If it makes it as comfortable and relaxing as your brownstone, go for it."

I frowned as I leaned back a little and turned my head to look at Knox. "You really like my brownstone?"

"I love your brownstone. We just need to be at the penthouse. Maybe once Ivan gets done with upgrading the security there, we can revisit the subject, but for now, it's not safe."

That was actually a pretty good compromise.

"I'm pretty sure I can work my magic on the penthouse."

At least, I hoped so.

It really was terrible. I was sure that it would awards in some of those architectural magazines, but it was a showpiece, not a home. After working all day, Knox needed to be able to sit back and relax, not feel as if he was still at work.

"I don't want a long engagement," Knox said, "but I know my mother is going to drag it out so she can plan the perfect society wedding. I hope you're prepared for that. She's going to be insane."

"We could just elope."

Knox snorted.

"She'd never speak to me again."

I wasn't sure that was a bad thing.

Well, it was. Knox really did love his mother, but she could be a little over the top some of the time.

Most of the time.

I knew she meant well, but I was terrified of how she was going to feel about her son marrying a gay man.

"She just wants me to be happy, Newt," Knox said as if he read my mind. "She doesn't care who I marry as long as I'm happy." Knox blinked for a moment. "And give her grandchildren."

He turned to look at me when I start coughing. "We never talked about kids."

"No, we didn't."

I imagined there were a lot of things we hadn't talked about.

"How do you feel about that?"

I grinned as I imagined it. "A little boy with your blond hair and blue eyes?"

Knox sent me an answering grin. "Or a little girl with dark brown curls and brown eyes?"

"I could see that."

Knox wiggled his eyebrows. "When we get home, want to see if I can get you knocked up?"

My grin grew. "Practice does make perfect."

"My thoughts exactly."

I started to lean in to kiss Knox when I heard a knock on the partition between us and the front of the limousine. I groaned as Knox reached over and hit the button to lower it.

"We're almost there, sir."

"Thank you, Ivan."

Knox raised the partition back up then turned to look at me. "Rain check?"

"Definitely."

When the limo came to a stop, I knew to wait until Ivan got out and scanned the area for danger. He'd open the door once he knew everything was safe.

Knox's phone rang just as Ivan opened the door. Knox frowned as he pulled it out and glanced down at the screen. "It's Sergei. I need to take this."

"Take your phone call," I told Knox. "I'll go grab a bag real quick."

I'd probably be back before he was off the phone.

"Take Ivan with you."

I rolled my eyes as I climbed out of the car. I closed the door and started for the house. I knew Yuri would stay with Knox while Ivan went with me.

I unlocked my front door and stepped inside. Ivan walked in behind me. "I won't be long. I just need to grab a few things."

I hurried up the stairs to the second floor before Ivan could say anything. I just wanted to grab some stuff for work and then get back to Knox. I knew at some point I'd need to pack the rest of my belongings, but I wasn't ready to deal with that yet.

Maybe tomorrow.

I grabbed a bag out of my closet then went to my dresser for a few changes of clothes. I also grabbed a couple of suits and put them in a suit bag. I set everything on my bed and started for the bathroom when I heard a heavy thud from downstairs.

I frowned and then slowly made my way to the doorway as a cold chill worked its way up my spine. "Ivan? Is everything okay?" I swallowed tightly when he didn't reply. "Ivan?"

I crept to the doorway and looked down the hallway. I couldn't see downstairs from where I was, and I couldn't hear anything. I also couldn't get out of the house unless I went downstairs.

I had a very bad feeling about this.

I stayed close to the wall as I walked down the hallway to the top of the stairs. I gasped when I saw Ivan's crumpled form at the bottom of the stairs. I hurried down the stairs and knelt next to the large Russian.

"Ivan, wha—"

The click of a gun cocking was unmistakable.

Sheer, black fright swept through me.

"I've been waiting for you, Mr. Bridger."

Wait.

I knew that voice.

I glanced up then frowned. "Mr. Jenkins?"

I was confused as to why the younger Jenkins was here, but terrified by the sight of the spider tattoo on the neck of the man standing next to him. The man holding the gun pointed directly at me.

"You've been hiding. I knew, as soon as I saw the news conference this morning, that you'd be headed back here." Jenkins gestured to the door. "Would you be so kind as to call Mr. Knox inside?"

"No." I wasn't about to put Knox in jeopardy.

I cried out when the guy with the gun aimed it at Ivan and pulled the trigger. I quickly pressed my hand over the bleeding wound in Ivan's upper back.

"Are you insane?"

Gun guy shrugged. "Maybe that will get Knox in here."

"Why are you doing this?"

Jenkins pulled an envelope out of his pocket. "I have some papers I need Mr. Knox to sign."

"And you couldn't make an appointment at the office?"

"I didn't think he'd be willing to listen to me. With you here, I know I will get what I want."

He really was insane.

"And what do you want?"

"I want my father's company back." Jenkins held up the envelope. "These papers will return ownership to me."

"It was never yours." I knew I shouldn't have been arguing with the guy, but I had to hope Knox heard the gunshot and was calling the cops. "That company belongs to your father."

"I'm afraid my father had an unfortunate accident tonight. He didn't survive it. As such, I am his sole heir and I want my company back."

I gasped as the implications of Jenkins' words hit me. "You killed your father?"

"Oh no, I don't kill people." Jenkins grinned as he nodded toward the man next to him. "He does."

I narrowed my eyes, hoping the man saw the hate in them. "You're the one who shoved me into traffic and threatened me."

The guy just shrugged again, as if what I'd said was no big deal.

"Now, please call Mr. Knox in here. If you don't, you are no longer any use to me and you'll be joining your friend there."

I slowly pushed myself to my feet then backed up until I reached the door. I turned and opened it. When I did, I made sure I rubbed my blood-covered hand all over the door, hoping Knox would see it and know something was wrong.

Knox stood outside of the limo, pacing while talking on his phone.

"Knox, could you come inside for a moment?"

Knox held up a finger. "I'm almost done with my phone call," he called out. "I'll be right there."

Damn it.

Why couldn't he be on a conference call?

"Okay, back away from the door," Jenkins said. "Back over with your friend."

I walked over to Ivan's side and dropped down to my knees again. I pressed my hand against the wound once more and then reached up to check his pulse. There was one, and it was surprisingly steady.

"You killed him," I cried out. I didn't want them to know Ivan was alive. Some gut instinct told me that it would be a very bad idea. "Why did you have to kill him?"

"It is regrettable that your friend had to die," Jenkins said, "but sacrifices must be made in business. You've worked for Mr. Knox long enough to know that."

Yes, Ivan was my friend, but did Jenkins not realize he was also Knox's bodyguard?

"Why are you doing this?"

"I believe I already answered that question," Jenkins replied in a voice so calm, I wanted to scream.

"Do you honestly think Knox is just going to sign the company over to you?"

"He will if he wants you to live."

"And what's going to stop him from going to the police afterwards? You broke into my home, you threatened me, and you shot Ivan. You seriously believe you are just going to walk away from that?"

Jenkins shrugged as if it didn't worry him in the least. "It's his word against mine."

Was this guy for real?

Knox's voice rang out from the doorway before I could say anything more. "What did you need, Newt?"

"Run, Knox!" I shouted as the door swung open.

I heard two gunshots at the same time, followed quickly by another one, and then something slammed into my shoulder, tossing me backward. I collapsed on the floor, trying to piece together what had happened.

I squinted as I stared up at my ceiling. I really needed to clean it. There were cobwebs in the corner.

"Call an ambulance,” Knox shouted right before his face came into view. "Hold on, love. Help is coming."

I grunted as pain exploded in my shoulder when Knox pressed his hands against me. Pressure unlike anything I'd ever felt in my life flared through me. It was hard to breathe.

"Gun," I whispered.

"It's okay," Knox said. "Everything is okay."

But it wasn't okay.

"Ivan."

"Ivan," Knox shouted without looking away from me. "Get over here."

When Ivan's appeared overhead, I frowned. "You were shot."

Ivan shook his head before patting his chest. "I was shot, but I am wearing a vest. There are tubes in my bulletproof vest that bleed when shot. Makes the idiot who pulled the trigger think he killed me."

"What?"

"It's something I learned in Spetsnaz. Russian Special Forces."

"Jenkins."

"Jenkins is dead, Newt," Knox said. "Yuri climbed up to the second floor and went in through one of your bedroom windows. That's what was taking me so long to get inside. I had to wait for him to get into place. As soon as he let me know he had gotten in, I created a distraction by opening the front door. Yuri shot the asshole with the gun and Ivan shot Jenkins." Knox winced as he glanced at my shoulder. "That asshole got off a lucky shot when Yuri shot him."

Lucky my ass.

I'd been shot.

* * * *

Knox

Being rich had never meant so much to me before as it did tonight, and I would have given every last cent I had if it meant Newt wasn't hurt, but that wasn't to be. It did, however, allow me to ride in the ambulance with him to the hospital and then get him the best medical care my money could buy.

I answered questions from the detectives assigned to the case as I waited for the doctor to come out and tell me if Newt was going to be all right. I knew it was a case of self-defense. Jenkins and his hired thug had broken into Newt's brownstone, shot my bodyguard, and threatened to shoot me. Considering the thug had been identified by his tattoo as the man who had attacked Newt, that was one more thing in our favor.

By the time the police left, I was ready to scream. There still had been no word from the doctor. Not even an update of Newt's condition.

I turned when I heard footsteps, but it was only Burke and Crosby. "Hey."

"How is he?" Burke asked.

I shook my head. "I don't know. No one will tell me anything."

"Have you called his dad?" Crosby asked. "They might not be telling you anything because you're not a relative."

I clenched my fists. "I'm his fiancé."

That should be enough.

"Until you're legally married or Newt gives written permission, they can't tell you anything," Crosby said. "That's the law."

"The law needs to be changed."

"I don't necessarily disagree with you, but until it does, you either have to wait until Newt's father gets here or Newt wakes up and gives permission for the doctors to talk to you."

"Fine." I pulled out my cell phone and started making phone calls. I'd be damned if some technicality was going to keep me from the love of my life.

Chapter Sixteen

Newton

Roses.

I smelled roses.

Why did I smell roses?

I opened my eyes and found myself staring up at a much cleaner ceiling than the last one I'd looked at.

No cobwebs.

A flash of red caught my attention, and I turned to see a big bouquet of red roses sitting on a table next to my bed. Well, that explained why I smelled them.

I turned my head in the other direction and found a sight more beautiful than a bouquet of roses. "Hey."

The tall blond man at the window turned to look at me. A wide smile spread across his lips as he walked over to the side of the bed. "Hi, how do you feel?"

"Confused."

"About?"

"Why am I in the hospital again?"

Knox frowned. "You don't remember getting shot?"

My eyes rounded. "I got shot?"

"Yes, yesterday at your brownstone. Jenkins and that guy with the spider tattoo attacked you and Ivan and—"

Shit!

The events at his brownstone slammed into me harder than the bullet had.

"Am I okay?"

"You are." Knox's smile weakened and his eyes darkened. "You were hit in the shoulder with what they call a through and through, which means the bullet went straight through. The doctor did have to sew you up and you needed a transfusion of blood. I also had a plastic surgeon come in to take a look at your wound, and he says there will hardly be any scar at all."

I wasn't worried about a scar.

"But, I'm going to be okay?"

"Yes, love, you're going to be fine."

"Is Ivan okay?"

I vaguely remembered something about a vest, but I had to be sure.

Knox smiled again. "He's fine. He's just outside if you want to see him."

"No." I reached for Knox's hand when he looked as if he was going to turn away. There were dark circles around Knox's eyes that worried me. That matched perfectly with the new wrinkles I could see at the corners of his eyes. "How are you?"

"Better now that you're awake."

"What happened to Jenkins and the guy with the gun?"

"They were both killed, Newt. They can never hurt you again." Knox squeezed my hand. "And don't worry, the police have already called it a justifiable shooting, so we're not in trouble."

I hadn't even considered that, but I should have. "He killed his father."

Knox nodded. "The police found the body when they went to speak to the senior Jenkins."

"He wanted his father's company back. He seemed to believe that it would be your word against his if you went to the police after signing it back over to him."

"I can't explain his behavior, Newt. The man obviously wasn't playing with a full deck. Even if I'd signed the papers he had with him, he still wouldn't have gotten his company back. That's not how it works. My lawyers would have put a stop to it before he could file the papers."

"I guess he wasn't thinking that far ahead."

"I doubt he was thinking at all." Knox sat on the side of the bed and then glanced down at the hand he held. "There's something else I want to talk to you about."

"Okay."

"It's about us getting married."

I swallowed tightly when a lump thickened in my throat, and then curled in the fingers of my free hand, refusing to give up the ring he'd placed there when he proposed without a fight. "What about it?"

"I know you probably want a big wedding and all, but—"

Was that what all Knox's nervousness was about?

"Knox, I don't care if we have a big wedding or a small wedding or no wedding at all. We can go down to a Justice of the Peace if that's what you want. I just want to get married."

"Really? You'd be okay with a Justice of the Peace?"

"Of course." Why was this even a question? "Knox, I just want to be married to you. I don't care how it happens."

"When they brought you in, no one would tell me anything because I was just your fiancé. I had to wait for your father to get here before the doctors would talk to me. I never want to go through that again."

I suddenly understood where the worry lines came from. For once in his life, all of Knox's money hadn't gotten him what he wanted. "I'm so sorry you had to go through that."

"Marry me."

Uh…

I wiggled the hand with the ring on it. "I'm going to."

"No, I mean marry me right now."

My eyebrows shot up. "Now?"

"I have Judge Schumer waiting outside in the hallway. He can marry us right now."

Wow.

Okay.

"Are you sure that's what you want?"

"I want you to be mine," Knox replied. "I want the whole world to know that you're mine."

"I'm already yours, Knox, and I'll marry you anytime, any day."

"Is that a yes?" That beautiful, wide grin I loved so much spread across Knox's face.

"Yes." I smiled back.

"Yes." Knox leaned in and kissed me. "I promise, when we get back from our honeymoon, I'll throw you a big wedding or whatever you want."

"I don't need a big wedding, Knox. But a honeymoon sounds nice."

I'd love some time away from the office and all the news cameras. Just me and Knox.

"I have a villa on a private island in Tahiti. You'll love it. It's big enough for the two of us and our security."

I groaned.

"You won't see them. Promise."

I doubted that, but I guess this was my new life.

"Fine, but you have to tell your mom. I'm not taking the fall for that one. She's going to want your balls for not letting her throw the wedding of the century."

"Actually, my mom is out in the hallway with my dad, your dad, and the judge." Knox pressed a quick kiss to my hand before setting it down and climbing off the bed. "I told her she could throw us a reception."

When Knox opened the door, several people walked in. My father walked straight to the bed and bent over to give me a gentle hug. "How are you, son?"

"I'm good, Dad."

He cupped the side of my face with his hand then peered down into my eyes. "I could do without a fright like that again. I don't like receiving phone calls that you're in the hospital, so let's not do that again."

"I'll work on it," I promised.

My father glanced at the others as they gathered around my bed. "So, you're going to marry him, huh? You think he's good enough for you?"

I grinned as Knox walked to the top of the bed and took my hand again. "I do."

Knox winked at me. "Remember those words."

* * * *

Knox

I woke to the hottest suction around my cock I'd ever felt in my life. I'd had a lot of blow jobs over the years, but I was pretty sure I'd never experienced something like this. I swear, Newt was trying to suck my brain out through my dick.

I never wanted it to end.

I needed to look. I leaned up and pushed the covers down. I swallowed hard when Newt peeked up at me, his beautiful deep brown eyes sparkling. "Jesus, Newt."

A deep moan ripped from my throat when Newt placed his hands on my thighs, and took my dick into his mouth. He worked my aching cock like a master, licking and sucking until I thought I'd lose my mind.

I felt flushed, hot, and needy. Fire raced through my body, melting me from the inside out. I didn't know what Newt would to do next, and it drove me crazy. I just wished the man would hurry the hell up. I was about to go out of my ever-loving mind.

My body shook as need rushed through me like a tidal wave and crashed together in my cock when Newt suddenly deep-throated me. I growled as I felt the tip of my cock hit the back of Newt's throat.

"Oh, god." My legs began to shake. "Newt, that's…it."

I stiffened as Newt's mouth sank even further down on my cock. He swallowed it until I felt his nose brush against my short, curly hairs. Newt began to move his mouth faster along my hard length. My hips snapped forward, driving my cock down Newt's throat, and then pulling back.

My balls drew up close to my body. I knew I was on the edge of an intense orgasm. I started slowly thrusting into Newt's mouth. I couldn't believe the hotness I felt as I fucked his mouth, the exquisite pleasure.

"Oh, Newt, gonna…" I cried out as a heavy pressure built in my balls. The first tremors began inside, moving along my cock, in tiny convulsive jerks. It moved up to the base of my cock then erupted out the top as I found my release. I shouted as I came, flooding Newt's mouth and throat. Newt sucked down every last drop.

"God, look at you," Newt said as he scooted up to capture my lips. "I love watching you come and knowing I'm the reason for it."

I panted heavily, trying to grin, but unable to make my lips spread so wide when all I wanted to do was lick Newt from one end to the other. I grabbed him and pulled him up my body then rolled over, settling myself between his thighs.

I slanted my mouth over Newt's, trying my best to devour him. I wasn't about to lose the chance to taste heaven. I slid my hands up his sides, and then wrapped them around Newt, pulling his body closer.

Newt opened his mouth, allowing me to do whatever the hell I wanted. I licked at Newt's lips, nibbled at them, drew Newt's tongue into my mouth, and sucked at it. Newt whimpered when I pulled back from him. I wanted to go on kissing him, but I had other plans for Newt.

"My beautiful husband," I whispered against Newt's heated skin, lavishing the area between Newt's collarbone and the underside of his jawline. "So sexy."

I licked a line from Newt's chin down to his nipple. Newt's moan, the little shudder that shook his body, both actions enflamed me, driving me to distraction. "You have no idea how much I want you, Newt."

"I'm yours."

I stroked my tongue around the taut nipple, moving in ever closer circles until I reached Newt's nipple. I latched onto it with my lips, worrying the sensitive bud with the lightest of bites. I lapped and bit, raising it to a peak. Newt squirmed, arching up. His moans grew louder, sweet music to my ears.

A slow stroke of my hand down the soft skin of Newt's side sent the man into a high-pitched keening. The sound was so sweet, so needy that I almost came right then and there. My cock throbbed, pulsing against Newt's thigh.

I nipped my way down Newt's side. I leaned back down and bit Newt's hip, sucking up a mark on it. I kissed my way across my husband's abdomen, raising a matching mark on it as well.

I stroked my other hand down Newt's back, feeling each bone of his spine as I went, until I reached the soft curve leading to Newt's buttocks. The delicious little curve intrigued me enough to stroke my hand there for several moments as I continued to nibble on Newt's neck.

I started making small circles with my hand, growing bigger and bigger with each swipe until I grazed the top of the cleft between Newt's butt cheeks.

Newt whimpered and pressed himself against me. "Please."

I pushed Newt's legs apart. My entire body shook with need, with the control it took to not attack my husband right there and then and ram my aching cock into the little pink puckered hole twinkling up at me.

I ran my hands up and down Newt's rear end and then dipped into the crease of his ass. I circled Newt's tight little entrance with my finger, playing with it, teasing it until it was pulsing to be filled.

Newt's squeak was barely pierced the air before I was licking a path from his tight hole up across his smooth balls. I licked and nuzzled Newt, pushing the man's thighs further apart as I moved down between them again. I reached up and teased Newt's puckered hole with my tongue, pushing in and then retreating, over and over again until the firm ring of muscles began to loosen.

I reached my hand up, coating my fingers with my saliva before placing them back at Newt's entrance, pushing my finger into Newt's ass then slowly pulling it out before thrusting it in again.

Newt fairly came apart in my arms when I added a second finger. The man's body trembled. Small moans fell from his lips. His skin was flushed with desire. Well, at least I hoped it was desire. If the hard cock leaking against his abdomen was anything to go by, Newt was in heaven.

I pulled my finger all the way out, ramming three in this time. Newt went wild. He shoved his ass down hard on my hand, begging for more. Since Newt's legs were on either side of mine, I pushed my legs further apart, opening Newt wider. I opened my fingers in a scissor-like motion, stretching it hard and fast.

"Do you like that, love?"

Newt nodded vigorously.

"Do you want another one?" I asked as I thrust my fingers in and out of Newt's ass. The man had a tight grip on my fingers, almost as if he didn't want to let them go. I had a harder time pulling them out than I did pushing them in.

I rimmed Newt's hole once more with my fingers, fucking Newt's pink rosette hard. Newt's head thrashed back and forth on the pillows, his fingers opening and closing as they clenched in the sheets beneath him

His entire body went taut. Newt cried out as hot liquid splashed against his stomach.

I pulled my fingers from Newt's ass. I reached over to the nightstand and grabbed the bottle of lube. After pouring a generous amount onto my fingers, I slicked up my cock then spread the remaining lube over Newt's puckered hole until he was nice and slick.

"Legs around my waist, Newt," I said as I easily lifted the man up by his butt. I grunted as Newt's legs tightened around me in a vise grip. I scooted forward and pushed Newt's legs up to his chest.

I lined my cock up and then slowly pushed into Newt's tight entrance until I felt myself bottom out. My head dropped back and my eyes slid closed at the sheer pleasure sizzling through my veins and making me feel as though I was on fire. I was lost in the feelings Newt was drawing out of me.

I opened my eyes and looked down at my husband, wondering if the man was even breathing. "Are you ready, love?"

Newt nodded rapidly.

I pulled my hips back, feeling my cock slowly withdraw from the tight grip Newt's body had on me, then thrust forward. Newt's eyes widened. I could feel Newt's cock start to harden again as it pressed between us.

"Fuck, Newt," I growled as my cock slid in and out of Newt's ass. I tried to remember to use patience, control, and care. It took every scrap of control I possessed not to thrust like a wild animal.

"Please," Newt cried out. "I need…I need…"

Hooking my arms under Newt's legs, I started pounding into him with no warning. Newt's hand dug into my shoulders. I knew I'd have fingernail marks in the morning. I didn't care. The hot silk enveloping my cock every time I moved seemed so much more important right at the moment.

Newt's body moved to meet my every thrust almost as if it welcomed me in. The harder I thrust, the deeper I could go and the tighter the grip around my cock. I couldn't remember ever feeling anything like it.

An explosion rocketed through my body, the sensation racing down my arms, and then scattered to the four corners. My mind was fragmenting as I shoved my cock into Newt's ass, thrusting rapidly.

I felt a primal growl building in my throat as I claimed my husband again. It was a powerful feeling, overwhelming, as if Newt's very soul had moved in to take up residence inside of me. My whole world narrowed down to the man beneath me.

I groaned as my cock swelled inside of Newt to the point I could barely move. My eyes fluttered closed and a wave of pleasure rolled over me. My balls were rock hard against my body, and I knew I was only seconds away from spilling my load. I thrust once, twice, then three times, the last time shoving my cock as far into Newt's ass as I could go.

I clenched my jaw and growled through my teeth as I exploded. My nerves felt raw, my body jerking at the force of my release as I shot pulse after pulse of cum into Newt's tight ass. I distantly heard Newt cry out, and the space between us filled with hot liquid. Newt's inner muscles gripped my cock in a vise grip, dragging my orgasm out.

I closed my eyes and fell forward, resting the bulk of my body weight on my arms so I didn't crush Newt. Air was entirely optional at that point. I simply couldn't get enough into my lungs.

When I could finally breathe again, I leaned up on my elbow so I could look down at the man beneath me. I smiled as I brushed the droplets of perspiration from Newt's temple. "I don't know if I've told you this before, but I think you are amazing, Newton Knox."

Newt's beautiful eyes twinkled as he opened them. "You think so, huh?"

"I do." A lump of some emotion I'd never felt before welled up in my throat. "I think I was the luckiest man alive when you agreed to be mine."

Newt grinned. "Guess this wasn't just for fun for you, was it?"

"No, love. This isn't just for fun. It's for life."

And I was okay with that.

THE END

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