Page 63 of Filthy Hot Billionaire
Twenty minutes later, I was sitting in the back of a black town car with Knox beside me. The driver had been waiting for us at the rear exit doors, holding the coat I’d checked in earlier. Knox set me on my feet long enough to assist me with it, then scooped me back up and put me in the car.
“I can walk, you know,” I grumbled from beside him as the driver wound his way through the nearly empty streets. “It’ll just take a minute for me to get going.”
“I see no reason for you to do more damage.”
I huffed, glared out the window. The glare faded almost instantly as I took in the city once more. Even without the hustle and bustle of the daytime hours, I still found this city enchanting. Everything about it, from the high-rises that launched up into the heavens, to the street-level businesses that teemed with people during the day. Even the people were captivating, moving swiftly from one place to the next.
Although I’d been here for nearly two years, I still didn’t know my way around all that well. For the first year, I hardly ever ventured off-campus. Once I met Siobhan and Priya, we’d explored a bit more. But for the most part, I tended to stick to the places I knew, even though my heart longed to explore the city more.
I lost track of where we were almost instantly and didn’t figure it out again until we pulled up to a building.
“Is that Central Park?” I asked, motioning toward the darkness outside the car.
“It is.”
Wow. I loved Central Park, especially in winter. Unfortunately, I hadn’t yet been to the park in the fall, but I was sure I would love it now, too.
Once Knox was out of the car, I scooted toward the door, intending to get to my feet and show him I was capable of walking.
“I know you’re stubborn, Em,” he muttered as he reached in to assist me. “But tonight you won’t win this battle.”
I huffed again when he lifted me into his arms. Rather than argue, I smiled at the doorman when he greeted Knox by name. I felt a bit embarrassed that I was being carried but it wasn’t mentioned. As Knox strolled across the enormous lobby with its grand entrance and uniformed security, I thought about the penthouse he was taking me to, wondered who lived here, whether it had a view. I didn’t voice any of those questions though. Instead, I opted to talk about Kieran.
“Is Kieran single?”
Knox’s gaze shot to my face, his eyes skimming as though searching for something. Being that I was in his arms, I could see every fleck of green, as well as some golds and possibly silvers in his eyes.
His attention shifted to the elevator car that arrived. He didn’t answer right away, stepping inside and punching some buttons on a small keypad. When the gold doors slid closed, Knox met my gaze again. “Why? Are you interested?”
“Maybe.” I looked away from him, keeping my focus on the doors as the elevator whisked us upward. “Would you care if I was?”
I was still waiting for his response when the elevator slowed to a stop. A second later, the doors slid open, silently retreating to reveal what I was expecting to be a hallway of doors but instead was likely the most spectacular place I’d ever visited.
“They just let anyone up here?”
“The elevators secured. Passcode and biometrics.”
“Hmm.”
The entry was what could easily pass as a glamorous reception area but felt residential, complete with masterful art pieces on the white walls, high ceilings, and a silver statue of a geometric piece that somehow reminded me of the club. The wide hallway went both left and right, each end opening up into enormous rooms that were lined with floor-to-ceiling windows. At the moment, the glass was reflective because of the night sky extending beyond for infinity.
Knox turned to the right, past an intricate winding staircase that went both up and down, across Macauba flooring with its tangled gray veins running throughout the smooth white quartzite. The hallway opened up into what looked to be a living room/entertainment room that spanned the entire width of the tower we were in. I could only imagine what it looked like during the day, the magnificent view of Manhattan and Central Park, the natural light that would flood the open, airy space.
The room was simple in design, not taking away from the view. In the center were two long black sofas that faced one another atop an enormous rug with geometric patterns breaking up the sheer white. Behind each sofa were short granite tables each holding an adornment of geometric figurines and statues. There was an enormous painting on an interior dividing wall, a multitude of colors on a white background that drew the eyes and somehow made me feel warm on the inside.
Knox sidestepped a two-foot-tall dividing wall, moving toward the sofas. Once we were on the other side, I noticed the wall was actually a wide electric fireplace, which was currently flickering as it warmed the space nicely.
“This is beautiful,” I mused, still latched on to Knox as he stopped at one of the sofas. I motioned toward the windows. “Is that Central Park?”
Knox chuckled. “I’m starting to think you have a fascination with it.”
“I do,” I admitted.
“Wait until morning. You’ll be impressed,” he said, setting me down, his arm keeping me steady as I balanced on my good foot.
He helped me out of my coat, then got me settled on the plush cushions.
“I won’t be here come morning,” I said quickly, wanting to ensure he understood this was a temporary visit. Since he was so adamant that I see the doctor, I would oblige him, but after that, I would be returning to my dorms where I belonged.
