Page 80 of Filthy Hot Billionaire
“What the hell is going on here?” I demanded.
Something buzzed and I looked around. It was the same sound I’d heard shortly before Kieran had arrived earlier. My gaze swung to the hallway where the private elevator was. I didn’t have to wait long until Knox came strolling out, hands tucked in the pockets of his slacks, gaze lingering on me.
I should’ve known.
He stopped just inside the room, looked from me to Kieran, then back again. He didn’t say anything, but he didn’t have to. He was responsible for this, of that I was certain.
“Did you forget to mention something?” I asked, moving toward him.
His dark eyebrows shot up. “Excuse me?”
“Where’s my stuff?”
He didn’t say a word, just looked confused.
“From my dorm,” I hissed. “What did you do?”
“It was delivered a short time ago,” Stewart supplied. “I had your things put in your bedroom.”
My attention shifted back to the man responsible.
“I figured you might need it,” Knox said, his chin tilting up. “Is there a problem?”
I marched over to him. “Yes. A big one. I don’tlivehere. Just because you bought it for me doesn’t mean I have to accept it. I don’t want your charity, Knox.”
There was a throat clearing and I looked over to see Stewart. His expression was one of disappointment as he backed out of the room.
“Stewart, wait,” I called out.
He didn’t.
~~~~
Knox
I could feel Kieran’s eyes on me, sensed his amusement.
This would’ve been a perfectI told you somoment for him if it weren’t for the fact Emily was clearly not pleased with my actions. I had known she wouldn’t be when I hired the movers to relocate her things from the dorm to the residence.
“First of all,” I said firmly, moving toward her when she stopped ranting at me. “This isn’t charity.”
“The hell it’s not. I don’t need a place to live, Knox. In case you didn’t notice, I’m doing just fine on my own.”
I bit my tongue, refusing to tell her the truth. She wasn’t exactlyon her own. Never had been. At least not in the sense she believed. But I knew she wouldn’t handle the fact thatIwas the one who’d gotten her into NYU. ThatIwas the one paying her tuition, her room and board, the small allowance they creatively explained as a stipend. She hated me enough already. I wasn’t going to add fuel to the fire.
When I didn’t rise to the bait, Emily crossed her arms over her chest and glared at me. “The only reason I’m here now is because I wanted to confront you.”
While I’d done all of this to make her happy, I couldn’t deny that I thoroughly enjoyed her reaction. I happened to find the sparkle in her eyes and the pout to her luscious mouth a major turn-on. The meek, cowering young woman who’d lived at the mercy of Kitty Campbell for most of her life had developed a backbone during her time here in New York, and I was proud of her for that.
“Confront me?” I took another step toward her. “About?”
Her eyes were locked on me, and it was clear she was tracking my movements, assessing the distance between us. She held her ground, not backing down even when I invaded her personal space.
She looked down.
I tilted her chin up. “Tell me, Em. I’m here. I’m listening.”
She looked so beautiful standing there, her face etched with frustration. It took everything in my power not to yank her to me, to crush my mouth to hers. I’d thought about her kiss for two fucking years now, and I ached for it, yearned for it. But I was a man who prided myself on my control, and right now wasn’t the time for me to test my own limitations.
